New beginnings; 1. The Covered Market, Oxford.

This post should probably written in about four separate sections. Since September and my last post, a lot has changed, for the better and it'd be very tempting to do a full blown brain-sick on the page. But I'll be a good little one and give you all the goss in chewable chunks. Here's the first part....


At the end of my last post, I hinted at a new career opportunity and promised to tell you more. So lets ree-ree-rewind.


Those of you who are familiar with Oxford will know The Covered Market, its packed little lanes, once almost entirely food and produce shops, now with clothing shops and other independent delights thrown into the mix. There are at least four different butchers, all specialising in different things. To name but two; David John with his fantastic range of not only meat sausages but gluten free and vegetarian offerings too. And M. Feller, Son and Daughter, with their eclectic staffing (The old guy who shaves pieces off the bacon and steak for a mid-morning snack and the ironically named 'Tiny' who must be about 6' 9") and local organic meats as well as their beautiful selection of game, which hanging, usually still feathered or furred outside the shop, proved amusing and at times difficult for the customers of my new employment at vegetarian/vegan salad haven 'The Alpha Bar'.


The Alpha Bar is a small part of the Pouget 'empire', also including Oxford Sauce, Oxford Cheese Company (also in The Covered Market) Woodstock Road Delicatessen and of course, The Vaults.
I was attracted to Alpha by the obvious positive environmental decisions that had obviously been taken by the owners. Wooden Cutlery, recycled napkins and biodegradable boxes, as well as a great reliance on local and organic suppliers. The vegetables that make up the infamous 'Roasted Veg' are from an organic farm near Cassington and all salads that are not produced on site are made in a small production kitchen off Cowley Road, by talented and passionate staff. The salads are reasonably priced and based on portion sizes, my favourite salad of marinated tofu, carrot and seaweed, cous-cous and roasted veg with a dollop of vegan green pesto sets me back a mere £4.50. Seasonal, vegan and downright delicious soups are available in the colder months and toasted ciabatta or wheat-free spelt slices filled with a combination of salads make a nice change from salty, greasy, generic paninis (sounds a bit like penis?) that you seem to find everywhere else in Oxford.


I worked as a salad scooper for four months, my passion and faith in food re-igniting after nearly two years in the dusty Bodleian library. I learnt how to work fast, under pressure, in minus temperatures, and as an assistant manager I also gleaned a whole lot of business nouse. I loved my quirky, fussy and sometimes socially awkward and often cute customers, and the food, but the feeling of repetition and standing still was starting to come over me. As the learning curve mountain calmed down into a small molehill my attention started drifting towards my new favourite eatery 'The Magdalen Arms' and following a post-ox-cheek-dinner conversation about reviewers, food blogging and Twitter with the owner, I was offered a trial shift as a waitress.......