This place I know
Food is a central element of life at Newnham, whether formal halls, picnics in the garden or lunches with friends in the buttery. Deputy Catering Manager Ash Catley reveals what goes on behind the scenes and the changes he has seen in nearly three decades keeping everyone beautifully fed.
Ash’s favourite place was hard to choose, between the kitchens or Clough Hall. Ultimately, he plumped for Clough Hall, where he enjoys chatting to students, staff and Senior Members while overseeing everything from lunches to formal halls and special events. In 28 years at Newnham, he has seen the atmosphere relax and the food transform.
Just as there are students and Fellows from all over the world, so catering now has an international staff team who bring their own influence to bear on the menu. ‘In the past we've done theme nights from around the world but now it feels like it's almost routine to have Indonesian curry, say. We have chefs from Spain, Italy, Malaysia and Bangladesh.’
A passion for food takes Ash out to new restaurants to see how they present food to customers, the wine it is paired with and the service. This attention to detail has played a part in transforming meals at College while he has been here, working with the kitchen team led by Executive Head Chef Rob King and with Catering Operations Manager Daniel Rabaca.
‘When I first started, we did a lot more stews, even for formal halls, and it was silver service. Daniel moved us towards plating the food up, and designing how it looks really, in the kitchen,’ Ash said. ‘You eat with your eyes first; if it looks good, it's going to taste good. When I first came, food was just food, where now it has become more artistic because we're catching up with the restaurants and expectations have changed. The team make it look wonderful, especially puddings and starters. An attractive starter can set the tone.’
Behind the scenes
Evening dinners are the culmination of a day which begins at 8 am, setting up for morning coffee at events around Newnham, sorting out plans for lunch and thinking ahead to the evening. There is a delivery of fresh vegetables and meat every day from local suppliers, and fish from Essex. Menus are often tweaked with a focus on minimising waste. Ash oversees lunch in the buttery and Clough Hall, or conference lunches and meetings around College. Then after lunch the focus shifts to evening dinner in the buttery and often a formal dinner in Hall as well.
Over time, the busy periods have changed, and summer is now all-hands-on-deck, catering for summer schools, conferences, weddings and College functions. Despite the busy schedule, Ash says the kitchen is relatively calm – although the tension builds just before special events, when the team prepare dozens of meals simultaneously. Ash trained as a graphic designer and photographer, but stumbled into catering at Jesus College, always working in management and front of house. After a few years he moved to London and worked in hotels and restaurants, including a spell at a private members’ club on Piccadilly catering to royalty, prime ministers and entrepreneurs. Moving back to Cambridge with his wife, Ash brought this experience to Newnham, joining in 1998–99.
Catering to all tastes
Vegetarian and vegan options are now mainstream, despite initial concerns about creating a balanced diet and varied meals. In the last decade the team have adapted to requests for bespoke meals to exclude allergens and address other dietary issues.
‘Generally, we say to people, tell us what you can eat and then we'll do a special meal or just leave out the problem ingredients. We have got to think of everybody, so no one feels excluded; formal dinners in Hall with Senior Members are unique to Cambridge and Oxford, and always well-attended – we make sure everyone can experience this,’ he said.
Over the years, as the student population and the demands on catering have grown, the kitchens and buttery have been modernised and renovated. For Ash, though, Newnham still feels like home. It is friendly, beautiful and small enough to be unique, but large enough to keep him busy. ‘If you can leave each night and feel like you've done a good job, it makes you feel good. Catering is still the hub of the College, keeping everyone fed and the fires burning.’
- Photo in Clough Hall by Dasha Tenditna