ajsharpflavourfanatic

Well, we do! "We take small brands and turn them into great BIG brands!" 🙌

Do you know that I run an award-winning food and drink PR agency called Sharp Relations ?

Apparently, I only post about judging and radio show stuff but there's so much more going on! 🤷‍♀️

But I'm loving all these speaking gigs!

Today, I felt very lucky to attend the exciting launch of , a B2B app inspired and created by ’s No Food Wasted Forum. Its purpose is to proactively tackle food waste through redistribution of good surplus food in Kent, to organisations who need it most.

Food Loop has been crowdfunded by these incredible humans, whose collective mission is to minimise surplus food in Kent and share access to good food for all.

The launch was held at where Katy from created a feast of incredible dishes from good food, which might otherwise have been wasted. It was incredible, delicious and fresh, full of vibrant flavours and rich colours.

Ding D**g Dim Sum for four tonight to celebrate their 42 years of marriage, impressive stuff!

It’s the second time we’ve enjoyed ding d**g dim sum. We’ll do it again, it’s good, lovely flavours, all umami with a good kick of spice. It’s easy to cook and it’s a bit different to anything else we’ve found like this.

**g_dim_sum **gdimsum

Final skiing picture, I promise. Back to food, creative comms and building brands next week! 👷‍♀️

But it’s Sunday night after an epic half term week away, and I’m taking a moment to enjoy the memories before going at the usual 100mph tomorrow. We’re hunkering down by the fire whilst roof tiles and branches are flying around the house. (We totally missed the worst of but it’s still pretty nuts out there tonight.)

This picture felt significant to me. Not the surgical mask under my chin but the (very grown up) moment we got the whole family on the same chair lift together. No mean feat in the crush of half term, juggling ski school and chair lift position related tantrums!! But this is the first time I think we achieved it all at once!

⭐️ ❄️

Nothing beats a Tartiflette at altitude! Not sure I skied enough to justify the levels of wine and Reblouchon consumed over the past week!

Such a good lad!

Very happy to discover that writer Tom Dale attended one of my workshops "undercover" a few weeks back and wrote this lovely piece about them in Fine food Digest. Thanks Tom!

We're on every Wednesday morning (except next week as It’s half term!). Find out more by visiting the website - link in the bio.

Next one on the 23rd Feb is "How to.... Adapt your Communications for trade v consumer for Food and Drinks Brands."

p.s. yes I purposely left my trainers in the shot. They're my favourites!
p.p.s Shared with Tom's permission.
p.p.p.s Not doing a Workshop in half term (12-19th) as I'm off gallivanting with the kids!

The second day of training for Coordinators for judging saw us all sitting at our desks crunching peppercorns, which had (in my case) been “ground” using my stapler.

It was a useful training session on what we’re looking for from rubs, spice mixes and marinades, delivered by Ben Hitchcock from .

The afternoon session was incredible, I could have listened to from for hours. It combines my two favourite subjects, food and behavioural psychology! He challenged us all on our flavour perceptions, we make so many decisions on food based on how it looks or feels. Time to challenge bias and embrace objectivity!!

Thank you brilliant training laid on, as ever.

Yesterday marked the start of The Great Taste Judging season. It kicked off with training for judging coordinators in the morning. Followed by a deep dive into hot sauces in the afternoon with Jay Wembley.

Whilst I tried to look professional on Zoom, my colleagues sat at their desks laughing at me as I coughed and gasped, my eyes streaming after the Carolina Reaper tasting. 🥵 Funny, not funny!

🌶

So, we moved house last weekend, in fact we’ve being moving for about the last 3 weekends!

Today, we completed ✔️
All done. ✔️
Officially chain free ✔️
Officially encroaching on the parents, who are incredibly kind to let us stay while we search ✔️

Images ditch the only 4 personal pictures I’ve taken in 2022! All apt.

All texts:
Image 1 - to husband - “do we care that my packing is sh*t?”
Image 2 - to a lovely friend “this is how I’m spending the hangover you gave me”
Image 3 - stories, directed to anyone familiar with the military family, “here we go again!”
Image 4 - to Bernie “is this what you’re looking for?!”

The official photos are out!

This is the incredible team! ❤️

It was great fun to have dinner last night with some of the other finalists and winners from this year’s KEiBA awards. Thank you so much to Emma and Dean from Creaseys for hosting us. Creaseys sponsored the Entrepreneur of the year category.

