Teamwork
I’ve always been really lucky with staff. Famous last words. In the beginning they were old friends, dragged in screaming and kicking and begged to lend me a hand. That’s definitely how Bee, my wife entered the business. She was happily doing her own thing, designing, and making flags I seem to recall and keen not to get involved. Twelve years later, she’s practically running the business, if I had to be more definitive, I would say, actually running the business.
Claire and Lindsay were early recruits, dedicated, skilled and accomplished cooks who were just there at the right time. Tom Morrall, Bee’s brother, an actual chef, trained at the In and Out club in Piccadilly, London, helped guide me through our first big event, along with Piers, our lodger at the time and coincidentally, then head chef at the White Hart in Downton. A three-course dinner for three hundred and fifty people at the Village Underground in Old Street, London was the task in hand, before which I had only cooked for forty.
Then Simone jumped on board, press ganged would be more accurate. An absolute genius at Front of House, with years of experience in the catering industry. She drilled a fair few disciplines into us before moving on to start her own business, ‘Ministry of Food, Hampshire’. Vicky and Elaine, a tight knit double act joined us for a few years too. They were so good out front that most of the guests thought Bread and Flowers was their company, talk about owning it, they were five star.
Claire pitched up unannounced from Sydney, Australia and got me through one challenging summer, without whom I know not what I would have done. She had run a pan Pacific food truck in the capital, catering to the film industry and really knew her stuff. Dave, a lovely guy, always had my back for a number of hard years. He was recently voted best school chef in Wiltshire. He, along with Paul, now Film Star Chef to the movie industry, helped me survive the Somersault Festival in North Devon. At which, one of my young chefs was literally stretchered off site having collapsed with exhaustion after a 20 hour shift.
Mark was introduced to me by Lindsay about six years ago. He was working as a chef at the Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe at the time and had previously worked for the legend who is Peter Coombes, who we’ve all worked for some time in our past. Another proper chef, he’s been with me for six years and taught me many things. If I’m honest, I’d say he was a better chef than me, which he is, because I’m not a chef, I’m a cook. To be a chef requires an element of training in my opinion. He’s passionate about his craft, seriously has the ‘taste’ at all levels and he puts out great looking dishes at every event.
Jake is our newest recruit. I met his dad last year, he had come to the house to service our Aga, charming fellow and really good at his job. We got chatting and it turned out his son, Jake, aged 15, was keen on cooking, possessed a few knife skills and wanted to be a chef in his future life. He came in for a chop and chat session, was clearly gifted and starts his commis chef apprenticeship at Bournemouth University in September. He wants to go on and work at the Ritz he says, I love a bit of ambition.
Not long after we moved to Longford Farmhouse, our neighbour Emma arrived at the cottage next door. Delightful, pretty, gritty, funny and coincidentally had been front of house, catering manager on the European Formula One circuit for the previous three years, having previously worked front of house at Chatsworth House. Honestly, you couldn’t make it up. She helped us recruit our two new dynamic front of house managers, Amanda and Jess. They are our client managers and start working with clients on all aspects of their events as soon as they have paid their deposit, usually around 12 months in advance.
There are too many ex and current waiting staff to mention, literally hundreds of them and I don’t know how they do it, I would be terrified out front with a tray of champagne flutes. The young waiting staff are generally introduced to us at the tender age of 15, assessed and inducted through a series of in-house, rigorous training sessions, before being unleashed, keen as mustard, yet shepherded by more experienced staff, into the bear pit of service.
A couple of them we’ve grown from the womb, namely our daughters of course, Ava and Ella, who have worked tirelessly over the years. Ava first helped out, aged 11, when we catered the Chalke Valley History Festival. They drafted in their mates as well, a 20 strong friendship group which still endures. The picture shows Ava, with one of our waiters at the time Honor, I love the mischief on their faces. Remorseless professionalism in front of the clients, eye wateringly funny jokes and larks behind the scenes. I have to say, in the catering industry you need a sense of humour. It’s a tough old game. Inspiring, amusing, rewarding in every way. We generally get to keep the front of house girls and boys for about three years, before they go on to university, or even greater things. Parents tell us their children’s time with us gives them a sense of achievement and a confidence they had previously lacked. Skills to support them through the trials and tribulations of tertiary education and the rigors of life.
We’re now looking for a head chef to join us and input a bit of energy and direction. Someone that’s used to working at the top end. Someone creative, ruthlessly efficient, passionate and not just doing it because it’s a job and it pays the bills. So if you know anyone, tell them to get in touch. We’re over 10 years into this game and looking forward to the next ten.