Food supplement

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Who’s

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

SUPPORTED BY

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Inspire

Transforming and growing Paul Dunn is a marketing expert at the forefront of management and marketing action on a global basis.

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Where and When:

How Much:

Gloucester Rugby Club, Kingsholm Stadium, Kingsholm Rd, Gloucester GL1 3AX

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Or attend both on a combined ticket of ÂŁ75

To book: For more information or to reserve your space contact Angela Edwards at angelaedwards@gloucesterrugby.co.uk

We look forward to seeing you there...

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accounting for entrepreneurs

000 Whos Cool in Food Foreword August 13:Layout 1

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Welcome “Who’s Cool in Food?” takes a closer look at the unique and inspiring food and drink suppliers right here in Gloucestershire. With a county as glorious and vast as the Cotswolds, it isn’t surprising to know that we have a variety of incredibly skilled and talented foodies in our midst. As consumers, we are increasingly questioning where our food comes from, with a food revolution gradually taking place. We are waking up to what is on our doorstep and moving away from imposing supermarkets.

Provenance is more relevant now then it has been for a long time and so it should be. Tom Herbert of The Fabulous Baker Brothers, aptly stated, “Think about what you put in your

Researched and compiled by Natalie Letch

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pie-hole – you are what you eat!”

Well, we can’t argue with that.

‘Who’s Cool in Food?’ proudly celebrates a range of ‘cool’ people from our county: from Michelin starred chefs to innovative local suppliers, farms to restaurants. One thing that’s evident amongst each of them, is their passion, creativity and sense of social responsibility.

We’d like to especially thank Tayabali Tomlin, Chelbury Mushrooms and Foodworks for their incredible support in sponsoring us, and to Carol Freeman, for her help in bringing this special supplement together.

We hope this gets your taste buds going, it sure did with us!

With very special thanks to Carol Freeman

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Not your average accountancy firm....

We hear from Aynsley Damery, a Partner at Tayabali Tomlin in Cheltenham…

We at Tayabali Tomlin are more than an accounting firm. Yes, we cover the regulatory aspects of compliance work, accounts and tax returns that everybody expects us to do, but we have found over the years that clients don’t find any exceptional value in that.

These things are requirements by law and our clients need them to be done but it actually doesn’t give them anything extra and so they are reluctant to pay for that sort of service.

With the advancements in technology over the last 10 years there is the option for clients to rely on this to do their tax returns and so I think we are going back to the old style of accountancy and what an accountant used to do. An accountant was there primarily to act as a business advisor.

That all got lost with the fear of giving people advice and risk minimisation and accountants had got away from that trusted partner and critical sounding board type of role. We made a massive concerted effort to change how we were doing our business around 10 years ago.

Clients want somebody who is enthusiastic about their business, somebody who cares, and somebody who is able to understand them and their business first and foremost. They may also be looking for insight and somebody with the experience to be able to provide them with some of their own experience, but also to share their experience of similar clients within their industry and how they are getting on and how they grow and how Feathered Nest

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they may have survived. Also up there is the opportunity for connectivity to facilitate networking connections in order for them to grow their business, including crucial aspects such as access to funding, expertise, knowledge, mentoring and coaching.

For simplicity, we break our services down into growth and profit improvement, tax planning and structuring and business and personal objectives, which include potential exit planning. Most businesses are looking to grow and increase their profits and given the current climate it is important that we promote growth.

The way business is happening at the moment is changing dramatically too and so we have the global small village term being mentioned and the focus is more on social responsibility. People are looking for a company that is socially responsible and it is important that businesses differentiate themselves and social responsibility is a key area for this.

For profit improvement we have a clear plan in place for businesses and start off with simple benchmarking of our clients against their competitors.

We do that using sophisticated software with full sets of financial data and I know every business is different but often they share some common characteristics and if we see little things that they are doing better then let’s focus on what they are up to and

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000 Whos Cool in Food Tayabali August 13:Layout 1

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Sophie & Mhencha

why they are achieving those results.

