It wasnt until my 30s after travelling and bringing up a family that
after a training session in tennis lead to a severely snapped
archillies.  No weight bearing on one leg led me to discover the art of
making danish pastry and creating delicious fillings.  Leaning against
the bench for weeks attempting different styles of food and
understanding origin.  I was getting the max allocation of 12 cook books
out per week from the local library, reading them from cover to cover. 
So many different variations for one recipe across different cultures. 
I started refining the science behind what makes the finished product
taste so good.  I knocked on the door of the local Farmers Market. Wasnt
long before I had queues for the sweet and savoury pastries, slices,
ciabatta, doughnuts, cinnamon rolls ... and the list goes on.

My grandmother Mavis lived in Eketahuna, where I was born (hold
judgement!). On our weekend trips from Masterton she would serve us up
her delicious porridge with cream and brown sugar for 'entree' then
homemade brown bread toasted with her amazing scrambled eggs with
homemade tomato sauce for 'main' then finally homemade brown bread
thickly cut with lashings of honey for 'dessert'!  Lucky my sisters and I
played lots of sport !  It was her purpose built shelf half a metre
down from the ceiling that she had around the walls that was so
captivating with all her bottled fruit and legendary tomato sauce.  This
tomato sauce was what kick started my farmers market venture and then
onto opening Mavis&Co in Hamilton. 50 staff and 3.5 hours sleep at
night, it was certainly one hell of a ride. 

I worked with some of the most incredible chefs, and I made a pact
with myself that I would learn at least ONE thing off each off them.  In
the start, it bothered me how they could taste things from the food
that I couldnt.  So it was my mission to refine my palate, it took me
nine months.  Any chef I interviewed, I got them to make me scrambled
eggs and I made some too, and then I asked them to try both and tell me
which one they liked, it was always mine.  How could customers enjoy
their cooking if they didnt enjoy it themselves!!

Always trying to think outside the square, the cafe space was turned
into Clarence Tapas at nights (Mavis husband name).  After 9 years, I
sold out, perhaps before I burnt out.   Three months downtime, what am I
going to do next?  White Picnic was born.  'White' for a fresh start
and 'Picnic' for the fun times a picnic can bring with yummy food.  I
created a meal brand 'Take Me Home Meals' for busy people.  It has been a
great success. 

Now, I am transitioning to my new company Take Me Home by Jayne
Marney.  This is a complilation of over 18 years of my self taught
experiences.  I hope you can savour and feel the energy that goes into
every one of my products.  Energy is definitely the single ingredient
required to go into every product in the world of food.  Jayne Marney x

 ps still not an egg farmer, maybe after this venture?!.