...flavoured with serenity and love
CELIA CLYNE started her kosher catering business 37 years ago on her own and was joined first by her husband Barry and later by her son, Mark, who has been with the company 20 years. “We’re all still fully involved in the business,” says Celia.
What’s it like working together? “As a family we’re quite placid by nature,” she says — and she does indeed sound enviably calm, even though she has a function on the day we speak — the wedding of the daughter of her first-ever bride, at Kew Gardens.
“Mark and I are more hands-on at events, seeing clients and we’re both very placid,” says Celia. “I think it’s helpful to the clients, because it’s quite a stressful time making weddings and barmitzvahs.
“I used to teach home economics in another life and give cookery courses for newly marrieds and engaged couples. When I had my own kids, I didn’t want to give up so I started doing cooking demonstrations for charity.”
As she became well known, “people started asking me to make things — at first it was one quiche, one cake…”
Now, her fully-grown catering business has created events for many generations.
“At Rosh Hashanah, we are always busy with private orders,” says Celia. “During lockdown we opened a deli for fresh food and we’re already getting orders for Rosh Hashanah [this was several weeks ago]. “For the first time this year, we’re catering an event on erev Rosh Hasnahah — a community dinner in Singers Hill shul [in Birmingham] for the congregation — it’s a sellout. There will be a service in shul and then they’re all having dinner together — quite beautiful.
“I like to do different – I’ve been in business a long time but I haven’t lost my passion for it!”
She is unsure about the family’s plans over Rosh Hashanah, because of the Covid situation.
Two of her children, Adam and Nicola, live in London and usually she spends the festival in London “because Mark and I live in the same road.” She reflects: “It’s hard to split yourself.”
There is no doubt, though, about one dish that will feature on the family menu.
“Rosh Hashanah in my family was the only time we used to have tsimmes — we still use my late mother’s recipe; we sell it in the shop. Filled with dumplings and simply delicious!
“To me that’s the taste of Rosh Hashanah. It was her — that’s our special memory.”