Today I put myself in the spotlight. This is not a place I am comfortable! Despite various grand titles to my name (Chief Editor of the Oxford Chinese Dictionary for one) I have often found it hard to own my successes. I am a middle child squeezed between overachievers, and impostor syndrome is pretty real for me.
You don’t see me often at Taste Tibet but I am beavering away behind the scenes. I cook up all the crazy things: I turned us into a reheat-at-home deliveries service within a week of the first lockdown hitting, launching our Feeding the Frontline initiative at the same time. I organised the food drops in Wallingford’s car park, I visualised the chilled foods line…I write the blogs and the menu boards and I do all our social media. I manage the company accounts and pay all the staff. I send out gift vouchers and I run deliveries. I handle all communications. I source the blast chillers, the picnic tables and the awnings. I complete all the festival applications and due diligence paperwork. I oversee bills for our three commercial sites, organise business and van insurance, and I own our premises license.
Recently I secured grant funding from Oxford City Council for those lovely new planters out the front of Taste Tibet. I have also just found us an ace new kitchen hand through the government’s Kickstart Scheme. I am the proud brains behind our work providing over 50 free meals every week through Oxford Mutual Aid.
Part of the reason I give myself the column inches this week is because our outdoor dining space really came to life last week with our new RAW planters and many of you stopped me outside the takeaway over the weekend to say congratulations. It was amazing and also surreal. I am great at celebrating Yeshi, but not that good at recognising my own achievements, so thank you for helping me see these – it’s given me the courage to put them out there!
Taste Tibet family: there is something you can do for us if the love is real: will you take the time to nominate us for this prestigious BBC Food and Farming award? The awards celebrate the best of Britain’s small food-related businesses – people known for their passion, innovation and quality produce, who have stories to tell and traditions to share. They also also recognise the businesses doing amazing things for their community, this year more than ever. Nominations close on Monday 17th May. If you have a minute, please put your support in writing. It would mean the world to us – thank you!
Back in real life, our opening hours this week are as follows (please note slight changes to our lunchtime schedule):
Thursday: lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm / dinner 5pm – 9pm
Friday: lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm / dinner 5pm – 9pm
Saturday: lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm / dinner 5pm – 9pm
This week’s menu will be live on our website on Wednesday.
We are open for our outdoor dining and takeaways, and freezers are stocked with ready meals. Just drop by (no table bookings) or you can pre-order for evening takeaways on 01865499318 from 4pm on the day. The best time to call is between 4 and 5pm before we open.
Thank you so much!
Julie x
