Latest news with #DeliaSmith
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
What would Martin bring to Rangers?
"He's an all-round lovely person and he's very talented. He will be a manager one day because he's just the right person to be a manager."Those kind and prescient words came from Delia Smith when Russell Martin parted ways with Norwich City in the summer of the 39-year-old is looking for his fourth post as head coach and is reported to be the front-runner for the Rangers job as the club's new American owners begin their reign. One win in 16 and sacked before Christmas. It certainly doesn't look great, but there's more to Martin than a brief Premier League spell with Southampton last possession-based style took Southampton up via the play-offs a year ago - having been honed at MK Dons and Swansea City - and the former Scotland defender refused to compromise on his principles."To get to the Premier League and then change would be illogical," he said after a narrow loss at Manchester City in October. "I cannot stand on the sidelines watching something I don't feel connected with or love. I don't see the point in that."Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the visitors' bravery on the ball that day, going on to suggest he could learn from Martin's methodology ultimately backfired with a squad lacking in Premier League experience and Martin was jettisoned. But would it work at Rangers, who are expected to dominate against most domestic opposition? 'He has clear identity and understands Rangers' Under Martin, MK Dons set a British record with a goal scored from a 56-pass move in March 2021. In that same season, only Manchester City and Barcelona had a higher average possession percentage in Europe than the League One was the same at Swansea, lots of plaudits for the system but no prizes, making strides while winning less than 38% of his games at both Ibrox forward Steven Naismith, who played with Martin for Scotland and Norwich City, reckons Rangers would flourish with such an approach."He's got a clear style, a clear identity and that, for me, is massive," the former Ibrox forward told BBC Sport Scotland."Rangers need someone who can understand what they want and can implement it. Russell has done that now at three clubs."Nine times out of 10 in Scotland, Rangers will play against teams sitting in, and it's about breaking them down. I think the philosophy of Russell is all about that."He wants his team to have lots of possession, push the opposition deep and then hurt them."Martin has previous experience of Ibrox, having been on loan at Rangers for the second half of an underwhelming 2017-18 made 17 appearances, scoring once, as his playing career began to wind down."If you don't understand the league, if you don't understand the club, that part can get overlooked and it can cause you big problems," said Naismith."Russell has experienced it, although it was brief. "He understands the demand and he was probably at the club at a time when the quality of what was on offer wasn't great, so he's seen how tough it can be." Vegan diet, herbal remedies & cleaning toilets Martin was 32 when he made the switch to Ibrox and did not add to his 29 Scotland caps, the first of which came as a late substitute in a 3-1 win over Wales in international debut came under Craig Levein, while Martin was a regular pick for Gordon Strachan, playing in the home and away wins against Croatia in Brighton-born central defender enjoyed his peak years at Carrow Road, making more than 300 appearances for he achieved back-to-back promotions from League One with Paul Lambert in charge. He was captain when they returned to the Premier League in also captained previous clubs Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United and his leadership qualities also impressed Naismith."Communication is one of his strongest points," added the ex-Hearts boss. "He understands the highs and lows and what it takes to get the best out of a player."Former Swansea City striker Lee Trundle echoed those sentiments, telling BBC Sport Scotland that man-management us one of Martin's main strengths."Everyone at Swansea loved playing for him. He's honest with his players, he tells them what he needs," he said."He's very clever. I don't think he has a plan A or a plan B, it's just the way he sees football. He thinks that is how the game should be played and he sticks with it."Anyone who saw Martin play can attest to his steely competitiveness.A gentle Sussex accent and impressive articulacy belie a turbulent upbringing, with his late father's violence and gambling leading to has spoken candidly of a complex relationship with his Scottish dad, who vacillated between doting and controlling and pushed him and his brothers hard as their first football coach."My whole world revolved around proving him wrong and making him proud," he told The Times in November cleaned toilets before school and worked night shifts in a supermarket prior to his move into the professional ranks at the relatively late age of also had to battle ulcerative colitis during his career, changing to a vegan diet to combat inflammation after experiments with acupuncture and Chinese herbal has never been afraid to go his own way and soon we will find out if that's the right way for Rangers. Have your say Would Martin be your choice as Rangers manager?Let us know what you think
Edinburgh Reporter
01-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Spicing up my life – from the Wirral to Ethiopia
