englandsword

We’ve had a busy April at Rude Health, with all sorts of exciting things under-way, and I’ve even been lucky enough to get away for not just one, but two holidays. Over the long Easter weekend I escaped up to Northumberland, to spend time with rest of the Poples and to fill our lungs with the fresh country air. We spent the weekend trekking along Hadrian’s Wall and catching up over well-earned feasts. Up on the Wall (cue Game Of Thrones reference) the views were incredible, with nothing around us but wildlife and unusually for April - snow! It didn’t feel like spring was anywhere in sight. Unsurprisingly, we later found out that it was the coldest Easter on record. We also paid a visit to the archaeological site of an ancient Roman military post, called Vindolanda.  At this ancient Roman town, so much has been uncovered that you can walk through the streets, into the old pubs and even set foot into a Pre-Hadrianic bathhouse. There was also a spectacular museum displaying their find...

Last month I visited Biofach, the world's biggest organic food and wellness fair, in Nuremburg. It's my favourite trade show as I get to meet many old friends and suppliers and find new sources of inspiration from people who more often than not understand the value of growing and producing sustainable good energy food. Every year I go and every year I evolve my understanding of how to source, make and sell the right food, food that sustains us and sustains the planet. And I use this information to inform and guide decisions we make at Rude Health. My first train of thought is all about the value of organic and the meaning of organic: when we started the business it was relatively easy to create an organic food business in the UK, because consumers would pay a premium for what was seen as a worthwhile kite mark. Now, in the UK, they will not. In fact there's been a backlash against organic, and many retailers will actively select foods that are not organic, particularly if t...

Strength, endurance, energy, beauty and perceptiveness . All are qualities attributed to the oat. The last two might be pushing it ever so slightly, the first three are bang on. What has the oat got that other grains have not? Why are we, in the UK, eating porridge on a scale not seen since the introduction of Corn Flakes and sliced bread? Take a handful of oats... Let's start with the smell Inviting, sweet and friendly, like an old pal. Then there's the taste Porridge is warming, comforting and familiar. Reason enough to love it. Moving on to strength, energy and endurance . Oats are rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron and magnesium. They provide slow release energy which means you'll feel fuller for longer and you won't be climbing the walls by 11am on a sugar crash. They are high in fibre, so keep you regular. You know what we are saying. Finally  Apparently oats can also boost your sex life.     soak overnight in water... Getting the most from your oats To maximise ...

You're in rude health when...you kick off the working week with a whisky, chocolate and oat fuelled oatstravaganza.  We knew it.  Oats and chocolate are a match made in heaven. So how could we resist a chance to prove it? Especially with Valentine’s Day bearing down on us. We couldn't.  Which is why we found ourselves surrounded by chocolate & oat lovers in the Chelsea chocolate boudoir of  Marc DeMarquette , renowned chocolatier, ranter and World Porridge Championship Partner-in-crime, on Monday. We started as we meant to go on, taking oats and chocolate to places they've never been before. Marc handed out steaming oat milk hot chocolates injected (literally) with a dose of Old Pulteney whisky and topped with cream.  The night then went something like this: Porridge demo and taste using our Daily Oats. Nick ranting about only using Halen Mon Finer Flake Sea Salt in his porridge. Oatmeal porridge demo and taste. Nick ranting about how he was robbed at th...

Interesting Porridge I thought that every one loved porridge again. For goodness sake, Kate Moss eats it and she made wellies the must-have footwear j ust by wearing them. But this morning someone complained to me (of all people) that porridge was boring. My reply was a perfect demonstration of why I make porridge, not speeches. A few hours and a bowl of porridge later, here is the response I would like to have given. “Where have you been? Porridge is the new London, if you’re bored with porridge you are bored with life. But don’t panic, just get yourself to Providores , order the porridge, eat it, and then tell me porridge is boring". This is Providores porridge. A picture is meant to be worth a thousand words, but in this case it isn’t. You have to eat it yourself. Part of the fun of this porridge is that it doesn’t taste anything like you expect it to. Especially if you haven’t read the menu properly. It is warming, creamy and tartly fruity, but not oaty, which is no surpris...