Once we’ve done the benchmarking we then plot their results over a five-year period. So we get a trend analysis of where they have been and then we play a ‘what if ’ analysis with the clients and play and tease the numbers... what happens if we can increase our sale price by 5%? What happens if we change customer retention rates? We are then able to model the financial decisions before the clients take them in reality. It’s a great way to look in to possibilities more than anything else.

Then we get on to the questions of how we are going to do that. We are looking primarily for clients who are looking to grow and our branding and who we are attracts that kind of entrepreneurial client and we are quite quirky ourselves. People dip into us and lots of clients may come to us firstly as their accountants were late with their accounts or because they have had an unexpected tax bill and because we are business people ourselves then it makes a difference as we are able to talk to them as business people. Often they may not have had time to look at the business picture as they have been tied up with the accounts and we can go in and find them some savings from a tax perspective that clients are then able to re-invest into their business.

We see ourselves as a profit centre and not a cost centre. We offer fixed fee packages, which include unlimited telephone support and a number of meetings per annum. We want our

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clients to talk to us and not to be fearful of picking up the phone and incurring a charge.

We started in 1979 and now have offices in Cheltenham, Moreton-inMarsh and London. We saw a huge gap in the market here and we are looking to grow significantly in Cheltenham.

We do try to meet our clients face-toface as often as possible as it is important to look people in the eye and gauge body language sometimes… to see what people are really thinking.

We were keen to support the ‘Who’s cool in food’ supplement since we have a strong presence in this industry.

Looking through our client list shows we deal with businesses such as: Pubs, restaurants, hotels, branding, marketing, menu design, organic manufacturers, artisan areas of chocolates, bakes and cakes, specialist consultancy for interiors of food establishments, specialist recruitment for food and drink… we cover a whole host lots of clients in this industry.

Often there are certain elements to business that are the same no matter what sector you are in but there will be specifics to food and drink and it is important to deal with somebody who has the experience, knowledge, client base and connections to help with that.

Cost analysis is important to an artisan producer for example as they need to give a very personalised product out in a systemised way with the costs controlled but make it look unique and different every time… that’s hard!

There has never been a better time

to start a business. With the digital economy, never before have you been able to create a business and brand it and gain access to a market place 24/7.

But it is important that people have the great idea. It is an innovative business idea that will succeed. If you are driven and passionate about what you are doing and have a vision then there is no reason why you can’t thrive. We help our clients with customer service training and telephone training and all the things you probably wouldn’t associate with an accountancy firm.

Clearly we help our clients focus on numbers and KPIs and budgets but also run customer advisory boards for our clients so we will get their customers in a room without the clients there and then ask what they do and don’t like and what the business could do better and that’s a very interesting exercise. On the tax side we do very simple structuring and planning right up to more complex tax planning. We also look at helping people with strategic planning and how we will get there. We find people have great ideas but sometimes have trouble implementing them so that’s what we are here for… and we always ask for nagging rights! CS

2 Court Mews, London Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL52 6HS www.tayabalitomlin.com

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The Angel Bakery The Angel Bakery specialises in producing cakes and cupcakes for events and weddings. Founded in 2008, owner Catherine Pyne wanted to tap into the cupcake trend but maintain a food provenance in her products, she says, “I wanted to create products that were not over-hyped American lookalikes, but cakes that possessed a bit more British finesse, whilst maintaining traditional baking skills”.

The Angel Bakery diversifies its products, “I also have a range of other baked goods that I sell throughout farmers markets, food festivals and through a twice weekly ‘pop up’ shop that operates from the bakery”. Having worked in the Artisan sector for over 20 years, adopting this approach in her business was paramount, “The common denominator for all those businesses and what inspired me, is their unstinting effort to create products with true integrity and quality, using traditional skills – an ethos that I wanted to carry through to my own business”. Sourcing local ingredients is essential, “I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful flour supplier, Shipton Mill, and free-range egg producer, Sherston Eggs. As a stallholder at Cirencester Farmers Market, I get regular access to great seasonal ingredients from other local producers”. Catherine loves to use seasonal ingredients in her products, “You can’t beat delicious local strawberries. The Cotswold Curer producers a fabulous chorizo – great in my savoury tarts. The lemon curd I produce for my Limoncello layer cake is a particular favourite. Catherine’s top tip for budding Artisan producers, “Get as much experience as you can and above all enjoy it. Great food has to come from the heart”.

