Our Business Lunch feature is the perfect excuse for Business South Head of Strategy, Kate Pearce to sit down with one of our Champions and enjoy the hospitality of a Champion venue to catch-up over lunch. Our latest guest was Sam Clough, Executive Director at Cavendish and we met-up at Kimbridge Barn near Romsey.
Truth be told Kimbridge Barn near Romsey is something of a second home for Business South. We hold quite a few of our events there in the beautiful barn and always enjoy the relaxed vibe, delicious food and helpful team led by Paul Metcalf.
So when choosing a venue for the latest Business lunch outing – Kimbridge Barn was uppermost in our thoughts and happily they could accommodate Sam and I.
The approach to Kimbridge Barn from the A3057 along Kimbridge Lane takes you past some of the most pictureseque glimpses of the River Test you can spy from your car and properly whets your appetite for what is to come.
And on a summer’s day, there was no finer place to have lunch than outside with the beautiful planting that makes Kimbridge Barn such a feast for the eyes.
Settled outside, Sam and I quickly made our menu choices and caught up about recent Action Group activity (Sam co-chairs our Energy & Utilities Action Group).
Cavendish has been a long-time supporter of Business South and the work we do to promote the Central South. They design Prosper, the inward investment magazine that we take to international and national events and also support us with briefing documents for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Central South. (And did you catch Ash Bellinger’s great video for the recent Regenerate Central South Annual Conference ?)
They host the Talking Central South website, where we also share news and the talented team supports us with graphics for our stands at events such as MIPIM and UKREiiF.
Needless to say, we really appreciate the support they give us and it was great to talk to Sam about our plans to evolve Prosper to ensure it hits the mark when it comes to promoting investment opportunities. We are already working on a page plan for the 2026 edition so watch this space.
We both opted for a salad – mine was topped by a creamy burrata while Sam went for skillet baked St Ella Goat’s cheese with roasted beetroot, pickled shallot and chargrilled bread.
The conversation switched to the trials and tribulations of moving house and the joys of 1930’s homes with generously proportioned rooms, original parquet flooring and and deep skirting boards.
We ummed and aghed over pudding and finally agreed to share one of the specials. There was a choice between sticky toffee pudding and pannacotta with fresh peach and raspberry sorbet. I opted for the pannacotta and reasoned the fruit element could count towards our 5-a-day and we needn’t feel so guilty.
Meeting for lunch is a bit of a guilty pleasure these days but so worthwhile when your calendar allows you to take the time.
It was great to get to know Sam a little better and touch base over the work that will be coming down the line shortly with our Prosper production.
And she’s planning to take her Mum to Kimbridge Barn for lunch before the summer ends – so that’s great news for Paul and the team.
If you would like to join Kate for a Business Lunch and to be part of this feature, please email kate@businesssouth.org
