Dayums Oxford

Dear Esteemed Patrons,

As a merchant and chef with a passion for the world’s finest offerings, I am delighted to present to you my latest treasure: wild blackberry jam, crafted from the most exquisite foraged berries. This artisanal preserve captures the essence of nature’s bounty, evoking the vibrant landscapes from which it originates.

Perfect for those who appreciate the finer things in life, this jam complements your culinary creations and serves as a delightful conversation piece. Whether spread upon artisan bread or paired with your favorite cheese, it embodies a spirit of creativity and culture that resonates with artists and connoisseurs alike.

Indulge in a taste that transcends the ordinary and brings a touch of nature’s artistry to your table. Your palate deserves this exquisite experience.

Warm regards,

Raoul Gheorghe
Merchant and Chef

Is the season of the wild blackberries! This year they became one of my favourite fruits. I made a luxurious jam, available for sale (see my previous post). Hope you'll get to try it. But either way let me share a story with you:

"Once upon a time in a quaint English village, there lived a wise old woman known for her knowledge of herbs and wild fruits. Each autumn, she would venture into the nearby woods to gather wild blackberries, which she believed held special magic.

One year, a terrible drought struck the village, and crops began to fail. The villagers grew worried, fearing they would have nothing to eat through the winter. Desperate, they turned to the old woman for help. She advised them to trust in the wild blackberries, as they were resilient and thrived even in harsh conditions.

With her guidance, the villagers set out to forage for the juicy berries. They found bushes laden with plump, ripe blackberries, far more abundant than they had ever seen. The old woman taught them how to prepare the berries—making jams, pies, and even simple syrups.

As they savored the fruits of their labor, a sense of hope restored their spirits. The villagers shared their newfound bounty, creating a festival to celebrate their harvest. They invited everyone, and laughter and music filled the air as they feasted on blackberry treats.

From that day on, the wild blackberry became a symbol of resilience and community in the village. Each autumn, they would celebrate the Blackberry Festival, honoring the old woman's wisdom and the magic of nature that brought them together. And so, the legend of the wild blackberries lived on, reminding everyone that in the face of adversity, there is always a way to find sweetness in life."

This is our new Wild Blackberry Jam made with our own hands with hand picked wild blackberries from the countryside of Oxfordshire. It’s a luxurious little jar with a jam made exactly how it was made once by our elders, preserved with only sugar and an added dash of lemon for taste.

Wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus) are not only delicious but also packed with nutrients and health benefits. Raw they’re rich in vitamin C and K, minerals like manganese and dietary fibre, it has antioxidant properties (rich in polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins, which may protect against oxidative stress and inflammation), anti-inflammatory effects (potentially lowering the risk of diseases such as arthritis) and they’re good for cognitive (may support brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline) and digestive health (the high fibre content aids in digestion and promotes gut health).

Cooking the blackberries can lead to the degradation of some heat-sensitive vitamins (like vitamin C). However, many beneficial compounds, particularly anthocyanins, can remain stable during cooking.

Research Reference:

“Effects of Processing on the Nutritional Composition of Berries” - *Food Chemistry* (2015)

Studies indicate that despite the addition of sugar, the antioxidant properties of blackberries can be preserved in jams, although the levels may vary depending on the cooking time and temperature.

Research Reference:

“Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Different Types of Berry Jams” - *Journal of Food Science* (2017).

You see, the wild blackberries retain their properties even after preservation, so this is not just a delicious luxurious treat, but a food to contribute positively to your wellbeing. It pairs well with coffee or tea and it’s a lovely way to welcome guests into your house by serving this. You can purchase it from our new online store, or if you live in Oxford you can buy it directly from us. Message us and we will find a way to meet.

🎉 Dayums and Little Ox ( ) at the Brewery Open Day on the 31st of August! And guess what? For one day only Dayums burgers are back!!!! Burgers and beer on the last day of summer! You can’t miss this.

Ebony's ( ) turmeric and calendula chai at Dayums Nomadic.