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Calcot Kitchen Calcot Kitchen of Calcot Manor is firmly established as one of the leading outside caterers in the Cotswolds and surrounding counties that combines “classic cooking blended with bright new culinary ideas and dishes”. We spoke to Calcot to find out more about their fresh approach to catering: “With the ability to cater for up to six bespoke events in one day, Calcot Kitchens recently took over the running of the restaurant at Westonbirt Arboretum where we promote our use of local produce from a 30 mile radius. We also ran a pop-up 100-seater restaurant at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, supporting small local producers”. Supplies are predominantly sourced locally, “Our vegetables are grown at the Veg Shed from HRH Home Farm Estate; local free-range eggs from Sherston Farm; Holy Smoked Single Gloucester from Godsells Cheese; milk and cream comes from Cotteswold Dairy and our butter from Netherend Farm at Lydney. Ice cream at our Westonbirt Restaurant comes from Winstones and Madgetts Farm for all our free-range poultry”. Calcot are passionate about the sustainability, location and background of their food and is an element that transcends throughout the business, “We always support our local producers, and our chefs take regular time out from their busy schedules to meet their producers. We are always careful to ensure the best quality ingredients and building a strong rapport and dealing directly with the producers does just that – you get to see how much love and passion goes into the product. Our ethos wherever possible is to keeping it local!”

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Cheeseworks Cheeseworks, based in Cheltenham are a small independent family owned cheesemongers. Offering a tailor-made service, Cheeseworks supply the highest quality artisan cheeses and accompaniments, offering a great range of local, national and European fine cheeses. Owner, Michelle, states that they promote and source from local suppliers and continually introduce new lines from producers in Gloucestershire, from artisan cheeses, to chutneys and breads. Alongside this they are expanding the website and Cheese Wedding Cake side of the business, promoting the Artisan cheeses to wider audiences across the UK. Michelle says, “Having an Artisan Cheese Shop allows us to provide our customers with the best quality products we can source. We believe our artisan cheeses offer that extra special something that you won’t find in mass produced products, this is very important to us”.

Cheeseworks are passionate about customer service, “We believe it is very important to be able to let customers know exactly what they are buying and to get their feedback on the products we sell”, Michelle says that Artisan products should be “generally handmade, not mass produced. There should be a story behind the product and the producer will be extremely passionate and care about what they do, this can be seen in the quality of what they produce”. Michelle says that to create a successful food business, “You should get to know your local producers and suppliers, understand their products and how they make them and be sure that you can tell your customers what they are getting and where it comes from”.

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Cotswold Gold

‘Artisan’ to Charlie Beldam means “the highest of quality, made in the best way possible and using top quality ingredients” and that is what Cotswold Gold has become renowned for. Cotswold Gold is an award winning, Natural Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil, which is from Oilseed Rape and is extracted by using traditional cold pressing and is grown off Charlie’s family farm. The oil has become renowned for its health benefits and is one of the Cotswold’s prime artisan producers. Cotswold Gold has less than half the saturated fat of olive, is low in cholesterol, a good source of Omega 3,6 & 9 and Vitamin E and is 100% British factors that we are all increasingly searching for. Charlie tell us that he spotted a niche in the market, “In my last year at university, I did a diversification project to use an additional crop from the farm and saw the potential in the market and decided to keep it going”. Cotswold Gold is growing on a daily basis and is even now exporting to Barbados, Jersey and expanding its established presence in Japan this year.

