CARL JONES meets a well-travelled entrepreneur who is cooking up a tasty new business venture
The babbling Rea Brook on the outskirts of Shrewsbury is certainly a far cry from the fast-paced world of musical theatre and drama in New York.
But for well-travelled food and drink entrepreneur Linda Miller, it’s become her very special taste of home.
She fell in love with Shropshire during a day trip a couple of years ago, and when a plot of land became available in Hanwood, she snapped it up to build her family’s dream home.
It’s now home to The Great Catering Company, which offers external catering, private dining experiences, and a ‘supper club’ to gather around a shared table with fellow food lovers.
“We were on our way to Wales for a trip, stopped for a day in Shrewsbury and we just totally fell in love with it, because what's not to love?” Linda explains.
“It's such a beautiful place – the people are lovely, the town is gorgeous, and it’s buzzing; there's always something going on.
“And then we saw this amazing piece of land and property and within a week we bid on it at auction and bought it, which was a bit crazy spontaneous.”
Although Linda’s journey with food began more than 30 years ago, she has taken the opportunity to diversify her previous business since relocating to the county.
“It's slightly different. Before now, I've always just run a catering business, basically just doing outside catering, of cheffing for anyone that needed a birthday party, wedding, anything like that.
“But after building this really rather spectacular house – designed by my husband – which we are so proud of and love so much, and it's such an amazing entertaining space that I've added two new sections to my business.
“One is called the Meadowsweet Supper Club after the name of our house, and the other is At Home With The Great Catering Company.
“The supper club is basically a chance for people to come and sit around a communal table in our house and make new friends – you can come on your own, with a friend or in a group, and be fed by me and hosted by me, have drinks on the deck, and a lovely meal,
“The Great Catering Company is also based around being at my house but on this particular occasion, it's about booking it privately for up to 10 people seated around the table or up to 20 buffet.
“We’ve got a bar with a dartboard and a roulette table – a real man cave – and you will have a professional waiter serving a menu agreed with you.”
Since she’s cooking as part of her day-to-day business activities, what does Linda do to wind down?
“Actually, I really love cooking. It always calms me, and I love trying new things. But we also love going out to eat and the whole local area is fantastic for foodie people.”
As far as future planning goes, Linda hopes the supper club (which is currently being held once a month) takes off.
“It's taken me all this time to build the kitchen of my dreams and I absolutely love it, so I absolutely do want to use it.”
Although Linda has worked in top-level catering for many years, that was not her original career choice.
“I am a trained singer,” she reveals. “I went to drama school in New York, to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and I actually remember ringing my mother at some point when I was about 18, asking her how to make roast potatoes! I had no idea how to cook back then.
“Coming back to the UK, it was when I was a ‘resting’ actress – as you often are in that business – that a friend told me how I could earn some extra money by working for a caterer.
“I went along, spent a few years cooking and waitressing and working for this lady, and I realised that I had a real palette for it, and enjoyed it.
“I’ve worked as a waitress, barista, deli server, kitchen assistant, sous chef, assistant restaurant manager, and front-of-house hospitality lead. In every role, I watched, learned, sharpened my skills… and quietly made plans. I've never had a cookery lesson – I’m entirely self-taught.”
Linda’s other love is music. She originally sang with a trio performing Andrews Sisters-style numbers, before they were picked up by a big band run by conductor Ray McVeigh.
“We did three great big tours of Japan during those four years we were with him, and it was an incredible experience.
“But I was pregnant with my first child and didn’t want to be going away for weeks at a time, away from my children, so I decided to sort of put the whole thing on hold.
“That’s when I decided to start the cookery business because it was something I could do and still be at home to look after the kids. When they were old enough, though, I started singing again.”
Linda is now involved with Sticky Wicket and his Swing Orchestra, which is based in Bishop’s Castle.
“I love serving people and making people happy. Food does that and singing hopefully does that too.”
She says she has been delighted by the warm welcome that she and her family have received since settling in Shropshire.
“There’s no warmth like this when you’re down in London. Everyone is eyes down looking at a screen.
“We actually got married here in our garden at Hanwood, just before the old house was knocked down two years ago. And the majority of friends and family all came up from London for the weekend.
“Some of them spent time wandering the streets of Shrewsbury, and they came back here and said: ‘People are so friendly – they look at you, talk to you and smile at you’. They weren’t used to that. People from London just can't believe the difference.”
Linda says she appreciates it will take some time for The Great Catering Company to become established and well-known in the county – and she knows that growth will be driven by word-of-mouth recommendation.
“In our business, what people want is to hear what someone else has to say about you.
“For my part, I also need to get to know what the people of Shropshire might want, which might not be exactly what you were used to in other parts of the world.”
