0 John Winnard - Santus

This months featured foodie is John Winnard of Santus the home of the iconic Uncle Joes' mint ball that have been keeping the world all a glow since 1898, still made to the original recipe in Wigan.

Uncle Joes are a traditional mint which has legendary status in these parts, so if you have never tried them then you must. 

• What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication ? 

John Whaite Bakes.

• What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ? 

Honest, hearty and wholesome.

• If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ? 

Downhill skier.

• Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

Slow cooker.

• Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why? 

Stephen Fry, Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe, Peter Kay and Freddie Mercury. 

I think that this selection of people should be able to cover most aspects of conversation and entertainment. 

• What advice would you give to your younger self ? 

Seize every opportunity in life.

• Describe your style in three words 

Fair, traditional, and passionate. 

• What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ? 

Rotisserie. 

• What is your greatest achievement to date ? 

MBE for contribution to the food industry.

• What is the worst mistake you have made ?

I once forgot to put peppermint in Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls. 

• Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect ! 

Sailed from Majorca to Gibraltar in a 42 foot sailing boat. 

Detail: John Winnard - Santus

0 Simon Mellin - Roaming Roosters

This month our featured foodie is Simon Mellin of Roaming Roosters, award wining Simon and the rest of the team are Lancashire suppliers of free range meats to across the country in their innovative meat packs, which started from humble beginnings of a free chicken farm. Simon spotting a gap in the market has grown the business, and Roaming Roosters now also has a delightful bistro (The Olde Spot) and cafe (The Hayloft) in addition to an education centre on site. A true Lancashire success story. Young Entrepreneur of the Year Simon oozes a passion for quality free range sustainable produce and their amazing venue is set in some stunning Lancashire countryside.

Why not pay them a visit and just between you and me they make the amazing scotch eggs !

                                                      

So Simon.......

• What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication?

The Ginger Pig Meat Book which presents an in-depth look at meat, butchery and farming.

• What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you?

Honest, tasty grub that keeps your belly happy and full!

• If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ? 

What I started out doing, Race Engineer within GT Racing.

• Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

As my role within the business is more operational it would have to be my iphone – it’s constantly stuck to my ear!

• Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

It would have to be Chris Evans and Richard Branson, I find them both inspirational for different reasons. We could get Thomas Keller to cook!

• What advice would you give to your younger self ?

Believe in your ideas, don’t let people lead you away or tell you they’re wrong, no matter how crazy they are! Be resilient and don’t let people knock you back.

• Describe your style in three words 

Relaxed, honest, down-to-earth.

• What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ? 

A cafetiere!

• What is your greatest achievement to date ?

Taking Roaming Roosters from the back of my dad’s shop to create a successful retail outlet.

• What is the worst mistake you have made ? 

Having a staff party on a Friday night! 

• Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect ! 

I’m addicted to Jelly Beans.

                                                  

                                                      

Detail: Simon Mellin - Roaming Roosters

0 Nicola Hanmer - Commercial Catering Manager for The Mill at St Catherines Park

This months featured foodie for our first Quick bite of Lancashire food 2015 is Nicola Hanmer of The Mill at St Catherines Park. Nicola and her team are passionate about serving local seasonal food in this beautiful cafe supporting the vital works of St Catherines Hospice. Here is a link to an earlier post re The Mill.

On to our usual questions, which Nicola has kindly answered for us.

• What is your favourite cookery, food book or publication ?

Would have to be anything written by Nigel Slater or Elizabeth David

• What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

Gradely stuff!

• If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ?

Working for Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) training street children in Vietnam or Cambodia to work in the hospitality industry

• Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

Le Cruset casserole dish – in our family known as the magic pot – as everything you cook in them comes out so much better or my Gaggia coffee machine!

•  Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

My mum who passed away at St Catherine’s in 1997, Richard E Grant & Graham Norton for a little bit of fun, Mathew Fort, Jay Rayner & Nigel Slater & our own Nigel Haworth to talk about food!

• What advice would you give to your younger self ?

Always give your best and you will never have any regrets

• Describe your style in three words

Passionate, Loyal, Enthusiastic

• What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?

Does a whole cafe worth of kit count, we recently bought a new kitchen  & 60 covers of kit for our new Mill Cafe at St Catherines Park.

