Without ever being formally ‘chef-trained’ I am fortunate to call on a wealth of experience in food and hospitality, experience nurtured and developed throughout many years of casual and part-time work as well as growing up in a foodie driven household. Please see ‘Food and Me’.

During my self-imposed sabbatical from management in social care, I was the Head Chef at Brazier Coffee Roasters in Wellington, Somerset, UK and served an antipodean brunch menu as well as doing various events; secret suppers, pop-up street food and bespoke, private functions. Having returned to work as a Registered Manager for Shared Lives South West, I want to make sure I maintain an avenue for exploration; with food, with culture, adventure and experience.

Organised Flip-Flops is a personal and lighthearted title. It offers an organic, off-the-cuff representation of me, described by someone who knows me best. It is oxymoronic and captures my contrasting personality; determined, thorough and precise whilst also being slowly-pensive, quietly-analytical and thoughtful. Some might add ‘a little slow or ponderous’.

What’s the plan? To share thoughts, ideas, stories and recipes from my travels, trials and old favourites . I am ‘world-food’ orientated, with a little classical intervention, and will share inspiration from my food adventures as well as scope for some wider thoughts on life and the world in a more general sense. In the course of producing this site, I became a father, got engaged and also had a little wobble with some grief and mental health imbalances, so I hope in time to draw from some these experiences as well. I may share some creative and opinion-based writing at times - I sometimes have a nibble at food related monologues, most poignantly perhaps ‘the Peruvian avocado’.

In my scribbles I plan on encouraging and exploring the debate around ethical food production and consumption; this will include a look at the contrasting and often misleading but rapidly developing approaches of veganism alongside my world of localism, wild foods and ethical producers. Effectively, both should really be able to sit closely together, but hijackers on both sides too often prevent this from happening.

I am passionate about bringing the wonderful meats from our native and non-native pests into the food chain. I believe that this is the most efficient, moral and sustainable source of protein that humans have at their disposal. Wild British venison is more ethical, regenerative and more protein rich per weight than say, soy bean crops that are grown, harvested and processed across the world; impinging on biodiversity and local/regional/global ecosystems and leaving a trail of food miles and emissions in their wake. This holds true especially when we consider deer, grey squirrel, pigeon, rabbit and boar amongst others, as natural sources of protein, whilst simultaneously requiring a level of conservation and control in order to preserve our current natural and semi natural rural habitats. We must gear up our imaginations or consciences a little better; bi-products of rural conservation are delicious, lean and protein-rich sources of food. Let us celebrate both the primary and secondary in this case.

It is of utmost importance that we champion our native and non-native pest species as a wonderful food resource; this has to start being the norm in household kitchens if we are able to morally protect carnivorous diets in the long term on ecological footings. I believe this is certainly possible. In doing so, we reduce our carbon footprints from meat consumption and simultaneously increase net lean protein per weight into our food chain and it will protect the wonderful natural landscapes of Great Britain and sustainably conserve many of our native species of floras and faunas. I am happy to say we should eat less meat, but better meat.

A huge philosophy of mine is to champion and make food as ethical as possible. This doesn’t mean simply picking a diet or lifestyle and running with it and defending it whimsically on the grounds that you have made a semi-informed decision. It means continually exploring, evaluating and revising our approach to food and how we think about it in relation to the current global spheres. This is a transitional state and depends on ones wholesome engagement with their surroundings. We all have a responsibility to do this, especially if we ever engage in such debates or regurgitate any side of the argument. The focus should very much be working as directly as possible with smaller production and supplier systems, utilising and maintaining relationships with informal, local, cottage-industry producers.

Most importantly of all - helping people make food a pleasurable, explorative and accessible daily engagement is ultimately the biggest goal. I don’t always spend huge amount on food shopping, and still get to eat enjoyable meals - this should be the number one focus to begin with.

I want to give a little thanks to Rebecca, my totem and emotional guide. Nisha and Chris White of Blanco Digital Studio https://blancodigitalstudio.com for sorting out the website and encouraging me to give things a go; and everyone else who encourages, eats, drinks, talks, cooks, mixes or brews with or for me. 

Photography will generally be from the St Peter’s Cottage archives https://www.instagram.com/rebeccarobinson27/ , or professionals Neil White https://www.neilwhite.co.uk and Will Bunce https://williambunce.com .