" Kitchen Magic- Tumeric and Calendula Golden Milk ✨🏵️

Tumeric is well known from Ayurvedic medicine and its list of benefits. Alongside Calendula they both act as a digestive aid and have anti inflammatory benefits. Good both for topical use and internal ..I guess that's what makes something great..

I added 1 rhizome of tumeric (peeled & chopped), 2 tbsp calendula and 1-2 cups of almond milk. I didn't measure too accurately but you can put as much or little of things.
I added a tbsp of honey after I finished simmering the ingredients in the milk for approx 5-10 minutes."

✨ Text by Ebony
📸 Photography and Styling by Raoul

🖼️ Slow living with Placinte cu cartofi (potato pies), Ostropel (chicken stew) and Muraturi (Pickles). Nothing beats eating in nature.

Brighterdaze is proud to announce our line-up for our end-of-August party at Little Ox Brew Co.
Featuring a wide array of talent and music styles, we're extremely excited to bring you an afternoon of sounds that's guaranteed to satisfy anyone and everyone. All of our DJs are chosen for their unwavering passion for great music, and we actively support local talent over big-name headliners.
In addition to our guest DJs, we'll have Dayums Oxford returning once more to take care of the food, so you'll be well-catered for on all fronts.
The event starts at 2pm, and as always it's both free to attend, and family/pet friendly.
We look forward to receiving you on the 31st x

🌲 Private Sunday Roast in the countryside of Oxfordshire

Did you know we do most things on our menus in house? Starting with stocks, sauces, breads and so on. The only things we cannot do are the speciality foods like some cheeses and things we don't have the capacity for or sometimes when we want to present you someone else's work we will use their products. So when you eat with us you are having foods you can only taste here. Our recipes are unique family recipes and even though we cook using traditional methods and we let tradition inspire us we create our own recipes.

Dear friends from outside of Oxford! We want to announce to you our new FOOD & DRINKS TOURS for when you come and visit us or you have just moved here. We will show you the locals' favourite spots and try some of their products together. Follow .foodguide to meet our partners and find out more about our tours.

We have some places available for the August Summer Feast event or book on your own date for a customised menu starting from £25 /person for a 3 course meal or £15 / person for a single dish. We organise Outdoor Private Dining events on our site in Bletchingdon for up to 12 people or you can try our Private Chef experience from your kitchen. We have a new website where you can find all the services we offer. The link is in bio.

✨ Chicken liver pate ✨ one of my favourite things to eat in the summer

New website available! If it's not too much trouble please try it out, let us know how it works. Thank youuu ❤️ link in bio

Sloe berries, damson plums and calendula pie 🥧

Grilled vegetables, cheese crisp basket with avocado and seeds, deviled egg with red pesto, prosciutto, garlic bread and tzatziki.

"Treat Yo Self!" (do you know what this is a reference to? 😅)

A while ago I experimented with curing meats and got a few recipes in my sleeve for the winter menu. Found this old photo of my Lonzino and wanted to share it with you. Cured without nitrites / nitrates and it tasted amazing and got a beautiful colour on it naturally. I don't know what to think about the food industry claiming that these substances are necessary when they're academic studies out there saying that they are in fact pointless. What are your thoughts on this?

We took a break in the south of England in Hampshire and I took some photos of the beautiful scenery of the English seaside. We found a sea urchin fossil which based on what Ebony told me might be 450 million years old. This is mind-blowing! We also saw a lot of Sea Kale which I want to cook one day and see how it is. We had a little swim too and looked at the boats.

📷 More photos added to the collection "Homage to Oxford". I love Oxford so much. It's a beautiful place. All these are my original photos. I'll make a list of the places I took them:

1 - South Park
2, 4, 7, 8, 10 - University Parks
3, 5, 6, 9 - Christchurch Meadows

If you want to see a few more go on my page and look through the reels. One of them is the first collection I've done on this theme.

