Cod Cheeks and Loin

Loughbohemia is almost as far from the sea as you can get in Britain but every Thursday and Saturday the sea comes to town with the market and its fresh fish and seafood stalls.

her shopping bag drips

all the way home

cod cheeks and loin

Paul Conneally

Loughbohemia

May 2017

'LIKE FATHER LIKE'

'LIKE FATHER LIKE'

Paul Conneally

April 2017

Sweet Garlic Mushrooms

a room full of talk
and animated faces
sweet garlic mushrooms

Little Onion
OGGI Simply Italian
Leicester

Marta Oliviera-Child - Head Chef at the Bom Bom Patisserie

Marta Oliviera-Child is the head chef and co-owner of the Bom Bom Patisserie in Loughborough, Leicestershire, right in the heart of England.

Bom Bom Patisserie has been operating a few years but only opened the café part of the business in May 2016. It has proved to be a tasty, stylish and instant hit.

Marta comes from Brazil where her mother runs a restaurant. She came to Loughborough in 2006, like so many young people do, to study at Loughborough University. She always had a dream to open a patisserie and luckily for the people of Loughborough she has and what a patisserie it is!

after the pastry
the cream
on the end of her nose

Little Onion

Find out more about Marta and the Bom Bom Patisserie by visiting its website and hey, even better, the patisserie itself!

Photograph and text: Paul Conneally

Tender is the Night - The Old Bull's Head - Woodhouse Eaves

Tender is the Night
The Old Bull's Head
Woodhouse Eaves

The Old Bull's Head is in the almost alpine looking village of Woodhouse Eaves just outside the Leicestershire market town of Loughborough. It has been completely refurbished from what was a traditional fuggy old pub to a modern gastro pub with a light and airy interior.

The food is a mixture of traditional and modern classics from light bites and pizzas to fresh fish and roast meats.

It's a big restaurant but advance booking is advised particularly at the weekends.

Sunday evening
the family decamps
to a pub roast 

Little Onion
September 2016

Photograph: Paul Conneally

Marta at Work - The Bom Bom Patisserie - Loughborough

Marta at Work

Here we see Marta, co-owner and head chef, hard at work at the wonderful Bom Bom Patisserie in Loughbohemia (some call it Loughborough).

The interior design of Bom Bom is understated urban, almost industrial, industrial wood not metal, so a softness to it. Minimal but comforting especially with the smell of the carefully selected roast used in the patisserie's excellent coffee.

Bom Bom Patisserie was set up by Marta and her husband in 2012 making bespoke artisan cakes and bakes for individuals, companies and organisations. In May of 2016 the Bom Bom Patisserie opened the doors of its Loughborough café, something that for Brazilian born Marta was something she'd wanted, her own café, since being a child.

Find out more about Marta and the Bom Bom Patisserie at the BBP website:

http://www.bombompatisserie.com

Paul Conneally
Loughbohemia
Sept. 2016

Throwing A Wave

walking past the cob shop
on Aikman Avenue
Claire who works there
throws me a wave

Paul Conneally
New Parks, Leicester
February 29th 2016

Onshore Sleet

Photo: Pie and Peas Stall - Great Yarmouth - Paul Conneally 2016

After walking for six or seven miles I find myself in Great Yarmouth's marketplace. I gravitate to a small stall manned by a smiling face. It's a pie and peas stall. Small meat pies and hot mushy peas are all that's on sale. Traditional food. I order a bowl of mushy peas,spoon some mint sauce in from the dish on the counter and tuck in. They are the best mushy peas I've ever tasted, just what I needed and I tell the stall holder so. He's pleased, tells me that his grandad opened the stall in 1946, his dad took over from him and now he's taken over from his dad. He's proud of his pies, his peas and the history of the stall and he should be.

onshore sleet
a homeless young man
stamping his feet

Little Onion
Great Yarmouth Market
February 2016

'Quality!' - Brian's Fruit and Veg Stall

Brian's Fruit and Veg Stall
Paul Conneally
Loughborough Market
January 31st 2015

Brian sells all manner of fruit and vegetables from his stall on Loughborough Market but he is most famous for his cry of 'Fresh bananas!' followed quickly by 'Quality!' Over and over again.

The market just wouldn't be the same without Brian's voice ringing out across the market and through the crowds of shoppers that throng Loughborough's vibrant market each Thursday and Saturday.

Yes, quality indeed!

cold cold fingers
the stall holder sips
his parsnip soup

Paul Conneally

Stonehouse Seedstore - Anne-Marie Culhane 2014

Stonehouse Seedstore created by Anne Marie Culhane in Stonehouse, Plymouth, UK.

‘Anne Marie has been working with residents from across the area to collect individual stories about our relationships to plants through growing and eating. The Seedstore also includes plants that are, or have been important in the story of Stonehouse, gathered through conversations with residents and historians. She has use these to create a seed store as a community resource, a connection to the natural world and a celebration of diversity in Stonehouse.’

The plan now is to keep the Store at Union Corner for people to see and read the stories, to go out to events, and for the swapping of seeds.

Hot Dog!

Eating competitions. 

We love to see people indulge themselves, gorge themselves on food as a sport. It reminds us that the extra portion we had beyond the norm is nothing when compared to these excesses of gluttony, and so we feel a little better despite the extra calories we've eaten.

There  has been a huge upset in the Coney Island annual 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Competition. 

Sonya Thomas, last year's winner, an out and out favourite is beaten by fellow competitive eater, Miki Sudo, for this year's title.

Miki ate 34 hot dogs and buns. 

It's not only the quantity eaten at one sitting that is mind boggling but the time taken to do so, just 10 minutes.

after the main course

I let out my belt a notch

Black Forest gateaux 

Paul Conneally

July 2014

A Stalk of Sprouts

followed home

by a stalk of sprouts

the Christmas turkey

Paul Conneally

Loughborough 2013

THE FUNCTION OF ART AND FISH AND CHIPS @eprjcts @littleonion

Artists Gavin Wade and Paul Conneally contemplate the function of art and fish and chips in the Bath Inn Nottingham.