We asked Charlie what his favourite recipe would be when cooking with Cotswold Gold, “I would say, roast potatoes; better than goose fat - delicious!”. Charlie’s advice for anyone embarking on becoming an Artisan Producer is “Enjoy it, be prepared to work hard. It’s a great environment to be in, Artisan is a growing market and people are becoming more aware of Artisan produce.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Cotswold Organic Dairy

Based in the parish of Upper Slaughter, Simon Weaver makes award-winning cheeses, renowned for their creamy, fresh and organic tasting qualities. Simon’s family have been in the farming trade for the past three generations, and follow a traditional method of organic farming, taking immense pride in animal welfare and care of their land.

For the Weavers, organic farming is a lifestyle; their commitment to their trade is what keeps their dairy business growing each year. The cheese is produced from Simon’s own herd of organic cows that reside on his farm, “All our cows are Friesian and feed on grass and forage grown exclusively and organically for them at Kirkham Farm”. Simon says, “When we started, we wanted to find a use for our organic milk and we couldn’t find a buyer at the time. We also wanted to be close to the consumer and not be a commodity producer”. Continual development of their cheesemaking skills is fundamental to their success, “We’ve searched this country and abroad to find the right skills and knowledge”. The business has received great acclaim with their cheeses, their Cotswold Brie, winning two Taste of the West awards and have received further success with their rich tasting Blue Cotswold Brie and their Cotswold Herb Brie – all sound delicious! The popularity of Simon’s dairy is not restricted to the UK, “We still keep to our ‘local and organic ethos’, but we now export to Germany and Japan, even Barbados! Our cheese is finding its way to Dubai and onto Emirates Airlines.”

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Cotswold Pudding Company Cotswold Pudding Company (CPC) is a small producer based near Cirencester, owned by partners Karen Laggett and Jonathan Harwood. CPC produce a range of delicious handmade sticky puddings. Karen says, “It’s just the two of us, I do the baking, run the weekly farmer’s market stall in Stroud and handle admin and Jon makes the sauces, lids and sleeves for the puds and makes all the deliveries!”. Initially started from home, CPC grew considerably and now supply to a range of retailers, recently joining Heart Distribution, who are “a company passionate about Artisan producers who can’t always deliver further afield. They enable us to supply to many more independents in a far larger area”. Artisan produce is important to CPC, “I think there is something so offputting when you see mass-produced products, made on a vast production line, probably using the most basic of ingredients - they seem to have a certain blandness to them”. CPC use local supplies and or alternatively they use fair trade products, maintaining a level of excellence. When defining, ‘Artisan’, Karen says that it’s all about “Keeping things simple, with no fussiness. We use traditional baking methods - exactly as you would do at home only on a slightly larger scale! Using the best ingredients you can is also an essential part to artisan baking”. Karen’s advice is simple, “Find something you genuinely enjoy doing. If you have no love for your product then it probably won’t be very good! Try not to think of it as a ‘money-making’ opportunity and more of a lifestyle choice”.

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Who’s

The Daffodil The Daffodil first opened her doors over 15 years ago after being loving restored by co-owners Mark Stephens and James McAlpine and has been wowing diners ever since. Our complete food ethos is good quality ingredients, treated sympathetically and cooked well. The whole menu boasts a delicious selection of well researched, seasonal and signature dishes based on British classics. The business has grown and developed considerably over the last decade and we have refined our food style and menu choices, leading to the excellent reputation we have locally, regionally and nationally. Our unique Art Deco restaurant lends itself perfectly to everything from our infamous Cheese Club to lively Martini Monday or one of our spectacular Speakeasy nights, there is something for every single one of our customers. A local and seasonal approach to food is at the heart of everything we do. As a champion of local food, I write a monthly column for Cotswold Style, called Tom’s Travels and in the last few issues alone, I have visited our local strawberry supplier on their farm in Ross-on-Wye, taken a trip to VW Lane Butchers on Bath Road, a short walk from The Daffodil and a regular supplier, plus the free range farm on the edge of Gloucester where all our eggs come from! We carefully select our suppliers and having spent my career with some of the world’s culinary greats, including Anton Mossiman to name but one, I have a keen eye for the best produce, and always use my network to find out new and emerging suppliers with something different or innovative to offer. Word of mouth is great for hunting down small scale producers, who share my passion for food, but of course it all comes down to the taste!

