Today I made hash for lunch. I just needed to use up the potatoes and the deli meats left over from Christmas. I hadn’t thought about hash in a long time. Not so a few years back.

This restaurant seemed all about hash. Best seller at brunch and lunch. The prep was never ending. It was hash prep that resulted in me getting a bollocking for being ill. I was ill. Too ill to be in work. It was acknowledged that I was ill and still I was shouted at for cutting the chorizo too slowly. I defended myself. Of course I was working slowly I felt really ill. I was told not to answer back. Just like a child. I was a woman in my early 30s at the time. In a place of work.

“Don’t answer back”

Everyone says that kitchens are better now than they used to be and of course that is the truth. Maybe though the bad old days are not as old as I think.

The hash was delicious though. I roasted the potatoes with paprika and oregano. I fried the bacon, the salami, the chorizo until it was beautiful and crisp. The eggs were fresh, organic. Blissfully golden yolks. Just a little hot sauce. It was comforting after the cold morning. It took me no time at all to cut the chorizo.

So says the song but after last Sunday I think we might just have found one!

Cure For The Summertime Blues

Take one gorgeous lakeside location.

Fill liberaly with two coach loads of awesome teammates dressed in their festival finery.

Meanwhile get the barbecue going. We recommend two whole lambs, one whole pig and all the burgers in the world!

Marinate well with beer, cider and wine.

Throw in a fantastic dj, a cocktail bartender and the aeporol spritz man.

Shake it up with dancing.

Garnish with a sprinkle of new and old friends.

For best results take with a shot of vodka from a water pistol.

Warning side effects may include

Bad Dancing

Talking Nonesense

Giggling

Sloppy Hugs

Excess Happiness

Best followed by a pint of water and a good lie down!

Huge thank you to everyone for putting on such an amazing day!! We should do this every Sunday.

So it’s Friday night. I just got home from work. Friday night was as cruel a mistress as ever.

But.

Service was amazing! Everyone gave it their absolute all. The energy was incredible. Every plate went out on time. Hot, (or cold depending on section) fresh and looking beautiful.

This is what we do every day and we thrive on it.

“So what’s for supper?: You ask eagerly. “You chefs you must eat so well?”

Cold cheeseburger from Five Guys. I ate it on the sofa in my pyjamas with an obscenely large glass of middle of the road Sauvignon Blanc. T ordered it for me at 6:30 when he ordered his.

“Wait? You like cold burgers?” You ask.

“Well…” I reply

“It’s amazing how quickly you get used to them”

Shout out to every chef and their sub par supper tonight!

Now I dread to think just how many weddings I have worked over the years. It has to be a staggeringly large number considering that was pretty much all I did in my first kitchen job.

Weddings I have attended as a guest? Not nearly as many. In fact before last summer I hadn’t been to a wedding for 10 years.

The tables have turned as of last summer though. I don’t work so many now but being in my mid (ish) (cough cough, 37 next birthday, cough) the invitations have been coming thick and fast.

Me and T have been invited to 5 weddings over the last two years.

I love a wedding! Of course I do!

Sentimental old fart? Tick!

Extravert who loves to chat? Tick!

Loves food? Tick! Tick!

You dancing? Oh you bet your sweet butt that’s a tick!

I love working weddings. I just love to be a part of someone’s special day. And if I can write them something in chocolate then all the better!

But for me being a guest just has the edge. Nothing like a day off in your finery am I right?

Last weekend it was the wedding of the lovely Mr and Mrs H. Mrs H, I am very pleased to say is my cousin and my friend. One of the sweetest and funniest people I know. Plus she let me help her make her wedding cupcakes. Mr H isn’t bad either by the way!

Hello the best of both worlds!

Cakes all made. I said. “The next time I see you you’ll be walking down the aisle”

The wedding was a perfect day. Despite the rain (cheers Wales.) The church was lovely. The ceremony was heavy on the singing.

The reception was at the gorgeous Llanerch Vineyard. The staff were all incredible. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard serving us. The food was impeccable. Thank you chefs. The evening band absolutely blew everyone away. It was an absolutely text book day.

A wedding day can be very tiring though not least for the bride and groom! Here’s my advice for a happy wedding season. Drink some water, take a break if you need to and for goodness sake take flat shoes for the dancing! Cough cough 37 strikes again! Have fun this wedding season especially if it’s your own!

Only four weeks until the next one!

For T

From a Bristol November,

To a Bristol forever.

Not a single book in common.

So odd.

Two hoovers.

Too many saucepans.

That slow cooker.

Best fifteen quid,

I ever spent.

The plants in the window.

The jug with the bees.

Letters in the rack.

Magnets on the fridge.

Photos.

Tongues out.

Smile.

Kiss.

Love lives here.

We live here.