We had a lovely meal at the

We never find Remembrance Day very easy but today felt uplifting as well as emotional. It was wonderful to watch Bernie and all the services march past. The turnout in Rochester town was incredible, so many people there supporting and remembering. Impossible not to feel proud.

🌺

Elevenses is probably my favourite ‘meal’ of the day! The hardest part is choosing which picture of the many on my roll to include.

So on Saturday, after a long walk first thing, this was what we had for elevenses. A scotch egg from the Rose and Crown at Mundy Bois. Perfection!


This is my share for day 8 of the challenge, Elevenses.

I’m taking on challenge from my view of the food world as a cook, food writer and brand builder. Breakfast - Picnic - Sorghum - Braai - Soybeans - Buffet - Aperitivo – Elevenses – Lunch – Tiffin – Banquet - Farm to fork – Dinner – Cassava – Rice - Midnight snack – Supper - Family times – Wheat – Canapes – Smorgasbord – Bento – Brunch - Square meal – Plantain - Grow your own – Corn - Tea time – Potatoes – Celebration

I first had Aperitivo on the Isle of Elba in 2008. My Italian friend and host explained the early evening tradition of enjoying a complimentary platter of food with your cocktails. I was very taken with the concept and have since returned to Italy and number of times with the anticipation of getting stuck into the Aperitivo!
She told me stories of how her parents and their friends would go out to a restaurant and enjoy a more traditional 5-8 course dinner, while she and her brother and their friends would skip the big meal, fill up on Aperitivo and go out dancing. Brilliant concept, responsible drinking too!

I was happy to hear my favourite Anglo-Italian food hall and restaurant is now offering Aperitivo too.



This is my share for day 7 of the challenge, Aperitivo.

I’m taking on challenge from my view of the food world as a cook, food writer and brand builder. Breakfast - Picnic - Sorghum - Braai - Soybeans - Buffet - Aperitivo – Elevenses – Lunch – Tiffin – Banquet - Farm to fork – Dinner – Cassava – Rice - Midnight snack – Supper - Family times – Wheat – Canapes – Smorgasbord – Bento – Brunch - Square meal – Plantain - Grow your own – Corn - Tea time – Potatoes – Celebration

Last weekend was a family weekend. We rented a house in the Peak district and enjoyed a few days of fun together, it was 2 years delayed after pandemic scuppered our plans several times but I took this picture of the breakfast buffet spread for 12, cooked by my brother in law. It was absolute perfection!

Shall I move the ketchup and put the Hollandaise sauce in its place? He asked! No, I said, let’s keep it real!

This is my share for day 6 of the challenge; buffet!



I’m taking on challenge from my view of the food world as a cook, food writer and brand builder. Breakfast - Picnic - Sorghum - Braai - Soybeans - Buffet - Aperitivo – Elevenses – Lunch – Tiffin – Banquet - Farm to fork – Dinner – Cassava – Rice - Midnight snack – Supper - Family times – Wheat – Canapes – Smorgasbord – Bento – Brunch - Square meal – Plantain - Grow your own – Corn - Tea time – Potatoes – Celebration

Ages ago we did a short project for a gorgeous company in Bristol making Tempeh. I’d heard of Tempeh and tried it once on a holiday in Bali but had no idea how versatile it could be.

It doesn’t have a huge depth of its own flavour per say, it’s a gentle nutty flavour, but it takes on additional flavours really well.

We started using it loads, often thin slices in a frying pan like in the picture with some sliced chilli, grated ginger and soy sauce – the result a crunchy flavour explosion! My advice would be don’t get the supermarket packet stuff it really has inferior taste and texture compared with handmade unpasteurised.



This is my share for day 5 of the challenge

I’m taking on challenge from my view of the food world as a cook, food writer and brand builder. Breakfast - Picnic - Sorghum - Braai - Soybeans - Buffet - Aperitivo – Elevenses – Lunch – Tiffin – Banquet - Farm to fork – Dinner – Cassava – Rice - Midnight snack – Supper - Family times – Wheat – Canapes – Smorgasbord – Bento – Brunch - Square meal – Plantain - Grow your own – Corn - Tea time – Potatoes – Celebration

Day 4 is Braai for the challenge.

This was the most incredible feast cooked and by the very lovely at one of the , it was a few years ago now, but it was wonderful.

