Better Business / Better Bristol
‘We need more locally produced seasonal produce both for our health and that of the planet’
Melanie Taylor is the manager at Fiveacre Farm Shop at the Tobacco Factory as well as Mark’s Bread bakery on North Street.
Melanie has over 30 years experience under her belt in the local food industry in varied roles from a chef to retail manager. She worked for over 15 years as a chef, as well as working for growers and producers, delis, voluntary organisations and her own business ventures.
Melanie ran Gopal’s Curry Shack, specialising in Indian street food, with her business partner for seven years as well as her own catering company Mel’s Kitchen.
Can you describe the career journey that has led you to where you are today?
“I have always been obsessed with food. I love cooking, growing, eating and immersing myself in food culture. I have worked for 35 years in the Bristol Food Scene. I started my career journey in food aged 15 as a kitchen assistant peeling sacks of onions in a damp basement. I went on to work in a café and gradually got more interested in the cooking side, as I was terrible at waiting tables!
“I worked for a number of years as a self-taught chef, working for several local breweries (Smiles and Bath Ales) and a year in Bristol’s Thali café Along the way I have done all the jobs in food, including running my own market stall and a brief stint as a cheesemonger.
“I have always been interested in food provenance, how food is produced and the ethics and sustainability of food production. I worked at The Better Food Company, a part time job which accidentally turned into a seven-year career as I fell in love with food retail.
“This led me to becoming a board member for the Community Farm in Chew Magna for several years. After better food I spent a few years running a community café, before co-founding a street food business, Gopal’s Curry Shack with business partner Heather Simmonds. We ran Gopal’s Curry Shack for eight years; the highlight being opening our own premises in a shipping container on Bristol’s harbourside. I now manage Five Acre Farm Shop and production kitchen, as well as oversee Mark’s Bread Bakery and support the retail side at Five Acre Farm Flower Barn.”
Melanie is the manager at Fiveacre Farm Shop at the Tobacco Factory on North Street – photo: Milan Perera
Who has been a business inspiration to you?
“When establishing Gopal’s Curry Shack, Laura Hart from Hart’s Bakery was extremely generous with her time and support. I have always been inspired by her career journey, from starting her bakery in a little kitchen and selling bread outside a shop on Gloucester Road, to setting up one of the best bakeries in Bristol with incredible ethics.
“I am awe struck by her making time to support so many other local businesses and having a family! I think she is truly inspirational. I have also been inspired a by the fabulous Kelly from Good Chemistry Brewing.
“We were neighbours for years and she was always so supportive. She probably saved my sanity during the pandemic. I love what she has done with She Drinks Beer, and how supportive she is of other women in the brewing industry.”
Are there any memorable challenges you have faced along the way?
“I have faced a few memorable challenges along the way. Being made redundant from a job I really loved was tough. It had a huge impact on my confidence and sense of self-worth. It took a long time to bounce back from that. I did though and went on to set up my own business so turned the negative into a positive!
“The pandemic hit Gopal’s Curry Shack hard. Making the decision to walk away from the business I loved was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. As it happens, it was the best decision as I genuinely love the job that I do now and feel that what we do at Five Acre Farm Shop makes a difference.”
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What is the most important thing for you to focus on in business?
“The most important thing I think to focus on in business is people. People are the heart of any business. Happy, nourished and supported teams do great work. I feel the job of anyone in a leadership role is to nurture and inspire people.”
If you had one piece of advice to offer people aspiring to your role, what would it be?
“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It is how you learn and recover from them that makes you a better leader.”
If you could change one thing about your sector, or Bristol as a whole, what would it be?
“I think the whole food sector needs to change. We need more locally produced seasonal produce both for our health and the health of the planet. Supermarkets and corporations have too much power and not only prop up the myth that food is cheap but are damaging our health and our planet.”
“We need more locally produced seasonal produce both for our health and the health of the planet,” said Melanie – photo: Milan Perera
What are your aspirations for the future, personally and for Bristol?
“I would love to see more food producers and growers in the Bristol area. On a personal level, whatever my next role is I would love it to be with a B Corp company or a social enterprise.”
Main photo: Tobacco Factory
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