• What is your greatest achievement to date ?

Working for a charity thats very close to my heart and being able to give something back

• What is the worst mistake you have made ?

Someone who will remain nameless!

• Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect

I was a philatelist at school

                             

If you work in the food sector in Lancashire and are interested in being featured, please get in touch.

Detail: Nicola Hanmer - Commercial Catering Manager for The Mill at St Catherines Park

0 December 2014 Craig Hughes - Crossmoor Honey

This months featured foodie is aparist Craig Hughes of Crossmoor Honey based in Elswick Lancashire.

Craig and some suitably festive friends

Craig Hughes is a beekeeper with over 30 years experience of keeping bees and 30 years of bee stings and is also a qualified and classically trained chef with many years in the industry.Craig is multi talented and also is a qualified lawyer specialising in European and Islamic law. It was after his brush with cancer that he changed his lifestyle and returned to beekeeping full time.

He is ambitious, desiring 4000 active hives in the next 5 years, is driven by quality and service but retains a common touch. He is gentle with his bees, trying not to move them too much, and considers his livestock as an extension of himself and promotes animal welfare and safety.

Craig has also featured on local radio  and been featured featured in Lancashire Life Magazine and the Farmers Guardian (www.farmersguardian.com) amongst other publications. He has also recently written a book, Urban Beekeeping.

He lives in his beloved Lancashire, and is a keen promoter of local food and is often food selling his honey and associated products at many of the local farmers markets. His products are used in many fine eating establishments across the county. 

As is usual Craig has kindly answered our now familiar questions

·         What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication ?

 Cookery for ten year old's, my first cookery book

·        What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

 Comforting, warm,tasty artisan food

·         If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ?

Rescuing animals treated badly by mankind

·        Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

My ipad

·         Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

 Joni Mitchell, T.S. Elliot, W.H.Auden Nikolai Copernicus, Eamon Develeria, Salladin.

·         What advice would you give to your younger self?

 Never be a bully, never be bullied.

·         Describe your style in three words

Country, mainly green.

·         What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?

 Kitchenaid mixer glass bowl

·         What is your greatest achievement to date ?

 Living with a ghost

Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect !

I once considered buying a citrus plantation in Swaziland

    

Detail: December 2014 Craig Hughes - Crossmoor Honey

0 November 2014 - Phil Keenan aka Foody Phil - Bite Network and bitelocal.co.uk

This months featured foodie is none other than Phil Keenan, who I first met several years ago on a Slow Food event - foraging for wild foods. Foody Phil is going to introduce himself in a break from tradition before answering our usual Quick bite questions. So over to Phil......

Although proudly born in Yorkshire, I've been ensconced in Lancashire for over 30 years now; brought up to appreciate good quality ingredients and tasty home cooked food, I'm happy to say that my migration has been made all the more enjoyable by being in a county and region that's home to such a fantastic array of fabulous produce… I love to cook, I love to eat and I love to find great tasting ingredients. For me, food isn't about fussy and flashy (although I do appreciate a nice treat now and then); food is all about great flavours, sharing and enjoyment.

No matter what your budget, there are few things that could be better than sitting down to a delicious plate full of fresh, lovingly prepared food with family and friends. The North West is full of amazing ingredients; succulent meat; fresh, crunchy vegetables; lovely cheeses and lots more, and this is also the case with many of our other fabulous regions throughout the UK. I appreciate that many people are busy juggling their work and personal lives nowadays, but I also believe that many of us have more time to step out from the supermarket aisles every now and then and search out these, often, better quality, nicer tasting ingredients.

My aim with Bite Local is to provide you with the incentives and inspiration to do just that, to take a walk down your local high street, to visit your local market or monthly farmers market, and to enjoy the excellent produce you rarely find on a supermarket shelf. I’d also love for you to give me your suggestions; if you don’t see something listed on here that you know to be a really good foodie find; a delicious deli, a brilliant butcher, or a phenomenal fishmonger, get in touch and let us know about it at Bite. Let’s share it with everyone else…

You can contact Bite here, and you can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook

If you want to follow and chat with me directly on Twitter, you can find me at @foodyphil.

Thanks Phil for your intro, so on to your questions

·         What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication ?

