What On Earth

Worldwide celebrations right on our doorstep

2012-01-25T06:03:00.000-08:00

When I woke up on Monday morning with no electricity, heating or hot water I thought it was a sign for the rest of the week ahead. I had a very bad feeling that if the week started on a bad foot it was only going to get worse. It turns out I was wrong. Why? Because when I realised the date I knew I was in for a week of treats.

23 January 2012 marked the start of Chinese New Year and this year they are celebrating the year of the Dragon. The next few weeks will be packed with endless celebrations full of colour, fun and amazing food. I may not be Chinese but I love to join in the celebrations and embrace the country and its cultures/traditions. What’s more, I also love the food, conveniently, so I will make sure I eat a lot of it this week.

Courtesy of Kittikun Atsawintarangkul / freedigitalphotos.net

Two days later, i.e. today, it’s Burns Night. Yep, 25 January sees Scottish people around the globe celebrating the birthday of famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns. All number of Burns suppers take place on this popular day, which may be both formal and informal. Typically they include haggis, Scotch whisky (hurrah!) and the recitation of Burns’ poetry.

If that isn’t enough, 26 January marks Australia Day. Yet more reason to celebrate culture, tradition and of course food, hooray! Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. 26 January commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, thus marking British colonisation.

Courtesy of Laura Collins

With all these dates in the diary I thought it only right that this post embraces all three countries mentioned above and all the delicious food that comes out of them. I have therefore put together a list of some of the most loved, traditional celebratory dishes from China, Scotland and Australia in a hope that it may inspire you to tuck in and join the party.

Typical dishes eaten during Chinese New Year

Buddha’s Delight – a lavish vegetarian dish made with a wide variety of ingredients, including arrowhead, bamboo, bean curd, black mushrooms, carrot, noodles, daylily buds, fat choy, Ginkgo nuts, Lotus seeds, Napa cabbage, Peanuts, Snow peas, tofu, water chestnuts, wheat gluten and wood ear.

Sweet and Sour Pork – This dish is popular with families hoping for a lot of grandchildren, as the Cantonese word for "sour" sounds like the word for grandchild.

Yusheng – This raw fish salad is said to bring good luck. This dish is usually eaten on the seventh day of the New Year, but may also be eaten throughout the period.

Courtesy of SundayMorning / freedigitalphotos.net

Jiaozi – Crescent-shaped Jiaozi are a symbol of wealth and prosperity because of their resemblance to ancient Chinese money. They are eaten at midnight on New Year's Eve.

Niangao (Year cake or Chinese New Year's cake) – A cake prepared from glutinous rice. It is considered good luck to eat Niángāo during New Year because "nian gao" is a homonym for "higher year." The sticky sweet snack was believed to be an offering to the Kitchen God, with the aim that his mouth will be stuck with the cake so he can't badmouth the giver's family to the God of all Gods.

Typical dishes eaten on Burns Night

Scotch Broth – A thick soup made with carrots, turnips, onions, celery, leek, pearl barley, lamb, peas and kale.

Arbroath smokies – Smoked haddock from the town of Arbroath.Haggis, neeps and tatties – put simply it’s sheep or calf's offal, swede and potatoes

Courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Cranachan – This traditional Scottish pudding is made with whipped cream, whisky, honey, and fresh fruit.

Shortbread and oatcakes – Quite self explanatory really!

Typical dishes eaten on Australia Day

Aussie pies – Pies filled with meat and potato which are a favourite with Australians the world over

Barbecue prawns – Any variety of prawns go down well on Australia Day, whether they be plain, cooked in garlic or covered in piri piri sauce. "Slip another shrimp on the barbie."

Courtesy of Sura Nualpradid / freedigitalphotos.net

Beer battered fish and chips – A delicious meal perfect for a lazy afternoon

Anzac Biscuits – A popular biscuit made with oats, desiccated coconut, lemon rind and golden syrup.

Lamingtons – These are a quintessential part of every Australian's childhood. The little sponge cake is dipped in chocolate icing and then rolled in desiccated coconut.
YUM!

So there we have it...a long list of food for a long week of celebrations. Enjoy, I know I will.

Peace, love and celebratory pizza.

What On Earth

What On Earth hits the news

2012-01-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

We have been raving about our latest media coverage on Twitter and Facebook recently but we haven’t added it to the blog. Sorry about that folks. But, there was logic behind this, honestly. We didn’t want to add all the coverage sporadically so we waited until we had enough articles to give you a nice, big blog post all about what we’ve been up to lately.

So, here is said blog post. We’ve been busy little bees lately as we seem to have been of interest to a few publications. Jeremy has been getting his five minutes of fame as he has been involved in interviews with several journalists too. Check him out…his name is just everywhere at the moment!

Firstly, news of our very successful year in 2011 reached a number of websites. (We actually wrote about how good last year was in a previous blog post.) The story was published on:

The story was also discussed in great depth on the International Business Times. This piece was a favourite of Jeremy’s because it contained a HUGE photo of him! You can read the article here: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/282253/20120116/organic-food-triumphs-fronts.htm
After journalists found out about our success, other publications were interested in chatting with Jeremy about the organic food market as a whole – in particular, the popular trade publication, Food Manufacture. As a result of the interview the following article was published….and it’s one in which Jeremy caused quite a stir! http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Ingredients/Supermarkets-blamed-for-organic-market-slump

Finally, our Jeremy was featured in London’s Evening Standard as he posed a business question to Dragon’s Den star and famous entrepreneur, James Caan. The letter got published and Jeremy’s name was once again in lights. You can check out his question here:

Peace, love and almost famous pizza.

What On Earth

Bumper year for What On Earth

2012-01-13T03:50:00.000-08:00

It's been written about on the internet and Jeremy has been giving interviews about it over the phone but we haven't yet told you about it. Sorry about that folks. We hadn't forgotten about you - it's just been a busy week. So, what is the 'it' that I talk about? 'It' is the excellent year we had last year. Oh yes, 2011 was a magnificent time for What On Earth and for this we feel thankful, proud, appreciative, ecstatic, pleased...the list could go on.

Last year alone we managed to produce more than 15 tonnes of organic dips and almost 200,000 pints of organic soup - almost double the amount of products made in 2010. We bucked trends and forecasts and proceeded to have one of our most successful years in operation, despite continual reports on the weakening organic market and the slump in food sales.

Throughout the year we generated high revenue and managed to deliver over half a million products to our customers. Pretty amazing huh? In total, this included seven tonnes of hummus, five tonnes of mezze and more than three tonnes of babaganoush. You greedy lot you! Not that we're moaning of course. Our chefs also managed to cook in excess of 23,000 buckets of soup and more than 16,000 pizzas and pizza bases – a huge increase on 2010.

Taken from slashfood.com - with thanks

Just add another 16,000 to the pile!

The head honcho, Jeremy, is putting our success down to the fact that we supply smaller, independent stores rather than the large supermarkets. He thinks we've managed to buck the trends because we work with small, high-end suppliers. It has offered some protection against the rising food prices that are affecting supermarkets across the country you see. Our products sell in the stores we supply because they aren’t available cheaper in any supermarkets. Plus you customers are a lot more loyal to the little guys and for that we are truly thankful.

As you know, we act as a supplier and distributor as well as a manufacturer and we have teams working 24 hours to keep up with demand. In 2011 our night team, which is made up of just six members of staff, delivered almost 180,000 loaves of bread while the rest of the nation slept. Impressive hey? We owe them a huge thank you, so...THANK YOU GUYS.

We believe that organic is a choice and we make organic food so all of you can have this choice. We promise, therefore, to continue making our delicious products for as long as you want them. It's our New Year's resolution to you. Jeremy and Rolf started the business in order to put the goodness back in food and to change the way society eats and that is what they are still doing now. Hurrah.

Here's to an excellent 2012.

Peace, love and successful organic pizza.

What On Earth

Shoplifting celebrities over the years

2012-01-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

British chef, Antony Worrall Thompson was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at a Tesco store on Friday 6 January 2012. He is said to have been cautioned for pilfering goods, including cheese and wine, via the self-service checkout area. The alleged crimes were caught on camera by store chiefs in the Henley On Thames outlet, Oxfordshire.

This recent news didn’t shock us. It’s not that we expected Worrall Thompson to steal food – far from it in fact – we just weren’t surprised that yet another celebrity was caught taking what wasn’t rightfully theirs…and ultimately not fully punished as a result. Stealing is against the law – that is drummed into us at an early age but why on earth do some of these celebrities get away with it? Would Joe Public get away with such crimes we ask?

Looking back over the years, there has been a long line of celebrity thefts; some shocking, some not so. We thought we’d give you a run down of our top ten favourite light-fingered stars.

Lindsay Lohan’s endless bad behaviour has resulted in large media coverage and even saw the well known actress spend time behind bars. Over the years Lindsay’s crimes have seen her accused of stealing a $2,500 necklace and for ‘borrowing’ Masha Markova’s $11,000 fur coat.

Other largely reported and infamous shoplifting incidences were those of Winona Ryder. In 2002, Ryder was arrested for stealing £3,000 worth of clothing from a Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Six years later she was allegedly spotted leaving a Hollywood store with make up on her that she hadn’t paid for.

Those are not the only big name celebrities to have been caught with their fingers in the till, as it were. Others include:

Peaches Geldof: In October 2011, Bob Geldof’s daughter, Peaches, was allegedly caught helping herself to almost £70 worth of make up from a Boots store in London. According to reports, Peaches was followed by a plain-clothes Boots store detective as she shamelessly loaded her pockets and shopping bags with what was apparently nearly £70 worth of mascara, foundation and eyeliner. Peaches had been involved with shoplifting in the past but was let go without charge.

David de Gea: In 2011, the Spanish, Manchester United player allegedly picked up an Original Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut and ate it in the magazine aisle of a Tesco store before walking towards the exit without paying, or buying anything else.

Gabriela Irimia: In January 2011, Cheeky Girl, Gabriela, was detained after stealing groceries said to be worth about £40 from a Sainsbury's store in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

Adam Rickett: In 2007, the model/actor left a New Zealand supermarket with a block of cheese, a bottle of HP Sauce and a jar of coffee. He was caught for his actions and although he admitted to the theft he said it was just an "honest mistake".

Glen Johnson: The England football star was reportedly fined by police for trying to steal a toilet seat and bath taps from B&Q in 2007.

Britney Spears: The popular singer was accused of pinching a wig just hours after stripping down to try on underwear in an adult store in Los Angeles in 2007. It was alleged that after an altercation with staff, Spears took a wig off a mannequin and left without paying for it. She has also been involved in several other shoplifting incidences in the years after this one.

Jennifer Capriati: The three-time tennis Grand Slam champion was caught leaving a Florida shopping mall with a cheap silver ring in 1993.

Well there you have it - ten top celebrities that have been caught shoplifting over the years. And these are just some of them. Who knows how many haven't been caught too - not that we're making accusations of course.

Word of advice to famous people all over the world - pay for items in the future! If us regular, non celebrity citizens can do it I'm sure you can too.

Peace, love and non stolen pizza.

What On Earth

It's time to recycle Christmas

2012-01-09T03:36:00.000-08:00

I counted more than ten Christmas trees slung out onto the streets of London as I walked to work this morning – and that was in the space of about ten minutes. The sorry looking trees littered the pavements and, in some parts, meant having to walk on the road to get round them. Some of them have been there for days; others were newly dumped over the weekend.

The worst thing about seeing these trees is that although some of them were brown and broken, others were still green, bushy and healthy looking. What a waste. These once colourfully decorated and brightly lit trees that were the centre piece of festive houses across the city are now strewn on the streets like discarded cigarette butts. It’s just another addition to January that reinstates the fact that it’s one of the year’s most depressing months. Surely these trees must have a better fate? And surely London’s pavements won’t be covered all year round by the pitiful looking objects.

Courtesy of Douglas E Welch - WelchWrite.com

Twitter gave me the answer to these questions as I got into the office...well, for London’s borough of Lambeth anyway! That’s right. Lambeth Council is offering a Christmas tree recycling service from 9 – 22 January 2012, between 9am and 3pm. Apparently, this borough alone throws out 250 tonnes of Christmas trees every year so the council’s scheme is certainly a meaningful one. To add to this statistic, Lambeth Council has reported that in the UK we use enough wrapping paper to stretch nine times around the equator. Shocking.

Recycle those trees

The recycling service allows Lambeth residents living in kerbside properties to leave their Christmas trees with their refuse bins for pick up by the council. Those living in non kerbside properties can recycle their trees at various sites, including:

Clapham Common, Windmill Drive SW4
Kennington Park, Bolton Crescent entrance SE5
Streatham Common, upper car park SW16.

Christmas trees will also be accepted at Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre, Vale Street SE27 on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 7.30am to 4.30pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 5pm. You can find more details here: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/News/2011/MakeReducingYourWasteAndRecyclingYourNewYearsResolution.htm

So, what are you waiting for Lambeth residents? Let’s get those trees recycled and do our bit for the environment.

Peace, love and recycled pizza

What On Earth

For the sake of Auld Lang Syne

2011-12-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

It's almost New Year's Eve and if you're anything like us you'll be looking forward to a good old knees up to celebrate the coming of the New Year. The team at What On Earth will all be celebrating in different ways and I in particular will be dressing up in a fancy dress costume to see in 2012. I haven't decided what I'm going as yet...perhaps an organic pizza?!

Now, I've been celebrating New Year's Eve since I was small and every year the classic New Year song, Auld Lang Syne, is always sung out with pride. I try to join in but to be honest I never know the words. I can join in with the chorus but that literally is about it. I thought I would take it upon myself to learn the words this year so my friends don't have to listen to me singing the same line over and over again. If you're like me and you don't know the words either take a look at this. It could help you...

Should auld acquaitance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaitance be forgot
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

Well, that's pretty much it! I can't believe I didn't know those few lines. I believe the old Scottish version has many other verses but to be honest, at the parties I've been to anyway, the song never seems to get that far. I think revellers are more interested in kissing each other and getting on with the party than singing Auld Lang Syne!