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Daylesford Daylesford Organic has been farming organically for over 30 years and are known for their “farm to fork” approach to their food. Their foods range from meat and poultry, fruit and vegetables, bread and cheese to milk and yogurts.

Winning over 60 national and international awards over the last three years, Daylesford is now one of the most sustainable farms in the UK, “our chefs use only the freshest ingredients, combined with simple techniques to bring out the natural flavours of our seasonal, organic produce”. Daylesford’s cafe is proving extremely popular and with booking required it’s clear that their appeal is growing considerably, “Guests like to wind down at the end of a busy week with a refreshing glass of Château Léoube Rosé, whilst relaxing in the tranquillity of the Cotswold countryside”. Open on Friday and Saturday nights, Daylesford offer a special three-course supper menu created by their chefs, “We use the best of our farm’s seasonal organic produce whilst it is at its very best. The menu showcases our award-winning meat, cooked before your eyes on the grill or in the wood oven, with seasonal salads and vegetables picked freshly from their market garden and award-winning cheese and bread made by hand on the Daylesford farm”. If that sounds tempting, Daylesford even offer a cooking school, whereby guests are taught by Daylesford’s chef ’s, meaning you can recreate a “farm to fork” ethos in your own home for your family.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The Ebrington Arms

The Ebrington Arms is run by husband and wife team, Claire and Jim Alexander. Bought just before the 2007 crash, together, the pub started off with no trade to receiving two rosettes for their food and are regular CAMRA North Cotswold Pub of the Year winners. We spoke to Claire to find out more about The Ebrington Arms’ ethos, and how they have become the pub that everyone wishes they had as their local. “We aim to run pubs that are at the heart of their community and where everyone is welcome, whether you’re just in for a pint of home-brewed real ale or a special meal out. We love homemade food and so do our customers. We grow our own herbs, make our own sausages, bake our own bread, make our own ice cream… It tastes better. We’re surrounded by farms and fields growing amazing produce asparagus can be cut in the morning and be on the plate that night sometimes. We’ve just started doing our own bar snacks so homemade pork pies and pickles and they’re proving to be really popular. You can only buy our beer in our pubs and we’re really proud of that because pubs have to offer something really special these days to compete with cheap supermarket booze, we have to entice people out with a promise of the whole package - atmosphere is as important as the food and drinks”. All supplies are sourced as locally as possible, something that is at the heart of the business. Claire’s advice to potential pub owners is simple, “Love what you make, adapt with the seasons and have faith that people will eventually realise that supermarkets are shocking”.

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The Fine Oil & Spice Company The Fine Oil & Spice Company, is an independent and family owned business that was set up in 2004 by husband and wife team, Lucinda and Tim and business partner, Carol Freeman. Upon a friend’s suggestion to help at an NSPCC fair, Lucinda and Tim fuelled their passion for using infused oils in their cooking and created a range of oils: lemon, truffle, garlic and chilli oils and they all sold out! Initially a one-off idea, has since turned into a successful business, that’s becoming the ‘go-to’ premium product, adding delicious taste to quality food. Tim says, “we want our oils to be used all of the time, no fuss or frills just good food, simply presented with layers of flavours”. Provenance is a key element within Fine Oil & Spice, “Our ambition is to champion great olives and have control over the provenance. We like to reduce air miles and instead tap into a UK source and known ethical suppliers”, Carol adds, “we can source anywhere in the world for our consumer, that’s why our label states ‘Our World Is Your Oyster’. The oils suit a range of palettes and derive from different cultures and Tim is evidently an expert in his field.

Tim relishes any opportunity to educate people about the variety of oils and spices and how they, like fine wines, can compliment a variety of dishes, “The spice market has changed with their consumer. We expose our customers to different flavours and in turn educate them, inspiring confidence in trying new foods”.