When was the last time you discovered a new cuisine that completely surprised your taste buds? For me, it was my recent adventure at Muna's, a vibrant Ethiopian restaurant in Tollcross that's rapidly becoming the talk of Edinburgh's food scene. But before I tell you about my experience there, I need to share my long-standing love affair with a particular spice company. I've been smitten with Seasoned Pioneers, a Wirral-based spice company, ever since they sent me some recipe box spices nearly seven years ago under the guise of the Spice Pioneer. Though these particular kits are no longer available, the company itself has become a trusted brand among leading food writers and chefs – Delia Smith and Nick Nairn count themselves as fans, and I'm certainly in that club too. The company was founded by Mark Steene, whose worldwide travels sparked a fascination with international seasonings. Today, the small team at Seasoned Pioneers offers an impressive range of over 300 authentic spices, chillies, herbs, seasonings, and spice blends, including organic options. Each blend in their renowned collection is handmade to traditional recipes, crafted in small batches using up to fifteen carefully selected ingredients. The spices are dry-roasted, ground, and blended, resulting in convenient packages of authentic flavour that capture cuisines from across the globe. As Delia wisely points out, there are two enemies of spice flavour: light and air. Many spices sold in glass jars sit under harsh store lighting, and once opened, they're increasingly exposed to air. Seasoned Pioneers cleverly packages their seasonings in resealable foil packs that shield them from light and eliminate air exposure when properly closed. Their compact size means they don't monopolise precious cupboard space – unless, like me, you've been generously gifted their 'World Spice Blends, The Definitive Selection' Collection of 40 packets! Recently, I reached out to Seasoned Pioneers hoping they might send me their African Berbere Spice Blend (a complex mix of red chillies, fenugreek seeds, ginger, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom, and ajowran). To my delight, they responded with overwhelming generosity, sending four boxes containing 10 packets each of their worldwide seasonings – an array of masalas, curry powders, and spices. With each pouch containing enough for about 20 servings, I'll be eating curries for months to come! My interest in berbere spice was sparked after spotting Muna's restaurant in Tollcross. Having never experienced Ethiopian cuisine before, some girlfriends and I decided to venture there for dinner. Before our visit, I did a bit of homework and learned that Ethiopian food is typically shared communally, with dishes served on large platters of injera (a spongy sourdough flatbread), where diners tear off pieces to scoop up the food. The cuisine is known for its fragrant and often spicy flavours, with berbere spice being the cornerstone ingredient in many dishes. Muna's is a lively 40-seater restaurant run by its namesake, who commands her establishment with warm authority. Word has clearly spread about the generous portions and fair prices, as most tables were booked even for our early 6pm Friday dinner. The interior is cheerfully decorated, giving it more of a casual café vibe than a formal dining establishment. The food arrives on huge dishes presented atop beautiful woven rattan baskets – though if you're a group of four sharing combo plates, you might find your table a bit overwhelmed! The meat and vegetable combo that I shared certainly packed a punch with explosive flavours and spicy heat – and won't be for the faint-hearted! I personally preferred the boiled rice accompaniment to the traditional injera bread, which wasn't quite to my taste. The homemade honey wine also wasn't my cup of tea, served in a long-necked vase-like carafe, which you've to swig out of, but a night off the usual libations didn't hurt. Muna's offers a fun and different dining experience, with the vivacious Muna herself ensuring you feel welcome from the moment you arrive. If you're feeling adventurous and want to try something new, it's definitely worth a visit – though perhaps best suited to smaller groups of two or four who enjoy sharing their food. As for making my own berbere-spiced Wot (stew) at home? You'll have to wait while I perfect my version. It's unlikely to rival Muna's authentic creation, but I'm going to have great fun experimenting with this and the 39 other spice blends I've been gifted. In fact, I'm heading to the kitchen right now to get creative! Like this: Like Related
BBC News
03-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Delia Smith no longer Norwich majority shareholder
Norwich City have confirmed that Mark Attanasio's FB Norfolk Holdings Group are now officially the majority shareholders at the Championship deal has been formally completed for former majority shareholders Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn Jones to step down from the board and reduce their holding to 10 per cent. That leaves American millionaire Attanasio and his group with 85 per cent change of ownership was first announced in August 2024 but has now been fully 83, and Michael, also 83, who first became joint majority shareholders 28 years ago, now become honorary life presidents at Carrow Road. A club statement read: "Norwich City can confirm that Norfolk Holdings have completed the conversion of the entire D Preference Shares into Ordinary Shares on a one-for-one basis."As a result, Norfolk Holdings now owns approximately 85% of the club's ordinary share capital, with Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones holding 10%, and the remainder being held by the club's other shareholders."The club's board of directors remains consisting of Mark Attanasio, Richard Ressler, Tom Smith and Zoe Webber."Attanasio has already set a target of having the Canaries back in the top flight within three to five who currently sit 11th in the Championship, four points shy of the play-off places, are in their fourth consecutive season outside the top were relegated after a single season the last three times they went up - in 2015, 2019 and 2021.
