Meet The Team

Curious to know who’s behind Streatham Food Festival? Well, read on…

Pauline Milligan websitePauline Milligan, Festival Director
Organiser, communicator, occasional food blogger
@MilliganTweets

What is your favourite food experience in Streatham?
Last year’s Streatham Food Festival, of course! I loved the whole weekend; it was just amazing to share so many brilliant food experiences with friends, family and the wider community. I particularly enjoyed the waste food pop-up at The White Lion, the magical atmosphere at the Sunday Food Fair, and celebrating a successful weekend with lots of friends and family at the Sarah Moore supperclub. I can’t wait to do it all again in June.

What was your first or most notable food memory?
As a child, I would go with my family to a Greek bakery near Streatham Common and buy koulouri bread almost every Saturday. The loaves would never make it home in one piece! My little brother and I had a deal going where he would get the soft white centre while I devoured the delicious golden sesame seed crusts. I still love bread, it’s one food that I really couldn’t live without, and we’re so lucky to have a new sourdough bakery opening in Streatham just in time for this year’s festival.

What do you think is the perfect comfort food?
Fish pie always does it for me. The combination of fresh fish, fluffy mashed potato and lots of herby-cream sauce takes me to a very happy place.

We’d love to know your go-to recipe for entertaining? And what delicious drink would you serve with your feast?
This is a hard one! I love to try new recipes which isn’t always the best idea when entertaining. Generally, I like dishes that you can make in advance so I’m not too busy in the kitchen when friends arrive (although this rarely seems work out). There’s a chicken cassoulet recipe on our blog that I’ve made a few times for guests, it benefits from a long slow cook and creates a lovely smell in the flat – always good for entertaining. I normally serve it with a crisp white wine but if we’re talking about entertaining drinks, it’s got to be cocktails.

Ben Spencer SFFBen Spencer, Festival Event and Volunteer Manager
Event and project producer

What is your favourite food experience in Streatham?
The Mean Greens falafel I had at the food fair last year. I would say that, wouldn’t I!

What was your first or most notable food memory?
Pistachio ice cream. Every day. In Devon. I was about 6, I think

What do you think is the perfect comfort food?
Potato crisps. Ready salted. And no fancy crimping.

We’d love to know your go-to recipe for entertaining? And what delicious drink would you serve with your feast?
Polenta cheese straws. Put some polenta in a bowl. And some cheese. And some straw.

Anna Nolan_SFF_webAnna Nolan, Festival Social Media and Event Support
Voice over artist & social media manager
www.twitteranna.webs.com
@annapannalondon

What is your favourite food experience in Streatham?
I’ve lived in Streatham for 15 years and I go out to all our wonderful restaurants a lot! I do live right next door to Bravi Ragazzi though, so my family and I end up in there more often than I’d like to admit….! My kids love it and so do we. The pizzas are gorgeous and all the guys who run it always make us feel like family.

What was your first or most notable food memory?
My Dad was a bit of a wannabe chef, with a dream of opening up his own restaurant. He would go to our local farmers market after work and cook up a gourmet meal every single day of the week. I remember eating escargots in garlic butter as a very young child and loving it!

What do you think is the perfect comfort food?
Nothing beats really good bread (such as sourdough), toasted with butter and jam!

We’d love to know your go-to recipe for entertaining? And what delicious drink would you serve with your feast?
If I really want to impress guests, but not spend hours slaving away in the kitchen, I make my fish soup with tarragon and coriander. I have no idea who gave me the recipe, I’ve had it on a handwritten note for years, but it’s really simple to make and you can chuck any fish you like into it. Serve with fresh bread and a nice Pinot Grigio, et voilà!

Zoe Robinson_SFF_Tim Ridley_webZoe Robinson, Festival Copywriter
Journalist and founder of The Good Wardrobe
@zoerobinson1 

What is your favourite food experience in Streatham?
A few months ago, my husband and I had an impromptu cocktail at the Manor Arms – we had gone to celebrate something work-related and decided to stay for some food. We sat eating mezze and chips, washed down by delicious daiquiris. It was the first time we’d been since the new team took over. It wasn’t just about the food – the service was brilliant and it was the perfect way to celebrate.

What was your first or most notable food memory?
When I was at a friend’s house, aged around 4, whilst our Mums sat together chatting, we snuck to the fridge, got a packet of butter and a jar of jam, and ran out to the garden where we hid in their tent and ate it with our hands.

What do you think is the perfect comfort food?
Something potato-based. Probably mashed spuds or baked potato with beans and cheese.

We’d love to know your go-to recipe for entertaining? And what delicious drink would you serve with your feast?
In the summer probably lots of different mezze-style dishes served with Mojitos and when it’s cold a risotto. I am veggie so I would use vegetable stock and white wine, with butternut squash and blue cheese, and I would enjoy with a bottle of wine!

Kate Keara Pelen_SFF_webKate Keara Pelen, Festival Designer
Artist and designer
www.katekearapelen.net

What is your favourite food experience in Streatham?
Delicious food at Beyrouths’, great atmosphere at Pratts & Payne.

What was your first or most notable food memory?
My mum used to serve up instant noodles in beautiful Japanese ceramic bowls to make them seem fancier to us kids. They’re still one of my favourite foods when I’m feeling poorly!

What do you think is the perfect comfort food?
A delicious, nutritious, thick and bottomless bowl of piping-hot homemade soup.

We’d love to know your go-to recipe for entertaining? And what delicious drink would you serve with your feast?
For a simple, tasty meal cooked for friends, I love making sweet potato and red onion frittata. My former landlady was a wonderfully generous and intuitive Italian cook and would make this for us for Sunday brunch after a party – perfect hangover cure and absolutely delicious.

I do love a good wheat beer – I recently enjoyed drinking Edelweiss on a trip to Budapest.

Laura Yates_SFF_webLaura Yates, Festival Designer
Graphic designer
www.laurayates.co.uk

What is your favourite food experience in Streatham?
I’m not local and haven’t eaten in Streatham yet, but designing the programme has made my mouth water. Sadly I can’t make it to the festival this year as I’ll be abroad, though if I could only try one of the dishes on the food tour menu, it would be the goats cheese and beetroot tortellini at Nineteen.

What was your first or most notable food memory?
We had an apple tree and a blackberry bush in the garden when I was a child, so my mum’s apple and blackberry crumble every Autumn.

What do you think is the perfect comfort food?
Oven baked rice pudding, with the skin.

We’d love to know your go-to recipe for entertaining? And what delicious drink would you serve with your feast?
In winter, Nigel Slater’s basil and mushroom lasagne, eaten in front of the fire with a glass of red burgundy. In summer, bruschetta with ricotta, broad beans, mint and lemon zest, served with a Campari spritz.