Kitchen Tales

What happens when a lifelong love of baking becomes a business of its own? In this episode of Kitchen Tales, Colline Rufaro and Rhona Everard chat with Evie Chapman, founder of Main Street Bakery, an American-style cake business that has built a loyal local following in just one year. Evie started baking from her small flat in Wantage while working in the NHS. After spending a year developing her...

Feeling stuck in your career? Unsure what your next step should be, or lacking the confidence to go after an opportunity? In this episode of Kitchen Tales, Colline Rufaro and Rhona Everard speak to Georgina Furr, an executive and leadership coach based in Newbury, about career confidence, professional development and making changes that work for you. After 26 years in central government and the Fo...

Running a business, raising a family and trying to find some time for yourself isn't easy. In this episode of Kitchen Tales, the tables are turned as Colline and Rhona step out from behind the podcast and become the guests. Sasi takes the opportunity to find out more about the people behind the businesses, the podcast and the roles they have in everyday life. Rhona talks about being a mum, run...

What if having fewer properties to sell actually meant a better service for every client? In this episode of Kitchen Tales, Colline and Rhona chat to David and Natasha Morrey of Morrey Property, who have taken a different approach to estate agency in West Berkshire and North Hampshire. With more than 25 years of combined experience in the property industry, David and Natasha have moved away from t...

Sometimes you just need a sign. In this episode of Kitchen Tales, Rhona and Colline are joined by Walkiria Vargas, founder of Sweet Grace Cakes, to hear the story of how she found her way back to baking. Walkiria grew up in Brazil surrounded by food and family influences that sparked her love of cooking. After moving to the UK, working different jobs and eventually spending time working in a schoo...

What happens when the Kitchen Tales hosts stop interviewing other people and have a good catch-up? In this episode, Rhona and Colline turn the questions on each other, talking about their favourite travel destinations, memorable meals, local restaurants and the food experiences that have stayed with them. From Singapore, France and Australia to Hong Kong, Macau and Poland, they share some of their...

Learning to drive has changed dramatically over the past two decades—but not always for the better. In this episode of Kitchen Tales, Rhona and Colline are joined by Richard Evens from Ultimate Driving to discuss everything from driving test delays and the DVSA booking system to distracted driving, road safety and why modern cars are safer than ever. Richard shares how he accidentally became a dri...

"I never set out to be an author." In this episode of Kitchen Tales, we sit down with Sasi to discuss her incredible journey from cooking teacher to published author. Her new book, Silent Innings: Reflections on Life, Still in Progress , uses cricket as a metaphor to explore resilience, personal growth, uncertainty, and the lessons life teaches us along the way. Sasi shares why she decid...

In this episode of Kitchen Tales, Colline and Rhona are joined by Flora from Peach Health, an online women's health nutrition clinic helping women better understand their bodies through personalised nutrition, functional testing, and lifestyle support. Flora shares her own journey into nutritional therapy after experiencing health challenges in her early twenties, and explains why she chose to spe...

What happens when award-winning wine meets CBD? In this episode of Kitchen Tales, Rhona and Colline sit down with Amanda from Rebel Wine to explore one of the most unique drinks brands in the UK. Combining premium South African wines with high-quality CBD, Rebel Wine has created a range of beautifully designed canned wines and spritzers that are turning heads for both their flavour and their eye-c...

Finding the perfect gift can be surprisingly difficult. Endless categories, generic suggestions, and soulless online shopping experiences often leave people feeling uninspired. In this episode of Kitchen Tales, Rhona and Colline are joined by Cam Robertson, founder of Vibe Quiz, an innovative platform that helps people discover thoughtful gifts from independent UK businesses through a simple perso...

In this episode of Kitchen Tales , we welcome Kate Hudson, a neurodevelopmental and educational specialist based near Newbury, for an honest and insightful conversation about supporting neurodiverse children and families. Kate shares her experience working with children, young adults, schools, and parents navigating ADHD, autism, dyslexia, emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), executive funct...

This week on Kitchen Tales, Rhona Everard and Colline Rufaro are joined by coach, facilitator, and “thinking partner” for a deeply honest and inspiring conversation about confidence, resilience, career direction, and learning how to slow down before burnout takes over. Kirstin shares her journey from a successful career in PR and storytelling into coaching and facilitation, helping individuals, fo...

