Author Archives: billoldfield
He who shouts loudest
Being the middle one of five children, I learned, very quickly, that I had to be loud, very loud, just to get myself noticed. Well, maybe I didn’t actually have to be be loud. But it was the only way it occurred to my simple self to get listened to when pitched against my two elder, […]
Saving your reputation
I’ve written before about the necessity of good promotion and marketing to make a restaurant successful. When most people think of marketing they think of advertising but that’s only an element of a wider marketing plan and, for many independent small businesses such as a single restaurant, advertising can be beyond their budget; at least […]
Are you getting my message?
There are many reasons as to why restaurants are such risky businesses and so many fail but one of the biggest is that they’re not very good at telling people that they’re there. As part of my ‘apprenticeship’ where I spent a number of months working voluntarily in a number of different establishments, I was […]
Planning without permission
Driving back from London late one Sunday evening a few weeks ago, I found the A1 closed for maintenance somewhere in the depths of Northamptonshire or Nottinghamshire or some other such sounding place. Annoying. You somehow think that because you’ve chosen a quiet time to travel, you can control the long journey and arrive home […]
Smoked haddock pan haggerty
We’ve had pan haggerty on the menu in various guises for years. Traditionally, this Northumberland dish is vegetarian and simple to make by just baking together potatoes, onions and cheese with a touch of seasoning. Similar dishes exist in just about any country that has a history of eating potatoes including pommes Anna in France […]
Don’t be fooled by processed food
It’s like a war out there. Who would you trust? After all, it’s down to you. You’re the one who’s going to determine whether you survive and ultimately succeed. It’s apparent, just by the fact that you’re reading this newspaper, that you’ve got what it takes; that you’re intelligent enough. So, who do you believe? […]
Weighty matters
So, it’s official. Clothes are now to be sold in four sizes: small, medium large and normal. It appears that along with 60 being the new 40, fat is now the new normal. What next: uneducated being the new clever? But, weird as it may sound, uneducated is promoted as clever and, dare I say, […]
Lamb with swede gratin
When it comes to turnips and swedes, you and I may differ about which is which depending upon the origin of our respective influences. The fact is we live in the region that straddles the change in the words’ meaning. Go further afield and the Scots consider the turnip to be the larger yellow round […]
Wild rabbit in cider
I’ve called this Wild Rabbit in Cider because I like the idea of using rabbits that have run free and lived a natural life prior to coming to the pot. However, being wild, the taste and texture of the meat can vary considerably from one rabbit to the next so it’s worth being prepared for […]
Your call’s unimportant to us
So you’ve decided to come to our restaurant. We’re delighted and hope that you’ll leave happy at the end of your visit. Of course, the food has to be good. It helps if it’s as least as good as expected and is a definite positive contribution if it exceeds expectations. However, if the service is […]
Bill Oldfield 