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Is it possible to be a vegetarian and a food writer? I felt I should raise the question before signing up for the course. I live in the real world and I know that there are people ‘big in food’ who would think I was wasting my time. How can you write about food when you refuse to eat so many things?

But I was never interested in food at all until I turned vegetarian. It was then that I started to cook, to explore fresh new tastes, and to realise that vegetarianism is not just an ethical standpoint. True, there are some who seem to adopt a restricted diet as some kind of  masochistic gesture. But I’m a foodie, and proud of it. And whilst I know a vegetarian diet can be chosen for health reasons, in my book, if it tastes better with lashings of cream, then let’s lash.

I did need to defend myself a bit on our first inebriated evening in the communal barn at Totleigh. But once everyone had realised that I wasn’t there to pass judgement on them, we all relaxed into a week dedicated to writing and cooking. Surely Totleigh’s ancient kitchen had never seen anything like this. Eschewing the standard veggie lasagne recipes and jars of pasta sauce we were offered, twelve enthusiastic female cooks took over the kitchen, chopping, marinating, roasting and toasting. Never a harsh word, and I’m proud to say I did it all in heels. Fellow participant Jenny did a lot of it in original fifties cocktail dresses, a wooden spoon in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Fabulous.

Alastair and Sophie were immediately friendly and genuinely interested in each of their students. We all brought very different experiences to the table: a top-level nutritionist, a textile artist in love with Borough Market, a local delicatessen owner, an advertising copy writer, a Cordon Bleu trained chef… all of us with our own ideas and enthusiasms. Listening to other people’s writing was fascinating and I was very surprised when my rather downbeat account of a visit to a local market was received with laughter and applause.

I went to Totleigh looking for a peaceful space where I could think about nothing but writing for a precious week. It was far from peaceful – it was raucous. It was great fun. I put on pounds. I also wrote, and came away with new dreams and aspirations. Special thanks to John, Huib, and to Sophie’s little dog, Bobby, who settled himself on my lap during supper on that first evening and made me feel safe and at home. 

Thanks to Jane for writing this (so well). If you’ve been inspired by Jane’s writing, join us on an Arvon food writing course in the future. Sign up for a brochure on our website at www.arvonfoundation.org