It was run by Ruth Watson. When I asked people who she was, everyone talks about her Hotel Inspector and Country House Rescue TV series and how she now owns a country hotel and pub called 'The Crown & Castle'.
I, of course, knew very little about her and wasn't at all impressed by her celebrity status, which was good because I got to like her for the kind of person she is rather than her fame.
The class itself was disappointing because it read on the program like she was going to talk about how to spot or make great artisan bread. Instead she ended up showing how to make great nibbles and sandwiches with great artisan bread.
As she was making the sandwiches, she talked quite openly about how she struggled to lose weight for several years, sometimes succeeding other times, not. And she talked about how difficult it was to lose weight when there was bread or great food around. Ruth is a big person and for her to be abe to talk about her weight issue is, forgive the pun, a big deal.
William Leith in 'The Hungry Years' wrote about how obesity is an issue never talked about by fat people. It is as if they go about the world having everyone not notice they are fat. Their size is the big elephant in the room. So, for Ruth to recognise she is big and talk about the issues she face publicly was, for me, something to be admired for.
Perhaps for this reason, the sandwiches she made came across as good, honest and real. Not because she didn't use anything apart from good and fresh ingredients but because she was honest about how she was and why she made them the way she did. At that point, I liked her more as a person than whatever she was making, which explains why I didn't take any notes on what she put into them.
(Oh, by the way, the bread she used came from the Metfield bakery, which was a pleasant surprise.)
After the masterclass, Hannah went up to tell her we were from Metfield and asked if we could go and cook with her in her kitchen (!) and she said 'Yes, of course. Let me know when you want to come' (!!).
Then we had to go back to our own kitchen to prep the big dinner that night for all the celebrity chefs attending the festival. So, we were momentarily very happy and recorded that invite in our heads and told the next 5 people we saw and then got very busy.
A couple of weeks later, I found out Ruth Watson had called the bakery asking about 'the 2 girls who wanted to cook in her kitchen. I forgot to get their names and when would they like to come?' She called US!! To see when we wanted to go to HER!!!
First, how often will someone accept complete strangers into her working kitchen without hesitation?
Second, what are the chances the person is serious and will honor the invite?
Third, what kind of person will follow through by ringing the stranger who wanted to come?
Fourth, how many normal people will do all of the above?
Fifth, how many celebrity chefs will do all of the above?
This is why I like Ruth Watson.
And when asked in future if I know of Ruth Watson, I am glad I can first say she is a very nice person before talking about how she is a famous TV star.
P/S. Ruth did say to us her kitchen is rather small, so she can only take one person at a time. Hannah has either gone or is arranging to go and will go crazy over making desserts. I will take up my position after I am through with Italy, Austria and Iceland.
