Eynsham - foodie village

Emporium brings variety to the village

The village of Eynsham may not boast quite as many specialist food outlets as the famously well-supplied Ludlow in Shropshire, but it’s well on the way to becoming a magnet for foodies looking for quality ingredients and the kitchen equipment required to prepare gourmet meals. Last year saw the opening of Sandy Hellig's Cornucopia Delicatessen in the High Street, opposite Richard Golsby's family butchers.

This year — this week actually — saw the launch of the Eynsham Emporium, with its coffee shop, flowers, gifts and, most importantly, its innovative 'COOKSshop’ overflowing with gleaming kitchenware, cookery books and chef s tools.

The Eynsham Emporium is the brainchild of local resident Corin Willett, who describes herself as a foodie who loves making things.

Because her background includes working with engineers and designers, she admits to having a rather scientific approach to what's needed in a well-equipped kitchen. She certainly loves well-designed gadgets, particularly those that provide an easy way to produce something impressive.

The creation of The Eynsham Emporium was part of a serendipitous chain of events that began when Corin met Sheila Quinn, a qualified florist during an IT course. It didn't take them long to realise that their two business ideas — a flower shop and a cookshop — would marry together very nicely, especially if they could find suitable premises in a thriving village like Eynsham. They have used the name Emporium because it isn't just a cook’s shop and a florist’s — it’s four business areas assembled under one roof, which all blend together perfectly.

Corin believes that kitchen equipment is often an expression of our love for our families and our homes. "It s become a lifestyle area — we are allowed to enjoy it, to introduce humour and fun into it. Cookware now has a strong design element and uses materials from other industries, like wonderfully grippy oven gloves that feel like a wetsuit or silicone that does the opposite and practically ejects the bun from its mould. The epiphany comes when the tool you buy works so well you wonder how you managed without it." Apart from gadgets, Corin is stocking knives and tools that will appeal to professional chefs. There are even a few starched white chef’s hats.

She has also recognised that cooking involves manual jobs that get harder as we age. "The industry has come up with openers, grippers and a variety of helpers that have made life in the kitchen so much easier for those suffering from arthritis. These include terrific can openers with an easy mechanism, little chopping boards that go into the dishwasher, and bottle-openers and grips that help twist the top off bottles. There are some superb potato peelers designed for ease of use too."

Now that people are beginning to bake cakes again, thanks to the many new books filled with recipes that are flooding the market, Corin is also stocking some fabulous cake tins.

"Baking really is on the increase throughout all age groups. Many will know a good cake tin when they see it, but they may not have met silicone yet. This is now becoming more popular than metal in France where they certainly know a thing or two about gateaux and patisserie. When established cooks give silicone kitchenware a go they will never want to use anything else."

While the stock of any cookware shop will include the serious tools such as knives mandolins and pestle and mortars, each Christmas new gadgets hit the market. This year it’s the popular television chef Jamie Oliver who is promoting a new product. It’s a flavour-shaker, designed to crush, grind, mix, puree, blend and release flavour from whole spices, herbs, garlic, and nuts.

It looks rather like one of those old-fashioned Russian dolls — even to the point of splitting into two halves. The bottom half does the crushing and the top end processes the contents more finely. Given everything it is supposed to be able to do, the manufacturers describe it as today's smart invention designed to fit perfectly into the 21st-century kitchen. Corin has yet to be convinced, but naturally she will stock it.

On Saturdays, organic vegetables will be on sale — home-made cakes too. Corin is convinced that the organic produce will provide foodies with extra motivation for visiting Eynsham. "Our geographic position, midway between Oxford and Witney, is important — it s a natural place to stop and shop."

The Eynsham Emporium was originally a stone barn, then it became a bank. When Barclays moved on, it fell into disrepair and remained empty for more than ten years.

The COOKSshop occupies two different spaces. There’s an Aladdin’s cave-style COOKSshop in the old vaults, where bakeware, white china and chopping boards line the walls. A more contemporary designer-led display takes up much of the main area.

Butcher Richard Golsby, who sources much of his meat locally, is delighted that the Emporium is open. He sees it as another step towards encouraging people to think more seriously about the food they eat. Sandy Hellig, from Cornucopia Delicatessen, is equally delighted.

She, too, believes it will help put Eynsham even more firmly on the foodie map.