Latest news with #Cotterill
Agriland
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Agriland
Watch: Gardens showcase agri food sector at Bloom festival
Featured gardens from across the agri food sector are being showcased at the Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, this week (May 2025). The festival, which is sponsored by Bord Bia, is running from Thursday, (May 29) until Monday, (June 2). It is being held on an 70ac site surrounding the visitor centre in the park. Speaking at the launch of the festival today (Wednesday, May 28), Bord Bia's meat, food and beverages, John Murray told Agriland about the importance of the horticulture sector to the Irish market. He said: 'Bord Bia have been involved with bloom since the very beginning. Way back at the start, it was all about trying to promote the horticulture industry, and create an opportunity for consumers to engage with horticulture. 'Our remit takes horticulture into play. The industry is orientated towards the domestic market. It's one of those unsung heroes in terms of what it delivers for the Irish market,' Murray explained. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) sponsored a garden at the festival called 'Nature's Symphony: Celebrating Organic Growth'. The garden seeks to highlight the commitment that Ireland has made to advancing the country's agriculture sector. One of the designers of the garden, Oliver Schurmann said: 'We should be growing more things organically and embracing nature more than just trying to work against nature. 'We've chosen to only use plants like potatoes, broad beans, barley and oats. Other parts of the garden, it's like an amphitheatre. We have a stage to celebrate nature, to embrace nature, and as a link to the Arás. ' 'Growing organically is all about improving the soil. If we have healthy good soil we're holding back nutrition and water, the perfect conditions to grow healthy, tasty produce,' Schurmann explained. Another garden that showcased Ireland's biodiversity, is the 'Into the Forest' garden, designed by Sarah Cotterill. The garden, which is sponsored by Westland, is inspired by the wet woodlands in the west of Ireland. Cotterill explained that the garden is filled with a combination of native and non-native woodland. 'We have a lush tree canopy with lots of birches, some oak samplings popping up, and some twisted hazels that give it a weathered wild feel,' Cotterill explained. 'During the build we've had birds, butterflies, bees, ladybirds, a squirrel, lots going on in the garden,' she added. Bloom festival Other gardens at the festival highlighted the importance of Ireland's dairy sector. For the first time, the Kerry Group has a garden in the festival. The 'Nature Wrapped in Gold' garden aims to celebrate Kerry Group's routes, and its connection to the farming community. Ornua's Lynn Andrews explained that the group has admired the Bloom festival for a number of years. She told Agriland: 'All of our dairy is grass-fed. That gives it that unique taste and extra creamy texture. It celebrates biodiversity. 'Our garden has the habitat tower, that is designed to let birds nest at different heights. So it can become a welcome home for every little creature, from small robins, to sparrows, to moths and bats as well.' The National Dairy Council also sponsored a garden, called 'The Grass Advantage', which was designed by Robert Moore. At the centre of the garden is a large milk churn sculpture, which symbolises the cultural importance of Irish dairy production. Moore said: 'It's about dairy farming and the sustainable practices within dairy farming, and also shows the beauty of the product. 'The milk is born of the land, and we have such an advantage in terms of the land quality for dairy farming,' he added.
Telegraph
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The veg you've never heard of and should grow this year
Lucy Hutchings and Kate Cotterill aren't just green-fingered: they are pink, purple, red, yellow and orange as well. As the founders of heirloom seed company She Grows Veg, they specialise in a wildly wonderful range of unusual vegetables. Hutchings and Cotterill are passionate about introducing the British gardener to a world beyond commercial hybrid seeds, and thanks to them the humble veg patch has taken on exotic new dimensions. At the Chelsea Flower Show last year they won a gold medal for their beautiful arrangements of vegetables in the form of Renaissance paintings. 'We are opening people's eyes to the amazing Willy Wonka-style of vegetables that are out there,' says Cotterill, 47. 'And these varieties have been around a lot longer than what you see on the supermarket shelves, which have been bred for uniformity.' The friends and business partners met while on a garden design course at Beth Chatto Gardens in Essex eight years ago. Hutchings, 43, previously worked in fashion, but had started growing unusual vegetables and uploading pictures of them to her Instagram feed. Each time she would receive messages from gardeners wanting to know where she found them. In 2023 she joined forces with Cotterill, who left her career in marketing, to bring She Grows Veg to a wider growing community in the UK. The appeal isn't just novelty and appearance. They say the more unusual and colourful varieties also taste better and have a greater range of polyphenols (compounds in plants known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties). 