There are invitations and there are invitations. Since I launched LittlePod in 2010, I’ve had lots. Some have been prestigious, such as the time, last year, I was invited to Buckingham Palace to meet King Charles. Others are less so, although all invitations are special and much appreciated. That said, I received a recent invitation that meant more to me than most.
It was such a pleasure to be asked to attend this month’s A Passion to Inspire Upskill Day by our friends at Infusions4Chefs, a long-time LittlePod distributor. Bringing together seasoned chefs with those just starting out in their careers, this was an occasion to savour in Suffolk. Young chefs and those with Michelin stars alike, all in attendance shared a passion for food and for real ingredients. No matter their age or experience, all found themselves inspired by the man overseeing it all, the marvellous Murray Chapman (pictured below, left).
Murray – the first chef in Suffolk to receive a Michelin star – has long been a leading light in the industry. He has achieved so much in the kitchen. Through A Passion to Inspire, he has been giving back ever since.
Sharing a passion to inspire…
Like Murray, I have a passion for inspiring young people – in my case, to use LittlePod products, and to understand what their ingredients are and where they come from. I noticed that all the young chefs there had Skills for Chefs printed on the shoulders of their whites. It reminded me of the time, in 2012, when I attended the Skills for Chefs conference in Sheffield – another invitation. I still have the plate from that day. Such a marvellous menu, this shows what I ate!
Young chefs from colleges all over the country are choosing to use REAL vanilla from LittlePod and to watch them watching the professionals – high calibre chefs such as Eric Snaith – gave me such high hopes for the future. Eric, incidentally, is a friend of Galton Blackiston, who was the first chef to ever purchase a tube of LittlePod’s natural vanilla paste, when we launched at Hampton Court all those years ago…
But that’s another story!
For now, let it be noted that just as all the young people there gained inspiration from the seasoned professionals all gathered together, so did I gain inspiration from an experience that I shall long cherish.
When I was first invited to attend, I was so delighted to be included on the guest list. I was looked after so well and made to feel important. It felt very special indeed.
Feeling more inspired than ever…
What a great pleasure it was to see Murray in action, managing all those talented chefs, and inspiring all those young people. Not long after returning to East Devon, I received the news about Murray’s diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease. This is terrible and I send best wishes to Murray and his family from the team here at LittlePod. It is also something that leaves me feeling more inspired than ever. I’m so grateful to have been there to meet Murray, and to watch him do what he does best.
Like I said right at the beginning, there are invitations and there are invitations…
Thanks to Murray, and to all those there that day, this one meant more than most.
• On May 24th, 2024, Murray Chapman was sadly diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia and Motor Neurone Disease. Please read Murray’s story and find out more about the fundraising appeal that has been set up to support him and his family here.