Photography by Keiko Oikawa
As a blog newbie, never having even kept a paper diary, we are moving into unchartered waters. And of course, the novelty is not just my being a virginal blogger, this is a brand new website too so welcome to season online.
Before we go any further, publisher Simon Tooth at BC Publications and I must say a huge thank you to our super web partners, those sassy and lovely folks at Allies Design. London’s freshest graphic design studio, they are spreading their wings from their Great Portland Street HQ into East Anglia with a new Suffolk office, specialise in local food marketing. We are in exalted company looking at their client list, such a collection of glam entrepreneurs, I just can’t understand why they came to us?! Many congrats and big hugs to the Head Honcho aka the creative director Susanna, designer Amy and all the team, it’s looking good, change that, actually it’s looking bl**dy excellent. All down to them, hats off…
(W: alliesdesign.co.uk)
Back to me reluctantly. Apparently I have to let you have a little introspective on my foodie machinations. Being paid to eat, I guess is many people’s idea of the ultimate job. The life of a professional foodie is not always a bed of roses, often eating by yourself and not always getting good food does take the edge of the gilding.
In a previous incarnation back in the late Nineties, I became a hotel and restaurant inspector for that august institution the AA, whose yellow illuminated signs remain an iconic definition of a good place to stay. In the course of five years spent with the AA and Les Routiers in a similar role, I subsequently worked out that I had actually consumed some 2000 cooked meals professionally, that is solely in the course of work, and I only worked 150 days a year ! If my maths serves me correctly that’s something like 2 and 3/4 meals a day - eeek... Sampling a full English breakfast, a three course lunch and a three course dinner in the course of a day’s work, let’s draw a swift veil over the 4 stone weight my waistline accrued in just my first year and sadly my cuddliness hasn’t left yet.
Thank goodness my constitution can take a breather these days. You may ask why did I leave such a life of well paid decadence and indulgence - family ties and the birth of my young daughter made it a harder wrench at the start of every working week.
Now eight years on, I get the best of both worlds, being home based and often at the school gate to greet my ever more grown-up girl to hear of her day’s exploits and occasional mentions of education. But I still get out to lunch several times a week and now hopefully only in good places (all in the name of effective journalistic intent). Long gone are the inedible meals, surly staff and flea ridden beds I had to endure back then.
season magazine has enriched my love of this beautiful region is so many ways and whilst it sounds terribly whimsical, it really is a privilege to explore East Anglia and the opportunities it creates for me.
Personally at home the big story is our new kitchen, an enduring saga which can wait until next time…
As always, happy reading and good eating !
Glyn.