This is a fun and super easy little recipe that has become one of me and T’s meat free Monday regulars. The walnut takes on a wonderful chorizo like flavour so you definitely don’t miss the meat.

Ingredients

1 Onion

Some garlic ( with your hearts people, with your hearts)

500g Walnuts

1 tbsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Chipotle flakes

Taco Shells

Lettuce

Limes

Any other salad you like

Any cheese you like

Coriander if you like

So as you can see from the above we’re very flexible with this one. It’s a great way to use up any old salad and cheese from the previous week

First finely dice the onion and sweat in olive oil with the paprika and Chipotle flakes plus salt and pepper to taste.

Next wizz up the walnuts in a food processor so they are roughly chopped

Add the walnuts to the pan and cook over a low heat until everything is thoroughly combined. Stir well and put into a serving bowl.

While everything is cooking chop up your salad and herbs and grate your cheese.

Warm up your taco shells as per the packet instructions. (Or if you’ve made your own please can I beg the recipe from you?)

Enjoy a quick and easy meat free Monday!

Aka A Catalogue of Ridiculous Injuries

Category is things Becky says…

“I’m really clumsy so I work with knives and fire all day.” That’s a top five answer easy!

Yes I’m a clumsy girl. I was always the kid with scabby knees. I once punched myself in the face drinking a glass of water. You should have seen the state of my finger after that hazelnut bruised it, (dear God don’t ask, or if you are really that curious ask away, I might just tell you!) Don’t even want to remember the time I fell off that gate!

You get the picture. Clumsiness lives here!

I am very lucky that in all my years in the kitchen I have never had a serious injury. Sure I have had my fair share of cuts and burns, bumps and bruises but never anything major. For that I am very thankful.

Still I write this in a fair bit of pain.

At the moment my ribs are the trouble.

Now while I really wish I had a funny story about my ribs I do not. I have spoken before about my slow recovery from covid. The fact is that my chest just isn’t what it was. I am more sensitive to dust, smoke and chemicals. I am more susceptible to chesty coughs.

That’s where the trouble started. Last Thursday I hurt my ribs through coughing. Now who would have thought you used your ribs so much?

Yes exactly.

T said to me the other day “You’re not very good at being ill are you?” I am not. Just like at the beginning of the year I currently feel frustrated with my own body.

Now I know I could have it a lot worse. I am grateful every day for my strength. Grateful for all the wonderful things I can do. I am grateful for my physical health. I am sorry that for the longest time I took it for granted.

I’ve definitely learned a lesson there. I’m sure I’ll be better soon.

I am very pleased to kick off my new Chef in the Spotlight feature. A big thank you to the wonderful Louis for being my very first interviewee.

Name: Louis Harris

Age:22

Current position:Chef De Partie

Before we get started what are you drinking? Chai Tea

And how are you? I’m really good. The sun is shining and it’s my day off.

Where was your first job? Catering was always my passion. I never wanted to do anything else. I did really well in my GCSEs and my parents and teachers tried to persuade me into other areas but I got a Saturday job at Bordeaux Quay when I was 15. I started there full time straight from school. I started as an apprentice, then worked my way up to commis then chef de partie.

What is your favourite music to listen to in the kitchen? I like a bit of everything. Mostly upbeat pop music. I like Harry Styles, Florence and The Machine. First thing in the morning though I like a bit of relaxed jazz. Some people in the morning go for heavy metal or insane drum and base and I just think “Not the time!”

What’s your favourite dish to cook?

At work? I don’t work on pastry at the moment but I have to say I always loved making choux buns. I loved getting the knack for them and seeing them come out perfect. I love the skill and the precise measures in pastry.

At home? I did a lot of baking when I was at home thanks to covid. I loved making focaccia. I loved the fact that once I knew the recipe it was so easy. I also loved cinnamon buns. I experimented a lot with healthy and vegan food too. Baked orzo was a favourite.

What season inspires you most? Definitely summer. I love the idea of fresh produce, fresh salad. All the different fruits and vegetables that are available you have the freedom to do whatever you want. I like light and flavourful food which I think is much easier in the summer than in the winter.

What has been your biggest challenge in the kitchen? Being young.You get the young person shit, the jokes thrown at you. Growing up i wanted to establish myself as a serious person, an adult. That was hard when people saw me as the baby of the restaurant. I think people I have worked with for 4 or 5 years find it hard not to see me as that 17 year old kid anymore.

What do you do to wind down after a long shift? Laughs, I go straight to bed. No I think it is important to sit down and have a drink. being in the restaurant is a very serious business and its nice to sit down and have that go away. You can be annoyed with someone during service but as soon as you sit on that bench it disappears. When I get home I eat anything that has substance to it. I just get into bed and either read my phone or a book. I think if it is a day off it is important to try to rest. To have days where you do nothing and fully distance yourself from work. You can go a long time just focused on work and you need to be able to separate that side of yourself.

