24/11/2022
Mince pies & brandy butter, yum, yum, yum. 😋😋😋
Victor Rowling - Freelance Chef
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- Victor Rowling - Freelance Chef
Commercial & Private Chef with a passion for food that goes right to the core. Food has the power to change our mood with a single thought. Edmunds. Thank you. X
A PASSION BORN
My relationship with food started as a young teenager in the most unexpected way. Living in a small rural Norfolk village, there was not a tremendous amount of access to fine foods; & yet, as a child, I discovered that food has a ‘secret power’. Imagine for a minute that you have your favourite treat for dinner tonight. Notice how suddenly you feel different, more positive & happier
. Imagine the anticipation of a trip to your favourite restaurant; suddenly, your mood lifts & excitement builds. Our family experienced one of the darkest periods in British history, which we called ‘the blackouts’—a direct result of the pay dispute between the government & the coal Miners Union. The strikes were long, violent & unsettling. A blackout meant no hot food, no school & no heating because gas was unavailable in our village then. I remember one blackout vividly; it had been long & cold. We were all huddled in the lounge one evening, wrapped in blankets & using candles for light, when the power came on in a flash. Immediately, our Mum shut herself away in the kitchen & set about preparing a hot meal for us. About 40 minutes later, she came through with plates of hot food—our first in what seemed like ages. I remember as she placed the plate on my lap how the heat warmed my legs & the steam rising carried with it a wonderful aroma. That’s really when I understood the secret power of food. I shuddered with what I can only describe as pure, undiluted joy as it coursed through my body. I remember thinking that if I became a chef & I could make one person a day feel like I do now, my life would not be wasted. My passionate relationship with food was born. I achieved my goal many times, so many people have told me on many different occasions, but one in particular genuinely stands out above the rest. I worked as the Executive Head Chef at a private school in Suffolk near Bury St. I’d started during the summer break just before the students returned for a new year. Some boarders returned on Sunday before their first day back in class. The traditional Sunday tea was a selection of baguettes, jacket potatoes, fillings, salads & dips. However, I thought it would be nice for them to return to something more comforting. I decided instead that I would prepare a traditional roast. Turkey with all the traditional trimmings, all fresh & carved to order. I set up the pass & waited for the first students to arrive. As it turned out, it was a group of 6th-form girls, about 6 or 7. Close friends & reunited at school. As they approached the counter, the girls at the front stopped dead about 10 feet away, gazing at the display; their conversation stopped; this was not what they expected. A slightly taller girl at the back couldn’t quite see, so she hoisted herself on her friend’s shoulders. As I watched, her face lit up & she silently whispered—WOW! I had to walk away for a few seconds to recompose as tears filled my eyes. My simple roast had done its job. George Bernard Shaw said: “There is no sincerer love than the love of food”. However, I believe that the sincerest love a person can show is to feed someone. This belief & passion underpins everything I produce, whether a sandwich or a gourmet tasting menu. I’ve always tried to inspire this passion in my teams & colleagues so that they can experience the joy I feel when I cook for my guests, knowing that it might just change someone’s day.
24/11/2022
Made my day! ❤️🙏
24/11/2022
A fantastic evening at Scotgate Cottage Norfolk with Vivienne & her family. Thank you all for making it truly memorable. X❤️🙏
Wedding Inspire
21/11/2022
Biscotti for a wedding. 👨🍳👩🍳🧑🍳
20/11/2022
Cheeky little King Prawns, garlic & chilli on sourdough from Wednesday evening. So sweet! 🍤🍤🍤
Wedding Inspire
18/11/2022
Absolutely loved doing this private dinner yesterday for Kelly & her family at Scotgate Cottage Norfolk.
06/11/2022
Updated Commercial Brochure for Restaurants, Wedding Venues, Gastro-Pubs & Hotels
02/11/2022
My new brochure for private dinner parties & other celebratory events.