We’re getting closer to the announced dates for the Modern Romanian Summer Feast. This is something unique in Oxfordshire and we’re very excited to cook the beautiful dishes from this menu, inspired by the 19th century city life of Romania, folklore, more specifically The Romanian Folkloric Calendar and much more. I’m joining forces with chef Zoltan Gothard ( ) Forager / Author of “Enchanted foraging” and my lovely wife, Ebony Gheorghe ( ) to make this an unforgettable experience. We’ll cook and eat outdoors in nature, in Diamond Caravan Park in Bletchingdon. Tell your friends, share the news and come to enjoy this feast together.

What a beautiful weekend 🌼 Saturday we have been invited to a beautiful party by . It was such a pleasure to be there and met such lovely people. Thank you Sarah for inviting us and for the beautiful photos. And Sunday Sandy the puppy joined our family and she’s such a good girl.

I also want to remind you to make reservations for our Modern Romanian Summer Feast Event. On our page you can find all the information about this from what inspired this menu to who is going to join us and the dates when this is happening

Ebony ( ) is the creator of our syrups and botanical drinks at Dayums Nomadic. Check her page out for foraging tips and teachings about plants. You can also buy her book and the decks called "Enchanted Foraging" from herself or online. She'll be with me and Zoltan ( ) at the Summer Feast on the 14th of July.

📣 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT - The bookings are officially open. We have a special guest. I'll tell you about him in a bit, but first I want to tell you that THE DATES ARE CHANGED! We are changing from doing the Saturdays as I previously announced to doing Sundays in the same weeks.

Ebony ( ) will make the drinks and pick wild flowers for us. You can find the "Enchanted Foraging" decks at the stall when you're coming. If you haven't got her book yet you can find it on Amazon and online bookstores. Check her page.

The special guest is Zoltan Gothard ( ), head chef of , head chef of Pompette and chef at Le Menoir by Raymond Blanc.

We'll cook together for you a Modern Romanian Summer Feast. Swipe to find all the details about this event.

Book now for the first event on the 14th of July (Sunday) and save your seat!

See you there!

"Food is art". Is this a massive cliche or what do you think? I love food as a subject for art as much as I love cooking.

This is a photo Ebony and I took a while ago of our Mushroom Pasties

Have you ever had apples and walnuts with pork? Try to stuff it with them, add some fresh herbs like rosemary and sage and cook it on wood. GOLD!

Good news! Please read the caption
🌼 Ebony ( ) and I have schedule ready and this is how summer looks like at Dayums Nomadic:

- Starting with the 1st of July we officially launch the PARENTS & CHILDREN GROUP
- The 13th of July, the 27th of July, the 10th of August and the 24th of August we're hosting the MODERN ROMANIAN SEASONAL (SUMMER) FEAST. A SET MENU will be announced by the end of this month. If you want to be sure you'll see it DM us and we will send it to you personally when we announce it (Instagram doesn't show all our posts to our followers). This is the menu I mentioned in our last reels, the one that's inspired by the Romanian Folkloric Calendar.
- Wednesdays I'm organising Food & Drinks tours in Oxford, presenting local businesses, but I don't have a starting date yet. Will elaborate on this later.

For the events we announced the starting dates please make reservations by booking it directly to us on Instagram (message us) or email me at [email protected]. . Please book a week in advance so we can prepare and offer the absolute best experience.

I'm really looking forward to this and hope to see all of you. Thank you all!

Reminiscing about our apple and walnut pie from a while ago. Also wanted to remind you that this Sunday we're not open. We'll announce the new opening times soon 😀

🥁 ANNOUNCEMENT - Changes in our schedule

We are working on this year’s seasonal menu, inspired by the Romanian Folkloric Calendar, and with these changes our opening days are changing as well. That being said this Sunday we will not be opening, but soon we will share with you the schedule for the week and information about the menu. Prepare for not just food, but to fully experience the Romanian art of hospitality in a nomadic setting.

Beautiful photos from today by . Thank you coming to see us today!

Come and eat with us Sunday from 2 to 8 pm and Monday join us for the Parents & Children group from 10 to 5 pm. The menu for Sunday is on our page. For bookings or more details please message us.