Iconic British label Mulberry is a go-to brand for everyone from the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, to supermodels Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss and fashionistas like Alexa Chung, who tote its must-have designs on the catwalk, at glitzy events and on day-to-day errands. The man originally behind the leather must-haves is Roger Saul, who founded the label in Somerset in 1971 – his sister Rosemary is credited with designing the Mulberry logo.
And now the creative designer has decided to turn his talent to spelt farming. Sadly his sister died in 2005 from bowel cancer, but while she was alive and looking for nutrient-rich foods to aid her battle against the illness, she suggested her brother grow the easily-digestible grain.
Thanks to her, Roger went on to found yet another premium British brand – this time a food label called Sharpham Park, named after Sharpham Park Estate where he grows and mills his own spelt grain. The 300-acre park is also home to a farm shop and restaurant – and to Roger himself.
Sharpham Park is now the UK's largest grower of the crop, and Saul has taken the natural next step of creating a cookbook dedicated to all things spelt. The kitchen tome is the result of a collaboration with Bowel Cancer UK and promotes the grain's health benefits.
The cookbook, named simply Spelt, offers a unique collection of homely recipes inspired by Roger's own most cherished family meals. Also featured is a selection of spelt dishes from friends of Sharpham Park as well as Mark Hix, Signe Johansen and Amanda Hamilton. Delicious salads such as the beetroot, goat's curd, hazelnut & dill salad, coffee and walnut cake and Irish soda bread are just a taste of what's included.