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Gibson’s Organic Liqueurs is a family run business, who produce high quality fruit liqueurs in small batches. We spoke to Gibson’s to find out a little bit more about this unique business. “To the best of our knowledge we are the only UK based producers who use only organic fruit we have grown ourselves in our liqueurs. The high concentration and quality of the fruit used is reflected in the liqueurs, in which the intense taste of fruit predominates. Our fruit is handpicked on our farm in Westwell. We use two different varieties of autumn fruiting raspberry which gives us a longer season. Our elderflowers are just coming into flower and the black, red and white currants will begin to ripen at the end of this month”.

Gibson’s have a clear emphasis on high quality and carefully made products, “The inspiration to go into organic farming came from a belief in healthy produce grown in an environmentally friendly, non-industrial way”. Since launching two years ago, Gibson’s have doubled their sales and won both ‘Soil Association’ and ‘Great Taste’ awards and are continuing to expand their brand, “We now secure shelf space at many local outlets including Blenheim Palace, the Burford Garden Company and the Organic Farm Shop in Cirencester.

We also sell through Farmers Markets and increasingly at Artisan Food and Drink Fairs”. Their success has meant they have now created a further range of liqueurs,“We are expanding our range of liqueurs from raspberry and blackcurrant to include redcurrant, white currant with elderflower and sloe whisky, all of which we will begin selling this autumn” - they sound delicious, don’t they?

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Stroud Brewery

Stroud Brewery, founded in 2006, are a craft brewery, producing premium cask ales and a range of organic and vegan bottled beers using Cotswold grown malt and whole hops. We spoke to owner Greg, who told us all about his thriving business. “We have a concern about our impact on the planet and we strive in every way to make our business as sustainable as possible – financially, environmentally and socially. It’s not just the process of brewing beer – minimising our resource use, using local and organic ingredients, recycling our waste (as feedstuff for pigs and cows on local small holdings) and delivering locally - but also the way we do business. We believe an important element of developing long term sustainable communities is to strengthen the local economy - to bring money into it and then keep it there!”. Greg states that by adopting this approach, they refuse to sell to supermarkets, “We try to use local suppliers and services. We believe our brewery has a valuable role to play in its contribution towards the quality of life of Stroud and its surroundings, adding to its wealth, culture and ‘social cohesiveness’”. Having won awards such as ‘Champion beer of Gloucestershire’, Stroud Brewery is going from strength to strength, creating a loyal and regular customer base. We asked Greg what advice he would offer to budding food and drink producers, and his work ethic was clear, “Have integrity! Be clear about your ethos and really value the quality of your products” - a quality, which we cannot deny Stroud Brewery is integral to their brand.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Thyme Cookery School

Thyme at Southrop Manor is a unique, beautifully restored estate in the Cotswold countryside, centrally located in the heart of England. Founded by Caryn Hibbert (pictured), the estate comprises a Food School, luxury accommodation in Thyme House and five self-catering cottages, astonishing celebration spaces, unique business meeting facilities and an award-winning village pub and restaurant, The Swan at Southrop. The Food School at Thyme at Southrop Manor aims to tell the whole story of food, its journey from source to production, through to preparation and finally to the pleasure of serving, eating and drinking. Bringing this objective to life is a team of visiting chefs and experts, working hand in hand with the in-house chefs, as well as the local producers, craftspeople, foragers and growers in the vicinity. Thyme at Southrop Manor offers a truly distinctive culinary programme - driven not only by a love of great food but also the land it comes from. At Thyme at Southrop Manor, there is a real passion for growing the food that is cooked. Hence here the chefs are gardeners and the gardeners are chefs. The School’s location in rural Gloucestershire is essential to its existence and an important part of its story. Ingredients sourced by Thyme’s chefs are always fresh, seasonal, often locally distinct and traditional produce from the estate’s own kitchen gardens, small family farms and artisans. An abundance of wild food can be found growing on and surrounding the estate, including wild garlic, elderflower, watercress and mushrooms. The perfect living larder exists at Thyme at Southrop Manor. Everything we do at Thyme is driven by our love of the land.

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Whatley Manor Whatley Manor are not only renowned for their beautiful venue but also offer two dining experiences.