So, there we have it; the lyrics of Auld Lang Syne so you can all sing your hearts out tomorrow night. I hope to hear your voices wherever you are in the world.

Have a fabulous New Year's Eve everybody and a happy and healthy 2012.

Courtesy of Simon Howden / freedigitalphotos.net

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Peace, love and New Year pizza.

What On Earth

What a waste

2011-12-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas Day hits us, we wanted to write a quick message about food waste over the festive period. It’s something we feel strongly about and an issue that needs addressing.

Food waste is an ongoing problem but it isn’t just food companies to blame. Consumers are also culprits of wasting food. Households across the country throw out tonnes of unused food on a daily basis. Britons still waste around one-fifth of all food purchased and almost half the total wasted food in the UK still comes from the home. We have read different reports recently, both related to food waste, and they were equally shocking.


Photo taken from www.ecofoodrecycling.co.uk

The food waste disposal maker, InSinkErator, has estimated that this means 66 per cent of the nation will use between two and four extra bin bags to get rid of their waste. With plastic bag usage forever on the increase, this figure is not a good addition.

Courtesy of m_bartosch / freedigitalphotos.net

As well as this report, the Guardian website stated that although food waste from households has fallen by 13 per cent in the past three years due to the economic downturn, it is still costing us Brits the same amount of money because of inflation. This has come from government data that was published in November 2011. The data shows that the amount of edible household food waste is worth around £12 billion, or around £680 a year for the average family with children.

According to this research, which was carried out by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap), around 7.2 million tonnes of food is thrown away annually. This food could have been eaten – just think of all those people around the world who need this food. Think of the homeless people or the starving. They need food and we are throwing it all in the bin.

Now you have read these shocking statistics, we plead with you to watch your food waste this Christmas. Also, make a New Year’s resolution to reduce the amount of food you buy and then throw away. If you have lots of leftovers this Christmas do what we suggested before…make pizzas from it :-) If that doesn’t take your fancy, how about a pie or a quiche, a curry or a burrito. The options are endless. Just put the food anywhere than in the bin. If you don’t want it, perhaps give it to somebody who does. A great charity that can help with this is FoodCycle. FoodCycle is an organisation that utilises surplus food, kitchen space and volunteers to create nutritious meals for the 4 million people affected by food poverty in the UK. To find out more click here: http://www.foodcycle.org.uk/

Right, enough of the doom and gloom….HAVE A VERY MERRY (and non food wasting!) CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY.

Peace, love and unwasted pizza.

What On Earth

*References:

http://www.organic-business.com/news.htm#04

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/15/food-waste-uk-homes

When Christmas comes to town - in Poland

2011-12-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

The staff members at What On Earth are a real mix of nationalities. We have people from every corner of the globe working here and this is something we are extremely proud of. We believe in equal rights and we follow this by employing a wide variety of personalities. All across the company – from drivers to chefs, from accountants to buyers – there are people from different countries working together. We have staff from England, Ireland, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Italy, Brazil, Thailand… the list could go on.

As we have such a mix we find that we are rich in cultures and traditions. This makes special times of the year, Christmas especially, extremely interesting. We get to learn a lot about how different countries celebrate festive occasions. It’s amazing what we find out too. We therefore want to share our knowledge with you guys. We’ve had a little chat with Marta our HR Administrator and she has given us an insight into Christmas in Poland.

Credit: www.mcm-amb.com

The festive fun starts with Advent, which is traditionally an important season in the Polish year. Special church services, known as Roraty were held at 6am every morning and the four Sundays of Advent are said to represent the 4,000 years of waiting for Christ.

During Advent some people pour bees wax or plain wax on water so fortunes can be told from the shapes that emerge. Special tasks are also carried out, such as baking Christmas piernik (gingerbread) and making decorations. Advent also sees the “gwiazdory", or star carriers, wandering through the towns and villages, sometimes singing carols, reciting verses or putting on puppet shows and nativity scenes. This would continue until Epiphany. Unfortunately, according to Marta, these traditions are fading and are only really retained in small villages nowadays.

Credit: Thatwife.wordpress.com

Christmas Trees are decorated and lit in homes on the day of Christmas Eve and beautifully decorated trees are placed in public areas. Traditionally they were decorated with shiny apples, gift walnuts, wrapped up chocolate shapes and homemade decorations and candles. A star or other glittery feature sits on the top of the tree. In many homes, sparklers are hung on the branches of the trees and sometimes the trees are left standing until 2 February, which is the feast day of St Mary of the Candle of Lightning.

Credit: Polandculinaryvacations.com

Christmas Eve, Wigilia, is the most significant part of the Polish Christmas as important rituals are celebrated on this day. Polish people fast throughout the day and then sit down to a large feast in the evening. Children watch the sky for the first star to appear and when it does the Wiglia feast can begin. The meal, which can last for hours, normally consists of fish (usually carp) and other traditional Polish dishes. No red meat is served. The feast begins with the breaking of an opłatek – a thin wafer into which a holy picture is pressed. Everyone at the table breaks off a piece and eats it as a symbol of their unity with Christ. They then share a piece with each family member. It is said that as each individual shares a piece of wafer, they are supposed to forgive family members for any previous wrongdoings and wish them happiness in the coming year.

Polish families partake in different traditions at meal time. Some spread hay beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that Christ was born in a manger, while others place money under the tablecloth for each guest as a wish for prosperity in the coming year. Some families practice the superstition that an even number of people must be seated around the table and others set up a place at the table that is left empty. This empty space can symbolise different things. It can be for Baby Jesus, a lonely wanderer who may be in need of food or a deceased relative who may want to share the meal.

Credit: boze-narodzenie.dlamnie.com

Once the meal is over there is an exchange of gifts and the evening is then full of stories and songs around the Christmas tree. Christmas Eve ends with Pasterka, the midnight mass at the local church.

Credit: 1000rad.pl

Christmas Day is often spent visiting friends and family and although gifts are given, more emphasis is put on making special food and decorations.

So, there we have it. A quick round up of how Christmas is celebrated in Poland. Marta is going home for the festive period so perhaps if I ask her nicely she may bring back some photographs for us. Come on now Marta, don’t be a spoil sport :-)

We hope you learnt a little something from this post…see education can be fun! I’ll have to try and chat with some of the other guys to see how they celebrate Christmas in their countries as well. Until then, have a lovely few days and of course have a very merry Christmas. Hoooray!

Peace, love and Christmas cheer pizza.

What On Earth

The Story of our Christmas party

2011-12-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

We’re getting in the Christmas spirit here at What On Earth. We’re not putting decorations up or anything like that, not just yet anyway. That would be a bit too keen – especially in the eyes of certain office Scrooges! Instead we’re discussing all the fun we had at the Christmas do on Friday night. Listening to all the stories going around the office it seemed we all partied our pants off….well not literally, unless of course I haven’t heard that story yet.

Our night started at our favourite organic pizzeria, Story Deli, in the east end of London. Here they do some of the tastiest pizzas we’ve eaten, using all the very best organic ingredients (a lot of which come from us….what a coincidence, huh?!) Mmmm, it’s making me hungry just thinking of the Story Deli pizzas, despite having eaten my own body weight in them last week. With the thin and crispy bases, the mounds of rocket and the rest of the delectable toppings, those pizzas definitely went down well with the team – especially Rolf. I think he got through 3 in the end, most of which ended up round his chops. You should check out Story Deli for yourself and see what you think. They’re very friendly in there so pop along and say hello. Tell them we sent you too :-)

Jeremy and I got to the restaurant early to decorate the tables and if I’m honest I think we did a blooming good job. We used tinsel, crackers and candles to give the table a Christmassy feel. We then wrapped up some chocolates and put them in everybody’s place. What more could they ask for?! Unfortunately there were no excited gasps or cheers of approval when everybody turned up to see our work of art but sadly we can’t have anything I suppose. We were proud of our hard work.

We spent the next few hours (about 5 to be exact!) talking, laughing, eating, drinking and generally indulging ourselves in true merriment….as well as mountains of tasty pizza. We pulled crackers (actual crackers…that isn’t a metaphor), we told jokes and we took photos. We really did see in Christmas in style, despite the big day still being a few weeks away. Ah well, that’s just a tiny matter in my eyes.

Another great aspect of the party is that everybody got to socialise together. Due to the nature of the What On Earth business, there are a lot of staff members who work through the night. The day workers therefore don’t get to see the night workers very often so the party gave us all a chance to be together for a few hours. It made us feel like one big happy family and the more wine we drank, the more happy we became!

Sometime after 11pm we got chucked out of Story Deli (not that we’d outstayed our welcome of course…!) and moved on to some more bars, leaving a mound of plates, bottles, glasses, crumbs, party hats, empty crackers and decorations in our wake. It’s ok though…the guys who run Story Deli are our friends so of course they didn’t mind….we hope.

The night ended a little later and everybody proceeded to make their way home across London in the early hours of Saturday morning. It appears that everybody made it into the office in one piece today so it seems we all survived the night, and the impending headaches the morning after. With the office party done and dusted we now know it isn’t long until Christmas Day is upon us and yet more parties are due to be attended. Boy, I love this festive time of year.

Peace, love and Christmas party pizza (from Story Deli).

What On Earth

Cranberries are for life, not just for Christmas

2011-12-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

We forgot to mention before that not only was our Chocolate Yule Log rated in the newspaper but so were our Frozen Organic Cranberries. Oh yes, it’s true. Our products are being loved at the moment and, if you don’t mind us saying, quite rightly so.

Our Organic Frozen Cranberries were talked up by the one and only Gizzi Erskine. She told the Sunday Times’ Style Magazine that she thought they were “delicious”. Gizzi also said: “they are frozen so taste fresher and are easier to store, and they make the most wonderful cranberry sauce.” She even suggested ideas for what to do with the cranberries, such as adding them to orange juice and champagne for a new type of Buck’s Fizz. Excellent suggestions Gizzi, we couldn’t agree more. Thank you ever so much.

We’ve been putting our thinking caps on in the office and we’ve also come up with some excellent ideas of our own – not to blow our own trumpets of course. We thought we’d offer some inspiration on how best to use the cranberries, both over the Christmas period and at any other time of year. Cranberries are for life, not just for Christmas after all! They are also very good for your body and general health. Wow, these little cranberries are miracle workers.

So, what can you do with them? You can take Gizzi’s advice of course but you can also try our ideas:
         - Enjoy them on their own as a snack
         - Blend them up in a fruit smoothie
         - Put them in a naughty cocktail
         - Add them to cereal for a fruity treat
         - Drop them on top of one of our award winning lemon curd cheesecakes
         - Use them in a pea shooter, instead of peas of course

Here's one we made earlier

Now get out there, buy some of our Organic Frozen Cranberries and then let us know what you decided to do with them. Photographic evidence would be nice too :-)

Peace, love, cranberries and pizza.

What On Earth

Our winning taste of Christmas is in high demand - and it's not even available yet!

2011-12-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Everyone loves indulging in a traditional dessert at Christmas time but it seems that one treat in particular is already in high demand – even though it isn’t even on the shelves until 12 December. What is that product exactly? Oh yes, it’s our popular Chocolate Yule Log which, as you know, was given four stars by the Guardian and came in joint first position in the paper’s Yule log taste test.

We have just started producing our chocolate Yule log for the festive period and word has already got around. More than 300 orders were placed before production even started and this demand is expected to rocket, especially as the cake has become famous – in its own right of course!

The popular cake, which we make exclusively for Abel & Cole, is made with organic ingredients and each one is individually handmade at our Somerset based patisserie. The popularity of the Yule logs has grown year on year and Christmas 2010 saw demand outweigh supply, even though more than 500 cakes were produced. Abel & Cole customers are now putting their orders in early and queuing up for the dessert so as not to miss out. And who can blame them?

Along with the Chocolate Yule Log, What On Earth has also recently launched seven other Christmas desserts for Abel & Cole, some of which are available now. These tempting festive desserts are:

- Chocolate and Raspberry Roulade

- Sherry Trifle

- Raspberry and White Chocolate Macaroon

- Fudge Brownie cheesecake

- Orange /Vodka cheesecake

- Large Chocolate pudding

- Brandy Custard

Our White Chocolate and Raspberry Macaroon

Our creamy Sherry Trifle

This means we now sell almost 20 different desserts through Abel & Cole. To see the new products please visit: http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/christmas/puddings-desserts.

What On Earth and Barclays Bank go Back to Business

2011-11-30T04:21:00.000-08:00

Last week we at What On Earth were very privileged to have two of the biggest names at Barclays Bank working with us for the day. Not only did it give us an excuse to dress up all smart, the day also gave us the opportunity to show the gentlemen around our premises, give them an insight into the daily goings on at What On Earth and also pick their business focused brains. We tried to get them to give us some pocket money for penny sweets too but sadly we couldn't get any money out of them ;-)

We were joined by Chris Head and Peter Simon – two of Barclays’ big bosses. They spent the day working with us in aid of the bank’s ‘Back to Business’ scheme, which gives bankers the opportunity to spend time working for their customers. This experience allows Barclays to gain insight into their customers’ worlds and gives them a clearer understanding of how they can support their customers. The scheme followed the creation of Barclays Business, which launched in early 2010. The bank had a vision to become the ‘Go-To’ business bank by collectively and continuously making its customers’ lives easier. They decided that this meant they needed to get into the minds and lives of the customers; they needed to think boldly and be unique so that their customers wouldn’t want to go elsewhere, hence the invention of Back to Business.

What On Earth was chosen as a business to work with because it offers a completely different environment to what both Chris and Peter are used to. We’d also like to think that they chose us because we are prize customers! What On Earth were able to provide Chris and Peter with a whole new working experience – the complete opposite of their usual day to day office based roles. One of their most exciting tasks was to get into the kitchen and make some of our renowned organic pizzas. Sadly we didn’t get to taste the fruits of their labour but they seemed to be doing a pretty good job and they certainly looked the part…they were set up with hair nets, white coats and everything!

Chris and Peter hard at work

Chris, Peter and our head chef, Sergei

Not only could they see what it’s like to be a What On Earth chef they also got to check out our products, they joined us in the board room for various meetings and they even got treated to lunch at Villandry – one of our biggest customers. In return they offered us some sound advice and opinions. We just need to put it all into action now!