'There is a perception that the more colourful veg is harder to grow, but that's not true. A black carrot is the same as an orange carrot,' says Cotterill. In an effort to dispel that myth, at Chelsea this year their theme will be 'Grow the Rainbow'. 'We're being told to eat the rainbow. We want people to go a step further and grow it. It's better for their wellbeing and the environment,' says Cotterill. Here are their top picks for what to sow this year. Mangelwurzel Mammoth Red A viral growing sensation on social media, this forgotten heirloom vegetable looks rather like Harry Potter's mandrakes. 'It was very popular in Victorian times because it is such an unbelievably reliable plant,' says Hutchings. Halfway between a sugar beet and a beetroot, this easy to grow, giant veg is delicious mashed, roasted or pickled. Sow from February to July. When sowing, direct plant seed at a depth of 3cm in shallow drills in full sun. Leave 20cm between plants. Harvest from May to November. Sweeter and less earthy than a beetroot, it will sit for a long time in the field. 'It is from the same family as chard so you get a long period of leaf cropping,' says Hutchings. One of her favourite ways to eat it is in a mangelwurzel tarte tatin. 'But you can also make chutneys with it. And if you get it really large, it's fantastic for fermenting. We have a wine recipe on our website.' Storage tomatoes Something that is popular in Italy but is yet to catch on in the UK is the storage tomato. 'We're working hard to change that,' says Cotterill. Storage tomatoes have a slight genetic difference from tomatoes we're used to growing, which means they have a very weak ability to self-ripen. Sow from April to May, and when the fruits are at full size in September to October, remove from the bush and hang them up. They will slowly ripen over winter and store for between two and six months. Keep them in cool, preferably dark conditions. 'You see them hanging from the rafters in Italian homes. It means you could be eating home-grown tomatoes on Christmas Day,' says Hutchings. 'You have to check them weekly for signs of spoil and discard ones that have. They are more resistant to spoiling though. And as they age they naturally dehydrate, leaving you with a crop of dried tomatoes akin to 'sun dried' if left long enough.' Use for cooking or eat fresh. French Bean 1500 Year Old Cave Bean This has the taste of a French green bean, but with a great story. These beautiful beans are said to be bred from a handful of ancient dried beans found in sealed ceramic jars in an Anasazi (an ancient Native American culture) cave-dwelling site. 'Miraculously, the beans germinated, resulting in this ancient and perfectly preserved variety of drying bean,' says Hutchings. Sow from April to June for harvesting from July to October. Sow close together, as little as 7cm apart, at a depth of 5cm. Plants should be efficient climbers, so will require little training. 'When eaten fresh they are stringless and delicious. If you let them mature on the plant until they are semi-dry, then they are great drying beans,' says Hutchings. 'They're good to have over winter, when usually there's just a lot of leafy greens.' Add to casseroles and soups. 'They have incredible health benefits in terms of fibre,' says Cotterill. Plantain You may recognise scrappy, hardy broadleaf plantain from dog walks. She Grows Veg stock two ornamental varieties, Plantain Purple Perversion and Plantain Variegata. 'They're considered future foods if our climate becomes more extreme,' says Hutchings. Sow from March to May for an almost year-round harvest. The plants enjoy full sun to part shade. 'It's a perennial, so once you sow it, you've got it forever,' says Cotterill. 'Some people grow them as garden plants, but both varieties are edible.' Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach in the kitchen. 'They're great in soups, stews, curries and salads alike,' says Cotterill. Chicory Rose of Venice 'We have the most amazing supplier in Italy whose life's passion is preserving rare chicory varieties,' says Hutchings. This one in particular looks rather splendid. While growing it will be green, but once the frost hits in autumn it turns pink. 'It has the benefit of coming into its most beautiful stage of being at the point where everything else is dying. It's absolutely stunning and guaranteed to wow when it hits the dinner table,' says Cotterill. Sow from April to July, 1cm deep, and keep moist. Harvest from December to February. It's a perennial, so roots left in the ground when it's harvested will regrow. Enjoy fresh in salads if you like the bitter taste of chicory. 'Or you can griddle it with sea salt and olive oil,' suggests Hutchings. 'They also make fantastic cooking leaves, so putting it in something like a risotto helps to remove the bitterness as well.' Dahlia Bishop's Children You probably already grow dahlias in your garden, but do you eat them? It might be time to give them a try. After all, they were originally imported from their native Mexico not as an ornamental plant but as a root vegetable. 'When we planted them and they grew these spectacular flowers, everyone forgot what was going on below,' says Hutchings. There's no need to buy tubers. 