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Katie Barritt is a rather special cook. In May of this year she took part in the
final of the School Chef of the Year, which was held in Sheffield. Katie, who
is the chef at Ettington School, had to produce a meal that was imaginative,
well cooked, well presented and nutritious. And of course it had to be
appealing to children. What more could Jamie Oliver ask? Although Katie didn’t
win, simply being there was a huge accolade. Lasting two days and having to
cook against the clock, it was, as Katie says, both frightening and
exhilarating. It was definitely an experience not to be missed.
Katie was born in West Berlin, which was then set deep inside East Germany, where her
parents taught the children of the armed forces. Although they returned to
England when Katie was two and a half, the family went back to Berlin for a
holiday in 1989. This was only eight weeks before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
If only they had taken their holiday eight weeks later! Katie grew up in the
Midlands and met her husband Paul when they were both in the sixth form. They
have been together for twenty years, and married for twelve. They have lived in
Wellesbourne for ten years and have two children, Olivia who is eight and Jacob who is six.
Being a school chef is Katie’s latest career and came both from her love of cooking and
wanting a job which fitted in with needs of her young family.
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A degree in Hotel & Catering Management
originally led to her becoming a manager with Majestic Wines. She then spent
eight years as a marketing executive with NFU Mutual, which included watching
the TV commercials being filmed. She also has her own jewellery-making business.
Katie has been very much part of St Peter’s Church since Olivia’s baptism in 2002. She
has been a member of the steering group, sings with the music group and is on
the coffee rota. She is currently a baptism visitor, helping prepare families
for the baptism of their children.
Katie enjoys tap dancing and modern dance and also cycling and skiing. She is a great
Radio Two fan. She loves music of all kinds from 80’s pop to classical. Peter
Kay especially and her own family make her laugh. She likes most foods except
fish and has a fondness for champagne. Time spent with the family is very important
to her, as is making sure the children get to their various clubs. And of
course there is Olivia’s rabbit Pumpkin to be cleaned out.
Katie sees Wellesbourne as being big enough to have many resources but it is also
small enough to be a village at heart. She loves bumping into people she knows – all the time.
NLB
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Youth Club Success
On Tuesday 3rd August a group of six young people from Wellesbourne Youth Club
successfully took part in and won a five a side football competition organised
by Orbit Housing Association. The youngsters showed excellent teamwork skills
and encouraged younger members of the team.
All the young people received a Medal, Football shirt of their choice, trophy
for the team and £500 for Wellesbourne Youth Club.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the lads involved on a
fantastic achievement and they are a credit to their village and youth club.
A big thank you to Orbit Housing Association for organising a fantastic event
which young people enjoyed immensely!
Wellesbourne
The plight of the honey-bee is
a subject which is causing anxiety to many people so members of Wellesbourne
Women’s Institute were keen to hear the true story. Peter Hepworth, the husband
of our President, is a very experienced bee-keeper and gave a comprehensive
talk on honey bees.
Bee-keepers some centuries ago
made a domed basket, called a skep, for their swarms. They extracted honey from
the combs by squeezing them through a cloth which they washed to obtain honeyed
water from which mead could be made. The wax from the combs made candles and
polish. These three products are still made but modern hives and modern methods
of extraction have made the whole process more effective. Unfortunately bees
can be attacked by various diseases and by the infamous varroa mite which can
destroy the whole hive, as can attack by wasps.
Some areas of the country are
better than others for bees according to what is grown there because bees must
be able to find nectar and pollen to make honey. Warwickshire is good for them
and has several hundred bee-keepers.
During the questions someone
asked Peter about the danger of inadequate pollination if honey-bees decline
but was relieved to hear that bumble bees, hover flies and other insects are
just as effective.
After thanks to the speaker
for his interesting and informative talk the company settled down to enjoy a
“plate-to-share” supper brought by members.
“The real art of conversation is
not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the
wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
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