We want to take this opportunity to thank Chris, Peter and of course Barclays as a whole for giving us a very useful, insightful and enjoyable day. THANKS GUYS.

Peace, love and Barclays Bank pizza.

What On Earth.

One month until Christmas - let the festivities begin

2011-11-28T04:18:00.000-08:00

25^th November – one month until Christmas. What is the best way to start the countdown and celebrate this date? By bringing Christmas forward of course, so that’s what we did.

On 25 November we thought we would get (and also give…because we all know Christmas is about giving as well as receiving!) an early taste of Christmas by making an appearance at Abel & Cole’s Festive Foodie Do. We took along all our brand new Christmas desserts, which have been made especially for Abel Cole, set up camp on one of their tables and waited for the public to come through the doors and pounce on our tantalising treats.

The Festive Foodie Do is an annual event run by Abel & Cole that allows customers and the general public to mingle with the marvels that make Christmas food so tasty. From cheese farmers and chocolate makers to salmon smokers and mince pie bakers, they all made an appearance at the show.

We were also there – the delicious dessert crafters that we are. Plus, it was a chance to show off our guardian.co.uk recommended Chocolate Yule Log, which received four stars by the well known food writer, Marina McLoughlin (see the blog post below for more information on this little baby). It went down extremely well with the party dwellers, as did the rest of our festive cakes. Well, with the likes of Raspberry and White Chocolate Macaroon, Fudge Brownie Cheesecake and Sherry Trifle on our table, why wouldn’t they be snapped up within seconds?

The whole evening was a great success and the more mulled wine that was swigged, the louder the laughter and the greater the hunger/enthusiasm for the food. Not only that, there was also live cooking demonstrations and even a treasure hunt to amuse the punters.

The Foodie Do was held in the Grand Hall at Battersea Arts Centre, which is a great venue. The festive decorations helped make the event and the jolly atmosphere was contagious. A thoroughly enjoyable evening was had by all and we cannot wait for another fabulously foodie event to attend. Come on Abel & Cole – get on to it now please.

Peace, love and festive pizza.

What On Earth

Yule not believe it...or maybe you will

2011-11-25T04:04:00.000-08:00

Our Chocolate Yule Log is a joint winner of a yule log Christmas taste test carried out by The Guardian. HURRAH!

Our delicious festive treat got awarded four stars by the well known food writer Marina McLoughlin. She used lines such as “This looks great”, “It tastes like real cake!” and “the icing is gorgeously thick and buttery” to describe it. The word excellent was also used so we are ecstatic. Not only are we greatly appreciative and proud of this accolade, we are also extremely flattered. We’re so happy that our cakes our being recognised and enjoyed. I think we should say a great big THANK YOU to Marina for loving our product.

Our winning yule log in all its glory

The Chocolate Yule Log, which is being sold through Abel & Cole, beat other yule logs from the likes of Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Asda. We are therefore thrilled to be able to compete against the big dogs...and ultimately win, on this occasion. We came joint first with Waitrose too - another big dog in the food industry.

Our winning dessert can be purchased from www.abelandcole.co.uk and is available from 12 December 2011. Be quick though, these babies fly off the shelf every year so get your order in pronto.

Peace, love and pizza (and four star desserts).

What On Earth

Quality Food Awards were, well, quality

2011-11-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

Last night Jeremy wore a suit.

That content alone is enough for a single blog post I reckon! But I won’t just write that…I’ll give you a little more to chuckle at on this grey Friday – I’ll provide you with a photo too. Here is the evidence to prove that Jeremy Jaffe does in fact own (and can pull off) a suit. Fair enough, there was no bow tie but we can’t have everything, right?

You may be wondering why Jeremy was wearing this suit. Despite what you may think, it wasn’t just for fun. He put it on for a reason. We got all glammed up so we could attend the Quality Food Awards. This exciting event is seen as the most prestigious awards ceremony for the food and drink products on sale in UK grocery outlets. It was therefore a big deal and it seemed a good night was had by all.

There were lots of shortlisted products/companies in the awards (we didn’t enter – just so you know) but a lot of the winners were the main supermarkets. It was a constant battle between shops such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Lidl, therefore making the evening reminiscent of a ceremony such as the Soap Awards. The outfits were similar too – lots of elegant cocktail dresses mixed with some that left less to the imagination. I will say no more on that.

The awards were held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge and the room they took place in was laden with well dressed tables. Apparently there were around 750 guests at the event, which would mean there were around 75 tables. What table number were we?? Number one. Oh yes, we were at the head of the awards. We must be important after all. At the table we were served four courses of delicious food (Jeremy had more because he ate the spare food that sat at the vacant seat at our table!) Shhh, don’t tell him I told you that though.

As well as enjoying delicious food and the buzzing atmosphere, Jeremy and I giggled at the special guests – Jay Rayner and Dominic Holland. Jay Rayner is a journalist, writer, food critic and broadcaster. Dominic is a comedian and author who you may have seen on shows such as Have I got News For You. Both of them livened the night and kept us amused…almost as much as Simon Wright’s white scarf did. Simon, if you’re reading this, sorry.

They weren’t the only famous people at the event though, oh no. I was the other. My name was in the Quality Food Awards Programme and Guest List because I was a judge on the panel a few months ago. I was pretty chuffed by that, especially as it said that the judges were experts. An expert, that’s me :-) You read it here.

Peace, love and awards ceremony pizza.

What On Earth

A slice of inspiration for your Christmas dinner leftovers

2011-11-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

Cold turkey sandwiches, dry vegetable stew and tasteless Bubble and Squeak – the prospect of using the remnants of Christmas dinner in such predictable ways can provoke shudders and disapproving groans in everyone. It did us anyway! Year on year, bowlfuls of leftover food are either thrown away or turned into unappetising meals that go untouched. This not only adds to the high amount of food waste that occurs each year but also ups the seasonal expense and standard Christmas overspend that we all experience.

We are therefore declaring that this year can be different. Oh yes, we propose that you can keep food waste and overspend at a low by using up Christmas leftovers in a fun and innovative way – by making Christmas pizza of course!

Here's one our head chef, Sergei, made from other leftovers

You may turn your nose up at the idea but think about it – it’s not rare to see Christmas dinner leftovers stuffed between two slices of bread or added to a curry. If I remember rightly, this is the sort of food that used to be the basis of our Boxing Day lunch after all. But with so many more exciting Christmas food items around nowadays, people get bored of the leftovers and throw them away. We’ve therefore thought of a more ecological and economical way to enjoy the leftovers – why not bundle them on top of a pizza? The joy of pizza is that it’s a personal preference – you can opt for the toppings of your choice. You can now do the same with your favourite Christmas items. Rather than waste the food, you can use your leftover slices of turkey and sausage or the unfinished broccoli and salmon to create a homemade pizza of your choice.

Courtesy of piyato / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What’s more (yes, of course there is more!) you can use What On Earth’s Organic Pizza Bases and Organic Pizza Sauce, to make the process even easier. These products are available from a variety of outlets across the UK, including Whole Foods Market and online organic retailer, Abel & Cole.

So there you go then. You know exactly what to do with all those leftovers now don't you? If you do go ahead and make the Christmas leftover pizza (something we think you should do) please let us know how you got on. We'd love to see some photos too. Send them to laura@whatonearth.co.uk or even upload them on our Facebook page:

Peace, love and Christmas leftovers pizza.

What On Earth

Logistics Manager wanted at What On Earth

2011-11-01T02:52:00.000-07:00

Do you want to join the friendly team here at What On Earth? Do you fancy getting involved in our fun and working in the organic food industry? Well, now you can. Why? Because we have a job vacancy and it could be perfect for you.

What On Earth is a fun-loving organic food manufacturer and supplier and we are currently seeking a confident and experienced Logistics Manager to come and work with us. We have two sites – one in London and one in Somerset – but this role will be based in London.

About the role:

We are looking for someone with plenty of experience driving in London and an excellent grasp of the highway code. The role involves:

Overseeing the supply chain cycle and organising deliveries
Overseeing stock takes, stock checks and internal stock audit
Line managing 11 members of staff across a double shift operation

You will be in charge of:

Monitoring and maintaining all logistics related KPIs
Creating and monitoring department staff rotas; task lists; logs
Department training and setting of benchmarks and standards for staff
Departmental cost management
Departmental waste management
Management of Sage stock aspect

The role attracts a salary of £23K annually, negotiable after completing a three month probation period. It is offered on a full-time basis (40 hours a week) with two days off a week.

To be considered for this role ideally you will have a track record of working within leading warehouse operations. Other essential qualifications & knowledge we are looking for include:

UK/EU driver’s licence and have the right to work in the UK
Have at least 12 months' experience as logistics supervisor or similar or suitable experience
Forklift licence – essential
Experience in Sage50 will be an advantage
Good leadership and problem solving skills

If you are interested in this role, please send your CV and covering letter to the HR Administrator, Marta on marta@whatonearth.co.uk.

What on Earth is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from everyone (as long as you hold the minimum experience/requirements).

This is where we have to apologise…. basically, due to the high volume of interest generated, we cannot reply to every application. If you have not heard from us within two weeks please consider your application as unsuccessful – SORRY!

Oh also – we do not deal with agencies so if you are from an agency, please do not contact us.

We look forward to hearing from you job seekers.

Thanks,

What On Earth

Terrifying tales to make your hair stand on end this Halloween

2011-10-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

As it’s Halloween, we thought we’d get those spines tingling a little bit more by telling you some spooky stories. These are only things we’ve heard so we can’t say for sure if they’re definitely true. BUT, people in the office know of these stories so there must be some truth in them, right?? Even those who aren’t English have heard of some of these scary tidbits so perhaps the stories are known around the world. Wooooo, spooky (yes, that was our impression of a ghost!)

Courtesy of digitalart / freedigitalphotos.net

We’re London based so that’s where the following chilling chronicles are based. If you’re in London, you may get more scared. If you’re not in London - why not take a visit and see if they are true.

So, the first story is about the infamous Jack the Ripper. Known across the world, Jack the Ripper is one of London’s most notorious, mysterious and wicked criminals. However, it is also known that the identity of Jack the Ripper was never discovered. History can point its finger at many people but unfortunately nobody will ever know who Jack the Ripper actually was. This could be because he was imprisoned, left the country or even died.

One of the Jack the Ripper suspects actually killed himself by plunging into the River Thames on New Year’s Eve, 1888. The ghost of this suspect can allegedly be seen even now. Apparently, if people stand on Westminster Bridge on 31 December and look eastwards as midnight approaches, they may catch sight of the ghost of this suicide victim. As Big Ben rings at midnight, the ghostly figure appears and leaps into the water below.

Courtesy of Laura Collins

Another chilling tale we have heard is about a phantom bus near Cambridge Gardens in North Kensington. This bus is a number 7 double decker and is sometimes spotted in the early hours of the morning. The story first came about in 1934 as it was written about in a book by J.A.Brooks called ‘Ghosts of London’. Back then, a motorist swerved when driving along Cambridge Gardens – apparently for no reason. Sadly the said motorist died when his car hit a wall and caught on fire. When they carried out an inquest into the death, witnesses told of the so called phantom bus – many of whom claimed to have seen it around the area that the accident happened. Apparently many of the witnesses said that it normally appeared around 1.15am, which is the time the accident occurred. The driver of the phantom bus was never visible and there were no lights on the bus, but witnesses told how they were terrified when it raced along the centre of the road towards them.

Courtesy of Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net

The witnesses that came forward had experienced the phantom bus, explaining that they were convinced it was going to collide with them. They swerved out of the way of it when driving, only to find out that the bus had vanished out of sight straight afterwards.

Arrrggghh!! Scary huh?? Who knows if these stories are true but if we find ourselves near Westminster Bridge on New Year’s Eve we may well be able to tell you!

Enjoy your Halloween evening.

Peace, love and spooky Halloween pizza.

What On Earth

A lesson on Halloween - Polish style

2011-10-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Halloween seems to get more hyped up every year. I never remember it being such a big deal in England when I was a child, but over the years it seems to have gained in popularity. Commercialism has hit and now we are preparing for the night with almost as much gusto as the United States. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Oh no. It’s rather a fun affair if you ask me. But, since having a chat with some colleagues, I’ve found out that Halloween means something completely different to them.

Courtesy of zirconicusso / freedigitalphotos.net

The team here at What On Earth and Simply Nectar are a real mixed bunch. We have people from all over the world working here – a rich mix of individuals that offer something different to the team. We have people from England, Ireland, Poland, Latvia, Brazil, Italy, Estonia…the list could continue. The benefits of having such a mixed bag of people are the variety of cultures and traditions. It was during a chat about Halloween that I learnt more about the traditions of Poland at this time of year. It was so interesting that I thought I’d share it with you.

In Poland, Halloween is not celebrated. Instead, All Saints’ Day is observed on 1 November. It is an important date that allows the Polish to gather with families to recognise and remember the deceased. In the evening of 1 November, the locals visit cemeteries to place candles and flowers on the graves of the deceased and to say prayers for them. The tombs and graves of everybody are honoured. Despite the mournful and sombre feel of the night, the candlelight makes it beautiful. Mass is also held for those who want to go to church. The people of Poland also believe that spirits roam so they leave their doors and windows open to welcome the visiting spirits. All Saints’ Day is then followed by All Souls’ Day on 2 November. More church services are held for those who want to remember the dead.

Nowadays, it seems the fun side of Halloween is becoming more popular in Poland but traditionally it was never celebrated in that way. We’ll try and find out about more Halloween celebrations from other members of the team. I’ll report back on anything interesting. In the mean time, enjoy all the Halloween celebrations this weekend if you’re heading out. Our very own purchasing manager is going to a Halloween party dressed as Alex DeLarge from Clockwork Orange. If we can get photos, we will. If not, you’ll just have to look him up to know what he looks like. That’s your homework for the weekend :-)

Peace, love and Polish Halloween pizza.

What On Earth

Get those baking boots at the ready (and perhaps enter our competition if you feel up to the challenge!)