16/10/2022
A PASSION BORN
My relationship with food started as a young teenager in the most unexpected way. Living in a small rural Norfolk village, there was not a tremendous amount of access to fine foods; & yet, as a child, I discovered that food has a ‘secret power’.
Food has the power to change our mood with a single thought. Imagine for a minute that you have your favourite treat for dinner tonight. Notice how suddenly you feel different, more positive & happier. Imagine the anticipation of a trip to your favourite restaurant; suddenly, your mood lifts & excitement builds.
Our family experienced one of the darkest periods in British history, which we called ‘the blackouts’—a direct result of the pay dispute between the government & the coal Miners Union. The strikes were long, violent & unsettling.
A blackout meant no hot food, no school & no heating because gas was unavailable in our village then. I remember one blackout vividly; it had been long & cold. We were all huddled in the lounge one evening, wrapped in blankets & using candles for light, when the power came on in a flash. Immediately, our Mum shut herself away in the kitchen & set about preparing a hot meal for us. About 40 minutes later, she came through with plates of hot food—our first in what seemed like ages.
I remember as she placed the plate on my lap how the heat warmed my legs & the steam rising carried with it a wonderful aroma. That’s really when I understood the secret power of food. I shuddered with what I can only describe as pure, undiluted joy as it coursed through my body. I remember thinking that if I became a chef & I could make one person a day feel like I do now, & my life would not be wasted.
My passionate relationship with food was born. I achieved my goal many times, so many people have told me on many different occasions, but one in particular genuinely stands out above the rest.
I worked as the Executive Head Chef at a private school in Suffolk near Bury St. Edmunds. I’d started during the summer break just before the students returned for a new year. Some boarders returned on Sunday before their first day back in class. The traditional Sunday tea was a selection of baguettes, jacket potatoes, fillings, salads & dips. However, I thought it would be nice for them to return to something more comforting. I decided instead that I would prepare a traditional roast. Turkey with all the traditional trimmings, all fresh & carved to order.
I set the pass up & waited for the first students to arrive. As it turned out, it was a group of 6th-form girls, about 6 or 7. Close friends & reunited at school. As they approached the counter, the girls at the front stopped dead about 10 feet away, gazing at the display; their conversation stopped; this was not what they expected. A slightly taller girl at the back couldn’t quite see, so she hoisted herself on her friend’s shoulders. As I watched, her face lit up & she silently whispered—WOW! I had to walk away for a few seconds to recompose as tears filled my eyes. My simple roast had done its job.
George Bernard Shaw said: “There is no sincerer love than the love of food”. However, I believe that the sincerest love a person can show someone is to feed them. This belief & passion underpins everything I produce, whether a sandwich or a gourmet tasting menu. I’ve always tried to inspire this passion in my teams & colleagues so that they can experience the joy I feel when I cook for my guests, knowing that it might just change someone’s day.
13/09/2022
Couple of images from Saturdays wedding. Old school ham hock terrine, soft boiled crispy egg, home made piccalilli. Piccalilli prep & red onion marmalade prep. Just love the colours.
05/09/2022
Slow braised Ox Cheek from Saturdays wedding. So tender, the jus was just delicious 😋
28/08/2022
Couple of images from the wedding on Saturday at Elms Barn.
23/08/2022
I've added my list of services to my new page with brief descriptions; feel free to check them out & please let me know what you think?
Thanks in advance for your feedback. ❤️
22/08/2022
One of my favourite desserts:
Crème Brûlée Tart, Clotted Cream & Raspberries
22/08/2022
As you all know I love to cook for you; so here’s an invitation to hire me out.
Looking forward to helping you celebrate your special occasions in style with a personal touch from the heart.
Private Dinner Parties
Weddings
Anniversaries
Birthdays
Ladies Lunches
Picnics
Barbecues
Tea Parties
Bespoke Cookery Courses
Etc.
Drop me a message & we can start to plan your special occasion.
Can’t wait to hear from you ❤️
22/08/2022
22/08/2022
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