Latest news with #DavidHammond
Globe and Mail
29-05-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
Meet the pastry chef known as the Scone Master
Deep in the underbelly of the Fairmont Empress – when the streets of Victoria are still dark and quiet, the historic hotel's guests are still fast asleep and the colourful tulips in the gardens are still closed against the morning chill – Joga Kaler gets to work. Kaler is a chef de partie at the historic hotel, which means he's responsible for a particular station within its two-floor basement kitchen. In his case, his task is to focus on one fluffy, buttery pastry: the scone. He arrives at work every weekday at 3 a.m. and begins the process of making these treats, which have become synonymous with the hotel's wildly popular afternoon tea. On average, he makes 600 a day. Kaler moved to Victoria from India in 1974, when he was just 17, encouraged by an uncle who lived in the city and spoke of its growing employment opportunities. He drove a taxi and worked at an auto body shop before landing a job at the Fairmont Empress. He has now been with the hotel for 43 years, starting in the stewarding department in 1982 and moving to the kitchen in 1989, quickly catching the eye of David Hammond, the hotel's executive chef at the time. Hammond paid a visit to Buckingham Palace and brought its cherished scone recipe back to Victoria with him, appointing Kaler the scone chef de partie in 1991. Since then, Kaler has become the hotel's Scone Master – that's what the internal team calls him – having made, by recent estimate, more than 8.4 million perfectly round, sweet-but-not-too-sweet golden raisin scones over his tenure. These heavenly morsels are an integral part of the hotel's afternoon tea. A tradition since the Fairmont Empress opened in 1908, the service is now considered to be the busiest in North America (even, impressively, busier than some in London), with an average of 450 people from all over the world booking as far as a year in advance to snag a seat. Guests are able to select their flavour of tea from an extensive menu – including the Empress Blend, which Elizabeth II drank when she visited the hotel in 2002. Bites are presented on three tiers of royal china created to mimic the original dishware George VI and Elizabeth I presented to the hotel in 1939. Among the goodies, diners might find the Coronation Chicken Sandwich (curried chicken framed by bouncy brioche) or the Midnight Bloom Dark Chocolate Bar with rose tea ganache. It's all delicious, to be sure, but it's the scones that most people will never forget. Baked fresh every day and served with clotted cream and jam, they are pure comfort: soft, moist, perfectly flaky. For Kaler, making them has become a form of meditation. Each morning, he arrives at work and checks the reservations log to see how many guests are confirmed for tea that day (there may be additional scone requests, as well, for banquets, for example). Then he starts baking, churning out what equals approximately two scones a minute. He never refers to his recipe book – he hasn't in 34 years. 'I used the recipe maybe four times,' he recalls. 'After that, I never looked at it.' That means his scones are pure intuition – and, given that he's remained in the job for more than three decades, there's got to be a whole lot of joy baked in, too.
Scotsman
16-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Spey Valley Brewery joins local artisan producers stocked in the Phoenix Shop & Cafe, Findhorn
Some of the popular Spey Beers range Currently celebrating its 30th year of operation, the popular Phoenix Shop, within the Findhorn Ecovillage, has announced that it has an exciting new local product range. Its added Spey Valley Brewery to its list of artisan producers. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Established in 2007, Spey Valley Brewery was the first commercial microbrewery in the heart of Speyside to create the finest hand-crafted beers from the same water as Speyside's renowned malt whiskies. Its product lines include Spey's Cadet, Spey's Jam, and Sunshine on Keith. Additionally, two of the craft bakeries whose bread is stocked within the shop, have won awards at the Scottish Bread Championships in the past few months. Bruntlands Bread picked up four Gold Awards, whilst Love That Loaf collected an incredible nine awards in total. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With the kudos of being the UK's first community-owned shop, with a strong focus on organic produce, in the words Shop Manager, David Hammond, the range of local, organic, fairtrade and ethical products stocked at the Phoenix Shop, is 'far wider than you would find in a store in one of the UK's largest cities, never mind a shop in a small, rural community.' The hard working team at the Phoenix Cafe & Shop Holding regular showcases of its products, the Phoenix Shop continues to buck the trend in retail via, attracting new customers and artisan suppliers, many of whom hold prestigious Great Taste Awards, and other accolades. Many local people come to stock up on essentials, knowing that they are supporting a committed and ethical business. Another innovative local business, part of the Phoenix Shop offering, and based in the Ecovillage itself, is Gut Feelings Kombucha, making a name for itself with its fermented tea. Along with its wide range of foodstuffs, including groceries, chilled foods, fairtrade chocolate, fresh fruit and vegetables, the shop also sells books, crafts, cards and gifts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We are delighted to welcome Spey Brewery to the Phoenix Shop,' said David. 