2011-10-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

After last week’s National Curry Week and National Chocolate Week posts, we thought we would carry on the theme and blog about National Baking Week, which started today. That’s right folks; a whole week has been dedicated to getting in to that kitchen and pulling together some culinary delights with your own bare hands. This isn’t a time to tuck into those microwave meals; it’s a time to see what you can make from scratch. It’s a week in which you reach for the cook book, roll up you sleeves and get stuck in to some serious baking fun.

What on earth (excuse the pun) will you make though? The options are endless after all. Luckily, we have been putting our thinking caps on over here at What On Earth so we can help you out a bit. We have come up with the best idea of what you can make. So what is it? An organic pizza of course! What else would it be? We love organic pizzas and now you can make one of your very own. You can choose whatever topping you want – you are the ones making them (and eating them!) after all.

Courtesy of Naito8 / freedigitalphotos.net

We want to reward those homemade efforts too so we’ve launched a pizza competition. Oh yes. You just need to make the pizza, take a photo and send the image to us along with a description of the pizza. You need to tell us how you made it, what topping you put on it and how it tasted. We will then pick a winner by judging how the pizza looks, how it got made and of course the topping.

Here's one we made earlier

We’ll even let you in on a secret. We make Organic Pizza Bases and Organic Pizza Sauce. If you’re stuck for time or cooking space you can always use these products. I know what you’re thinking, using a base is cheating but it’s not, honestly! We like to call it a more time saving and less messy option. You can add whatever topping you want before putting it in the oven and you have to make sure you cook it properly, so you will be a baker in your own right. Plus, if you have children, the pizza bases and sauce are a great way for them to be involved in National Baking Week too.

Now, wash your hands, get your chef hat on and get in that kitchen. We look forward to seeing the results. Send the photos to laura@whatonearth.co.uk.

Peace, love and homemade pizza.

What On Earth

Celebrate the last precious days of National Chocolate Week - with more chocolate

2011-10-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

If you didn’t know already, this week is National Chocolate Week (as well as National Curry Week). Sadly, the week is now drawing to a close so if you haven’t been stuffing your face with as much chocolate as possible, now is the time to start doing so. Officially you have until the end of Sunday 16 October to dig in so get down that shop and stock up on as many chocolate goodies as you can find.

If you don’t just want more chocolate bars and are lacking in inspiration of what else to go for then let us help you. We know our chocolate so we have lots of answers for you to tantalise those tastebuds of yours. From sickly sweet to brilliantly bitter, we can offer some enlightenment on the best chocolate desserts and bars around. And yes, we are referring to our own products :-)

If you want to enjoy the chocolate cake in all its glory, go for our Organic Chocolate Fudge Cake. Each slice is soft, chocolaty and pure goodness. With a creamy topping and a moist, crumby cake you won’t be able to stop at one slice. And why should you – it’s National Chocolate Week.

If you fancy something a bit richer go for our Organic Chocolate Cheesecake. Made in Somerset where the sun shines brighter, the grass grows greener and the cows moo louder, this cake is a true indulgence that just melts in the mouth. The picture explains what the words can’t:

What On Earth’s Mini Chocolate Pots are another treat to the senses. Served cold, these delicious pots of creamy chocolate can be devoured in seconds. They are so good that one won’t be enough. A Berry Fool Pot is also available. Perhaps save that one for next week…it can always be National Berry Fool week in your head.

If dessert isn’t what you’re after and all you really desire is a good old bar of chocolate, we have the answer – again. GO*DO Organic Chocolate comes straight from Italy and it is a taste sensation. Never have we tasted chocolate so good. It comes in six different types too so you can take your pick of chocolate depending on your mood. If you want something dark and bitter go for the Dark Chocolate 60% bar. If you would prefer something more creamy and sweet, choose the White Chocolate Vanilla. Finally if you want to treat yourself to something a big crunchy and nutty, the Milk Chocolate 34% & Hazelnuts is the bar for you.

Can’t decide on what to go for? Just go for them all…why not? National Chocolate Week comes but once a year. You might as well get out there and enjoy the last few days that are left of it.*

*Disclaimer: Don’t blame us if you eat too much chocolate and feel ill. Your chocolate consumption is your choice ;-)

Peace, love and chocolate pizza.

What On Earth

National Curry Week - we love it

2011-10-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

This week is National Curry Week – apparently. We’re not sure who announces these so called “national food weeks” (and why for that matter) but we’d like to shake their hand and congratulate them on such a grand idea. We think that dedicating a full week to a particular type of food is genius – especially if we like that specific food. It’s very rare that we dislike food too. I’d say we eat pretty much everything and anything here at What On Earth HQ. So, when we heard it was National Curry Week we wooped with delight. Why? Well, mainly because we like eating curry and now we have an excuse to eat it every day this week; but also because we have lots of What On Earth products that are perfect for use in a curry. Let’s go through them shall we?

Courtesy of savit keawtavee / freedigitalphotos.net

Firstly we have our Organic Coconut Milk. Yep, the very one that was seen on BBC One’s Simple Cooking. Have we said that before? We’re proud of it OK! This product comes straight from Thailand, where they produce the best tasting Coconut Milk around. That’s why we get it from there. The sun shines brighter and the coconuts grow beautifully.

Next up is our Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes. If you need tomatoes in a curry then look no further. Not only are they organic but they come to us from under the Mediterranean sun. Amazingly red, amazingly ripe and amazingly tasty – they are bound to brighten up any tomato based curry. Yum.

Fancy making your curry a bit fruity? Why not, it sweetens them up and gives you a taste of the exotic. We have the answer for the best fruity curries too….our Organic Berry Pouches. Each one of our pouches contains 100 per cent organic fruit. The best ones for curries are the Organic Pineapple Pouch and the Organic Mango Pouch. Take them out the freezer, add them to your dish, eat, enjoy and cry at how delicious your curry was….or at how spicy you made it!

If you want to know more about National Curry Week, why not take a look at this link. It tells you all about the history of National Curry Week and even gives you details on Sake Dean Mohamet, who opened the first Indian Restaurant in Britain in 1810.

http://www.nationaleatingoutweek.com/peters%20old%20site/contents3.html

Peace, love and curry flavoured pizza.

What On Earth

Our Organic Coconut Milk spotted on TV

2011-10-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

Who watches Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking? Anybody? If not, perhaps you should. We at What On Earth are big fans of the BBC One show and after last week we are now even bigger fans. Why? BECAUSE WE SAW OURSELVES ON THERE!

That’s right folks, as we were sat at home tucking into our Friday night dinner and relishing the fact that we had two days off, we thought we would tune into a bit of Simple Cooking. Obviously we are all whizzes in the kitchen here (?!) but we felt it was time to open up our brains and take in some more recipes and cooking inspiration/direction.

As the Coconut Chilli Chicken recipe came on the screen we were most taken by what was being made before our eyes. It sounded and looked scrumptious. When coconut milk was mentioned we instantaneously thought of our own tins of the best organic coconut milk around. We imagined our little colourful cans sitting on the shelf in kitchens across the country. And then, there it was. It was like the TV was reflecting the images in our mind – just like some sort of telepathic vision. In front of our very eyes, staring out of our television screen, up popped a colourful can of What On Earth Organic Coconut Milk. We were astounded, amazed, thrilled – you name it.

This is Jeremy re-enacting the moment he saw our Organic Coconut Milk on the TV

How very exciting. Nigel Slater was using our food in his dish. Unfortunately, as the show is produced by the BBC, it could not directly show our branding but we could tell that it was definitely our tin. Nobody else has packaging quite likes ours that’s for sure.

If you want to see our Organic Coconut Milk in action on the show, please visit the BBC Food website at the link below. It takes you straight to a clip of Nigel Slater's Coconut Chilli Chicken recipe from last week's programme, which is the bit we appeared in.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_curry_with_59058

Peace, love and pizza...and famous Organic Coconut Milk.

What On Earth

We’ve got SALSA? Let’s do a celebratory dance!

2011-10-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Everybody at What On Earth is dancing round the office…in their underwear. OK, so maybe that last bit isn’t so true - everybody is wearing clothes really. But, they are still deliriously happy and are dancing around/waving their arms about. It looks like an odd rendition of the Conga. In fact, some of the team resemble Morris Dancers!

Coutesy of Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So, why on earth are we dancing like crazy people? It’s not because we’re all desperate for the toilet and no, it isn’t because we are swatting away flies or trying to get attention. We are so happy because we have just found out some fantastic news…

WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR SALSA ACCREDITATION FOR 2011. Wahooo!

This doesn’t mean that we are accredited Salsa dancers. Sadly not – we just like to think that we can Salsa and that we can swirl, twirl and grind with the best of them. The SALSA accreditation is in fact to do with the food industry – it has nothing to do with dancing…although it has caused us all to break out into dance!

In its own words:

“SALSA is a nationally recognised food safety certification scheme specifically developed for small and micro producers. It is a food-safety standard written by experienced food safety experts to reflect both the legal requirements of producers and the enhanced expectations of ‘best practise’ of professional food buyers.” (Source: www.salsafood.co.uk)

SALSA stands for Safe And Local Supplier Approval. The scheme allows us to demonstrate the ways we work here at What On Earth in order to show that we use a robust and effective food safety standard. And that is exactly what we do here, hence the SALSA accreditation.

SALSA is widely accepted and recognised by retailers and food service providers. We are therefore extremely proud to have achieved accreditation once again. It shows that we can meet high criteria in food hygiene, production, distribution and storage. It also shows that we produce safe and legal food and that we’re fully committed to meeting the requirements of SALSA.

Let’s hear it for SALSA, woooo!! Now let’s all dance the Salsa in our underwear. Participation is optional :-)

A rather busy and filling spot of lunch!

2011-10-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

As you know, What On Earth made an appearance at lunch! last week, and we’re pleased to say it was a great success. The two day show, which was held at Old Billingsgate in London, was busy, busy busy. Not only were we spoilt with lots of people, we were also spoilt for an amazing location and glorious weather. Old Billingsgate is based right on the River Thames so when we could afford a quick break from the busyness, we could stare out across the water while soaking up the sunshine.

The show itself was extremely successful – for all involved. There was a wide range of exhibitors offering all manner of food and drink products. The visitors loved it and we loved it…especially as we got to try lots of food. In fact, we got to try soooo much that we didn’t need breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Some of our own goodies (that we tucked into ourselves...oops!)

The What On Earth stand was rather on the small side but we made the most of what we had and turned it into a delightful little grotto. We covered it in our signature logos and pictures, lots of organic food and even some Simply Nectar. We also took along some products from our favourite suppliers, namely organic chocolate from GO*DO, smoked meats from Rannoch and also bottles of water from Harrogate Water. Everything was a hit with the visitors and the food and drinks were wolfed down. We do have a slight confession to make though…we may have consumed a small amount of our own food and drink ourselves. Ooops. It was just too good – we couldn’t resist!

Our stand

Some of the items on our stand that got tucked into were a variety of What On Earth organic pizzas and different types of filo rolls – Cajun, curried potato and spinach with feta. Yum! We had every flavour of Simply Nectar on the stand, which gave us lots of choice for drinks too. The stand next to us – Nature’s Table – also provided us with goodies, including nuts, yoghurt coated raisins and lots of savoury snacks. Lucky us. This is Jeremy getting friendly with one of our next door neighbours at the show. That's how you do it see - make friends and then get the freebies :-)

If you came along to lunch! and visited our stand please make yourself known to us so we can stay in touch. It would be great to hear from you.

Peace, love and lunch! time pizza.

What On Earth.

Calling all sales representatives

2011-10-04T03:45:00.000-07:00

Look...we have a new job advert:

Do you have the gift of the gab? Think you could sell ice to an Eskimo? Or, to put it in context, could you sell organic food to new customers? If your answers are yes, we want you to get in touch - this is your chance to prove how good you can really be.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled sales rep. You will be our man/woman in the field so you’ll be responsible for seeking out new customers and increasing sales, as well as attracting and managing a portfolio of clients. We therefore need you to be personable and knowledgeable. A typical day in the life of a What On Earth sales rep will see you:

    • Seeking and managing new customers
    • Managing current customers
    • Seeking out new business prospects via the web, press, trades & field visits
    • Presenting samples to new and current customers
    • Collecting new customer information for credit control

As well as these tasks, the sales rep will need to liaise with all other departments in the company – from admin and credit control to the technical department. You will be expected to cooperate effectively with the General Manager, liaise closely with the Sales Director and maintain good working relationships with other colleagues.

Ideally we are looking for a sales rep with a proven track record in selling, as well as one who boasts a big black book of available customers. As we are passionate about organic food your understanding and appreciation of this industry would be beneficial, but not essential. You’ll soon learn to love it if you don’t already!

The prospective candidate will need to prove their selling abilities as well as their communication skills because they will be liaising with people from all walks of life. They will need to be familiar with MS Office and have good product knowledge. An EU driver’s licence is also essential as the role will involve spending time on the road.

If you think you are the man or woman for us then please let us know. Send your CV and covering letter to Marta, our HR administrator - marta@whatonearth.co.uk

OTE is £30k p/a based on mixture of base pay and commision (dependable on experience)

We look forward to hearing from you.

Peace, love and pizza.

What On Earth

Come along for a bit of lunch!

2011-09-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

What On Earth will be making an appearance at lunch! this week. We won’t just be visiting – we will be exhibiting too. Wooo. This is exciting because lunch! is the UK’s only dedicated food-to-go trade show, so it is certainly a great exhibition to be at.

Now in its fourth year, lunch! will be held at Old Billingsgate, London, on 29-30 September 2011. We were at Old Billingsgate earlier today to set up the stand and we think it looks great - although I guess we would say that, wouldn't we! What made it better was that the sun was shining and from Old Billingsgate the views are incredible. We looked out on to the Thames and were mesmerised by the stunning vista and the sunshine bouncing off the water. We could have been anywhere in the world. We even took a photo to prove it!

