Since 1986 I have earned my living as a professional Chef in various aspects of the catering industry including films and TV advertising, weddings and outside catering, event catering, delicatessen and cheese purveyor, patisserie and wedding cakes. Two top class restaurants as well as a private Chef. For a few glorious years my husband and myself were the proud owners of a beautiful and well known restaurant in Northamptonshire. We are now both in private service...yes its a long story! However it has been a happy and fulfilling experience, and sometimes an hilarious one.
In 1991 after our first batch of unsolicited publicity for our restaurant, we were approached by persons claiming to be able to increase our profits considerably. They were shareholders in an abattoir and offered us meat at incredibly low prices. It was late at night and the restaurant was closed so my husband got out the real Russian vodka and we all sat down to talk about it....he was naturally suspicious... but trusted the effects of the vodka to reveal the truth! The abattoir was working illegal midnight shifts and processing animals that had been sick, severely injured or those that had died en-route in the lorries.
We declined the offer of a contract to buy meat at ridiculously low prices. The people concerned claimed that we were the only restaurant in the area that had refused them and that we would be sorry.  Shortly after that the local pubs were offering 10oz steak meals at £3.50. We could not compete and earned the reputation of being 'expensive' even to the point of 'ripping off'. This is easy to overcome if you run a London or big town based business, but for a remote little business like ours that was only a few years old it was fatal.
Under much pressure I refused to compromise on quality of ingredients. I felt responsible to my clients and could not bring myself to inflict inferior and dubious produce on them at any cost. I was also aware of the chemicals that were being injected into old cattle prior to killing that rendered their, otherwise stringy,  flesh  tender as butter. I knew that this process was in question and was not prepared to take the risks. Recession hit the Midlands hard and we could no longer compete with the £3.50 meals. We lost everything, including our home. However in view of the consequences that are only just coming to light I feel it was a small price to pay in order not to be partly responsible for the horrors that these people have inflicted upon our nation. Greed is a terrible thing, its benefits are short lived, its sufferings are forever.

I remain a purist and will never compromise on quality or good service. My promise is to do my best to provide the best.
  Fay Olinsky