Who would work in an office like this?

We are pretty sure most of our Leeds based readers will be very familiar with this office. They may have even bought their breakfast there on occasions. And if you haven’t it rather begs the question why not…We sent intrepid freelance photographer Rick Harrison to get some shots of this quirky mobile ‘office’. Rick specialises in outdoor/tourism photography so we felt this was not too far outside his realm, plus he got a super smoothie thrown in for good measure. He has promised to return for some porridge so impressed was he! We hear oats are good for facial hair cultivation which may put him ahead of the game at his World Beard and Mustache Championships…

Tell us a little bit about your office! Is it true you keep whiskey in your drawers?
Well it’s a little mobile health bar on Albion Street that provides the people of Leeds with a variety of healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks. As the name suggests the main topic on the menu is porridge, it’s Yorkshire grown and organic and I use it in as many recipes as I can think of.  Oat smoothies, muesli, granolas, energy bars and even muffins. If any of your readers have any great recipes then I’m all ears, I’m constantly on the look out.

Ahh…the whiskey, yes of course I always have a bottle handy, doesn’t everyone?  Sounds very Rock n Roll that but Amy Winehouse I aint! My customers love it, especially on cold mornings added to their steaming pot of salty porridge oats, it has been on the menu from the start, POT 7 whiskey, honey and sweet toasted oats ( adults only of course!)  The most popular topping is POT 6, apple cinnamon and raisin compote, single cream and sweet toasted oats. I make a variety of new compotes dependent on whats in season. I cannot wait for the gooseberries to hurry up, gooseberry compote and a few raisins is, in my opinion, porridge nirvana. The tartness of the berries teamed with the sweet raisins and the salty oats…yummmmmmmmmmmmmmy I challenge anyone to find a better combination, it really is deeeeeeeeelicious.

The Magic Porridge pot is the first of its kind south of the border and also supplies homemade Hot Pot style lunches (veggi chilli & rice, cassoulet and crusty bread, soup with herby croutons and soy seeds. Not forgetting sandwiches and salads. My aim has always been to provide good quality, honest food with minimal impact on the environment and to support local business rather than the large supermarkets and chains. All our packaging is biodegradable and we recycle as much as we can.

How do you get your oats Helen?
If I had a pound…..I’d be a very rich lady  haha! It’s Magic…
I get them from John and Christine Stringer who are Organic farmers  over in York.  I found them at Leeds Farmers Market and they have been absolutely brilliant. I buy about 300kilos at a time and usually collect them from either Leeds or Otley Farmers market to cut down on the food miles and the diesel of course.

Have you always been in the business of pot stirring? If not what did you do before?
I have spent most of my career in Marketing or Response management. Much of that time was spent promoting new services and concepts working with blue chip clients. My latter years were spent developing the mobile internet offerings for sony BMG and Universal Music, it was great fun, and they had whiskey in their offices too…usually on optics and served in a glass. Mobile marketing is still a great passion of mine and I do miss it..sometimes. But my new passion is porridge and will be for a good few years yet, there is much much much more on the agenda.

What inspires you?
My customers inspire me on a daily basis and yes I know that sounds cheesy but they really do, seeing them return with their friends and colleagues is a massive motivation for me. Not to mention the lovely feedback i get from them.  When I had the idea for The Magic Porridge pot back in January 2007 I knew it was a great one, many of my friends and family thought I was completely mental.  I had spent most of my life charging up and down the motorway eating horrible food off my lap and breakfast was always a bacon sandwich, usually poor quality, zero taste and served  in a nasty cloying breadcake. Yes you know the sort, it is very difficult to get anything remotely healthy or tasty. I can’t always compete with a bacon sandwich but i’m not trying to, the plan has always been to provide workers with an alternative and I think I’ve achieved that.

Anything that you are up to over the summer that you think our readers would be interested to know about?
I work 6 days a week on Albion Street so don’t have too much time for leisure so I have to plan well and combine work with pleasure. One such event I am very much looking forward to is the I Love West Leeds Festival that is taking place this weekend in Farsley. I would love to do more festivals and galas in the Yorkshire area but I am finding it very difficult. Many of them work on the burger van model and charge extortionate rents so to attend I would have to increase my prices too much and I really dont like ripping people off, there is only so much you can charge for a bowl of porridge 😀

I will also be taking some of my luxury Granola along to ‘Strangers and Fiction’ – find out more about this fantastic book swap cum Big Lunch event here

Anything you would like to plug?
Happy hours,  a breakfast delivery service and corporate breakfast meetings are all high on my agenda for the next few weeks. I am also having lots of fun on twitter and creating some exclusive tweet treats for my followers so come and find me on there to get all the latest offers. Magicporridgeld it pays to follow!!

Oh and if anyone grows their own fruit and finds they have too much of anything, gooseberries especially, then please get in touch..  I will happily swap them for breakfasts, lunches, snacks or drinks.

Now it’s my turn to get a little cheeky!! Am I allowed to ask you all to Vote for my gorgeous cousin Viki Bailey (Miss Leeds) to win Miss England?  Text Viki Bailey to 81118 i’ll get my coat!!  😀

Any special offers/prizes you would like to extend our readers?
Of course, how about a free hot drink with any breakfast for everyone who mentions The Culture Vulture.   Plus if you Text Viki then you can also get 10% off your order…just show me your text to qualify.

Image credit: Rick at fortybelowzero