What On Earth will be on stand F608 so come along and find us. We will have a wide range of products on the stand, including our own delicious organic pizzas and organic cheesecakes. We have also kitted the stand out with lots of Simply Nectar - a range of award winning GMO free fruit juices and nectars. We have taken every flavour along so anyone visiting can have a try. Other items on the stand include some tasty Italian, organic chocolate, which we supply on behalf of GO*DO, and some Harrogate Water that we distribute.

lunch! is firmly established as the premier event for the out of home food industry and has garnered a reputation for helping businesses to do business. We better get our business hats on then! If you are looking to do business or simply want to give our food and drinks a try please do come along and see us. We look forward to seeing you there.

Peace, love and lunch! pizza.

What On Earth

Green trophy hat-trick for What On Earth

2011-09-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

We always like to shout about our environmentally friendly working practices. We’re extremely proud of them so we of course like to tell you all about how hard we work to lower our carbon footprint. Our shouting has obviously paid off because now we have been awarded for our ethical ways. Yay!

A few months ago What On Earth entered the Wandsworth Green Business Awards, which are run by Wandsworth Council. We registered for the awards in the hope that our environmentally friendly work may get recognised. It’s a good job we entered because it did get recognised! In fact, it got recognised three times.

The Wandsworth Green Business Awards were launched to reward those businesses that do their bit to reduce their carbon footprint and help the environment. The judges of the awards look for particularly outstanding examples of commitment and innovation that have a real impact and may help influence other businesses in the future.

We at What On Earth felt we were right for the awards so we entered and last week we won three trophies at the award ceremony. We didn’t win the categories but we came runner up and for that we are very proud. The three categories we won trophies for were:

Best or most original waste/recycling project
Experienced Greener
Overall Green Business Champion

We will continue working hard to do our bit for the environment and we hope we can encourage you to do the same. Every little thing you can do will help, and you don’t need to win a trophy to know that you are helping the world.

Peace, love and environmentally friendly pizza.

What On Earth

Fancy a spot of dessert? Try some of our brand new treats

2011-09-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

We like desserts. No, no, we adore desserts! Cakes, cheesecakes, puddings, whatever – you name it, we love it. I'm sure you know this by now as we are always munching cakes in the office... you just have to be quick!

In fact, we love desserts so much that we decided we didn’t make enough of them so it was about time that we put our pudding making expertise into action. We put our heads together and came up with some brand new desserts to add to the range. Just thinking about them makes me lick my lips. They are delicious – but then I guess we would say that!

The six organic desserts contain some real tummy warming treats for the colder months so it’s a good job we’ve launched them. The new range includes some family favourites – Apple & Blackberry Crumble, Lemon Sponge Pudding and a tangy Plum Panna Cotta. There are also some comforting winter warmers – Sticky Toffee Pudding and Bread & Butter Pudding, plus the ultimate luxury for all chocolate lovers – the truly decadent, Baked Chocolate Cheesecake.

Lemon Sponge Pudding

Plum Panna Cotta

The new desserts are handmade at our family run, Soil Association-certified patisserie in Somerset. The team there have been making desserts for more than 20 years so they really know their stuff. All What On Earth’s desserts, including our award winning cheesecakes, are made in Somerset. That’s because Somerset is known for its fantastic dairy products and is a place where the sun shines brighter, the grass grows greener and the cows moo louder.

Credit: Federico Stevanin http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Our six desserts are available through Abel & Cole – an online, organic retailer. It’s a great site – you should take a look at it now: www.abelandcole.co.uk. We actually sell lots of products through the site, including our organic pizzas, organic coconut milk and now a massive 11, yes 11, different desserts. To see the new products please visit: http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/chilled-food/desserts-puddings.

Peace, love, pizza and desserts.

What On Earth

13 years young

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

As we sat in the office at the end of the day last Friday, the date suddenly dawned on us. It hadn’t hit us at the beginning of the day. Oh no. It was gone 5pm when the date suddenly had an impact on us. Apparently it didn’t matter that we had been looking at it and writing it down all day long. Nobody had twigged its meaning. The company owners hadn’t even picked up on it! That’s obviously a sign of all the What On Earth staff working their socks off all day long. That’s what we do all the time. Honestly!

What was so important about the date though?? Well.........it was our birthday. WAHOOOOO!!

Set off the fireworks in celebration!

That’s right, What On Earth has turned 13...unlucky for some! Can we get a round of applause please? [Insert clapping sound here]

When we realised, we pulled everyone together for some birthday fun. We were all in the mood to party and that is what we did. Even Action Man joined in with the celebrations!

Today, we baked some mini birthday cakes to enjoy. Plus, it's National Cupcake Week so it was a double celebration!

We invite you to raise your glasses and make a toast to What On Earth. Or, put some big birthday pants on and give us a little birthday dance!

Also, please salute the owners of What On Earth who are still at the helm of the company – Jeremy Jaffe and Rolf de Polla. They may have inherited a few more worry lines and even lost their hair over the past few years but I’m sure they’ve loved their time here really. I spoke to them about it all last Friday. They seemed thrilled that it was the 13th anniversary – once they had finally clocked the date that is! They had a laugh about some of the good times and then Jeremy ended the conversation with the following:

“I can’t believe I’ve had to put up with you for all these years.”

He was joking of course… we hope!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WHAT ON EARTH.

We will accept presents if you want to send them! Also, if you have any suggestions about how we should celebrate just let us know. We’d love to hear them.

Peace, love and lots of birthday pizza.

What On Earth.

Organic aubergine meze - give it a whirl

2011-09-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

If you're after a healthy, vegetarian meal or want some tips on the best way to make healthy vegetarian food then look no further. You have come to the right place. Our talented head chef, Sergei, can tell you all about it. He knows his stuff you see. That's why we put him in charge of our kitchen! In fact, he knows so much about making healthy vegetarian food that he has been telling a journalist all about it.

The dish is so good that it will suit both the carnivores and herbivores of the world. As it is so delicious and easy to make we didn't want you missing out on it. We have therefore featured Sergei's recipe and advice below. Check it out and let us know if you make it. We'd love to see photos and hear how it went.

Sergei in the flesh!

Sergei says: "It is often thought that all vegetarian dishes are healthy but that isn't necessarily the case as the ingredients themselves and the cooking methods all have an impact upon the final meal. One way of ensuring the food is healthy and full of flavour is by opting for organic ingredients. The mere fact that they have no preservatives, additives, pesticides or GMOs impacting upon the goodness of the food makes them a healthy option. Also, when cooking in oil, vegetarians should use unrefined sunflower oil as it is a healthier option than olive oil. Finally, to ensure full flavour vegetarians should consider trying different varieties of particular ingredients - for example, red or orange bell peppers carry more flavour than other colours of pepper."

An excellent vegetarian dish that is healthy and easy to make is a delicious Organic Aubergine Meze.

And here's one he made earlier

Organic Aubergine Meze

- 2 aubergines, chopped in 1 inch squares
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
- 2 red or orange bell peppers (because these colours carry more flavour) roasted, peeled then diced
- One garlic clove, diced
- Small bunch of coriander, chopped
- Salt and black pepper

Roast the aubergines till brown (200C). Lightly oil the skin on the peppers and place them in the hot oven, bake until skin turns brownish. Remove the peppers, place them in the bowl and cover with cling film (this will help to peel the skin), leave to cool. Put chopped tomatoes in the pot (big enough to fit all the rest of the ingredients later), bring them to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add roasted aubergines, peeled and roughly diced peppers, chopped garlic and coriander to the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the whole lot for a minute or two.

Once cooked, vegetarians can serve with cous cous or artisan bread. Alternatively, they could also go for some blanched broccoli. They can cook the broccoli for two minutes in boiling water, toss it in any type of cold pressed oil and add some seasoning.
Remember to let us know if you make it. We look forward to seeing all the pictures.

Peace, love and pizza....and vegetarian recipes.

What On Earth.

Searching for more kitchen superstars

2011-08-31T05:36:00.000-07:00

We're growing fast so we need to get recruiting again. This time we have two posts available, both of which will involve working in our 'SALSA' certified production kitchen where we hand make a huge range of organic products for retail and wholesale. The positions are night kitchen assistant and night kitchen team leader. If you're a whizz in the kitchen and have experience to prove it then please read on. You could be who we are looking for.

Night kitchen assistant

Working hours: 40 hours a week/5 shifts

Responsibilities

Produce breakfast foods and other bakery products, such as chilled and frozen pizzas, quiches and filo pastry wraps
General kitchen duties, including washing up and cleaning of the kitchen and equipment (to include all work surfaces floors and walls)
Follow “SALSA”, health & safety and food safety procedures

Requirements:

Must have experience of working in a kitchen environment and have basic knowledge of food preparation and hygiene
Team participation and good working relations with staff are essential
Good spoken English

Night kitchen team leader

Working hours: 40 hours a week/5 shifts

Responsibilities:

Coordinate production and packing process of breakfast foods and other bakery products, such as chilled and frozen pizzas, quiches and filo pastry wraps
Ensure all food cooked is of high quality and that portion control is maintained
Make sure 'SALSA', health & safety and food safety procedures are followed
Check the stock levels of manufactured products and adjust them when necessary

Requirements:

Experience in leading a small team would be an advantage
Must have experience of working in the food manufacturing industry or have a catering background
Team participation and good working relations with staff are essential
Fluent in English

If you think you are perfect for the roles please send your CV and covering letter to our HR Administrator, Marta, on marta@whatonearth.co.uk.

What on Earth Ltd is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from everyone (as long as you hold the minimum experience/requirements).

Please note that due to the high volume of interest our jobs generate, we sadly cannot reply to every application. It's not because we're rude and we don't like you, honestly. It's just that our poor Marta is run off her feet! Therefore, if you have not heard from us within two weeks please consider your application as unsuccessful on this occasion.

Wanted: one kitchen assistant

2011-08-23T04:14:00.000-07:00

What On Earth is recruiting and you could be the answer. If you're handy in the kitchen, have a passion for food and are hungry to work in the organic food industry then look no further.

We are looking for a friendly, personable and hard working kitchen assistant to help us with our food production. You will be based in the What On Earth kitchen five days a week and will help with the production of both our retail and food service products. You will be expected to assist the kitchen staff and carry out a wide range of kitchen duties. Examples of main tasks include:

preparing fresh vegetables for roasting
roasting and packing products
preparing and packing muesli and granola
preparing chilled or frozen pizzas
other kitchen duties

You can help us prepare our renowned organic pizzas

Training will be given but kitchen experience is an advantage. Pay is £6.50 p/h.

Working hours may vary but the regular shifts will be:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday - 09.30 to 17.30
Saturday and Sunday - 06.30 to 14.30

If you think you're right for the role then please get in touch and let us know why. Send your CV and covering letter to our lovely human resources administrator, Marta Oryl, at marta@whatonearth.co.uk.

The closing date for applications is 28 August 2011 so get in touch as soon as you can. We look forward to hearing from you.

What On Earth forms new distribution partnership with GO*DO

2011-08-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

We've been making friends (both business and social) here at What On Earth and we are pleased to announce that we are now officially good friends with GO*DO. What's more, we have become such good friends that we are going to be supplying GO*DO's delicious organic Italian chocolate. Bellissimo!

We will be supplying the full range of GO*DO's organic chocolate bars - that's six different flavours. We can vouch for the fact that they are all tasty too. We know, we've tried them! The flavours are:

Milk chocolate cocoa 34%
Milk chocolate 34% and Hazelnuts
Dark chocolate cocoa 60%
Dark chocolate cocoa 60% espresso coffee
Dark chocolate 69% & Sicilian almonds
White chocolate vanilla

See, even the names sound tasty.

The chocolate is produced by a family owned chocolatier in Italy who buys organic cocoa beans direct from the farmers. That is why it tastes so darn good! The chocolate is already popular in Italy and Japan and now it is making an appearance in the UK.

Here is the business low down for the retailers - the bars are 35g in size and will be otainable in cases of 30.

The consumer low down? Well, you guys can buy the bars individually from a selection of stores. You can pick whatever flavour you want and buy as many as are on the shelves!

GO*DO is a relatively new company - it launched in 2010. Since then it has already won some excellent awards. Check out the website - www.godochoc.com. Also, get out there and try the chocolate for yourself.

Peace, love and pizza (and chocolate!)

What On Earth

Action Man is alive and well!

2011-07-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

We’re pleased to report that Action Man is ok, much to the happiness of George!

It seems he went back to his action packed roots and hopped on a boat to another part of England. He hasn’t revealed exactly where he is but we have received the following holiday snaps from him.

The first image worried us somewhat as Action Man appeared to be in a rather sticky situation. According to him though, it was nothing to worry about. He battled on through and came out smiling. Phew!

Eeeeek!

The following photo shows him in another ‘action’ shot. He’s trying his best to hold up this ‘Action Van’...get it, Action Man under an Action Van? His idea of a joke! Sadly this isn’t his vehicle but he found it on his way down to the beach, where he proceeded to show off his pecs to onlookers and ride the waves on his surfboard. That last bit was a clue. He told us he was in England's surf capital when this photo was taken.

Can you spot him right at the bottom of the photo?

These final photos were taken in two different spots. But where?? Action Man wants us to guess. If you think you know where Action Man has been on his travels we’d love to hear your answers. We are at a complete loss. His photos don’t give much away sadly, although he did mention sailing as a clue for the first one and Martin Clunes as a clue for the second! Can you help us? There may well be a prize in it for you...especially if your answers are correct and they lead us to the whereabouts of our office hero.

Send us your ideas via this blog, our Facebook page, Twitter (@WhatOnEarthFood) or email them to laura@whatonearth.co.uk

Peace. Love. Pizza.

What On Earth (minus Action Man!)

Someone’s gone missing from What On Earth

2011-07-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Amid George’s sniffles and tears we have managed to work out that his favourite desk toy has gone AWOL. That’s right, Action Man has disappeared.

He was last seen on Friday 15 July sat tight on George’s desk. This is the most recent photo we have of him.

George's pride and joy

If anybody has seen George's Action Man please get in touch via this blog, our Facebook page, Twitter or by sending an email to laura@whatonearth.co.uk.

A snap shot of what's going on

2011-07-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Odd things are happening at What On Earth. Members of staff are putting on weight and going bald...within seconds!

Once a slim Jim!

