Hwyl fawr a phob lwc William!
William Hudson, one of Hodmedod’s three founders, is off to Wales to join a farm business on the Gower (they’re called @gowergranary – do give them a follow). This was his last day on the Hodmedod payroll. We had a little celebration to see him off, gave him some Welsh whisky and enjoyed delicious cakes - one made with fava bean flour by the superb Earsham Street Café, the other by our own Sam with wheat milled here at the Bean Store.
William’s been here since the beginning. Before the beginning in fact, working with Nick and Josiah on the original Norwich Resilient Food project that led to Hodmedod and latterly, as Agricultural Director, managing our relationships with farmers and helping us develop new crops.
As is the way with small, very practical food businesses (oh to be a brand manager!) there’s always lots to do at the Bean Store. We’ve literally built things as we’ve needed them – from desks and offices to bag fillers and kitchens. William’s skills with hammer, spanner and welder and his ability to operate any bit of machinery he finds himself in front of has been a massive boon.
As well as being a friend, farmer and engineer he’s also been our entertainer in chief, inventing special games for parties (most recently getting us all to be cover crop species in a field) and telling extraordinary stories, that generally turn out to be true. And he made sure we’re all addicted to coffee and kept us supplied with cakes and pastries.
But the one thing William has never been able to do at Hodmedod is farm. We work with farmers very closely, we trial crops here at the Bean Store and elsewhere, but (sadly) we don’t have a farm ourselves. William is a farmer to his core, so while we hope he’ll miss us we know that he’s following his heart and that he needs to be back on the land planning crops, sowing, tending and then harvesting them.
Though he’ll be sorely missed day-to-day, we know he’ll be supporting us from Wales – not least by growing crops for Hodmedod. And we’ve all got a fantastic new holiday destination.
Pob lwc William, come and see us soon. (Before we come to you!)
. This was his last ...&media=//hodmedods.co.uk/cdn/shop/articles/William-Hudson-1800x1200_600x.jpg?v=1622452383){kind=link}
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Also in Hodmeblog
Liberty Fields: Cultivating Taste, Tradition, and Sustainability
A few years ago we were looking for a sweetner for some granola recipes, something UK produced and minimally processed. When our apple syrup order from Liberty Fields arrived we knew we were onto something special - we quickly added them to our short list of brilliant Guest Producers
Getting more pulses & grains into British kitchens with Holland & Barrett
We've launched ten pulses and grains from British farms as part of Holland & Barrett's transformation of their food range, available in their stores across the UK. It's a fantastic opportunity to make British-grown fava beans, carlin peas and quinoa, along with other pulses and cereals, available more widely and to support more diverse farming.
Apple Natural: wholesome fruit snacks from a traditional Cornish orchard
Down a warren of country lanes, not far from the Tamar Valley in Cornwall, is Julie Bailey's orchard Lower Trelabe, where she grows historic local varieties of apple and makes her delicious Apple Natural apple shreds, traditional fruit leathers that contain only the natural plant sugars.
Josiah Meldrum
Author