BUSINESS INSIDER FOOD
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Bristol’s reputation for food production and cooking is famously on the up, but the story of three local businesses, and the siblings who run them, is unique even by Bristol standards
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s three children in a family of ten, Liz, Phil and Barny Haughton grew up in a frenetic but homely environment in rural North Yorkshire, in which good food was integral to family life. Liz was peeling potatoes and helping to make bread rolls for Sunday breakfast from the age of four, Barny could prepare a familysized spaghetti Bolognese by the age of six, and Phil was skinning rabbits (unsupervised) aged 11. Drawn to Bristol by its bohemian energy and progressive politics, the three siblings have built up an impressive array of businesses in the city. Phil was first off the mark, setting up ‘Phil’s Better Food Campaign’ in 1985. This evolved into the Better Food brand now synonymous with the fresh, organic produce sold to food-conscious consumers in St Werburghs, Clifton and now Wapping Wharf. Barny soon followed in 1988, establishing Rocinantes – the first organic restaurant outside London, which later expanded into Quartier Vert, a restaurant, bakery and cookery school. A committed food educator, Barny established the Square Food Foundation in Knowle in 2011, teaching over 1,000 children and adults to cook every year. Liz came to Bristol in 1995 and worked for Phil initially, as his veg box business grew, and then again when the Better Food Company set up shop in St Werburghs. Despite having sworn never to go back into catering, Liz was persuaded to take on the Folk House Café in 2006, where the use of organic ingredients has always been a top priority. What first ignited your passion for food? [Barny] It comes from our childhood. Our family home was hugely welcoming and always full of friends and family. Sunday evening meals, cooked by our father Algy, were legendary and hospitality was absolutely core to the family ethos. Where Liz and I are more involved with the celebration of food, Phil follows our mother’s vision and has always been the standard bearer of our food values. Why Bristol? [Liz] Phil came to Bristol first, in the early 1980s, and was completely inspired by the wonderful, eclectic energy he found here. Barny visited and fell in love with the city, and I moved here from London with my 108 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
son to be close to them and also to live in a place that was beautiful, not too big and had what I felt to be a truly independent spirit. What’s been your biggest challenge to date? [Phil] Retail is hard, and the organic movement has had some pretty epic ups and downs. In the yuppie era, organic became very trendy but also attracted a reputation for being élitist and expensive – something that’s taken a long time to overcome. People are starting to understand the benefits but there’s still a long way to go. Ultimately, we don’t value food highly enough. Many of our farmers earn well below the minimum wage. The system is broken and we need to move past the current obsession with cost to focus on values and provenance. What are you most proud of? [Barny] Perhaps my work over the years with primary schools in Bristol, both in the context of school dinners and also teaching cooking in the classroom. Considering that eating food is the most important thing we do in our lives, food education still plays a tiny role in the current education system. What inspires you? [Liz] My family! Phil has spent his working life embedded in farming and retailing organic food and is always looking for new ways to spread the organic message and build a more sustainable supply chain. Barny has become a renowned food educator and eco hero, and sets the bar really high in everything he does. And our mum Rosemary remains a source of constant inspiration at the age of 89. What’s your favourite dish? [Phil] Better Food’s orange and cashew granola served with vanilla yoghurt and fresh fruit. The very best way to start the day. [Barny] A mackerel, which I have just caught myself, seasoned with salt, grilled over a fire on the beach, squeezed lemon over and eaten with my hands. [Liz] Barny’s Risotto Milanese. www.barnyhaughton.com www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk www.betterfood.co.uk
Above: the Haughton sibs, left to right:
PHIL 1981 – Windmill Hill City Farm manager, teaching kids about food 1985 – started trading in Bristol as Phil’s Better Food Campaign 1992 – established the Better Food Company 2002 – opened first Better Food store in St Werburghs
LIZ 1984 – worked front of house at several high profile London eateries including The Groucho Club, 192 and Smith’s Restaurant 1989 – assistant manager at The River Café 2002 – supported brother Phil with marketing for The Better Food Company 2006 – established The Cooking Company, which caters for events ranging from small private dinners and party buffets to weddings and exhibition openings, as well as running the Folk House and Spike Island cafés
BARNY 1988 – opened Rocinantes on Whiteladies Road 2000 – opened Quartier Vert 2006 – opened Bordeaux Quay 2011 – established Square Food Foundation in Knowle West