Help Our Hospitality: ‘The industry is like a rollercoaster ride,’ says passionate Italian chef with a decade of experience

Since the Help Our Hospitality campaign coverage began, we have heard from many venues about how they are tackling the challenges before them and making the best of the perfect storm.

But this week a passionate cook, writer and teacher has shared her thoughts on how Northampton’s hospitality industry has evolved – from her decade of experience and knowledge.

Carmela Sereno Hayes, founder of Carmela’s Kitchen, is a passionate Italian cookery tutor who specialises in the art of pasta making.

With many strings to her bow, she is also an event cookery demonstrator, recipe developer, food writer and the author of five cookery books.

Carmela’s mantra is cooking simple, inexpensive and flavoursome dishes using good quality ingredients.

As an Italian woman, Carmela says cooking has been in her blood since she was born. “It’s my heritage,” she told this newspaper.

It was in 2012 when she turned her passion into a career and decided it was time to share the way she was taught how to cook.

Carmela described her cooking style as “frugal” and said: “This is the way everyone needs to cook in these times, when everyone’s struggling financially. I share my cooking through writing, teaching and the supper clubs I run.”

When asked at what point she knew she wanted to make a career out of cooking, Carmela shared it began at the first blog post she wrote when she had four young children.

“I loved my chiropody business, but I wasn’t in love with what I was doing,” she said. “My days were consumed by feeding my husband and four children, so I thought why don’t I start writing about it?”

Though her blog began by covering a variety of topics, Carmela narrowed it down to heritage cooking – which she soon realised would also make good content for a book.

Carmela closed her chiropody business in 2012 before her food writing soon turned into teaching, and her collaborations with Italian businesses turned into running supper clubs.

Carmela showcasing her talent proved popular and since the pandemic, she has hosted supper clubs in collaboration with the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery.

“There’s so many good and bad things,” said Carmela, when asked how the hospitality industry has evolved over the 11 years she has been part of it.

“It’s hard to keep places going with the soaring cost of food and rent. Wages are stagnant. It’s about trying to get people to come out and spend the money.”

Looking at the positives, Carmela acknowledged just how much the county’s food industry has evolved for the better over that time – with a greater variety of cafes, bakeries, restaurants and eateries.

“There are places I never would have gone 10 years ago,” she said. “I would have cooked it myself, but it’s about trying to support our local businesses as well as maintain our purse strings.”

Carmela dines out once a month and chooses somewhere local and different to support each time.

Hosting events herself, which includes the quarterly supper clubs at the Museum, Carmela knows the difficulty venues face in getting it right and encouraging visitors to return.

“Keeping the price right is so important for me,” said Carmela. “It’s a showcase. All diners turn up at 7pm and leave at 10.30pm. It’s a community and you want to give people so much for their money – that’s what I’d expect.

“For a once-a-month treat, you want it to be special.”

Two of Carmela’s favourite Italian restaurants to visit include La Pazienza in Wellingborough Road and La Trattoria in College Street Mews, which she says are “equally delicious” and we are lucky to have in the town.

Carmela believes customer service is the most important factor when visiting a venue, whether that is for a meal, bite to eat, or simply a drink.

As a “people person” herself, Carmela says that it does not matter where you go, you are more likely to love the place if you are welcomed in and have a positive first impression.

The cook is also encouraged when she sees a small menu and says she is unlikely to return somewhere if there is too much choice.

Talking about Northampton’s hospitality scene, Carmela said: “Places close or remodel. Things will always change.

“The hospitality industry is like a fairground ride. There’s ups and downs, and lows will either result in closures or a spike.

“Hospitality is hard to work within and that’s why I’d never have my own premises. I run my home cookery school as the industry is like a rollercoaster ride. You don’t know what will come next.

“Covid wiped out so many businesses but there are many great companies here to stay and building in a positive way.”

For more information on Carmela’s work, check out Carmela’s Kitchen on Instagram here.