Our green-fingered son Les and his wife Jen are living the Good Life.
You'll remember they brought me a basket of vegetables for Father's Day.
Over the last few weeks they have bombarded us with courgettes, onions, cabbages and many other vegetables from their allotment near Blackhall.
Today I decided to go and pay them a visit. It was more like farming than gardening.
So many varieties of potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes, peppers...
I once mentioned that one of my favourite vegetables was fennel. They decided to give them a try. They are some of the tastiest I have ever tasted. Check out the leaves on them.
Aubergines and gherkins are next.
Their noisy hens have also rewarded us with many delicious eggs.
A lot of allotted vegetables...
Krimo's Shortlisted Again...
In the wake of our win in the Hartlepool Business Awards back in May I was encouraged to enter the North East England Tourism Awards. (Taste of North East England)
I sent off my entry without really expecting to get anywhere. North East England encompasses a very wide area full of delightful eating places from the Scottish Borders to Yorkshire. I was really surprised when I received the letter announcing the good news.
But it really seems like a feeling of deja-vu. Just like in May when I honestly doubted that we would win, I once again do not feel very confident.
Restaurants are encouraged to use local ingredients and local suppliers to support the local economy.
We have used the same local butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers for most of our 24 years in business and have always trusted them to supply us with nothing but the best ingredients, which happen to be grown, reared or caught within the region.
Most days, our fishmonger, Hodgson of Whitby Street sends his boats past Krimo's out to the North Sea to net some of the best fish around, from cod to marckerel, langoustines to crabs.
The beef and lamb that go to make our delicious dishes are reared on local farms from the Scottish borders to North Yorkshire.
We will find out in September if we have won. If we do, then we will go to London to represent the North East next Spring.
Krimo's Walking on the Moon...
Forty years ago! When I was sixteen in 1969, I could never have imagined that I would live another forty years... Moi, fifty six? Never! That is totally ancient!
I saw the Moon landing by chance.
We did not have a telly and I had no idea that the Americans were heading for the big round of cheese in the sky. Our daily newspaper reported mainly on very mundane stuff. A cat stuck up a tree. The opening of a new shoe shop in town. Vietnam.
I came across the Moon landing by chance.
I came across the Moon landing by chance.
My mother woke us up at around 3am.
Not to watch the landing. No, no... A simple coincidence. We had to catch a coach at 5am to go to Collo a couple hundred miles away to spend a month's holiday at my uncle's.
Not to watch the landing. No, no... A simple coincidence. We had to catch a coach at 5am to go to Collo a couple hundred miles away to spend a month's holiday at my uncle's.
Excited, we all got up without a moan, had a cup of milky coffee and a chunk of buttered baguette with Mother's delicious quince jam. A quick wash and we headed for the station.
At 4am, the town was very quiet.
The only noises came from the cafés on the Square. Their owners were already busy furnishing their terraces with plastic tables and chairs.
The only noises came from the cafés on the Square. Their owners were already busy furnishing their terraces with plastic tables and chairs.
As we passed the last café before the station, my eye caught sight of the television above the counter. The black and white picture of Neil Armstrong taking big steps on the Moon.
I was truly moonstruck but my mother only allowed me to witness a few bounces before she dragged me away, threatening to leave me home with my Dad for another week. I left Neil Armstrong bouncing and followed my mother to the Med.
My Grandmother later laughed at my tale. "It's a lie! They would've been burnt alive! Just look at it glowing."
I was truly moonstruck but my mother only allowed me to witness a few bounces before she dragged me away, threatening to leave me home with my Dad for another week. I left Neil Armstrong bouncing and followed my mother to the Med.
My Grandmother later laughed at my tale. "It's a lie! They would've been burnt alive! Just look at it glowing."
The holiday was a dream but that morning has stayed with me ever since.
Portofino's Thanks...
We often get Thank You cards from customers who have enjoyed their visit to one of our restaurants, but this is a new one.
There was a retirement party at Portofino on Friday night. There were 33 guests.
They must have really enjoyed themselves because below is the card we have received, signed by all the members of the party.
As soon as I arrived at work, Nicole, the assistant-manager showed me it, full of pride for a job well done.
It is my turn to say: "Thank you for coming to our restaurant, enjoying both food and service and not only that, but making our staff totally proud of themselves by sending them this card!" 