Once a hairy beast!

(Apologies for the blur, our shakey handed cameraman is usually found digging down the allotment. He doesn't do much else really!)

Do you have any funny photos of yourself? Send them in to laura@whatonearth.co.uk. We'd love to see them. We can put them on the blog, on Facebook and on Twitter if you let us too.... you'll be famous!

All present and correct in the office

2011-07-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

As you all know we hit the streets of Shoreditch last week and I’m pleased to say that, despite the sore heads, we made it back to the office in one piece. All of us too; we didn’t lose any stragglers along the way – not even those who got off the bus at the wrong stop a few miles from home. Not mentioning any names of course. Actually there was one member of staff who didn't return to the office, but Friday was her last day and our night out was her leaving do so we can’t really blame her!

So how was our evening? Well, we had an absolute blast. We started our antics in Storybox, a funky new pop up pizza joint that is based just seconds from Brick Lane. It offers a fantastic menu full of different organic pizzas – and you know how much we love organic pizzas! With wine, beer and lemonade waiting for us when we arrived, we knew we were in for a good time as well as a good feed. And that is exactly what we had. Marta even got to try flapjack for the first time and I’m pleased to report that she is now an avid fan of its oaty, syrupy goodness.

A few dozen pizzas, salads and desserts later we were all content and as full as can be. Even Rolf had a full stomach – funny that considering he didn’t get a meal because he was on a “diet”. He just ate everybody else’s food instead! He did do the washing up afterwards though so I think that was fair, albeit unexpected.

From Storybox we dashed out into the Friday night rain (thinking it was November, not June) and moved our party on to Brick Lane. There we squeezed into a tightly packed bar and tried our hardest to raise our arms high enough to enjoy our drinks. We soon had to opt for straws to make it that bit easier! Once the glasses were successfully drained we moved to somewhere a lot less busy, much to the disappointment of Rolf who seemed to have made friends with another group of people. Charming! We opted for somewhere in which we had space to move and could actually hear each other speak and that quiet somewhere was in Spitalfields Market. In fact we were pretty much the only people in there so we had as much space and quietness as we wanted.

The night went on and the drinks kept flowing, as did Rolf's stories. As the clock struck midnight we could see that the bar in question was eager to get rid of our ugly mugs so eventually we trundled off to seek homeward bound transport. We all piled into various night buses, sitting tight for the journey home, and although it seemed to take forever to get back we were kept amused by the sights that surrounded us. In that lot, perhaps our mugs weren’t so ugly after all! I’ll let you make up your mind on that one.

The only thing left to say in this story is that we all got to our homes in one piece, fell into a deep sleep and lived happily ever after :-) ... or so we hope.

Peace, love and loads of pizza.

What On Earth

Watch out Shoreditch, we're coming to visit

2011-06-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

Lock up your daughters, hide your sons and take in the milk bottles because, for one night only, we at What On Earth and Simply Nectar are hitting the town and letting our hair down – apart from Jeremy as he sadly doesn’t have much hair to let down. Perhaps we’ll get the boot polish out for him instead so he can go out looking all shiny and new...!

North London will be our playground, pizza will be our food of choice and beer/wine/cider (the list could continue!) will be our tipple. I’m sure the vodka will make an appearance too – Marta!! Not too many drinks though because we’ve heard that the venue we’re dining in has no toilets. Yes, you did read that right!

Thankfully the next stop WILL have bathrooms and we will enjoy as many drinks as the bosses will pay for. Come on Rolf, time to rid your wallet of all those moths.

So, where are these mysterious toilet free digs that we’re gracing with our presence tonight then?

Answer - We're visiting a funky little pop up place not far from Brick Lane. It’s full of pizza, cake, coffee and tea, and perhaps even some stories. Yes, that last bit was a massive clue. Why? Because it’s called Storybox (also known as Story Deli) but is set in the old Scooter Shop, hence the reason it has ‘Scooter Shop’ and the word ‘Vespa’ emblazoned on the cafe fascia. Sorry, just thought I'd spell that bit out!

Storybox itself (courtesy of www.storydeli.com)

The cosy little shack serves up amazing pizzas, sumptuous salad, perfect garlic bread and a selection of tasty cakes. All the food is 100 per cent organic too so it’s just up our street. Not literally of course, as we are based in Battersea and Storybox is up in Shoreditch. Ok, you get the picture!

I’ve just looked at the menu and boy am I excited. The general consensus in the office is exactly the same too. WE CAN’T WAIT. Spirits are high and everybody is gearing up for a night of fun. When the clock struck 3pm, the countdown started.

Inside the Storybox den (www.storydeli.com)

If anybody wants to join us, come on over and say hello. No promises we’ll be paying for your night though! Also, don’t forget to look for scooters, not pizzas, although I’m sure the delicious smell will lead you and your noses to the right address. The raucous behaviour you'll be able to hear a few miles away may give it away too.

Come back next week to see photos of our night...let’s hope we all get home in one piece!

Peace, love and lots of lovely Storybox pizza.

What On Earth

What On Earth Needs You

2011-06-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

What On Earth is expanding. Hurrah! And to do so properly, WE NEED YOU.

Uncle George

We have two positions available so need some new recruits to fill them. The first vacant role is Night Logistics/Warehouse Assistant Manager and the second is Office Manager. If you’re interested in becoming a What On Earthling and feel you are suitable for the available positions then please get in touch. You can send your CV and covering letter to our friendly HR Administrator Marta - marta@whatonearth.co.uk.

Marta is putting her foot down on one point though – emails without a covering letter will not be taken into account. Please take note of this as you don't want to see Marta angry (although she's not very good at it really - she's a bit too nice!)

Angry Marta

Night Logistics/Warehouse Assistant Manager

Pay: £19,500 per annum

Description:

What On Earth is a rapidly growing organic manufacturing/wholesale/distribution company based in central London. We operate 24/7 and are looking for a Night Logistics/Warehouse Assistant Manager to join our team.

The role is very hands on and will involve multi-drop deliveries as well as the supervision of picking and delivery staff at base. The hours are 11pm – 7am, Thursday to Monday, including weekends.

The main activities are to coordinate, control and monitor the warehouse and transport night operations, according to company needs. You will act as a first point of contact to night drivers and warehouse operatives.

Personal attributes:
You need to be an independent individual who can work under pressure. You must have the ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in different situations. Cultural awareness and the ability to work in different cultural environments are also required.

Experience in warehouse and distribution is essential, as is having a forklift licence and ECC/UK clean driving licence. Having knowledge of good warehousing practice and topography of London is advantageous.

This is a position for an established supervisor who wants to progress and earn ranks within warehousing and distribution. We are looking for a hard working, responsible genius that does not mind working nights and weekends.

Office Manager

Pay: £18,000 per annum, reviewed after a three month probationary period.

Description:
This is customer service role, so great interpersonal skills and customer focus is a must. You would be responsible for:

Taking and processing orders from customers
Solving customer issues
Credit control (cooperation with Bookkeeper)
Issuing invoices, credit notes
Producing picking sheets
Liaising with other departments regarding customer queries, stock availability, lead times
General filing and administrative jobs
Assisting the Finance director

Note: You have a big chance of getting the job if you quote word "Orange" during your interview - that means you read this advert properly!

Personal attributes:
We are ideally seeking somebody who is used to working for a customer driven business and who has knowledge/experience of SAGE 50. You must be able to multitask and should enjoy working in a fast paced environment.

In your covering letter, please state 5 of your strongest points that makes you a perfect candidate for this position.

The small print

Please send your CV with covering letter, (once again, emails without a covering letter will not be taken into account) to Marta, our HR Administrator marta@whatonearth.co.uk

We will respond only to applicants that fulfill the above criteria. No agencies and recruitment wonder makers please!

We are an equal opportunities employer, but you must have the right to work in the UK.

So, what are you waiting for?! Send us an email NOW! We look forward to hearing from you.

Peace. Love. Pizza.

What On Earth

When the cats are away the mice will... clean up?!*

2011-06-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

What on earth is happening at the What on Earth and Simply Nectar offices? Clue: It’s not the usual scenario, that’s for sure. (And it also hasn't got anything to do with cats and mice...see the disclaimer at the bottom for more details!)

As the directors enjoy a few days out of the office (rather convenient considering the weather is nice!), the rest of team has been left alone to carry on as usual. Only it seems that the usual is not what is actually occurring.

Predictably, while the big bosses are away, everyone in the office is taking it in turns to step away from their desk. But they’re not leaving to slack off in the sun with a pint and a packet of organic crisps. Oh no. They’re all doing their bit and are...cleaning up!

Believe it or not, they are reaching for the broom, the bin bags and even the toilet brush in a bid to get the office into shape.

Tidy up the paper behind you when you're done please

Take note - this does not happen often! We relish it while we can

The place now smells like a dream come true and the floor is clean enough to eat food off. Not that we would do that of course. Well, not all of us anyway!

Why is this odd behaviour happening? There appear to be a number of possible answers (in no particular order):

We have been positively affected by the sun and it has sent us all into an ecstatic stupor whereby all we want to do is clean
We have fallen into Friday’s mysterious black hole and physically cannot do any more work
The constant repeats of Ollie Murs, Rihanna and Katy Perry on the radio are too much for our ears to handle, so we are darting off to clean the nearest dirty toilet cubicle or making any other excuse to get away
We secretly like cleaning and only refrain from doing it when the directors are in because we quite like seeing Rolf getting stressed at the sight of full bins and unwashed mugs

(Take your pick at which ones you think are correct!)

Moral of the story – we do MORE work when we’re left unsupervised! On the downside though, Daragh pulled a muscle when changing the bin bag. He's not used to that much activity! Awwwww. I'm sure all sympathy will be greatly appreciated...

Peace, love and pizza.

What on Earth....in a clean office.

* Disclaimer - there are no cats or mice in our offices! These words were used simply as metaphors and the headline was used as a play on the normal saying "when the cat's away the mice will play"

High fives on day five of the vegetarian challenge

2011-05-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Get the violins out and pass the tissues please. The vegetarian challenge is sadly coming to an end...

I say sadly but I think most people in the office are drooling at the thought of munching on some meaty meals (ooh er!) It seems we may not have succeeded in turning all employees into true herbivores but at least we have put our all into National Vegetarian Week.

And you can’t blame us really. We’ve had some fantastic organic food to keep us going all week long. The first few days saw us munching on pure pizza perfection but we thought we better try to vary our diet and branch out to other things. Despite this decision being to the distaste of some – mainly those who feel they could live on What on Earth’s organic pizza alone (and I’m sure they could) – we thought we would chuck some other ingredients into the mix.

We had pasta and curry with What on Earth’s chopped tomatoes, passata and coconut milk. Not together of course. We used them in separate dishes!

And yes, we also had more pizza. Well, when they’re that delicious one can’t really say no! What topping did we go for this time??

Pizza Mia - Mozzarella, roasted courgette and goats cheese

As per usual, we threw in some sweet treats as well. We have to keep this a happy office after all. Plus, everyone likes a sugar high on a Friday. Right?! Don't fret, we had our daily dose of fruit too. Berry bags a plenty and lots of Simply Nectar. We necked both the raspberry and citron pressé flavoured Simply Nectar within a matter of seconds. It was grey and dull outside but the sun was shining in the office I tell you!

Well, that brings our working week vegetarian challenge to a close. I'm feeling very proud and am happy to end the week on such a good note. High fives all round. The one thing I’m not so pleased with at the end of the challenge, however, is the lack of milk in the office. We’ve had to resort to powdered milk.

Daragh...if you don’t stock up the fridge next week there will be trouble. Also, if I find out that anybody consumes any meat or other non vegetarian products tonight there will be even bigger trouble. And yes, those are threats...

Day three in the What on Earth vegetarian challenge

2011-05-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

I’m pleased to report that the vegetarian challenge is going very well indeed. Not a crumb of anything non vegetarian has been consumed on the premises. I cannot say for sure if the other participants are abiding by the rules in their own free time (they had better be!) but while they are at work, they seem to be doing rather well. They may even deserve a slap on the back at the end of the week if they all keep it up!

Days two and three of the challenge have seen us consuming some more delicious organic What on Earth goodies – all of which have been meat free and suitable for herbivores of course. Some of the titbits that have been tickling our fancy include pizzas, cakes and even some granola. Here’s just a small taster of what we have been enjoying:

Pizza Florentine - spinach, blue cheese and toasted pine nuts

Banana, maple and walnut

Pizza Cipolla - mature cheddar, double gloucester, fresh leek and parsley

We’ve also been getting part of our five a day by nibbling on some of What on Earth’s fantastic Organic Frozen Berry Pouches. Well, not the actual pouches - just the fruit inside them! We’ve so far got through the pineapple, raspberries and blueberries. There will definitely be more of those on the menu in the next few days!

Fruity!

What have we washed it all down with? More Simply Nectar of course – that means more of our five a day total! Lovely. The flavours we’ve been enjoying recently are apple and apricot. Mmmm. A taste of the sunshine.

Fingers crossed the next few days go as successfully as the last ones. Watch this space!

As always... peace, love & pizza to all.

What on Earth

Meat free madness hits What on Earth

2011-05-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

It’s the start of National Vegetarian Week so we at What on Earth thought we would get into the herbivorous spirit and commit to a week of vegetarian fun. Not only will we be celebrating all our products that are suitable for vegetarians, the carnivores in the office will also take part in the meat free madness by not letting any non vegetarian foods pass their lips for the next seven days. We will be monitoring each other closely too so nobody will be able to escape the clutch of the vegetarians! If anybody tries it, there will be forfeits to do and prices to pay.

What on Earth offers all number of veggie options so the celebrations will easily last all week. In fact, we have so many vegetarian products that we will all be able to tuck into a full selection of What on Earth treats every day. No wonder the office is rejoicing at the prospect of ditching the meat. And I thought there were going to be forfeits aplenty.

Day one of the vegetarian challenge saw a fantastic start to the meat free fun. The menu consisted of our beautiful Baked Organic Lemon Cheesecake, washed down with mid morning teas and coffees.