We spoke to Michelin starred head chef, Martin Burge to find out more about Whatley Manor, and to us to tell us more about the food experience that guests encounter at Whatley Manor, “ ‘Le Mazot’, our brasserie is in the style of a Swiss chalet (our owners are Swiss) which makes it stand out from the restaurants in the Cotswolds. We offer a few authentic Swiss dishes alongside the brassiere dishes on the menu. ‘The Dining Room’ which boasts very high accolades takes guests on a gastronomic journey where they can choose from the a la carte or tasting menu with the opening and closing chapters of amusebouches, additional courses in between and petit fours.

The wine list is executed by our own Sommelier and guests can experience the tasting menu alongside matching wines. It’s a real food lovers destination”.

Describing his cooking, Martin says, “I’m classically trained and have an emphasis on depth of flavour whilst retaining a light touch to every dish. I follow the seasons and make sure we source the finest ingredients… recipes are tried and tested first by me and then given to the chefs to follow them to the gram!”. We couldn’t resist asking Martin what his favourite ingredient is, “It’s got be chocolate I love it on its own or in desserts”. Martin’s top advice for those wanting to start out in the Artisan food industry, “Try and be unique in the product you produce. Find your unique selling point and be clear on your target audience. Make sure you’re fully committed to the product focusing on the quality rather than just the bottom line”. CS

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2010 saw the launch of Foodworks Cookery School, now in its third year. The venue runs its own academy educating the next generation on how to pursue a career in the food industry, either as a chalet chef, or simply looking to cook at univeristy.

Foodworks are now accredited with a Duke of Edinburgh intensive week long course. Harriet Elwes, the mastermind behind the Foodworks Cookery School, saw the potential to run individual week-long courses aimed at helping gap year students to build confidence and all-round cookery skills to enable them to work in any food environment.

Students wishing to complete their Duke of Edinburgh award can spend a week with the Foodworks professional chef tutors working in small classes, learning how to cook for themselves, budgeting and the importance of cooking with seasonal food.

The one or two-week Residential Chalet Academy courses are perfect for those wishing to spend a season in a ski resort. Working in small classes will give the students an insight into how to operate in an alpine chalet, including budgeting and general housekeeping and then the culinary side will teach students how to plan menus and how to cook a wide selection of dishes, with careful attention paid to various diets and requirements. At the end of the course, students will have a repertoire which will include pastries, bread, fruit and deserts, various meats and vegetable dishes plus a recipe pack to take away with them for the season.

Foodworks has various contacts

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with ski companies for which they are able to help write CVs and arrange interviews.

Cookery has become cool again with television programmes and the rise in high profile names and it has to be fun.

Harriet says, “I always say to our students that if you learn to cook then you will always earn money, whether it is in your gap year or travelling or at a ski resort or holiday homes. It’s all about confidence and if you are going off to university then it’s great to be able to cook. We like to teach the students about the seasonal produce and where to shop and prove that it doesn’t have to be expensive and to build their confidence. It’s been hard work but you gain a vision and I wanted this to become a training centre rather than just a cookery school and I love the fact that we have the next generation of

talent coming up through the ranks.”

Foodworks are working closely with Cheltenham schools and recently Cheltenham College spent the week at the school covering all aspects of cooking and learning cookery skills and creating menus for dinner parties. Plus, we had a bread making day and very much enjoyed teaching students about food and wine matching. As well as Foodworks now running academy courses, we will also be offering daytime courses run by independent chefs who will hire the venue and create and develop their own courses which will be offered on the Foodworks website.

Foodworks have also offered corporate team building events for the last three years which have proven to be enormously popular, offering bread making, pasta making and wine tasting.

Foodworks can create a bespoke and competitive edge for companies looking to create real team challenges and inspire staff. The venue is available for anyone to hire for functions such as anniversaries, hen parties or any special occasion and we can organise celebrity chefs if desired.

Harriet’s passion for her business is conveyed in her attitude and is very excited for what is in store for her business looking ahead... as are we. CS The Foodworks Cookery School Colesbourne Park, Nr. Cheltenham, Glos GL53 9NP Tel: 01242 870538 www.foodworkscookeryschool.co.uk

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PHARAOHS… Eric Barton unearths the organic nature of Chelbury Farm Mushrooms compounding factors can affect the humble fungi. Unlike the media they don’t take too kindly to shock and awe.

