Wealden Times | WT171 | May 2016 | Restoration & New Build supplement inside

Foodie treats to look
forward to at the Fair
Ticket sales are in full swing for the Wealden Times
Midsummer Fair at Hole Park next month – and
we’ve got the usual array of stands and events,
from hand-picked exhibitors providing a fabulous
shopping experience to the Priceless People Wellbeing
Festival. Whatever your reason for going, there’s
masses to do and see. In the run-up to the Fair, we’re
talking to some of the exhibitors who will be sharing
their passion for all things fresh and local. Here we
meet Daisy from Artisan on the Go...
When was Artisan founded, where
are you based and what is it we
hear about this new venture,
Artisan on the Go?
Otto and I took over a small deli in Kemp
Town, Brighton, in 2014.
Around this time I discovered I had
a gluten intolerance, which had a big impact on how we
decided to run Artisan. It was very difficult for me to go out
to eat, so we decided to offer a range of gluten-free products,
this transformed Artisan into more of a coffee
shop / sandwich bar.
We have been approached before, about doing outside
events, but we were still concentrating all our efforts on
making Artisan a success. Now that we have been here just
over two years it feels like a good time to be able to expand
our brand. Also we had so much fun starting Artisan, we
decided that although it would be hard work, we would love
the opportunity to do it all again...on the go!
Is there a theme that links Artisan’s food?
We do a large range of gluten-free products. All our
sandwiches can be served as gluten free and a lot of
our cakes are gluten-free too.
We have tried to focus, as much as possible, on our
sandwiches, cakes, coffee, loose-leaf teas and milkshakes.
We do a large range of each of these products, for example,
we offer over 20 different flavours of milkshake – including
my favourite, salted caramel and banana.
What are your ‘best sellers’?
Each day we seem to have a different favourite. Sometimes
we refer to a day as “... do you remember last week, you
know, holy guacamole day!” Here are a few favourites:
Holy Guacamole sandwich – chicken, cheddar, chilli jam,
guacamole and spinach; Spicy Spanish sandwich –
chorizo, manchego cheese, chilli jam and spinach; Tricolore
sandwich – mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and pesto; Glutenfree
Pear and Dark Chocolate cake, a classic, but a Lemon
Drizzle is always a winner. And my favourite tea: Mojito mint
(by Jeeves and Jericho).
Where do you get your inspiration for recipes and
how do you go about developing them? (ie. who
gets to test them?!)
Otto and I have grown up around very food-orientated
families; Otto’s mum runs her own B&B so does a lot of
cooking for that, my mum is a chef and my sister graduated
from Leith’s cookery school last year. Also Otto wants to be
the next Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall or Jamie Oliver!
With new recipes, it’s like the round in master chef where
the contestants are given leftovers – that’s how I made
the gluten-free pear and dark chocolate cake. I had some
ingredients spare from some other cakes that I had already
made so I thought that might work. I try everything that is
gluten free!! However, with everything else our families come
down regularly and everyone who works at Artisan tries it,
which they love at the beginning – but after a few weeks, they
often say “I can’t eat any more cake / cheese!”
What are your plans for the future? (A bigger horse-trailer?!)
We are really hoping the trailer will be successful. We would
love to do as many events as possible – parties, festivals,
weddings. More trailers, vintage buses... We are just so excited
about getting going! Otto is taking a break from being an
accountant to work with me, so that we can both commit as
much time as possible to this new venture.
‘Artisan’ / ‘Artisan on the go’
117St George’s Road, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 1EA
01273 945454 www.artisancoffeehouse.co.uk
www.facebook.com/Artisancoffeehousebrighton
Wealden Times Midsummer Fair runs from 9-11 June at Hole Park, Rolvenden. To book your tickets visit www.wealdentimes.co.uk/events
137 www.wealdentimes.co.uk