News > General > Rebecca Smith V 2006: A change of career has found me back in Winchester

Rebecca Smith V 2006: A change of career has found me back in Winchester

When life takes you in a completely different direction, through adventure to a beautiful idea! Rebecca returns to Winchester to find where she belongs!

	19 Sep 2018
	General

A smile says it all!

Rebecca writes:

It was a moment of throwing my toys out the pram at the end of 2016 that started the beginning of completely unexpected change. I had just been declined a promotion at Unilever where I had worked for six years on the basis of lack of experience, despite the director pushing me to interview knowing my career background. It completely threw me, and questioned my abilities and confidence. I quite hastily formulated my resignation letter and rather too quickly found myself in a clichéd version of Eat, Pray, Love, selling my flat in London, packing my bags and with a one way ticket to travel.

Thinking my trip would last well over a year, I think I was surprised that after 6 months I realised I was ready to come home; I had spent that time on a £500 a month budget travelling Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. I had pushed myself, travelling to unknown parts of the countries, taking long journeys, staying in questionable accommodation and I was tired. My trip culminated in a ten day silent meditation retreat (really clichéd and still makes me feel nauseous talking about it!). However, it is true, and it was here that I realised what I wanted to do, so to my parents alarm I found myself back living at home with an idea in my head.

Twelve years after leaving St Swithun’s in 2006 I have wound up permanently back in Winchester, with a business plan formulated and the hard work has begun. I have set up a deli, focusing on using local, seasonal produce, developing food recipes that are versatile and appealing to anyone whether you are a meat eater, vegan lover, gluten avoider, carb craver, vegetarian, flexitarian…I want my food to be tailorable, so that whatever my customers’ dietary requirements are there is something for them. My mother is continually contributing this career change to the hours and hours that I spent in the food tech department – and I think there is definitely something to be said about the support Mrs Baylis and Mrs Sanvoisin provided me and my friends (coincidently five of us all are in the food industry). I loved those lessons and despite me being continually teased at university for having an A Level in Home Economics, it provided me with the ‘A’ I needed for my course, and who was laughing when I was making all my friends a roux sauce from scratch at 2am because we had nothing else to go with our pasta.

I am only six months down the road from this idea, but a lot has happened. It has taken a huge amount of sacrifice to get to this point, and at a time where I have never known so many weddings, 30ths and hen do’s, whilst trying to build a new network of friends in Winchester; it is a difficult balance. I soon hope to have a shop open in Winchester, and would always welcome seeing an Old Girls face!

website - openhousedeli.co.uk
email - rebecca@openhousedeli.co.uk
FB/Instagram - @openhousedeli

We highly recommend Rebecca’s delicious food, having met her at her stall, having a lovely chat with her and buying our lunch there! Do visit her and say that you are a Swithunite - Rebecca is keen to network with you all too.

Our very best wishes, Rebecca!