The ancient Pharaohs regarded mushrooms as ‘nobility only’ food and it’s long been the case that Japanese culture knew mushrooms could be used as a medicine way before today’s research even identified mushrooms as a cancer preventative.

At Chelbury Mushrooms, which nestles in the lee of Cleeve Hill, just

outside Cheltenham they know how to ladle on the tender loving care when it comes to providing their mushrooms with the environment they need to flourish.

The farm itself has a clean, almost clinical appearance which is nicely contrasted by the locale. It seems to seep out naturally from the side of Cleeve Hill; like a mild, green, warming mist; more an enhancement to the natural vista than a disturbance. The

PHOTO: ROB WHEATMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

I hate it when things go wrong. There are always a number of factors that contribute to a bad day developing.

The flat tyre when you’re going out to dinner, the TV going ‘pop’ during the men’s Wimbledon final, or having your best outfit spattered by the local gulls.

It’s all about ‘enablers’.

Like the perfect storm it takes a number of ingredients to turn a decent situation into a mind - blowing moment… and those very same

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Who’s

?

cool FOOD PHOTO’S: ROB WHEATMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

in

low - lying sheds which are dotted about the property provide the nursery milieu the mushrooms require. It’s all very organised, with trucks delivering organic growth material and taking waste away which then gets re - cycled.

It’s a non - vicious circle. You can almost hear the clang of approval as the organic stamp in Brussels thuds onto the relevant forms. Nature’s the issue these days and how long have we all been banging on about natural produce? And you can’t get much more natural than the humble mushroom.

This business is so in tune with its surroundings I nearly couldn’t find it… and my photographer got lost trying to locate it.

Chelbury Mushroom Farm goes as far back as 1965 (the year they introduced drink driving laws and

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Ronnie Biggs the great train robber did a bunk to South America). It was in fact started as a hobby and as the years unfolded the farm (and the mushrooms) grew. A move in 2000 saw the business develop over to increased organic production. In 2011 the larger producer G’s Fresh Mushrooms became involved and the business now has a current investment of £2.5M to provide expansion and better retail penetration. Peter Howard the farm manager has been in the fungi business for over thirty years and said,’ we have a unique site here at Chelbury as the farm location is ideally suited to providing our mushrooms with an environment that encourages growth’.

He further commented, ‘ the position of the farm in relation to the hills provides a prevailing wind which is one of the crucial factors in preventing any air born pests attacking our crops’.

The eighty five staff at Chelbury Mushrooms take a cosseting approach to their work, as constant care is needed to produce the right ‘enablers’ of temperature, humidity, soil quality and light for the products to grow at the right rate and quality. They produce mushrooms all year round with only a few days off. And they’re all hand – picked.

The next three years will see a controlled level of growth for Chelbury Mushroom Farm and Business Development Manager,

Denise Stock commented,’ our aim is to have a branded pack launch in the near future, which will mean that our products should be widely available throughout local retailers in Gloucestershire and beyond’. Currently you can obtain these stunning little globes through Slipstream- Organics who have a box ordering system.

Including fresh mushrooms in everyday meals is a top - notch way to boost vitamin intake and interestingly adds virtually no calories, fat or sodium.

Tossing some sliced mushrooms into green salads, soups, stews, stir-fries, omelettes, as well as pasta and rice dishes is quick and super simple.

Chelbury Farm Mushrooms produces over 2000 tonnes of mushrooms every year. That’s a lot of risotto. In fact we Brits ate our way through some £374M worth of these little beauties last year, with over £14M of that spend given over to organic consumption. Remember, you are what you eat!

It’s reassuring that a business that produces such a weight of produce does actually care about organic production, the environment in which they operate… and being part of the community.

Those Pharaohs were dead wrong.

Mushrooms are for everybody. CS For more information www.chelburymushrooms.co.uk

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