Business Class...
I was invited to judge a Hartlepool schools competition which involved Expochef and six finalist teams. The kids had to research and then market a new food product. The offering ranged from fruity smoothies, fishcakes to stir-fries and healthy yoghurts.
The enthusiasm shown by the schoolchildren was infectious. All had meticulously researched the ingredients, the packaging and various forms of marketing.
I was one of a few chosen "dragons" whose arduous task was to choose the winning team after the presentation and a thorough "grilling".
The initiative was well supported by the town's Mayor, Stuart Drummond.
Krimo's Future Celebrity Chefs?
Every Spring and Summer, our 3 restaurants welcome a host of schoolchildren on work placement for one or two weeks. Every year, we seem to be getting more and more.
Most of our kitchen and restaurant staff are now used to catering for these young kids, eager to experience restaurant life first hand.
Whether they embark on a catering career or not, they will have at least got a taste of working in teams, performing under pressure, having a laugh, etc...Work experience usually means filing, cleaning or making tea among other boring things.
I gather that many of those placed with us tend to go home to show off the skills they have learnt. Making pizzas and pastas, from scratch!
I cannot begin to imagine how pleased their mothers would be at having to clean up the kitchen after them...
Krimo's Last Laugh...
This weekend, sunny Hartlepool played host to an amazing number of visitors from all over.
Parades, fancy-dressed entertainers, cookery demonstrations, fairground attractions, music and comedy shows, etc...
Hartlepool showed that, given the weather, it can be a very attractive town with lots to do.
The weekend finished with a comedy evening, headlined by Sean Lock.
Hartlepool Dockfest... A success!
Krimo's Web Designs...
In Spring 2008, I took a course in web design. Last month, I was invited to collect the certificate below. I could not make it though I wish I had, because the ceremony would have meant wearing a robe, hood and mortarboard.
So, I used my artistic licence to fit myself with a customised graduation dress.
Krimo's Beautiful Marina
On a fine evening Hartlepool Marina is absolutely gorgeous.
After a couple glasses of wine, many of our customers often say: "You could be anywhere. Puerto Banus, St Tropez...."
I say, I'm sure there will now be a couple sat on a Mediterranean bar terrace saying: "You know what, it feels exactly like...Hartlepool..."
Click on the photo to enlarge.
Krimo's Summer Madness...
When Krimo's was at Seaton Carew, I often took advantage of the rare warm Summer evenings to catch the last rays of sunshine. Just before the service, around 7pm, I sometimes sat a for a short while by the paddling pool across the road from the restaurant, facing the North sea and fantasizing it was the Mediterranean.
One warm Saturday night after a busy service, around 11.30, the whole kitchen team, all 5 of us headed for the beach. My second-chef aimed his Land Rover's headlights at the water and we all dived in, still wearing our chef's whites.
Even on the hottest August day, the North Sea is never clement and had it not been for our shared bravado, we would jumped right back out of the freezing water.
The current was so strong that the next time we looked back at the lit-up shore, we had drifted as far as the Staincliffe hotel, 500 yards away.
The highlight of that adventure came when a hungry seagull swooped on one of the commis-chefs and pecked him in the head maybe mistaking him for a juicy catch... He has never lived it down since.
I'll always remember that evening with fondness as it was the one and only time we were mad enough to take a midnight dip at Seaton.
Krimo's Father's Day Present...
The Longest Day. Father's Day. A warm day...
I got presents, cinema tickets, Amazon vouchers, chocolates, cards...
And a crateful of vegetables!!
Leslie brought me it from the allotment he tends in Blackhall.
Onions,
Potatoes,
Broad beans,
Radishes,
Cauliflower,
Cabbage,
Lollo Rosso,
Frisee lettuce,
Baby kale,
Pak Choi,
and he said he had forgotten the potted coriander and basil.
Absolutely priceless!
Krimo's proud to be a Poolie!
Over the last 15 years Hartlepool has been transformed into a fantastic town...
Judge for yourselves...
Krimo's magic mushrooms...
Mushrooms can be used in so many dishes from soups to stews, pastas to pizzas. I often wish I could go picking my own in nearby forests.
