Why & How...Our story...so far
Growing up in Poole, on the Southcoast of England, to parents from the midlands, the kitchen was the heart of our home.
My Mum was a foodie before the term really took off. At heart an olde-worlde cook who filled the table with food which evoked that typical 1980s cordon bleu, Delia-esque, Ken Hom-inspired bastardised recipes that epitomised the 80s yuppy era of say whatever-works-advertising & mis-selling.
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She didn’t teach me how to cook, but her passion for flavourful good home-cooked food ignited my own interest in cooking. Some of my earliest adolescent memories are watching “Ready Steady Cook” and Jamie Oliver’s first “Naked Chef” series in living room after school, these events must of planted the seeds of my own culinary journey.
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Not being academic, university was never an option, so I pursued a life as a pan-rattler. Starting in 2006, I discovered that the glossy TV portrayal of the catering industry was far from reality. Still dreaming of working in London’s top kitchens, I soon realized the harsh truths of the profession whilst rubbing shoulders with those who had lived the life.
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After moving to Oxfordshire, having a wedding, and having children all in my early 20s, with financial struggles and the black dog compounded life's challenges for me.
Life spiralled further in April 2015, while running a multi-rosette hotel my sister called to say Mum was in Poole hospital. I was told that I could not leave (Oxfordshire) to go see her, given the circumstance of the time I hesitated for an hour so. (I am now divorced)
That hesitation meant I never got the chance to see her before she passed away unexpectedly the following day.
The guilt, regret, and loss shattered me, leaving a void that felt impossible to fill. I was drowning in darkness until an amazing friend pulled me through that abyss. In the years that followed, an overwhelming desire consumed me: to do something meaningful, something that could honour her memory and the love for cooking she had inspired in me.
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After buying some mediocre hot sauce, I wondered what Mum would think of it too. The idea of crafting my own chili sauce struck me as a good way of realising her belief in me and to extend her legacy beyond what she would have thought possible.
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My career in professional kitchens feels like it was always destined to lead here. Channelling my creativity with the fiery passion I inherited into bottle after bottle of sauce, each one edging closer to the final recipe, until Oakes Hot Sauce was finally grafted into life.
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Every bottle of Oakes Hot Sauce represents my journey, inspired by Mum’s love for filling a house with love that makes it a home.
This journey isnt my alone of course, it would be impossible without the amazing support of that friend who pulled me from the edge.
she is the most incredible partner I could’ve wished for, and along with our combined 6 children continues to surprise me everyday.
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Our sauce is more than just a condiment; Oakes Hot Sauce honours my Mum’s memory, celebrates her influence, shares part of our story with the world as a celebration of bold flavours and a tribute to the passion she instilled in me.
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Although I’ll never know, I hope she would be proud of the path I’ve taken so far. Let hope her grandchildren will be at least.​
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Oakes Hot Sauce can be a reminder that even in the face of loss, we can find purpose and create something beautiful.
What will you do with it?
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