HIDDEN GEM
A cave of curiosity
Alison James is a North East based creative with career paths crossing from crafts and costumes, to cooking for the stars and creating her own cave of carefully curated homewares. Elysia Fryer explores her new venture, The Curious Merchant in Masham Before meeting with Alison, the word curious instantly springs to mind when reading the ‘My Story’ section on her website for The Curious Merchant. What hasn’t this woman done? A cup of tea in hand, and a welcome break from our busy schedules, it’s not long before we’re delving deep into her creative world - nose diving into all kinds of exciting industries. I sit back with ease, knowing this creative soul has heaps of stories to tell. My job is simple. Listen and be inspired. “After leaving school, I never felt that I was going to follow the same path as most of my peers,” explains Alison. “I didn’t want to go to university and I definitely didn’t want to work 9-5 in an office environment,” she adds. “I started designing and making clothes, and through mutual friends I was lucky enough to get a job with Teesside
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businessman, Steve Cochrane, who at the time had a small start-up in Redcar called Sliced Tomatoes. “I worked in the shop and, along with a couple of other girls, made some of the clothes that were sold. “The style was very avant-garde, and for the first time in my working life, I was totally in my element. The whole artistic, creative environment was exactly where I needed to be - and it was an incredibly exciting time in the early 80s.” This was Alison’s first step in the right direction. A flourishing local business that gave her the platform to design, do the do and have confidence in her creative ability. She knew this was an avenue she wanted to go down, but life experience is always essential, right? It was time to travel. After some time working with Steve, Alison decided to up sticks and escape to the South of France - a place that, little did she know, would help mould the
business she owns today. “Always wanting to experience something new, I packed up and moved to France after answering an au pair ad in the Lady Magazine. “Cannes was a total dream. I loved it. It wasn’t long until I was offered a job as a commis chef in a chateau just down the coast in La Napoule. And once again, I jumped at the chance to try something new.” Chatting to Alison, I soon discover that she’s one of those remarkable people that just has that edge when it comes to living a forward-thinking lifestyle. She can take something on, give it a good go and put her unique stamp on it. “My new home was a stunning 13th century chateau on the beach, overlooking the Med. I couldn’t believe my luck. “I think this is where I finally felt at home, surrounded by creative and like minded people. My love of French food
and culture blossomed into something really special, and I’ve never shaken that off.” Surrounded by French antiques, paintings and sculptures, Alison found herself in the environment she was craving, and before she knew it she was sleeping in an ornate four-poster bed, climbing luxe marble staircases and taking her lunch break with the most spectacular South of France scenery as a backdrop. “I really was living the dream, working as a commis chef cooking for visiting artists, actors and French dignitaries. It was like stepping into a whole new world, and I just couldn’t get enough of it. “It was here where I established my love of French design and cuisine. I was lucky enough to work with an excellent chef, which is where my passion for patisserie blossomed. “That, alongside working with some really inspiring folk including Roger Vergé, a French chef and restaurateur,
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