Breakfast & Beyond Tia Tamblyn

For today’s episode I talk with climate conscious singer song-writers Amy Woodburn and Lizzie Freeborn of ISYLA.  Not only is ISYLA’s delicate groove spellbindingly lovely but this is music with purpose, created to engage listeners with the climate crisis.
My conversation with Lizzie and Amy is wide-ranging: you’ll hear the sweetest story of how they met and formed ISYLA, along with their reflections on why their differing generational standpoints create a very unique and special alchemy; we hear from Amy about the process of writing and arranging songs; and from Lizzie about the evolution of her stunning voice, as well as how she’s learning to deal with anxiety that emerges around live performance.  And they also share thoughts on why music can be such a powerful tool for engaging with issues of climate, in which we have to connect with humanness that surrounds the issues, as well as the science and facts. 
We recorded this episode at beautiful Boconnoc Estate where Lizzie and Amy were performing that evening. Boconnoc host a range of creative and wellbeing events and workshops through the year, check out their What’s On page for upcoming events .. and look out for another ISYLA gig in the Spring!
This episode is laced through with snippets of ISYLA’s beautiful music – I hope you enjoy the songs and the conversation as much as I did.
Check out the Episode 19 web page for more information about the themes we discuss, the Apple & Beetroot Overnight Oats and Granola recipes, along with behind-the-scenes photographs from our recording.
Listen to ISYLA’s music via Spotify, and look out for their winter single Snow is a Colour, out on 20th January - you can pre-save it on Spotify now.  Give ISYLA a follow on Instagram to keep up to date with their music evolution and upcoming gigs.
Thank you to the Cornish Seaberry Company for supporting this episode!  Please do give their delicious, healthy, zingy drink VitaminSEA a try, and use the code BREAKFAST as you check out for a 10% discount. 
Thank you for listening, I’d love to know your thoughts on today’s episode.  You can join the conversation by getting in touch - tia@botelet.com or message via Instagram @breakfast_and_beyond. 
Please do subscribe to the podcast, and I’d be so grateful if you could rate and review this episode, then share it with people in your network who you know would enjoy listening.  Welcome to Breakfast & Beyond.
 

For today’s episode I spent a fantastic morning sharing breakfast with chocolatiers Sara Castañeda and Andres Altamirano of Rio Nuevo, and we recorded this conversation at the fabulous Origin Coffee Warehouse Café in Penryn.
Sara and Andres set up Rio Nuevo after learning the art of chocolate making from local people in the Ecuadorian rainforest back in 2014.  During this time, they became aware not only of the very unique and special flavours that derive from the heritage variety of cacao, Arriba Nacional, but also of the devastating impacts that the cacao trade can have on rural communities and environments.  Rio Nuevo was established to create a company that supports rural cacao-growing farmers and their communities by trading with them directly, and in so doing, shortening the supply chain, and empowering the people who grow the beans.
Sara and Andreas’s story is one of creativity, compassion and hope for a different future – for the chocolate industry and beyond.  They are motivated by the goal of having a positive impact for people and planet, and they have worked tirelessly to create a direct trade model for Rio Nuevo that supports the farmers and their families that they work with, as well as taking an holistic view on what creating ethical chocolate means in practice. 
In chatting with Sara and Andreas I learnt so much about the process of farming and creating chocolate – from the cacao bean through to the final, wrapped bar – as well as about the background workings chocolate industry in general.  When we consider how ubiquitous chocolate is within our Western lives, it feels pretty important to have our eyes wide open to this - and I hope you’ll find this episode as informative and uplifting as I did.
Sara, Andreas and I shared a delicious breakfast at Origin’s Warehouse Café – porridge topped with seasonal compote, mushrooms on toast along with teas, artisan coffees, and Rio Nuevo hot chocolate - which is on the menu at Origin Cafes - was the final course of our breakfast. Huge thanks to everyone at Origin’s Warehouse Café for hosting us and for the warm welcome.  The vibe for this conversation is a bit different from my normal rural, bird-song-infused episodes, but I hope you’ll enjoy the cosmopolitan edge!
 
Thank you to photographer Rhona McDade of Goodrest Studios for the Episode 18 photography, you can find behind the scene photos of our conversation via the Episode 18 web page, along with more information about Rio Nuevo and the themes we discussed.
 
Thank you for listening, I’d love to know your thoughts on today’s episode.  You can join the conversation by getting in touch - tia@botelet.com or message via Instagram @breakfast_and_beyond. 
 