I’m taking on the challenge from my view of the food world as a cook, food writer and brand builder. Breakfast - Picnic - Sorghum - Braai - Soybeans - Buffet - Aperitivo – Elevenses – Lunch – Tiffin – Banquet - Farm to fork – Dinner – Cassava – Rice - Midnight snack – Supper - Family times – Wheat – Canapes – Smorgasbord – Bento – Brunch - Square meal – Plantain - Grow your own – Corn - Tea time – Potatoes – Celebration

Day 3 is Sorghum for the challenge, from my view of the food world as a cook, food writer and brand builder.

Tricky one! Sorghum is not something I have any personal experience cooking with or through my work with food and drinks brands. Sorghum is an ancient grain native to Africa, used for making unleavened bread amongst other things, so here’s my segue….

The nearest I can share is a wonderful family farm that grow lots of heritage and ancient grains in Kent, called , run by James and .School.Emma . Nonington is a LEAF mark farm and promotes education through practical, hands-on experience, using the farm as an outdoor classroom, including amongst many things, making bread from ancient grains.

Breakfast - Picnic - Sorghum - Braai - Soybeans - Buffet - Aperitivo – Elevenses – Lunch – Tiffin – Banquet - Farm to fork – Dinner – Cassava – Rice - Midnight snack – Supper - Family times – Wheat – Canapes – Smorgasbord – Bento – Brunch - Square meal – Plantain - Grow your own – Corn - Tea time – Potatoes – Celebration

Day 2 theme is picnic for the challenge, from my view of the food world as a cook, food writer and brand builder.

There’s nothing like French patisserie and these were enjoyed as a part of a picnic, sitting on the seafront in Le Touquet. Bernie and I love to escape to France whenever we can convince someone to look after the sprogs. The best part is the picnics stops!

Breakfast - Picnic - Sorghum - Braai - Soybeans - Buffet - Aperitivo – Elevenses – Lunch – Tiffin – Banquet - Farm to fork – Dinner – Cassava – Rice - Midnight snack – Supper - Family times – Wheat – Canapes – Smorgasbord – Bento – Brunch - Square meal – Plantain - Grow your own – Corn - Tea time – Potatoes – Celebration

As a member of the guild of food writers I’m planning to take on their challenge.

In the past I’ve created new and unique content based on my own experiences with each of the themes but I realised, as well as a food writer, I’m a brand builder and marketing consultant, so…. through my genuine and real responses to the themes, this is how I’m going to tell my story! I hope that’s ok!

Starting with this made me think of . A really lovely brand we worked with earlier this year to launch their two new alternative milks which are blended for taste. For me, the lush blend, was my absolute favourite. Perfect in a cup of coffee or tea and tastes and behaves just like dairy milk.

Breakfast - Picnic - Sorghum - Braai - Soybeans - Buffet - Aperitivo – Elevenses – Lunch – Tiffin – Banquet - Farm to fork – Dinner – Cassava – Rice - Midnight snack – Supper - Family times – Wheat – Canapes – Smorgasbord – Bento – Brunch - Square meal – Plantain - Grow your own – Corn - Tea time – Potatoes - Celebration

Blue steak anyone?! With a blue cheese and mushroom sauce... dreamy!

Tonight, we tasted Extreme 95 - it calls itself the World's Strongest Gin and at 95% abv you better believe it! Perfect for the eve of the first day of lockdown two!

But we didn't go nuts, temping though that is on a 'school night' 🤣 I don't get the impression that's the point of it!

In fact, the clever part is that it's not just the alcohol that's been concentrated but the flavours have too, leaving a beautiful rounded rich smooth juniper punch even in tiny 5ml measures. So you get all the flavours of a normal 34% dry gin but it has less that half a unit of alcohol.

And I love the mini science beaker for precise measurement! This is the kind of grown up science I can really get on board with!

Check out our stories for the serving suggestions.

AD - The bottle was gifted.

Blooming brilliant night at tonight.

This is a brilliant addition to Smarden. It's full of wonderful local produce delivered by amongst others. Some of the local brands include I like all the eco-friendly produce including a dispenser section. Post Office too. It's marvellous! Always a friendly face to welcome you, it's exactly what a community needs.

On is adding The Country Bolognese to its range of ready meals.   Using sustainable lead free British venison in a Bolognese will help their range appeal to children (as well as adults) - meaning they can now feed whole families who are in need!    For more information and the latest news on their new ready meal and their upcoming Winter Appeal, please head over to their profile and check out the bio link.

Lunch at today. Best coffee, great brunch options, space for a meeting, great covid security and now twice the seating area. Wonderful!

Is this Kent's best kept secret? Insanely good food at .