'Dahlias are easy and cheap to grow from seed,' she says. Sow from February to April, germinate at 20–30C on the surface of damp peat-free compost and just cover to a depth of around 5mm. Grow on in cooler, well-lit conditions for 10–15 days before planting out after all risk of frost, 30cm apart. 'When you dig it up you can take off some of the large tubers to eat. They are like a new potato but more fragrant,' says Hutchings, 'and you would approach cooking them in the same way.' Over winter the rest of the cluster of tubers and replant in spring. Then you've got a perennial root crop. 'They make a fantastic rosti,' says Cotterill. 'You don't have to peel them, they're very thin-skinned. Just rub off the worst of the soil.' Edible Beef & Onion Tree A tree with leaves which, when they are tender and fairly young, taste exactly like beef and onion crisps. 'Honestly, you would not believe it. It's quite extraordinary,' says Cotterill. Otherwise known as the Chinese Mahogany tree, this deciduous, often multi-stemmed variety has pretty, salmon-red leaves that turn green in summer, and white flowers. Sow at any time of the year in a propagator or warm place. If planted in the ground, the tree can reach a height of 8 to 12 metres in 10 to 20 years. 'It's very satisfying growing things like trees from seed,' says Hutchings. 'It's a pretty tree as well. It has its place in an ornamental garden too.' Enjoy the leaves from April to June, eaten raw in salads or cooked in stir-fries. They can also be dried and used as a seasoning. 'They are widely eaten across Asia,' says Cotterill. Carrot Manpukuji Another viral superstar, these giant carrots are fit for a giant bunny. Originating from Japan, they grow up to 1.5 metres in length under the right conditions. Developed 400 years ago in Japan's Edo period, the Manpukuji nearly became extinct in recent times but was saved by heirloom seed enthusiasts. Sow from April to July in open ground or in a deep container such as a bin. 'Like a normal carrot, they like a 50/50 mix of compost and sand; that's important if you're to get the length,' says Hutchings. Thin seedlings to 2–4cm apart, then to 10cm (5cm for baby carrots) to prevent crowding and deter carrot fly. Harvest from August to November. 'They remain sweet and tender even at large sizes,' says Hutchings. 'We love them salt-baked. Or you can chop them up and use them like a normal carrot. One will feed the whole family. The great thing about root vegetables is that you can leave them in the ground until you're ready to harvest them, so you can be eating your own carrots all winter.' Hyacinth Bean Ruby Moon More commonly grown as an ornamental plant, this perennial climbing plant is also known as Lablab. It produces fragrant flowers much like a bean, followed by striking vivid purple pods. Sow from March to May, 1.5mm deep, and grow in full sun. Plants hate to be root-bound so be prompt with potting up. It is also a voracious climber that will need propping up. 'The ultimate 'edimental' to grow in your borders, they're a fantastic choice if you've got something like an arch that you want to cover,' says Hutchings. Harvest from July to October. The beans can be slow to swell inside the pods, so harvest when you can feel the swollen bean inside. 'You have to cook them as they have a certain amount of oxalic acid in them. Treat them like runner beans,' says Hutchings. 'They can be used as a drying bean as well and are superb when cooked in curries.'
BBC News
14-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
One of sister trio with kidney disease 'grateful' for transplant
One of three sisters living with the same genetic kidney disease said she is "incredibly grateful" to have received a transplant. Cheryl Lear, Michelle 'Nobi' Cotterill and Samantha Bradley, who call themselves the "renal cysters", all have polycystic kidney disease (PKD), an inherited condition that causes cysts to develop in the sister Ms Cotterill, 45, was placed on the transplant list in January and due to the severity of her condition had a new kidney within 13 hours. During the operation, it was found that her kidney was 26 times the size of the average healthy organ. The Wolverhampton trio's mother, Judy, also had the disease and died in 2000 from other health complications, aged sisters, who all work at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, grew up without any symptoms and felt generally well until their early 30s, when they started to experience ill-health due to the condition – including extreme tiredness, infections and Cotterill, a validation clerk for cancer services, said she had to take months off work after fatigue left her taking naps during her lunch break."It's a strange situation because I was happy to get the call, but I knew that my sister Sam is still waiting for a suitable donor," she said. "She's been so supportive though, and so have my friends, family and work colleagues."I'm incredibly grateful." What is polycystic kidney disease? According to the NHS, polycystic kidney disease affects between 30,000 - 70,000 people in the is a genetic condition meaning people are born with the disease but it doesn't tend to cause noticeable problems until later in can cause kidney stones, UTIs and, in the most serious cases, kidney failure. There is currently no known cure however it can be treated using dialysis or a kidney transplant. Sister relationship 'comforting' Ms Bradley, 41, who works as a lung cancer specialist nurse, is on the waiting list for a new kidney. The impact of her illness means she is currently unable to work in her clinical role and relies on crutches."It's a waiting game for a new kidney, but until then my dialysis is saving my life each day by removing the toxins in my body, so I've just got to stay positive," she said."But even in the difficult times, it's comforting as we've got each other. We know what each other is going through."Ms Lear, 46, is an organisational development and engagement practitioner and her condition is being managed with medication but she is likely to need a transplant in the future. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Zawya