I very rarely return to any single one on a regular basis, as I prefer to enjoy a variety of cooking styles, and I often search out most of my new inspiration on the internet, nowadays. I suppose Madhur Jaffrey first got me excited about cooking Indian cuisine and good old Delia inspired me a lot in the early days with other dishes.

·         What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

A county full of the most amazing selection of top quality produce, look no further folks!

·         If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ?

Something outdoors, I love the simple things like fresh air, nice landscapes and views. As long as there’s a good meal waiting afterwards!

·         Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

Knives, you’ve got to have good, sharp knives.

·         Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

It would have to be someone with a sense of humour, none of that serious conversation stuff. Living where I do, it’d probably have to be Eric Morecambe – so funny!

·         What advice would you give to your younger self ?

Have confidence, you’re capable of more than you’d ever imagine.

·        Describe your style in three words

Relaxed, logical, positive

·        What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?

I’m not big on gadgets for gadgets sake and haven’t bought any recently. A good food processor is as gadgety as I’ve got. As long as you have good quality basics: pans, knives, etc.

·         What is your greatest achievement to date ?

I’d have to say, being where I am today. I’ve achieved a lot of things that I’m happy about over the years and they’ve all resulted in having a lovely family, being happy and enjoying doing what I do.

·         What is the worst mistake you’ve made ?

I never look back and regret things, they’re all just life lessons, learn from them and move on.

·         Tell us a secret about yourself, maybe something we wouldn’t expect

I’m a reincarnation of a Yorkshire Terrier called Fraser

                                                

Detail: November 2014 - Phil Keenan aka Foody Phil - Bite Network and bitelocal.co.uk

0 October 2014 - Andrea Mellon - DUK POND

This month's talented foodie is Andrea Mellon, creator and chef of Dukpond in Preston, Andrea is passionate about Lancashire food and is one of the driving forces behind the food scene in Preston. Her relaxed informal dining venues are legendary as is her hot and spicy Peruvian Stew.

Andrea has been nominated for various awards over the years including the BIBA's and a local food hero. 

• What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication ?

My favourite cookery book is "Spain a culinary journey"

•  What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

Sustainable, deliciousness and second to none.

• If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ?

 World wildlife animal rescue worker.

• Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

My knives oh and garlic :) 

•        Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

      My grandad ..... To show him who I am today. 

• What advice would you give to your younger self 

Stop pleasing others and look after yourself.

• Describe your style in three words 

Eclectic, Innovative, Vibrant

• What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?

A mini blender. 

• What is your greatest achievement to date ?

Being recognised  as one of Lancashire's creative chefs and achieving "Taste Lancashire" quality assured award for 5 years.

• What is the worst mistake you have made ?

A mistake is just an opportunity to try again ... however, one is now one of my biggest sellers raspberry chicken ... Rushing threw raspberries in instead of tomato the rest is history :) 

• Tell us a secret about yourself ? 

I reclaim redesign and build furniture.

                               

                                                           

Detail: October 2014 - Andrea Mellon - DUK POND

0 September 2014 - Amy Cheadle from Northern Dough Company

Say Hi everyone to Amy Cheadle one half of the talented Northern Dough Co Pizza dough company (the other being Chris her husband), who lovingly create artisan frozen dough so you can create a superior pizza at home. Available at various farmers markets, quality food outlets and also from Booths,Waitrose and Ocado, this is a Lancashire food business success. Amy is currently cooking a little dough ball all of her own which is expected any day soon so she managed to fit in answering our questions whilst resting at home.

Their ready to roll bases are available in four flavours, original, wholemeal, rosemary and chilli they have a base to suit all tastes. Self confessed pizza addicts they love what they do and the product they have created.

Recently featured in BBC Good Food Magazine as a face of Clitheroe food festival the team are a regular feature of local food shows.

So on to our questions, so what makes Amy tick .....

•      What is your favourite cookery, food book or publication ?

There’s so many cookbooks I love – I have Delia’s ‘How to Cook’ where I learnt the basics and find Jamie’s fresh flavours and simplicity great for everyday, but one of my favourite times of the month is when my foodie mags pop through the door and I can sit down and leaf through the seasonal recipes – I cut out my favourites and keep them as an ongoing scrapbook to refer back to on a regular basis. Olive, Delicious and BBC Good Food are all delivered to the door.

