Foodies Unite

What makes a good chef? Is it the qualifications possessed  or an innate ability to understand and combine flavours in a unique way. Is it it the ability to follow recipes to the letter or is it the bravery to experiment. Though all these things come in handy I believe that there is one key ingredient that makes a chef better than good (pun most likely subliminally intended). It is nothing more, or less, than a love of food and finding joy in cooking it to share that love. This is how I feel when I'm baking and I know that is how my friend and founder of The Portly Gourmet feels when he gets into the kitchen.

This may be one of the reasons that the two of us get on so well. We have a connection in our appreciation of food, and that's not in terms of quantity but in terms of ingredient, flavour, occasion and of course company. If made perfect sense, therefore, for him to return home to the family business and then branch out into the aspects of cooking that inspire him most. And the world of relishes, jams and chutneys has found an amiable friend.

This is where anyone in the Cambridge locale should listen up. If you happen to be anywhere near Fish Burwell Ltd (18 The Guineas Center, Newmarket) pop in, and not only to buy some excellently sourced fish. (Follow them on Twitter for the days fish: @FishBurwellLTD or pop to their website where you will find fish recipes aplenty http://fishburwell.com/press/.) No, not only will you find fish on these premises. You will also find jars carrying the Portly Gourmet label (and have I mentioned just how much I love the label). Jars that will delight the soul and tickle your taste-buds. Among them you may notice the ever dependable Pickled Onions, and a delightful and slightly exotic Sweet Chili Relish!  

And if you (like me) are not in the local area then we need not fear. All that needs to be done is to head to: http://portlygourmet.wordpress.com/page/2/ for all our culinary dreams to be ignited (with recipes attached.)

Portly Gourmet, we can never thank you enough!

Nelly xx