If you could sit and have dinner with any three chefs, famous or not famous, living or dead, who would you choose? I’m going to base this on when I was growing up. Who I looked to when I was developing my strong passion for catering.

Michelle Roux, I was always watching Masterchef as a teenager and even as a kid you could always see him in an idol kind of way.

Heston Blumenthal, As well as catering I was really into and really good at chemistry. I just loved watching some of the things he was pulling off. It was insane to me as a kid. I loved watching him use the different chemicals and was really interested in the how and the why of what he was doing.

Monica Galetti, again she was someone who was always there. I’m in touch with my feminine side and I’m really close to my mum. It was good to see a woman in the kitchen as you don’t see many.

What’s the vibe of the dinner party? I like to keep it more casual. I very much like the idea of really good food, sharing food. Drinking wine in the sun. Going late into the night. A sort of Italian or Spanish vibe.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting in the industry what would it be? Just keep pushing through. It is easy for the job to swallow you. It physically drains you, it mentally drains you. You see a lot of chefs sort of come and go. I have managed to get to the point where nothing phases me. I feel like I have come through the worst. It is hard but if you keep pushing you come to the point where you’re at the end of that tunnel. You can see the light. Believe in yourself.

Quickfire Round

Coffee or Monster? Monster.

Biro or sharpie? It depends on the job I’m doing and the state of the pen. No short blunt sharpies thank you! Usually though whatever I can get hold of.

J Cloth or Blue Roll? I try not to use too much of either for environmental reasons but Blue Roll I think you can get more out of it.

4 litres or 9 pans? Again depends on the job. For putting things away a 4 litre with a lid is just easier but 9 pans are much better to organise my section.

Would you rather?

Would you rather have an infinite supply of potatoes or an infinite supply of plain flour? Plain flour, it’s more versatile.

Would you rather be able get a veg delivery 365 days a year or that every table above 5 covers had to pre order? I think the delivery would be more useful. I’m not that bothered about what tables order. You can always push through. I think, especially on weekends and bank holidays, not having stock is a bigger issue.

Would you rather never eat another starter or never eat another dessert? Definitely never eat another starter. I have a sweet tooth.

Would you rather always work Christmas day or always work new year’s eve? I’m very family oriented so definitely I would rather work new years eve.

Thank you Louis for a great first interview. Look out for the next one!

I’m very excited to announce that I’m working on a brand new series.

Look out for my first Chef in the Spotlight feature coming soon!

Can’t wait to share it with everyone.

But the greengrocer is my favourite.

You see I love doing real old fashioned food shopping. I have done ever since I was small. I think when I was small the sticks of Panda liquorice and aniseed balls from Peaches the greengrocer may have had something to to with it.

There’s a wonderful sense of calm satisfaction. A sort of domestic bliss about taking my bag and heading out to the shops.

Now I’ll never willingly be a housewife. Those long, long months stuck at home on furlough were not good for my mental health.

My weekly trip to the shops just about saved my sanity. I like to support local businesses. I like to buy local produce.

Most of all though. I love to chat. I am an extrovert through and through and during the lockdowns I just missed those daily interactions. I’m a sucker for small talk.

Wednesday used to be the highlight of my week.

Of course now I am back at work. The world has opened up again. Its a great feeling. If still a little bit daunting.

My shopping habits haven’t changed though.

On Friday I was making a beef pie. Shin is by far my favourite cut of beef for a pie. Cue a trip to the butcher. 650g of Shin. “Do you want me to dice it up for you?” “Ooh yes please. It will be perfect for my pie” Service, with a chat and a smile.

£5.85

It was a wonderful day for pie.

Long live the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. Long live the greengrocer. Long live the independent retailers.

Shout out to

Kelvins Butchers on East Street

Hugos Greengrocer of North Street

Flips Deli on North Street.

**trigger warning for violence**

**content warning for graphic description of a panic attack**

Have you ever hidden?

Scared.

Frightened of your brain.

As it crashes through itself.

Rampaging,

Rummaging through the cupboard.

Throwing the contents aside.

It has that dangerous glint.

As it demands.

What’s this?

Just a trip to the cinema,

You stammer.

After everything I told you!

You know its dangerous.

But.

It was fun.

We were happy there.

Happy it scoffs.

Were you happy drinking those extra coffees too?

Happy with the beers.

Happy.

The laugh.

It is dangerous.

You shrink.

Retreat into yourself.

It is futile.

You know.

You can’t stay hidden.

Not when it’s like this.

Accept.

Don’t soothe.

Don’t smile.

Wait.

It will be calm again.

It will.

I love you

It says.

You know I would never hurt you.

I just want what’s best.