•         What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

Hearty, homely and comforting – food that brings family and friends together.

•         If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ?

I absolutely love working with food, but my long term dream is to write a novel, so I’d love to spend my days in a cottage in the countryside gazing over a lovely view and coming up with plots – food would have to feature heavily though!

•         Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

My pizza peel – it makes getting a pizza in and out of a hot oven on a stone really easy and is always a talking point when people come over for a pizza party. They’re not expensive though, about £10 or so for one that will last a lifetime.

•         Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

My ultimate guest would be Roald Dahl, his stories fired my imagination as a child, The Witches was my favourite and I thought it was delightfully frightening that you could be turned into a mouse by eating chocolate and sweets! I’d also invite a true Neopolitan pizza chef and the team at Bake Off – Mel and Sue as they would provide the entertainment and Paul and Mary to keep me on my toes and make sure my baking was up to scratch!

•         What advice would you give to your younger self ?

That setbacks are critical to finding the very best solution. Sometimes at the time things not going the way you planned feels tough, but in hindsight I’ve always learned far more from situations that I’ve had to approach for a second or third time – challenge inspires innovation and that’s what keeps things interesting. (This doesn’t however apply to my driving test, which took 9 attempts to pass!)

•         Describe your style in three words

Currently its comfortable, cool and expandable as I’m 8 months pregnant but usually its pretty much summed up as classic – whether it be fashion, food or at home, I love the basics but keeping things fresh with a little twist here and there.

•         What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?

A Kitchen Aid pizza wheel, it was ludicrously expensive given you can pick up a similar gadget for a few pounds, but it slices through any pizza/ topping like a knife through butter and at food shows we can cook 50 pizzas a day and cut them into 30 mini slices for sampling, so efficiency is a must!

•         What is your greatest achievement to date ?

Creating a brand at our kitchen table and getting into onto supermarket shelves nationally within two years. We started the business with a small sum of money left to my by my late Grandmother, who was renowned for her larger than life personality and strong work ethic and it makes me very proud to think of the delight she’d take in our success. I also love when people are surprised that as a husband and wife team, people think that Chris and I would drive each other crazy living and working together – its quite the opposite, I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather run a business with.

•         What is the worst mistake you have made ?

Making things overcomplicated – at our first food show in 2011, we were making samples so people could taste the pizza dough freshly baked. I devised an elaborate list of different toppings, and tried to re-create them on the stand only to find that it was an absolute disaster and meant timings were all over the place. Since then, we opt for tomato and mozzarella and let the dough speak for itself – I also always look to Chris to simplify things, he’s great at seeing through the detail and pulling out the one or two key elements that are important.

•        Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect !

There’s not much in the food world that I don’t enjoy – sweet, savoury, all the cuisines of the world and food is always a huge part of holidays and day trips wherever I am. Not a secret, especially for someone working in the food industry, but if someone was to offer me a last meal ever, it wouldn’t be lobster or fillet steak, I’d head to a chippy in Preston city centre and order chips, cheese and gravy and sit on a bench outside to eat them, covered in vinegar! It was a student staple years ago, and still something I crave as comfort food.

Detail: September 2014 - Amy Cheadle from Northern Dough Company

0 August 2014 - Anson Bolton -The Millstone Inn, Mellor.

                               

This month our featured foodie is Anson Bolton, talented chef patron of The Millstone Inn at Mellor, a delightful village inn and restaurant with a reputation for amazing local food and a warm "Lancashire" welcome. Anson's style in traditonal "British fare" served with flair and attention to detail. 

The Inn is set in a small village on the edge of stunning Lancashire countryside, were you can enjoy great food, Thwaites beer (brewed locally) and  luxury country house style accommodations.

                         

                                  

On to the crucial questions, I love this bit where we found out more about the person behind the food.

• What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication ?

When I first started in a kitchen I was brought a copy of the Readers Digest Cookery year in the 80’s, whilst it’s not “on trend” it’s a great guide to what’s seasonal and what you should be using and when. Another culinary bible is the Practical Cookery a must for any student chef. Its fascinating to see how things have changed, in the 1st editions there were no healthy eating or allergy concerns, the latest edition has calorie counts, allergens awareness and even a DVD! How times have changed. Nigel Slater is also a good read with simplistic seasonal dishes.

