Fish Cookery with Cookability
I love to eat fish, so when the opportunity arose to join a local fish cookery class last week, I jumped at the opportunity. “Cookability” run by business partners, Venetia and Tricia specialise in providing cookery tuition to 16-24 year olds. Over the course of five days they are equipped with the basic skills to ensure that they, or their guests don’t starve (or indeed die of food poisoning I guess!) as they “fly the nest” heading to University, on their travels or for a skiing season working the chalets of a resort. It’s a great idea, and judging by conversations with our 18 year old babysitter, one that’s sorely needed in the halls of residence of the UK! More recently however, they have added classes for adults, focussed on...
Read MoreSomersaete is Launched!
H ave you ever wanted to meet the people behind some of your favourite local Somerset food and drink? I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new joint venture with Katy Bull of Minno Kitchen which will give you the opportunity to do just that! The project, called “Somersaete” – the old English name for our county, will showcase some of Somerset’s finest Artisan food and drink producers in a series of “pop-up” one night only dining experiences in the four corners of the county. Not only will you be treated to a sumptuous four course menu, each course highlighting a particular local producer, representatives from those producers (generally the owner themselves!) will be on-hand all evening, dining right along...
Read MoreFree Giveaway with Sarah Smith Eco-cloths!
O ne of the downsides of being a foodie is all the mess we inevitably make when in the kitchen! We’ve teamed up with local Somerset business, Sarah Smith, to give you lucky folk the chance to try their brilliant range of cleaning cloths – and better yet it’s absolutely free! The Sarah Smith range of beautiful cleaning and household products is designed to cheer up your chores and dress up a dingy draining board. The dishcloths, which have a cult following, are produced in Bridgwater, Somerset and are washable, anti-bacterial and long-lasting. Designed and made in Britain, printed to the OEKO Tex environmental standard, washable at 40% and bacteria- resistant so stay fresher for longer. The eco range uses recycled polyester and viscose from...
Read MoreGuest Post: Raw Food – the perspective of a lazy cook
I n this guest post, my partner Jacqueline Breslin, attends Deb Durrant’s latest class, devoted entirely to raw desserts… Back in the 80s I was studying for a business degree, doing every aerobics class I could get to and worked part-time in a wonderful whole food store in West London. Those were the days. It was at this time I first stumbled upon “Raw Energy” a book by Leslie Kenton and that was it ……. I was a convert. As I remember, I ate raw for between a year and 18 months …….. it did feel great, but perhaps that was also the benefit of being incredibly fit and in my early 20s. Roll forward a couple of decades ………. I’ve always been a lazy cook, in fact in this house I generally do the shopping and chopping and pass over the...
Read MoreThe Artisan Southwest Skills School is now live!
D eparting from my regular posts I wanted to tell you all about my latest project which launched earlier this month – the Artisan Southwest Skills School. It’s a project I’ve been working on in the background for some months now, but I’m pleased to say we’ve finally got it “over the line” and out to you! From previous posts you’ll know that while I do like to cook, my bag is really learning and practising Artisan skills like curing, smoking, preserving and the like. As I met with more and more local Artisans and tutors in the region it became apparent to me that it’s very hard to get “critical mass” and communicate what you have to offer as a standalone small business. Also, it will come as no...
Read MoreSourdough Masterclass at Tracebridge
I f you follow me here or on twitter you’ll know that I love Sourdough bread, and in this part of Somerset, and in my opinion maybe anywhere, there isn’t a finer example of it than that made by Artisan baker, Gordon Woodcock, at his bakery, Tracebridge Sourdough. ( profiled here ), baked in his wood-fired oven in a small village just outside the town of Wellington . When he invited me to attend a class to learn how to make my own I jumped at the opportunity! So what is Sourdough? Perhaps one of the earliest forms of bread, Sourdough is distinct from more common forms of bread found today in that no yeast is added in order for the dough to rise. Instead it is naturally leavened using a combination of “good bacteria” - Lactobacillus...
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