Mixing it with the big brands (From Gazette Series)

Mixing it with the big brands

"SMELL this," said Mrs Massey as she waved a half-full bottle of dark liquid under my nose.

The aroma of autumn bonfires wafted upwards.

"It's the secret ingredient for my beautiful barbeque baster," she said. "You can only get it in America."

Mrs Massey - Christian name Nicky but now universally known as Mrs Massey - is the founder of Mrs Massey's Delicious Delectables based at Tanhouse Farm in Frampton-on-Severn.

As the business celebrates its first year of such unexpected success, Carole Taylor went to meet the creator of Gloucestershire's very own dressings, relishes, spices and sauces which are now on sale in top shops Fortnum and Mason's and Harvey Nichols.

WITHIN its first year of opening, Mrs Massey's has enjoyed phenomenal success.

Not only is it being sold in some of London's poshest outlets, the unusual packaging on the home-made dressings, relishes, spices and sauces has won a prestigious award from the Food and Beverage Association.

Owner Nicky is thrilled - although a little bemused - by her sudden fame.

A born foodie, she has always enjoyed cooking and took a cookery course at the Bay Tree in Burford in 1981 while waiting to train as a nurse.

"I had a place at Kings College Hospital in London but there was a long wait until I could start, so I filled in the time by doing a cookery and what was then known as a 'young ladies' course'. It was great fun and ultimately, very useful."

Then her nursing career took over. Nicky eventually became the orthopaedic research sister at Hammersmith Hospital before going to work at Standish Hospital where she enjoyed a satisfying and absorbing life before two events stopped her in her tracks - her 40th birthday and the closure of the hospital.

"Over the years I had never stopped cooking and I was always making pickles and relishes, many of which I gave away as presents to relatives and friends,' she said.

"When Standish was closing and I made the decision not to move to Gloucestershire Royal, I realised crunch-time had arrived.

"My husband James and loads of friends were urging me to produce my pickles commercially and it was on my 40th birthday that I decided to go for it!"

At first Mrs Massey's delectables were cooked at home and sold at farmers' markets and to friends and acquaintances, but as their fame spread Nicky was forced to expand and last December she moved into a unit at Tanhouse Farm.

Now it is a real family concern with Nicky doing all the cooking, James sticking on labels and boxing up in the evenings and weekends and children Ben, 10, and Rosie, 7, helping with the deliveries.

Family and friends are Mrs Massey's biggest fans and Nicky says that without them she would still be at the starting post.

Mrs Massey's Delicious Delectables was named by long-time family friend Arthur Hindmarch, managing director of the Commercial stationery firm in Cheltenham, while the award-winning packaging was designed by another friend Adrian Collins of design company Ziggurat.

Scooping the Food and Beverage Association award for the Savoury Packaging Design of the Year from under the noses of superstars such as Heinz and other huge commercial companies has given Nicky the greatest satisfaction and bags of confidence - although after meeting the bright, chatty and upbeat chef it is hard to imagine that she could lack self-assurance.

"Starting a business up from scratch is always a bit scary but it has been a success from the start and I am absolutely thrilled. I just love coming to work. I am always cooking, experimenting and enjoying."

With so much happening so quickly where will Mrs Massey's go next?

"We are in the process of adding four home-made cordials to our eight original products," said Nicky. "Then Fortnum and Mason's have asked me to design six chutneys exclusively for them and I am going up to London in the next few weeks to do some in-store demonstrations and show people different ways of using the products."

And that's without the Christmas orders, which are already starting to roll in. Nicky has bought some unusual baskets to fill with her delectables and has joined forces with local cheese, wine and chocolate makers to produce Gloucestershire Christmas hampers.

"These are Christmas baskets with a modern twist, reflecting the Mrs Massey's products which are mostly old recipes with that twist," said Nicky.

She is constantly experimenting with her "twists" and the most successful products have come from favourite recipes that have been given the Mrs Massey's make over.

"I now have people coming home from holidays abroad with a jar of this and that asking if I can do anything with it and visitors who pop in are often called upon to do a blind tasting," said Nicky.

Although a few short-sighted shopowners around the district foolishly turned down her products when Nicky initially tried to find outlets, Mrs Massey's delectables are now sold in 17 shops and stores around the country.

If you cannot find Mrs Massey's in the shops, then ring Nicky direct on 01452 741119, email her at mrsmasseysltd@btconnect.com or call into her unit at Tanhouse Farm - she just loves to see visitors. To find out more about the delicious delectables visit the website at www.mrsmasseys.co.uk

So what does Mrs Massey do when she is not cooking, devising new recipes, chatting to customers, doing the school run or just being a wife and mum?

"Oh I cook dinner parties and drop them off to friends," said Nicky. "Cooking really is the thing I like doing best."