• What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

It’s just proper food done well, forget all this with a twist stuff, Mushy peas are mushy peas if they’re done right you can’t go wrong same can be said about all our other traditional dishes (said in me poshest Bolton accent!!!)

• If you weren't doing what you do now, what would you like to be ?

I've always thought I’d love to be a postman, just me and a sack of post no worries but my wife tells me I'm not a morning person and I'm not keen on walking so I might have to rethink that one!

• Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

Not so much a piece of Kit but I'm really fortunate to have a loyal and hard-working brigade of chefs who are great to work with, talented, grafters and we understand each other’s humour (just)

• Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

My Grandfather was a caterer and founded Percivals Outside Caterers in Bolton before the war, although he died long before I was born he sounds a fascinating chap. He was also a local councillor and a staunch socialist so it would be nice to have Margaret Thatcher at the table as well to spice things up, then that Dimbleby bloke, the Question Time presenter to put them in their place. Then for the entertainment I’d have Peter Kay doing an American Trilogy duet with Elvis Presley

• What advice would you give to your younger self ?

I'm not a good listener! I tend to think of something and jump straight in so maybe it’s think things through and listen to those in the know.

• Describe your style in three words 

Fresh, Honest and consistent

• What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?

I'm not really a gadget man….We have all the usual Thermomixer and trendy ovens but you can’t really beat a set of sharp knives. 

• What is your greatest achievement to date ?

I was selected to be part of the crew on the P and O’s Oriana 20 years ago. It’s was a great experience flying over on a private jet to see the ship being built, meeting the Queen at the naming ceremony and lots of corporate lunches. Stressful but worth it. 

• What is the worst mistake you have made ?

Not so much a kitchen night mare but I once manage to lose the Grooms trousers on the morning of his wedding…..long story of mistaken identity in which I gave the trousers to another guest who then set off south to go home! It was my ultimate Fawlty Towers moment. 

• Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn't expect !

As a teenager I was a fanatical Pigeon racer with trophies to prove it.

Detail: August 2014 - Anson Bolton -The Millstone Inn, Mellor.

0 Celia Gaze of The Wellbeing Farm

Our featured foodie this month is the lovely Celia Gaze of The Wellbeing Farm at Edgeworth, Bolton. Celia is the Managing Director and co creator of Lancashire's answer to River Cottage. The multi award winning educational and creative venue has risen phoenix like from a once derelict farmstead situated high in the Lancashire hills.

The food served at The Wellbeing Farm is all local, seasonal and sustainable and the venue also hosts food and cookery events ranging from sausage making, bread making, foraging and even how to butcher a lamb.

Here is an earlier post of our visit

 

Celia kindly answered our questions so we can find out more about the women being this amazing venue which is well worth a visit.

•  What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication?

I must admit being partial to the River Cottage series – considering I’ve tried to copy some of their setup when I created The Wellbeing Farm.

•  What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

Quality food where provenance shines like a beacon.

• If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be?

Considering I gave up a great career to do this, I'm now following my dream!

• Which piece of kit could you not do without?

Pampered Chef pizza cutter – can be used for chopping anything.

• Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

An eclectic mix of friends, family and the odd celeb thrown in. When you are setting up a new business it does test your friendships and family commitment – you know who your true friends are by how much support they provide when you’ve ignored them for months!

• What advice would you give to your younger self ?

Follow your dreams – you only have one life.

•  Describe your style in three words

Overly enthusiastic, persistent and a bit loud!.

• What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?

An all singing and dancing Kenwood food processor.

• What is your greatest achievement to date ?

Transforming a run-down neglected farm into an award-winning business in less than a year and winning the North West Start Up of the Year Award with the Countryside Alliance in the process.

• What is the worst mistake you have made ?

In setting up a business you make loads of mistakes, it’s how you learn from them that matters.

• Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect !

I’m actually a qualified chef but don’t practice actual cooking anymore unfortunately. I was also the first Management Trainee at The Garrick Gentleman’s Club in London.

Detail: Celia Gaze of The Wellbeing Farm