Welcome to my View from the Kitchen!
I am a chef and caterer. I have been running my own business since 2009. Over the last ten years or so I have had to be flexible in the direction I was taking the business. This meant some key decisions had to be made during the growth of the business and taking advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves, there have been a few of these over the years!
As a small business owner, I work on all elements of the business. From marketing, PR, building websites, product development, cooking, menu design and everything in between. On top of this, the opportunities that have come along, such as regular local radio work for the BBC, talking about food and cooking live on air, founding a food festival that won three awards for tourism in five years and some work experience at Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons and becoming a cookery school manager for a period have all added to the experience and skills that I have acquired over the last ten years.
All of this is now eclipsed by 2020, the year of a virus. The effect on one business is dramatic, apply that across the industry then the effect is overwhelming! I am having to work on redirecting my business again but more dramatically than before. Moving online is easy to say but not so easy to do, defining what is it you are offering, how will customers find it, how best to implement it using the available technology and so much more to be considered. Plus, in these days of little or no cash-flow, it is hard to make switches in direction quickly and easily.
The idea of a regular newsletter with a personal point of view, a seasonal recipe or two, an occasional ramble down memory lane and a bit of chat from a chef in the kitchen appealed to me as a way to convey the current state of play for someone working in the hospitality sector.
If you want to know more about me and my work please visit my websites: my catering website and my personal website, have a look when you have a moment.
I am excited about producing this weekly newsletter, covering all the above, and how my new business, The Isle of WIght Cookery School is developing!
I hope you enjoy it and I welcome any comments or questions you may have.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Paul