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* Katalin Halmosi Clews. |
A Little Taste of Hungary will roll
into Hamper 2012 the Llangollen Food Festival on October 20 and 21.
Katalin Halmosi Clews, married to
Russell Clews whose family are one of only two remaining British motorcycling
manufacturers in the UK, started her mobile catering business last year, with
fellow Hungarian Andrea Balogh.
“We both enjoy cooking and we thought
we would like to introduce Hungarian food to the UK,” said Katalin, 34, who
arrived in the UK in 2001 to learn English.
She and Russell live in
Whittle-le-Woods between Chorley and Preston, but used to live in Gresford near
Wrexham. Partner Andrea lives with her Hungarian chef husband Peter, at Flint
Road, Saltney Ferry.
They are looking forward to their
first ever visit to Hamper Llangollen 2012, one of the UK’s top food festivals,
as a springboard for their business venture.
This year’s festival is being
upported by the rural development agency, Cadwyn Clwyd.
Cadwyn Clwyd’s contribution came via
the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.
Robert Price, Cadwyn Clwyd’s agri-food project
officer, said: ” “In addition to many favourites, we have lots of new
exhibitors like A Little Taste of Hungary coming this year.
“As well as providing a showcase for
our fine indigenous producers there will also be an international flavour to
this year’s event.”
Andrea said: “I came to the UK in
2006 to learn English. I had a job as an accountant in Hungary but I did not
speak any English. I became an au pair in Chester from 2006 to 2007 ansd then I
got a job as a caretaker in a lovely little school in Eccleston.
“One of my favourite things in
Hungary was chimney cakes and I thought I could sell them over here, but no one
had ever heard of chimney cakes. I love cooking,” said Andrea.
Although the food venture is
part-time, mainly involving food festivals, Katalin and Andrea are hoping it
will be the first step to owning their own restaurant. “That is a very, very
big dream for us,” said Andrea.
“Food festivals like Llangollen are
the best way for us to succeed. They attract people with an interest in
speciality foods so they are the perfect venue to make people aware of
Hungarian food.”
A graduate and qualified primary
school teacher, Katalin also worked as an au pair to a family in Leeds when she
arrived in the UK which is where she met Russell, then a student in Leeds
University.
The pair married in Hungary in 2005
and went to live in Gresford while Russell worked for a financial adviser. When
Russell was offered a job in the family’s CCM motorcycle business, based in
Bolton, the commuting from North Wales convinced the couple to move back up
north.
Katalin. a trained dancer, one-time
model, teacher, interpreter, nursery nurse, also worked as a bar manager in
Rossett and became friends with Andrea. Today Katalin works full-time as a
teaching assistant in a Blackpool school for children with special needs.
“Andrea and I wanted to do something
together and we both liked cooking. I used to cook for the family back home and
was quite passionate about it, my mother taught me a lot. Hungarian cuisine
also includes styles from Austria and Slovenia
“In Hungary we have different eating
habits because after breakfast we have our main meal at lunchtime, probably a
soup and then mains, and in the evening we have something light.”
The kind of food served from the van
– including the famous chimney cakes - can be found on the website www.alittletasteofhungary.com
“There are not many Hungarian
restaurants in the UK and we would like to try to raise enough money to be able
to open our own restaurant,” said Katalin.
Clewes Competition Machines, CCM
Motorcycles, was started in 1969 by Russell’s father who bought the entire BSA
stock when the company ceased trading and he set about making motorcycles by
modifying the BSA engines.
Over the last three years the company
has just completed an order for 2,000 motorcycles for the Afghan police force.
In January alone the Vale Street
factory in Bolton turned out 400 motorcycles. It has also made motorcycles for
the Jordanian, Canadian and British armies, apart from producing enduro
competition motorcycles.
Also starring at Hamper Llangollen
2012 will be a trio of Wales’s top chefs.
Graham Tinsley, the star of ITV’s
Taste the Nation and a former captain of the Welsh Culinary Team, will be
joined in the show kitchen by S4C favourite Dudley Newberry.
Completing the hat-trick will be the
ever popular Dai Chef, who is returning to the event after an absence of
several years
Robert Price added: “Thanks to a
whole host of indigenous companies, North East Wales is rapidly establishing a
reputation as a centre of excellence for high quality cuisine.
“The food festival is a perfect shop
window for the companies who form the backbone of our rural economy.
“The location of the Pavilion is
absolutely spectacular – I can’t imagine that any other food festival in the UK
has a more beautiful setting.”
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