At Bookhams, we're real people who eat real food,
just like you do...
Our philosophy is 'for taste', prompted by the inspirational cuisine of Italy,
while aiming to source as much as we can from home soil – even the durum wheat for our pasta is milled in the UK.
We are committed to animal welfare issues and to sourcing our ingredients with care and sensitivity. Everything we do appeals to Vegetarians and to those of us who are seeking to eat a little less meat these days.
A philosophy ‘FOR TASTE’ inspired by simple but stunning ingredients...
After studying languages at Bristol University, Claire Bookham (aka Mrs. B) went to live in Emilia Romagna, the Northern Italian region bordering Tuscany that is responsible for giving us Parma ham, parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. Although all food in Italy is good, Emilia Romagna is considered to be a centre of culinary excellence. For seven years Claire worked as an intepreter in the region’s capital, Bologna, renowned for its mortadella, tortellini and world famous “ragu” sauce (which locals eat by the way with tagliatelle, not spaghetti).
From watching her friends and flatmates cook, Claire picked up a wealth of invaluable foodtips, developing an instinct for stunning but simple food, made with great tasting, honest ingredients combined in an imaginative way. The best way to enjoy a white truffle, she discovered for example, was simply to grate or shave it over a fried egg and serve with asparagus. This sums up Claire’s approach to food and cooking in general, that it has to be straightforward, relying simply on the ingredients themselves, put together without any fuss.
A few words about Rob Bookham ... 
Passionate about farming from an early age, Rob studied Agriculture at Plumpton College, under the South Downs near Lewes and Brighton. He soon developped an interest in farm diversification, which led him to forge links with an Italian family who owned an estate in mid Sussex. He became closely involved with their Vegetarian Parmesan production, going on to manage the Twineham Grange Estate. Rob was a pioneer in the late 90's of Farmers' Markets in the Southeast. He is deeply committed to working with other producers in sustaining British Agriculture.
In 2007, Rob teamed up with third generation dairy farmers' R. Harrison & Sons. Together, they combined the production methods of a traditional farmhouse cheese with that of a Vegetarian Parmesan. The resulting cheese 'Sussex Charmer', has since gone on to win numerous international awards, including BEST NEW DAIRY PRODUCT at Nantwich, the largest cheese awards in the world.
Over the years, Rob has been interviewed on radio and TV many times. Post 'Foot and Mouth', he was involved in a government think tank at Westminster. A staunch promoter of British food, Rob has been a director of Hampshire Farmers' Market since 2008 and is also a keen supporter of FARMA (the farm retail association). He recently appeared on ITV's 'Hungry Sailors' making fresh pasta with Dick Strawbridge.
Rob can be found on most weekends, donning his characteristic brown bowler hat and selling his cheese and pasta to the general public somewhere in Sussex, Surrey or Hampshire. In the Summer months, he tours the country with business partner Tim Harrison, selling cheese on toast at County Shows, music festivals and sporting events.