Two inconvenients: lack of time and lack of knowledge. I can imagine myself dying a slow death after enjoying a poisonous mushroom omelette.
The following video is quite useful in helping us choose from a few edible varieties.
The first time I tried Enoki mushrooms was in Spain where they called them Hedgehog Eggs... (Huevas de Erizo)
Being the inquisitive type, I wanted to know what these eggs looked and tasted like. I ordered them in a starter with scrambled eggs and discovered that in reality they were a variety of mushroom. I googled them the following day and found out they were widely used in Japan. Since then, I have enjoyed them raw in salads and sauteed in stir-fries.
Krimo's win the Hartlepool Business Awards...
Yep! We did it!
We were shortlisted in the Tourism and Leisure category with The York House Hotel and The Tavistock-Grand Hotel.
A great evening at the Borough Hall. Good food provided by our friends, Cleveland Caterers. Great company at our table among them, Deepdale Solutions.
Adam was at another table, invited by Keith Thomas and Censis Accountants.
After the meal, though he had lost his voice, John Megson of Hartlepool Forum, began announcing the nominees and winners.
Deepdale Solutions won two awards.
Then came our category, the Leisure and Tourism nominations.
Followed by the long wait for the announcement of the winner.
And finally, the realisation that we had won!
I was later told that we had got the loudest cheer of the evening. I did not hear a thing. Karen had said that she would not get up on stage with me. I just grabbed her hand and she followed. Colonel Bob Steward presented us with the award.
Formal photocall, then a couple of words with Chris Cordner of the Hartlepool Mail. And back to our table past congratulatory faces and handshakes.
We thought it was all over but later on in the evening we found out to our total surprise that we were nominated along two other firms for the Hartlepool Business of the Year.
Absolutely amazing!
Then came our category, the Leisure and Tourism nominations.
Followed by the long wait for the announcement of the winner.
And finally, the realisation that we had won!
I was later told that we had got the loudest cheer of the evening. I did not hear a thing. Karen had said that she would not get up on stage with me. I just grabbed her hand and she followed. Colonel Bob Steward presented us with the award.
Formal photocall, then a couple of words with Chris Cordner of the Hartlepool Mail. And back to our table past congratulatory faces and handshakes.
We thought it was all over but later on in the evening we found out to our total surprise that we were nominated along two other firms for the Hartlepool Business of the Year.
Absolutely amazing!
Krimo's Shortlisted for Business Awards
Twenty four years after we opened at Seaton Carew!
Actually, this is the first year for the new category of Tourism and Leisure at the awards.
I am very proud, chuffed, pleased, honoured... to have been shortlisted along two other businesses.
My friend, Daniel of the York House Hotel has also been shortlisted. We met last week at a PR and Marketing seminar and joked about our respective chances of winning. We both said that we'd be happy if the other won, but added that we each would like to win the Award on its first year. "May the best man win!" while crossing our fingers behind our backs.
We will find out on Thursday evening.
Krimo's Twenty Four...
May the Fourth be with you!
Another year ticks by...
Who would've thought twenty four years after Karen and I opened our little restaurant on Seaton Carew seafront on May 4th 1985 that Krimo's would still be going strong?
And according to a survey I conducted a couple of weeks ago it still is the place for special celebrations in Hartlepool?
I tell people we did it with £250 of our own money but it was less than that. It was actually £240! One week's wages and one week's holiday pay.
But all the credit goes to Bert Bryden, our bank manager who started the ball rolling. He gave us a personal loan to put down as a 10% deposit for our 90% building society mortgage to purchase the freehold property.
Bert knew Steve Adams, the building society manager and I had already cooked for him in a small restaurant in Peterlee. Between them they provided us with a 100% mortgage. They must either have had a lot of faith in us or lots of money to dish out. Was that the start of this current credit crunch?
In the three weeks before the Grand Opening, family and friends helped us scrub clean "Davy Jones’ Locker" as the restaurant had been known prior to closing down two years earlier. They painted, decorated, plastered, shopped, sewed, stitched...
Three weeks after opening, as the Saturdays began to be booked up well in advance, we felt so confident about the future that we organised a get-together with everyone that helped out, including Bert and Steve, to thank them for giving us the chance to take our life in our hands.
And, today, we are grateful to all the customers who have kept us going over the years, and allowed us to expand with a further two restaurants.
