Charlie Bigham is the Founder, Chairman & Creative Director of ‘Charlie Bigham’s, the premium ready meal brand. The original inspiration behind the brand, 14 years ago, came from his passion for good food and from his travels around the world where he observed that in most countries many great meals are created by a handful of fresh ingredients tossed into a hot pan – no nasties, no microwaves just good, fresh food!  Each Charlie Bigham’s dish is handmade, everyday with all the care and attention that you would use at home if you had the time to cook from scratch.

Charlie Bigham is actively involved with the day to day running of the company and as Creative Director he works with a team of chefs to research and create each and every new recipe. The Charlie Bigham’s range can be found in Waitrose and Ocado.

CHARLIE'S FAVOURITE SITES
 
The British Larder - Madalene Bonvini-Hamel is not only an excellent chef with outstanding knowledge about ingredients but she is also a fantastic food photographer, a dedicated business woman and runs a great gastro pub/restaurant in Suffolk. Her website shares a wonderful array of recipes ranging from indulgent puddings made with seasonal fruits, to chutneys using the glut of tomatoes from her garden, to some inspiring pieces de resistance using local fresh meat.  Whether you enjoy browsing her mouth-watering photography or you need some culinary inspiration I highly recommend The British Larder. Madalene will even give you her personal tips if you have any queries on her recipes.

Black Tomato - I do a lot of travelling and love it. I enjoy nothing more than discovering a new country and tasting the local delicacies and specialities. Black Tomato is an exciting and inspiring travel website with an aim to offer you a world experience that is just that little bit different. It has a great blog which covers travel, international food, music and fascinating daily rituals across different cultures.

Ocado - From the very first time I visited Ocado I knew this new business was going to bring an exciting and revolutionary change in the way we shop. Ocado has a fantastic range of products on its website from artisanal goods through to lots of household brands plus of course they sell all of our delicious dishes. The website is easy to use meaning your shopping can be complete in a matter of minutes and then all delivered to your door in an eco friendly manner. We are big fans and there is often an Ocado van parked outside our door!

Word of Mouth and Observer Food Monthly - I like to keep an eye on the latest food topics. When I don’t have a chance to sit down with the weekend papers these two websites are perfect for reading when I have a spare moment to catch up in the week. They both cover a good variety of topics: recipes, foodie interviews and product reviews and ratings.

Gourmet Traveller - Another favourite blogger. This, in stark contrast to The British Larder, is all about exotic recipes and ingredients from all around the world. Not only can you find delicious recipes and great photography but she also recommends restaurants in London and across the globe. Perfect for the avid foodie who wants to seek out the eating hotspots around the world.

River Cottage - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his team have a great approach to life and to food. I love their website for its array of courses and hats off to them for making them available online. Courses include animal husbandry, filleting fish, the art of bread baking and how to grow fruit. Everything is in keeping with the essence of River Cottage: self-sufficiency, food integrity, local and seasonal produce. Also good regular updates on River Cottage events.

15 March 2011