A few hours later us greedy gannets followed the cheesecake up with a few slices of our fabulous Organic Basilico Pizza.

Here it is being freshly prepared in the kitchen

As well as these organic vegetarian delights, we will spend the week supping on our favourite drinks – a selection of Simply Nectar’s best fruit juices and nectars. We just can’t get enough of the fruity deliciousness. All the drinks are free of GMOs, preservatives and refined sugars. Not only are they tasty, they’re good for you too. Our flavour of the day is...

Pear!

Be sure to check back later in the week to see how we’re all getting on.

Peace. Love. Pizza.

The (vegetarian) What on Earth team

Chef Cam comes alive

2011-05-16T02:56:00.000-07:00

After the exciting news about the launch of our brand new, limited edition Organic Primavera Lilley Pizza, we thought you may want to see some being made. Our chefs are in action in the kitchen right now and I just have been down there to take some sneaky pics of what is going on. The guys in the office and I are all hoping some pizza may be cooked especially for us...it’s nearly time for elevenses after all!

Here are the pizzas in their various stages of manufacture and every single one we produce is carefully hand crafted by our fabulous chefs. We try not to disturb them while they’re working their magic though – the chefs mean business so messing with them is not recommended!

As you can see, our guys in the kitchen all muck in to help make our pizzas so darn tasty.

“And here are some I prepared earlier!” The finished pizzas ready to be packaged and sent to our customers. They're looking tasty already.

Oooh good, it looks like the kind kitchenistas (yes, that is a word!) are cooking us a pizza in time for elevenses. Lucky us. Into the oven it goes.

Sadly, the chefs chucked me out of the kitchen before the pizza was cooked. I think I annoyed them by putting my camera in their face. Whoops! You’ll have to check back at a later date for an image of the Organic Primavera Lilley in all its cooked glory. Hopefully they’ll be some cooked pizza on my desk by 11am. I’m going to set my watch by it...

Peace. Love. Pizza.

What on Earth

NEW PIZZA! What on Earth springs to the rescue on this not so dull Friday

2011-05-06T02:24:00.000-07:00

After three short weeks at work and two looooong weekends full of sunshine, it is clear to see that this coming weekend, in all its boring two day normalness, could be something of a letdown (unless of course you're going to see Barry Manilow like I am!) I know what you're thinking...this time last Friday you were toasting Kate and Wills and enjoying all the Royal Wedding antics; the Friday before you were basking in the sun and preparing to consume your body weight in Easter eggs. Today? You're sat at your computer, wasting time and counting down the hours until you can leave the office. Correct?! Well, fear not food fans for What on Earth has got just the news to give your weekend the warm and doughy glow you need. NEW ORGANIC PIZZA!

That's right, we at What on Earth are ecstatic to announce the arrival of our brand new, limited edition pizza - the Organic Primavera Lilley. And boy, are we excited about hearing your thoughts on how delicious it is. Topped with sumptuous delights such as goats cheese, spinach, pine nuts, onions and our very own homemade pesto, the new Organic Primavera Lilley is perfect for the spring season.

We don't just have our amazing chefs and product developers to thank for this tasty new pizza either. We can also proffer our gratitude to Ruth Lilley. Ruth is the winner of the competition we ran with our friends at Abel and Cole recently, in which entrants had to come up with a new pizza topping and name. Ruth's suggestion had our mouths watering so we ran down to the kitchen straight away to throw all the ingredients together - and are we glad that we did! The result was an organic dream come true and we can't get enough of our new pizza. In fact somebody in the office is cooking one right now, just in time for elevenses.

Our new pizza is launching today and will be available to buy from Abel and Cole next week. So, don't hang around, get out there and purchase our Organic Primavera Lilley...it'll put a spring in your step! Oh and don't forget to shout out your thanks to Ruth Lilley - extra loud as well please, we want to hear you down here in Battersea.

Peace, love and pizza

What on Earth

Hey look what are friends at Abel and Cole are up to!

2011-03-11T04:51:00.000-08:00

Free pizza!

Posted on 10 March 2011

Our friends at What on Earth, who make our organic pizzas, are a brilliant bunch, and generous too. They’ve asked for your help to come up with your very own pizza topping and name it. They’ll make it and we’ll give you some free, then sell it on our website for everyone else to tuck into. See our Facebook page for more details.

We like a laugh here at Abel & Cole but if free pizza is involved, we take things pretty seriously. Thank goodness for the What on Earth team then, who’ve put together this handy guide to making a tip top topping.

What on Earth’s tips for the perfect pizza

With well over a decade of pizza-making experience, we like to think we know our dough from our onions, which is why we’ve thought up a few handy hints to help you design your ultimate pizza. We’ve used all manner of toppings in our time, but we’ve always steered clear of preservatives, additives and pesticides. Nothing involving Brussels sprouts has ever made it past our taste-testers either.

For this competition, we’d love to see you make the most of seasonal ingredients; after all, it’s a limited edition pizza and spring only lasts for so long. Loads of foods enter their prime at this time of year, and we don’t just mean Easter eggs.

One other important tip to help you with your creation: our handthrown pizza bases are known for being authentically thin and crispy, so if you choose too many different toppings they’re likely to turn floppy. For an easy-to-eat slice, stick to two or three key spring-gredients (did you see what we did there?) rather than piling them high.

Apart from that, we reckon you should let your imagination run wild: if you want it on your pizza, we’ll whack on our wellies and track down an organic version for you. And if you need a little extra inspiration, try munching on one of our other pizzas while you’re thinking – it always works for us!

Peace, love and pizza,

The What on Earth Team

Best of luck to everyone, and don’t forget to hop on over to our Facebook page for more info and to enter your topping.

To tell us your Spring pizza topping idea leave a comment underneath the big photo in this photo album by Friday 1^st April, then hope that people vote for yours! We’ll be looking for the one with the most votes, but may need to apply some seasonality and commonsense sway to decide the final winner.

The winner will be able to name their limited edition pizza, and will be sent a batch hot off the press. Three runners up will also get a batch of What on Earth goodies.

Copywriter/Marketing Assistant Wanted

2011-03-01T00:20:00.001-08:00

Have you got a way with words? Do you know anything about marketing and PR? Are you wondering where we’re going with this? Well, wonder no more, because What on Earth are looking for a new Copywriter and/or Marketing Assistant.

We need someone to tell the world about our gorgeous GMO-free pizzas, cakes and cooking ingredients, someone with a working knowledge of social media and an interest in marketing and PR. We’re not entirely sure what we’re looking for yet, but we’ll know when we’ve found you: as long as you can capture our tone and get excited about organic food, then we’d be pleased to meet you.

Both the hours and the salary of this role have yet to be confirmed – it really just depends on what we can offer each other. If you’ve got a good eye for grammar, a flair for communication and the enthusiasm to make this role your own, please send your CV and little bit about yourself to hello@whatonearth.co.uk

RESOLUTION ROUND-UP

2011-01-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

We haven’t made many new year’s resolutions here at What on Earth HQ because even though we’re trying to change the world in our own small way, we don’t have quite the same drive when it comes to ourselves. We considered committing to a daily team jog around Battersea Park, then we gave in and admitted we’d probably only make it to the café round the corner. Most inspirational is our Chief of Selling Stuff, who has decided to boost her iron levels for 2011. She's eating loads of tasty Crazy Jack Organic apricots, which are a good source of the mineral – although she often ends up snacking on iron-rich dark chocolate too! If you’re the type of person who wants to meet their goals without giving up the things they love, then we’ve got a few suggestions for you.

Nobody would want to cut down on pizza – it’s just so quick and delicious – but if you’re trying to eat less refined white wheat flour, you might see no other choice. Fortunately, our wondrous range of spelt pizzas can sort out your diet dilemma. Spelt is one of our superstar ingredients: a fabulous yeast-free, biodynamic product that delivers nutrients by the bucket load. Grown for thousands of years, it contains less gluten that conventional modern wheat, making it easier to digest. And, as if that wasn’t enough, we also produce a goats cheese and red pepper spelt pizza that’s completely free from cows milk, so you can give yourself a double pat on the back. Actually, if we’d thought about how easy it would be to shake up our diet for the new year, we might have made a few more resolutions of our own…

ORGANISING AN ORGANIC CHRISTMAS

2010-12-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

Our advent calendars tell us that Christmas is getting closer all the time and here at What on Earth we’re rushed off our (slightly frozen) feet, but we’ve decided to take moment to hand on some seasonal shopping tips. We know from experience that organising an organic Christmas usually takes a bit more work than nipping to your local supermarket, so here are a few of our festive favourites.

First up is Garlands Organic, whose shop is set in a pretty place called Pangbourne. But even though the village looks like a real-live Christmas card when the snow falls, we’re not suggesting that you have to head out there in person – you can buy from Garlands' range online, including luxury mincemeat for making your own additive-free pies. Tasty, plus baking is a great way to stop kids from being bored in the long, long Christmas holidays.

If you’ve got a house full of hungry youngsters, we’d recommend stocking up on a few packs of our children’s pizzas for fuss-free lunches. You can order them through another of our top shopping picks, Abel & Cole, who also sell some of our most Christmassy desserts: Chocolate Yule Log Cake and Baked Orange & Vodka Cheesecake. Can’t decide between the two? Have both, that’s what the festive season is all about…

Finally, for anyone who hasn’t had time to even think about buying Christmas gifts yet, fear not: we have the perfect solution. And don’t worry, our bright idea isn’t frozen pizzas for everybody (we tried that one year but they’re quite hard to wrap, and because they’re free from preservatives they didn’t last long under the tree). When we eventually manage to dash away and do some spending, we’ll be heading straight to the new Willow Organic shop in Chelsea to get our hands on some posh pressies. With lovely touchy-feely silk packaging that is biodegradable and recyclable, these beauty products are ideal for eco-conscious other-halves and they get a big festive thumbs-up from us. Enjoy!

WHAT ON EARTH’S OVERSEAS ADVENTURE

2010-11-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

The What on Earth team came over all continental this month when we popped across to Paris for SIAL, the international food fair. After beginning our trip at silly o’clock in the morning, our Chief of Buying Stuff thought he was still dreaming when he found himself enjoying a complimentary in-flight sandwich instead of being sold scratchcards – he’s usually more of a budget airline man! But before you think our trip was just an excuse for a luxurious mini-break, we’ll have you know that we went to France on a mission: to seek out the best new organic products for you (hoorah!). Naturally, there was a lot of sampling involved – all in the name of research of course – and we were lucky enough to try caviar, pig’s trotter and Latvian pickled fish, as well as a whole host of coffees, sweets and chocolates. It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to do it! We found some exciting new suppliers and also had a chance to catch up with our existing ones, chinwagging about future projects over a beer and a cheesy biscuit. So good to have so many passionate foodies in one place – with no pesticides or additives to spoil the mood!

PEACE.LOVE.PIZZA HITS WAR AND PEACE

2010-07-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

The What on Earth pizza wagon (with the What on Earth Cheesecake side show) is spending the week at the War and Peace show in Paddock wood, Kent (www.thewarandpeaceshow.com). If you have never heard of it, as we hadn't, it is a vast collective of (now obsolete) military might. There are more vintage military vehicle then you could shake a Tommy gun at, next to fields of funny hats and old radios...It is an awesome display of about 120,000 peoples devotion to their hobbies. We thought a little bit of Peace. Love and Pizza wouldn't go amiss!

If you are up for it the show is on until Sunday 25 July and the pizza van is next to the main bar (well where else would it be...?!)

What on Earth at Glastonbury

2010-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

June came (and went very quickly) which means both Wimbledon and Glastonbury...both normally synonymous with lots of rain and lots of mud! This year our Pizza Wagon set up stall to spread peace, love and pizza at the UK’s largest music festival. We were in the Shangri-La area, an imaginary earthly paradise (according to the dictionary) but actually the finest, wildest display of fabulous crazy designs, stage sets and people. Our organic pizzas and cheesecakes thrilled the throngs of sun drenched revellers. It was the perfect opportunity for our band of renegade (multi cultural) crew to enjoy the sun, fun and music. They also got to explore the amazing world that is the Glastonbury festival; the stages, the extraordinarily diverse foods and plenty of otherworldly sites, including some unbelievable art!
Surprisingly (...or not), our organic cheesecakes rocked! They people were seduced by the beautiful flavours: chocolate, lemon, blueberry and raspberry...all handmade in Somerset and served very cold.....a fabulous antidote to one of the hottest weeks of the year. Our pizza, an old favourite at festivals, were gobbled up by many somewhat wobbly party goers (the van was open very late to aid those in need). For the What on Earth crew it was truly an amazing experience and judging by our sales the same was true for all of the happy punters!