There is a saying in the motivational business guru's handbook which tells you to "fall in love with your customers". I guess our saga was love at first sight!
The rest is history...
Adam was 3½ when we opened. Nowadays, he runs Casa del Mar. The photo below was taken outside the original Krimo's in July 86 with his Parisian cousin, Mélissa...
Krimo's Tropical Casa...
Hawaiian shirts, Latino and Salsa sounds... The last Wednesday of every month at Casa del Mar.
Tropicana North East is a group of music lovers who play around... yes, you've guessed it, the North East. They meet up at Casa one a month to rehearse, exchange ideas and prepare from their forthcoming gigs.
Last Wednesday was the first time they had their new colourful Hawaiian shirts on. The odd one out at the back, the drummer arrived late and was left with a medium shirt which was a bit too snug.
I watched them play "Oye como va!"and dreamed of playing the bongos with them, the Santana way.
Do tapas taste better when one listens to this kind of music?
Yes, they do!
Krimo's Fast Food...
...Is not bad for you!
Fast food can be anything from an omelet to a grilled steak, a salad to a pasta...
One has to be organised and prepared.
A simple omelet will take less than one minute to cook. Getting the eggs out of the fridge, cracking them, whisking them and heating the frying pan is what takes time.
The same thing goes for a steak. If you like it medium-rare, it won't take longer than five minutes as long as the pan is hot and the olive oil smoking.
Just imagine a bowl of steamed mussels! Five minutes.
A mixed salad: Ten minutes!
A pasta: Twelve minutes!
A risotto: Twelve minutes!
Cajun chicken: Six minutes!
Fast food doesn't have to be burgers, fried chicken or fish and chips but even then, there is nothing at all wrong with these, as long as they are consumed in moderation.
So, next time you fancy some fast food, check out your fridge and larder...
You might rustle up something faster than your local takeaway will.
Hartlepool Marina Shines...
Saturday afternoon, Hartlepool Marina put on its best clothes for the benefit of the Sick Children Trust and showed how businesses can come together to help.
Christine Blakey worked very hard to ensure all the restaurants and cafés participated in this, hopefully first of many events on Navigation Point.
Each restaurants provided samples of dishes for the visitors to enjoy.
There was a lot of singing and dancing throughout the afternoon.
Krimo's Visitors Books...
As you all may know, we have visitors books in all our restaurants, requesting customers views on our food and service.
The great majority of the comments left in these books tend to be complimentary "Beautiful this, Gorgeous that...". Pleasant but seldom helpful.
But on very rare occasions the comments point out, in focused and constructive ways things we may have missed. These can be very valuable as they can usually help us look at ourselves and try and sharpen our operation.
In the case of Portofino's visitors books, they are mainly used by our younger patrons and the comments tend to be very graphic in both meanings of the term.
Who am I to argue with this?
How to fillet a seabass...
Nowadays, most fish among other things, comes gutted, cleaned and neatly packaged. It does save a lot of effort but every now and then, it is nice to see professionals at work.
With most people, it is the staring eyes that put them off cooking or ordering a whole fish. Around the Med, fish comes the way I like it, whole, unfilleted and really tasty.
Krimo's Royal Visitor...
...was really delighted with the yacht!
HRH Prince Philip, HMS Trincomalee Trust Patron visited Hartlepool on Friday 6th to inaugurate the new Trincomalee Exhibition.
He surveyed the latest stage of restoration, a tremendous deal of improvement since his last visit in 2000. He signed the visitors book and shook hands with us trustees.
Then took off again in his helicopter.
One hour in total.
Great media coverage, including TV to put the Trinc on the map.
Krimo's Longest Serving Member of Staff...
Heavenly Lydia Heavens has been with us 20 years!
Solid as a rock!
Two years ago, Pat, our longest serving member of staff at the time, left us after 21 years of service. Lydia took over at the helm of the porters section, organising shifts, looking after the stocks of washing up liquid, mops, scourers and keeping the kitchen and restaurant perfectly clean.
Lydia is not keen on retiring, and even though she is the proud grandmother to beautiful twins, whom she often babysits, she has decided to stay on and keep both mind and body busy.
I and everyone at Krimo's are very glad that Lydia is still with us...
Thanks, Lyd!
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