In this episode of Kitchen Tales , Colline and Rhona sit down with Matt Stroud, founder of Xuberant Health, to explore a more personal and practical approach to wellbeing. Matt shares how his own experience with stress, poor sleep, and pre-diabetes led him away from the fitness industry and into naturopathic health, kinesiology, and holistic coaching. What followed wasn’t a quick fix but a shift i...

In this episode of Kitchen Tales , we’re joined by Deanna, founder of Pearl Collective in Newbury. Deanna shares her journey into the piercing industry, from getting her first piercings as a teenager to building her own studio and creative space. What started as a passion has grown into a collective that now brings together piercings, tattoos, beauty services, and independent businesses under one...

Fern’s Bakehouse is a small independent bakery based in Inch's Yard, Newbury, specialising in fresh buns, focaccia and seasonal bakes, as well as offering exceptional coffee. Run by Alan and his partner, Fern's has quickly become a Newbury favourite! Find out more about Fern's Bakehouse at https://www.fernsbakehouse.co.uk You can find out more about Colline's Kitchen at https://www...

Shaped by Marie founder, Marie Taylor joins Colline and Rhona on this episode of Kitchen Tales. Marie is an experienced brow technician based in Thatcham Berkshire with a cosy home salon specialising in semi permanent brows and lip blush.  Marie's mission is to help clients feel confident and beautiful inside and out.  To find out more about Shaped by Marie head to https://www.shapedbymarie.co...

In this episode of Kitchen Tales Colline and Rhona are joined by Ellie Palmer from Ellie’s Deli. Every village needs a hub for the community to engage and interact with one another and this forms the ethos of Ellie's Deli – a place for everyone to come and buy fresh produce in a friendly and relaxed environment. Simon started this venture three years ago, with a small number of fruit and veg boxes...

Sarah is a self-taught baker with a passion for creating happiness through foodMoonlight Macarons was born of a love of baking during the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. After spending countless hours creating various flavours and gifting to friends, the business began in 2022. Moonlight Macarons covers the West Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and East Wiltshire areas and has even supplied...

Season 2 of Kitchen Tales starts with a great chat with Kelley Waters, founder of The Orchard Clinic and author of Why Do I Feel Like This? Kelley talks about qualifying as an osteopath in 1999, opening The Orchard Clinic in 2002, and how it’s grown into a busy, multi-disciplinary practice built around actually listening to people. We get into what clients are really dealing with when they walk th...

Jim and Kate from Creative Content Studio join Colline and Rhona for a role reversal - the producers become the guests. They talk about the jump from corporate life into running a studio, what it’s really like to trade a guaranteed monthly salary for uncertainty, and how quickly the business has grown since opening in March. You’ll also hear why the local small business scene feels more collaborat...

This week on Kitchen Tales , we’re talking all things cake with Domino from Domino Purchase Cakes - from learning to bake with her grandmother, to merging graphic design and cake design into a business built on bespoke celebration and wedding cakes. Domino shares what it’s really like to create one-of-a-kind designs (including an Alice in Wonderland showstopper ), why pricing is the hardest part o...

In this episode of Kitchen Tales , we’re joined by Sarah from The Cookery Lab, a chemist-turned-cookery teacher who’s helping people rediscover confidence and joy in the kitchen. We talk about cooking without strict recipes, teaching children real food skills, building confidence through tasting and instinct, and why cooking together matters more than perfection. Sarah shares how The Cookery Lab h...

What do killer swans, a melted pink goose and a six cheese pasta bake have in common? They all live in the wonderfully weird world of Blind Maggot. In this episode of Kitchen Tales , Colline and Rhona sit down with Chessie Rosier Parker, screen printer, YouTuber and co-founder of streetwear brand Blind Maggot and screen printing studio Squeegee & Ink. Chessie shares how following her partner E...

This episode is proudly sponsored by Newbury boutique, Luna https://lunauk.co.uk Colline and Rhona are back and looking festive and chatting about the whirlwind of Christmas catering, unusual festive traditions, and what they’re actually eating on Christmas Day this year (spoiler: it’s not turkey). This week they’re joined by Libby , the artist and creative behind Magpie and the Mob ( https://magp...