2010-03-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

It's a funny old world...I went to France this week to meet a supplier of ours. He's a brilliant man who runs a juice company. All the waste water from his factory is passed through reed beds and piped to his livestock and all the fruit pulp from the juices is dried in the Provencal sun and again given to his livestock. He is as sustainable a business as you could imagine. Sadly, he is also a professor of doom. He is convinced that the world is falling apart. That greed has finally got the better of us and there is no way back..thank you very much you bankers! (his words!). I stood my ground and told him about something I saw just the day before. I explained.... when you think there is no hope...when you edge towards the realisation that we may all be doing our bit but actually we're not really going to achieve anything...YOU'RE WRONG! And boy how wrong you would be.... to doubt that anybody cares about whether or not we turn off our lights (more about that in a minute), or care about how we travel (more about that to, in a minute) or indeed just generally care about the whole global warming issue, is remiss.We had the opportunity to see the future in action. My colleague, Bart and I were invited to be part of a 'program of sustainability' workshop at Quinton Kynaston school in St Johns Wood. Sounds posh, St Johns Wood but actually it is a huge inner city school with an amazing diversity of students and abilities. We were in the presence of some 'Sustainable' luminaries from Price Waterhouse and university students as well as other eco minded businesses. The plan was to mentor a group of 14/15 year old students (10 in a team) who had to devise a sustainable/eco business, give it a name, logo, write a plan and then pitch the idea to a group of judges. A huge ask of any group of people! Once the ear flicking and pen nicking had finished we got down to work.
Ali, thought about eco tourism and the connection to a school in Kenya...Heartfelt and brilliant but expensive to set up and maintain. I suggested collecting metal waste around the school and other schools..just to throw an idea in. Luke said "whenever I walk past the school at night, the lights are all on...No one remembers to turn everything off. Can't we put a switch in each room that will turn off all the lights and standby buttons on the computers?" On one level, not very visionary you might think. Surely it's been done before. I beg to differ. This wastefullness was something that annoyed Luke and this was the forum for him to do something about it. I think this was a genius observation...an instant means of income (by way of savings) for the school, an instant reduction in carbon footprint, an instant step towards sustainability, an instant pat on the back for that man and his idea! But it continued....'we could supply other schools and all those office buildings and all the parents, they'll all want to save money!'. We were definitely on to something. So now we had to think of a name and a logo. Alana sitting quietly (more or less)doodling away and BHAMM! the logo. Just like that, off the top of her head.. and another genius revealed! The 'marketing team' got busy writing their presentation. 'You have a choice to change' was the message 'and one click is all it takes'. The whole team pulled it together....I don't know what the collective term for a group of geniuses is but this was it! We had a very lively, heated and passionate few hours pulling this thing together. Unfortunately, for me, I had to leave at this point and the team prepared themselves for the presentation to the judges.
I came away from that day feeling incredibly uplifted by the experience and by the enthusiasm of the 14 and 15 year olds (who could have not bothered and mucked around instead). And also by their understanding of the need to alter the way in which we consume. I hope all schools do this sort of thing because it is invaluable and brilliant for both the students and for those of us who are busy running businesses and forget that the connection to the future is right behind us. So a big thanks to Hannah and her team and to QK and especially to team 11...'Switch' ... who incidentally won Best Business Champion (up against lots of other brilliant ideas).
I hope they don't mind me putting their names here but I thought a weenie bit of recognition from us could do no harm! Well done chaps...I am brimming with pride!

AND ANOTHER THING........

2010-03-05T05:41:00.000-08:00

When we started our organic food business, nearly 12 years ago, people either said we were mad -"nobody will buy organic food all covered in mud and grown by smelly hippies"- or that we were climbing on a bandwagon -"you just want to overcharge people, tell them they're not cool if they don't buy organic food, live in Notting Hill 'Village' or call their children Willow or Skye"-. What we were really trying to do was say we think we can make simple, honest food, bereft of chemical additives and yukiness for a reasonable price. We were never going to compete with a mass market supermarket pizza full of hydrogenated fats and stuff with weird sciencey names, for 7p, so we make all of our foods in small batches, by hand with a healthy degree of care and attention. Those 12 years are now behind us and we must be doing something right 'cos we're still here, winning awards and accolades and selling our pizza for exactly the same price as when we started. Only now we also make other organic lovelinesses including; soup, pasta sauces and some dizzyingly wonderful organic cheesecakes. Have a look at www.whatonearth.co.uk if you want to see some nice pictures of what we do.
And if you want to talk to mad bandwagon hoppers then drop us a line hello@whatonearth.co.uk .

Saving the planet ...one pizza at a time

2010-01-29T04:50:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to see people making an effort to get their own personal attempt to save the planet noticed. A fine example is a chap, Mark Boyle, from Bristol, living without cash for a year, in a caravan. He is living on grown, foraged or scrap food, working as a volunteer and generally being a jolly nice chap. This is lovely and very commendable (if that's the way you want to go) though some commentators have raised the comparison to the life travellers/gypsies have lead for centuries. So, I guess the big question is ; what should one do and how should one do it? We as individuals can all try and do our bit with recycling, turning off the TV at night, shorten your showering time etc etc but it just feels so sad when corporate world does not join in with equal gusto. There is the argument that China has turned itself into one massive coal burning furnace, with smog so dense that people need to constantly squint to see where they are going. So what is the point in only boiling one cup of water at a time when all of your good work is being effectively negated elsewhere. We can only believe that the 'force of one' will become the 'force of many', so long as the message to do your bit gets passed on by like minded and willing folk. At What on Earth we feel that we are doing our bit by making organic food and running an 'eco as realistically possible' business...Please do your bit and let us know if we can help (hello@whatonearth.co.uk)
Also, next time you're in a supermarket.....have a word (see link below)!http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2009/oct/01/greenwash-supermarkets-fridges

SNOW, SUN AND STUFF.....

2010-01-15T03:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a bizarre bit of weather that was! Our team of jolly drivers managed to fight their way through snow drifts and freezing temperatures to make sure that our customers got their orders. So now the snow is on the melt we can start the new year in earnest. We had a nice busy year last year and have some great new projects on the go for this year including some new desserts... (more about that as it happens!). The desire for good quality food seems to be unashamedly bashing this recession on the head!
Apparently our beautiful organic cheesecakes are also getting noticed further afield. We are off to Dubai to show a potential distributor our range of award winning frozen organic pizzas and organic cheesecakes. We are very excited about going and hope to get in a bit of sand surfing or maybe a bit of base jumping from that new big building.
Nearer home, selling our stuff online direct to our public has always been a bit of a struggle as we make so many different products...well the answer is now with us. Starting with pizza (soon to be joined by kiddies pizza and cakes) you can get them from www.goodnessdirect.co.uk and if you're quick you might even win some freebies!
Well, here's to a great year to you all and we at What on Earth hope that all your New Years resolutions are still intact and we promise to keep at least one of ours going....to blog more!

Boy... we're really a bit rubbish at keeping this updated!

2009-11-26T05:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay What on Earth fans and followers... We must apologise for how absolutely rubbish we are at staying on top of this new online presence we've created for ourselves. Rest assured that any time we're not online updating this, we're toiling in the office or kitchen creating, perfecting and selling the products you love so much!

Last time we mentioned the lovely new branding on our range of scrumptious cakes... Have a looksee here:

http://lovelypackage.com/what-on-earth/

They are indeed lovely packages, don't you agree? If the sight of them is telling you to nip out and buy some cheesecake, please ensure you treat your tastebuds to nothing but the best in organic sweetness. Contact us for stockists!

We also promised all the gossip on our trip to the Anuga food show... Well, the highlight of the trip was when our beloved FD burned his feet, attempting to dry them with a hotel hairdryer! Seriously though, it was great to spend some time in Cologne and introduce our products to such a huge number of European and international contacts...

Now, What on Earth has done a lot of growing up this year... And we've finally reached a point where we can't close our office for a nice week-long holiday over Christmas. We're not going to be delivering to all our customers, but there will be a dedicated skeleton staff in for most of the period, so accounts queries and issues can be sorted out at any time.

And I, your humble blogger, promise to be back with more business-related chatter before the festive season kicks off for good...

Yours in delicious organics!

2009-09-10T03:11:00.000-07:00

We've been so busy here at What on Earth, we've barely had a chance to flex our blogging fingers and get some words down recently...

Our fantastic new WOE brand cake packaging is finally at the printers, after what proved to be a long and arduous job translating ingredients into 6 alternative languages... Yes, it's true! What on Earth's scrumptious dessert range is going international. We just know they'll become as loved on the continent as they are back at home in the UK. Keep your eyes peeled for the new designs, the first person to get in touch with us after spotting them might just be in line for a freebie or two...

We're also slowly recovering from a frantic weekend at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair. There's nothing like standing back and watching industry giants stuff their faces with delicious organic products. We think we made some good contacts, but who could tell with all those mouths full of cake? In any case our staff loved visiting the fair and our office is currently overrun with samples and treats. Boy, it's a hard life working for an organic food company!

Another show we will soon be attending is Anuga in Cologne (10 - 14 October 09). Billing itself as the "World's most important food and beverage trade fair", we think it's the perfect place to make ourselves known to our European neighbours. There will be more info on this trip next month, including a run-down on all the mischief the WOE Team got up to while in Germany.

As the weather turns a wee bit chilly (it's still summer, it's still summer... repeat the mantra!), our thoughts here turn to all things soup. Anyone who's tasted our range will know we produce the best in handmade, organic, vegan soupy deliciousness! Ilze, our techie-genius here, is currently working on getting these out as retail products, but in the interim you are welcome to buy a 4L tub (perfect for an Autumn evening or six).

On a final note, Bron, the evil WOE HR overlord, is currently looking for amazing kitchen-gods & -goddesses to join our team before the Winter rush begins. Please email her on bronwen@whatonearth.co.uk if you know anyone who would like to join the fun here at What on Earth!

2009-08-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

Although we are (fairly) famous for our award winning organic pizza we are hoping to become equally famous for our organic cheesecakes. We are busy making their boxes look beautiful and will be launching into the shops in September. Health(ish) indulgence. We will keep you posted about the definitive launch date.

The things we do........

2009-08-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

It's funny growing up..as a business I mean. We have to adhere to standards of hygiene (not a bad thing!), standards of safety (not a bad thing either) and standards of filling in mountains of paperwork that involve the minutiae of everybody's working hours (not a bad thing again but tedious and time consuming). We have to say with a sense of deep pride that we have, as a result of growing up, in the last few months, achieved SALSA, BRC and passed both OF&G and Soil Association inspections. To top it off, and without the wish to sound boastful, 2 of our chaps have passed HACCP level 3 Examinations. This is good because it means that our customers now have the assurance that we can do the right job right......meaning we know how to make food in a safe and secure environment.....Bring on the next challenge...!

FSA report

2009-07-30T03:05:00.000-07:00

Now, we maintain that we are not the kind of people to run naked around nuclear power stations or swim beside oil tankers but we do believe that people have a choice. This is where organic food comes into it. There is no argument that growing food at a natural rate, with no pesticides or growth enhancers, will provide food with a better natural flavour..... In vegetables the natural sugars will develop better and give that richer flavour we crave. It is your choice to buy into the belief that you will be doing better for you and the environment by buying organic. The FSA report states:

Gill Fine, FSA Director of Consumer Choice and Dietary Health, said: ‘Ensuring people have accurate information is absolutely essential in allowing us all to make informed choices about the food we eat. This study does not mean that people should not eat organic food. What it shows is that there is little, if any, nutritional difference between organic and conventionally produced food and that there is no evidence of additional health benefits from eating organic food.

Of course this does not highlight any detrimental health effects that may be present from convention factory farmed foods...

The answer is to read what you can, inform yourself to the best of your ability and make the choices that suit you.....

Wombles sighted outside What on Earth central!

2009-07-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

Urgent news bulletin!

Wombles have been sighted outside What on Earth central. It appears they were attracted by the empty chopped tomato tins left over from pizza sauce production. Site security chased down the apparent miscreants, but let the grey-furred do-gooders off when they gave an improntu performance of, "Remember You're a Womble," complete with tomato tin-based percussion.

Grateful What on Earth staffers shared some fresh pizza with the wombles, before they departed to go back to Wimbledon

A little introduction on What on Earth is happening...

2009-07-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

Here at ‘What on Earth’ we have finally worked out how to drag ourselves into the 21st century .....So we have set up a blog (also a twitter account: http://twitter.com/WhatOnEarth2009) thus enabling all of our loyal customers (and many new customers) to read all about ‘What on Earth’, who we are and what we are about. You will hear about our new products and the general happening in the ever evolving business that is ‘What on Earth’. We hope you enjoy our frequent blogs and we are always interested in any new ideas that you may have.... however crazy they may seem. At the moment we are trying very hard, to save the planet. We have done shouting at politicians (to no avail), throwing things at politicians (not recommended....fun but not fruitful and full of danger) and all becoming hat wearers in the winter. These tactics are not proving very sustainable and, to be honest, the novelty has quickly worn off. We have one burning question for you... If your job title was ‘Boss of the World’ how would you change things (with a degree of urgency) in order to save the planet? We have our own ideas but sadly making everyone eat organic pizza is not the most realistic way forward, though we feel sure it will help a bit. We would really appreciate your answers and help! Actually, we have another question... We pride ourselves on having a close (and loving) relationship with our customers and as such would like to know...Do you have any new pizza flavours, pasta sauces or indeed any organic products you would like to see on the shelves, wearing What on Earth colours...?

‘What on Earth’ is a small organic food company based in Battersea, London. It began life in 1999 with the mission of creating wonderful organic pizza, untouched by mad scientists and bereft of preservatives (a fresh pizza shouldn’t be able to sit on a supermarket shelf for 3 weeks..!), colourings (cheese should be cheese coloured and not bright yellow..!) or additives (sweet tomatoes should be tomato sweet from the sun and not sugar sweet from sugar..!). We are a very inventive little company and are constantly developing new products inspired by the continual explosion of culinary brilliance that we see forever occurring in London and, whilst on our quest for great ingredients, from around the world. We like to work directly with our customers....There is no ‘middle-man’, or any automated call centres, where the only human you talk to is yourself. We are here (all in our cosy office in Battersea) to listen to your calls, ideas, and your (extremely rare) complaints. By listening to you, our customers, we were persuaded to revive our organic Pasta sauce range...this time it’s bigger, better and better value!

‘What on Earth’ has grown over the years and as well as our lovely organic pizza, pasta and ready meals we now make the most fabulous organic cheesecakes. We have tried very hard to stick to our mission and still believe in the organic principles of food production. We use only organic ingredients in our organic food range. We believe organic food brings a lot of positives! It is free from artificial preservatives and additives (which can only be healthier for you) and is much kinder to the environment.

We are fond of making things easier for our customers. This is why we make great convenient, organic food that can be bought (at a very fair price), taken home (preferably in a recycled bag), cooked (in a conveniently short time) and served to the hungry ones (who could naturally assume that you made it all yourself!). So, be it pizza, organic pasta sauces that can be easily added to our pasta for an unbelievable, cheap, healthy and quick meal, or even mouth watering cheesecake, you can be assured that not only are you eating healthier food but you are also doing your bit to help!

There is the argument that the environment is in a bad way and really what can one person do? Well the answer, we believe, is a lot. By supporting small businesses that care (we don’t expressly mean us) you can help maintain a level of awareness. And by contributing to our blog you can help raise our and other peoples continued awareness. This fits in nicely with our mission to educate the palate and mind...

Let the blogging begin....

Thank you,

The What on Earth Team