10-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Who's moving where: IFR
Nick Giovanni has rejoined Goldman Sachs from online grocer Instacart as a partner in its technology, media and telecoms group in investment banking. Giovanni left Goldman in 2021 to take up the CFO post at Instacart. He had spent 22 years at Goldman and held several leadership roles, including head of the TMT group, co-head of technology investment banking and head of internet investment banking. Alvarez & Marsal has hired Richard Cotterill to co-lead the energy team in its corporate finance practice in London. Cotterill joins as a managing director and will provide M&A advisory, with a particular focus on decarbonising energy generation, the energy transition and energy services. Alvarez said it plans to expand its energy team across EMEA, with "multiple new hires" to follow. Cotterill joined from KPMG, where he spent 16 years and was a partner in its energy corporate finance team. Former Citigroup emerging markets banker Nick Darrant has taken up an advisory role with the Rwandan government. Darrant will advise on public investment and resource mobilisation at the ministry of finance and economic planning in Kigali. His advisory firm Darrant & Co also provides strategic advice to governments and institutions. Darrant worked at ABN AMRO, Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas and JP Morgan and joined Citi in 2020 as co-head of fixed-income syndicate for EMEA. He left Citi in 2023. Sunil Samani is one of five new hires by Lava Advisory Partners, a London-based M&A advisory firm. Samani, Felix Neate and Joseph Sharp have joined as associate directors. Samani has worked with private equity firms and spent seven years at EY in its strategy and transactions team. Neate previously spent four years at PwC, five years at Coller Capital and in 2022 joined M&A adviser Dyer Baade & Co. Cannelle Ramas has joined Lava as an analyst and Summer Bond has started as operations coordinator. Barclays has appointed Anca Gagea as head of global CLO primary following the departure of John Clements, who was head of the US CLO primary business, a source said. Gagea, previously head of European CLOs, will relocate to New York from London. Bashar Rassam will take over her role. Clements had been with Barclays since 2018, when he joined from Citigroup. Gagea has been with Barclays since 2005. She was an analyst in the ABS research team before moving into CLO primary. JP Morgan has hired Jonathan Slaughter from Goldman Sachs for its business services unit within the investment bank. Slaughter will be based in London and help to bolster the bank's efforts to expand in EMEA. He joined Goldman in 2021 as head of business services for North America, after 15 years at Rothschild, working in London and New York. Christina Ma, HSBC's head of global banking for Asia-Pacific, is leaving the bank as it restructures, Bloomberg reported. Ma is departing just 2-1/2 years after she was hired from Goldman Sachs. And HSBC's deputy global head of equities Selene Chong is taking a leave of absence from her role, Reuters reported. Hong Kong-based Chong is also head of equities and has worked for HSBC for more than two decades. PineBridge Investments has appointed Angie Ng as CEO for Malaysia and managing director for equities. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Ng will be responsible for PineBridge's Malaysia office and lead the local equities team. BNP Paribas has appointed Karine Delvallee as regional head of South-East Asia and chief executive of the Singapore branch. She will lead the French bank's operations across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC has appointed Bryan Yeo as chief investment officer, effective April 1. Yeo, currently deputy CIO, will take over from Jeffrey Jaensubhakij, who is retiring from the role to become a GIC adviser. BNP Paribas has appointed Peter Medynski as a director in its loan capital markets team in Sydney. Medynski joins from Credit Agricole CIB, where he was a director for corporate and leveraged finance in Sydney. Germany's NordLB is planning to exit Asia-Pacific after more than two decades of operating in the region. Asia-Pacific portfolios, especially structured financing, which were previously managed in Singapore, will be transferred to Hannover and London. Credit Agricole CIB has appointed David Maisant as head of distribution and asset rotation for Asia-Pacific, based in Hong Kong. Maisant was head of leveraged and telecoms finance distribution for EMEA at the bank. Australia's National Reconstruction Fund Corp has appointed David Gall as CEO. Gall brings 35 years of experience in corporate, commercial and retail banking, 16 of which were at National Australia Bank.
