Food & Drink

A first taste of work is a rite of passage in a family business, where juggling time and commitments is a way of life, writes Carina Contini

Carina Contini cooks for hungry workers, plus Rose Murray Brown picks the best Lebanese wines

I’ve just got over last month’s fight with my children. There were tears and screams: “No mummy, I don’t want to work!” They’ve watched Annie too many times – you would think they were heading off to an orphanage. I know some of you will be totally shocked, and others will say “Well, I had to and it didn’t do me any harm,” but I made all the children work this summer. Just for four hours a day, for five days or so. We had some time harvesting in the garden, some time shredding in the office or, for Carla, a wee shift baking in the kitchen.

Running a family business involves constant running around, and navigating the line between family and business can be tricky. It’s always simpler when the children are at school as a nine to five-ish routine can function – more or less – but, like the vast majority of working families, it becomes practically impossible during the long summer holidays.

If you’re blessed with an army of grannies, aunties and neighbours it can be manageable but we have few of these luxuries so I’m training them hard. Truth be told, once they get the pinny on and get stuck in they love it and the team love having them too.

Well, the tears and tantrums turned to smiles and sweeties when the pay cheque arrived. I’ve got a little surprise booked for them later in the year so it’s not a hard knock life – honest. n