Please do subscribe to the podcast, and I’d be so grateful if you could rate and review this episode, then share it with people in your network who you know would enjoy listening.  Thank you so much, welcome to Breakfast & Beyond.

Today’s episode was one of my favourites to record – for the first time, we took Breakfast & Beyond on location, and I was lucky enough to spend the most blissful morning walking, listening, learning, swimming and sharing breakfast at the rugged Cornish coast with seaweed artist Julia Bird.
Julia co-founded Molesworth & Bird with fellow artist and friend Melanie Molesworth back in 2018, translating their mutual love for art and the ocean into a business, hand-pressing seaweed that they forage from the shores of their local beaches – Julia in Cornwall, and Melanie in Dorset.
From the original prints and postcards, Molesworth & Bird now create a range of seaweed-inspired homewares such as cushions, bags, enamelware and cards, along with hosting seaweed pressing workshops helping others to learn from, and be inspired by, the ocean. 
Sustainability is etched into each element of Julia’s work – from the choice she made to step away from a busy London career as a magazine stylist, to the gentle rhythm of foraging, collecting and pressing seaweed, always with a deep consideration and respect for the natural environment.
So for this episode, allow me to take you on a journey to the quiet corner of the Cornish coastline that is Julia’s world, and I hope you enjoy - and learn - just as much from her story as I did.
Breakfast at the beach consisted of Blackberry and Elderberry Tarlets with coffee, followed by Wild Mushroom & Rock Samphire Omelettes with Seaweed Pickled Veg.  You can find these recipes along with more information about the themes that Julia and I discuss, via the Episode 17 web page. 
Huge thanks to photographer and dear friend John Hersey for capturing stunning images from our breakfast conversation, you can find a selection of John’s images sharing the visual story via the Episode 17 web page, and do check out John’s portfolio and Instagram.
Thank you to the Cornish Seaberry Company for supporting this episode!  Please do give their delicious, healthy, zingy drink VitaminSEA a try, and use the code BREAKFAST as you check out for a 10% discount. 
Thank you for listening, I’d love to know your thoughts on today’s episode.  You can join the conversation by getting in touch - tia@botelet.com or message via Instagram @breakfast_and_beyond.  
I hope you can join me for Breakfast & Beyond x Heligan LIVE on Thursday 13th October for a morning of delicious food, great company and rich conversations with my guest speakers on all things sustainability.  Tickets can be found via this link: https://www.heligan.com/events/breakfast-beyond-at-heligan
Please do subscribe to the podcast, and I’d be so grateful if you could rate and review this episode, then share it with people in your network who you know would enjoy listening.  Thank you so much, welcome to Breakfast & Beyond.
 

 

For Episode 16 I welcome Bella Collins to the breakfast table.  Bella heads up a company called Flexi-Hex, which is an industry leader in sustainable packaging based in Porthleven in West Cornwall. 

Flexi-Hex evolved when founders Will and Sam Boex – who are both surfers - were looking for a way to transport their boards without using plastic, or running the risk of damage.  They created the first Flexi-Hex product – a surfboard sleeve that fits like a wetsuit, uses zero plastic, and protects both their boards and the planet.

Fast forward four years and Flexi-Hex is a small but fast-growing business that has developed a range of beautifully designed packaging products made from paper, using their unique concertina-like glove that fits snuggly around fragile items from bottles to electronics, cosmetics, surf boards and more. By creating a paper product that’s recyclable, biodegradable and natural, they’re removing unnecessary plastic from the ocean, and as a company they state “Our love of the sea runs deep through our team. It’s why we take care in everything we do, from the way we run our business to the way our product is made.”

Although ‘packaging’ may not seem like a topic that’s likely to hold your attention, definitely tune in for this conversation – Bella not only shares how Flexi-Hex are making a positive impact for people (worth noting that they’ve recently become a B Corp), but there are also lots of useful take-aways for anyone involved with setting up a business that values human and environmental resources alongside the bottom line.

Bella also discusses her world-record-breaking rowing endeavours, and I found it fascinating hearing how she links the skills and mindset that she cultivated when rowing for weeks on end across oceans in often extremely challenging conditions, back to the workplace. 

Bella is engaging – she was listed by Forbes this year as one of their European 30 under 30; her story and that of Flexi-Hex is truly uplifting, and I hope you’ll enjoy this conversation just as much as I did.