'We also send our congratulations to Bruntlands Bread, and Love That Loaf. There is nothing to beat the smell and taste of freshly baked bread. Spey Valley Brewery joins our existing portfolio of artisan drinks.' 'It's set to be a very busy spring and summer season, which, we hope, will be boosted by visitors coming to the village to see the new Light of Findhorn Meditation Chamber,' added David. 'We also have self catering accommodation in the village now, which has been acquired through a community buyout.' He went on to say how proud all of those involved in the Phoenix Shop were to be celebrating thirty years of operation. 'Trading conditions have never been tougher for small independent shops, like ourselves, and so we are very grateful to be celebrating three decades of serving customers throughout Moray,' said David. 'We really go the extra mile to look after our customers, and to keep coming up with the very best selection of products that are keenly priced, and all of the highest quality. The shop local ethos is extremely strong here, and we thank our regular customers for their continued support.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad David McDonald from Spey Valley Brewery said: 'We are delighted to be stocked at the Phoenix Shop, having worked hard over the years and gained many fans in the Speyside area, it is fantastic to see that reputation for quality and innovation spread further afield. We have strong ethical beliefs about helping our community and sourcing locally, beliefs which are very much in common with the Phoenix Shop. We are SOPA accredited and most of our sales are made within 60 miles of the brewery itself. I look forward to working closely with the shop and hope that we can bring more beers and even some tasting events to the Ecovillage in due course.' Meanwhile, sister business to the Phoenix Shop, the Phoenix Café, has just launched a new Spring Menu, with highlights including its new fully vegetarian breakfasts, Burrito Bowls, Salads of the Week, and a home baking range which offers vegan versions of classics such as Citrus Tart. Specialising in vegetarian and vegan dishes, and with a reputation for providing the best cup of sustainably sourced coffee in the area, the Phoenix café, has seating inside and out on a beautiful natural terrace, surrounded by trees. Fully licensed, it is the perfect place in which to meet up with friends, seek refreshment after a bracing walk along the nearby beach, or enjoy a meal and a drink whilst attending any of the events in the Ecovillage. Forthcoming events include a Beltane Festival, taking place over the first weekend of May. Along with live music, DJ's, and dancing display, the Weekend will see a foraging session, with the opportunity to sample a selection of local 'wild foods'. A Solstice Party will be held in the cafe from 9pm - midnight on Friday 20th June, followed by a Summer Festival, taking place 11th-13th July. Further details
BBC News
16-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Oxford's Osney Lock hydro marks 10 years of green electricity
It is 10 years since Osney Lock Hydro - the first community-owned hydro to be built on the Thames – started generating produces an average of 165MWh of electricity each year, enough to power 60 homes. Solar panels on the roof contribute another facility in Oxford is managed by volunteers with a contractor providing technical of the £690,000 it cost to build the hydro was raised from members of the local community through a series of share offers. All the electricity generated is consumed by the Environment Agency's Osney depot and the community on Osney site is open to the public Friday to Sunday and there are information boards and a digital display explaining how the hydro works. Barbara Hammond, one of the founding directors, said: "The project was initially conceived in 2001 and it's been an incredible journey with amazing contributions from so many people."We believe passionately in the role community energy can play in helping reach net zero."A fish pass, built as part of the project, has allowed fish to move up and down the river at Osney for the first time in 200 garden is managed with wildlife in mind, with a hedge of native UK species, a wild meadow and a flower border which is a feast for bees. Architect David Hammond, a driving force in the original project, designed the powerhouse and garden area. He died in 2023 and is commemorated at the site by an oak Lock Hydro is owned by West Oxford Community Renewables (WOCoRe), a registered society, run for the benefit of the addition to the hydro, WOCoRe operates solar PV arrays on the King's Centre, an Aldi supermarket and Matthew Arnold installations were funded, like the hydro, through community share offers. Money generated from the society's assets is used to promote carbon cutting measures in the local community and to fund nature recovery society has a board of volunteer directors elected by the a registered society, WOCoRe exists for the benefit of the delivers those benefits through generating clean energy, showcasing the potential of community energy, supporting local wildlife, and through grants to local community organisations. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