For breakfast with Bella I prepared Blueberry and Lemon Overnight Oats followed by Tostada con Tomate (Tomatoes on Toast) which is a fantastic recipe for using locally grown tomatoes during high summer when we can often have a glut.  You can find the recipes along with more information about the themes we discuss via the Episode 16 web page.
 
Thank you for listening, I’d love to know your thoughts on today’s episode.  Do join the conversation, you can email me tia@botelet.com or message via Instagram @breakfast_and_beyond 

Please do subscribe to the podcast, and I’d be so grateful if you could rate and review this episode, then share it with people in your network who you know would enjoy listening.  Thank you so much, welcome to the breakfast table …

** Please note – this episode includes discussions on suicide that might be upsetting to some people ** 
For Episode 15 I was joined by two guests, Catherine Collin and Dean Harvey, both experts in the field of mental health in Cornwall.
You may be wondering, why an episode on mental health, in a podcast focused on sustainable living? 
‘Sustainability’ is often broken down into four interlinked areas: environmental, social, economic and political.  Mental health is a strand of ‘social sustainability’, pertaining to our health and wellbeing, our ability to lead happy, prosperous lives .. which in turn affects our economic prospects, our ability to play an active part in our communities, and it potentially affects our capacity to contribute to the environmental sustainability agenda.
The World Health Organisation states “there can be no health or sustainable development without mental health”.  Yet mental health – and illness – is a major issue that impacts all of us – whether directly, or through supporting someone within our social circle.  It’s estimated that 1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder (WHO).
This felt to me, therefore, like a topic that needs to be front and centre in any discussion of sustainable living, not least as it’s a theme that historically has stigma and shame attached to it, which only serves to heighten the problem.
Our conversation covers themes ranging from how we define mental health and mental illness, to the specific context within Cornwall; the extent to which stigma is still prevalent; how our mental health is affected by social inequalities and our unique life circumstances; and we also talk about suicide – an area in which both Dean and Catherine specialise – so I wanted to let you know that this episode includes discussions on suicide that might be upsetting to some people.
The insights that Catherine and Dean share are thoughtful, considered and compassionate, and given that all of us are, have been, or are likely to be, affected by mental health issues at some point in our lives, I hope that this conversation proves to be as valuable for you as it was for me.
Breakfast was Cornish-style continental, including an oat and buckwheat granola and gooseberry and pineapple weed muffins.  You can find the recipes along with more information about the themes we discuss via the Episode 15 web page.
Thank you for listening, I’d love to know your thoughts on today’s episode.  Do join the conversation, you can email me tia@botelet.com or message via Instagram @breakfast_and_beyond
Please do subscribe to the podcast, and I’d be so grateful if you could rate and review this episode, then share it with people in your network who you know would enjoy listening.  Thank you so much, welcome to the breakfast table …
 

 

Avril Greenaway is my guest for Episode 14 of Breakfast & Beyond. Avril is a designer, community activist and entrepreneur, working within the ocean advocacy space.  Based in Bude in North Cornwall, Avril’s design work, combined with a love for being in, on and by the sea, has taken her on a fascinating journey focused on raising awareness of, and finding solutions for, the microplastic pollution that is having such a devastating impact on our waterways and ecosystems.
Avril has been involved with the Cleaner Seas Project (a Bude-based community group) for 10 years, initially getting involved to create engaging campaigns to raise awareness of microplastic pollution but as you will hear, subsequently getting involved with everything from beach cleans to working with local businesses and hosting conferences.  More recently Avril has become a founding member of the Cleaner Seas Group, which was established with the intention of finding practical, scalable solutions for tackling microplastic pollution.  They are in the early and exciting stage of rolling out a microfibre filter for washing machines; did you know that approximately 91 million microfibres are released into our waterways through washing clothes by each household in the UK, each year? I didn’t until talking with Avril, and I hope you find this conversation as informative and engaging as I did.
For breakfast with Avril we began with Roasted Rhubarb Overnight Oats and our second course was Asparagus & Lemon Filo Parcels.  Both of these recipes along with the producers and growers whose delicious food I cooked with, and more information about the themes we discuss, can be found via the Episode 14 web page.
Thank you for listening, I’d love to know your thoughts on today’s episode.  Do join the conversation, you can email me tia@botelet.com or message via Instagram @breakfast_and_beyond
Please do subscribe to the podcast, and I’d be so grateful if you could rate and review this episode, then share it with people in your network who you know would enjoy listening.  Thank you so much, welcome to the breakfast table …