Alison Swan Parente

Alison Swan Parente
Born (1948-05-05)May 5, 1948
Worthing, West Sussex, United Kingdom
Occupation Child psychotherapist, founder of School of Artisan Food

Alison Jane Swan Parente MBE, born 5 May 1948 in Worthing, West Sussex, is a British former child psychotherapist and the founder of the School of Artisan Food.

Serving as a psychotherapist in the UK and the USA for over 30 years, Parente founded the School of Artisan Food, a registered charity, in Nottinghamshire in 2009 and is considered an expert on artisan food.[1] She was made an MBE in 2017 for services to charity and education.

Early life and psychotherapy career

Born in rural Sussex in 1948, Parente attended the London School of Economics, studying Sociology and Social Anthropology. She became a child psychotherapist in 1973, taking up a position at Rutgers University in New Jersey.[2]

Parente returned to the UK in 1976 and worked in the NHS as the Principal Child Psychotherapist at the Royal London Hospital between 1979 and 1981. She was also involved with the Women’s Therapy Centre for much of her career, serving variously as a psychotherapist, trustee and chair of trustees between 1977 and 2001.[3]

She retired from psychotherapy in 2007 after working in Nottingham for several years.[4]

Artisan food

In 2009 Parente founded the School of Artisan Food at the Welbeck Estate, Nottinghamshire.[5]

She had founded the Welbeck Bakehouse in 2008 but soon realised that there was a lack of skilled artisan bakers.[6][7]

The School was established to provide education and training in the “lost skills” of artisan food production.[8] A registered charity, it is the first educational institution dedicated solely to the teaching of traditional breadmaking, cheesemaking and butchery skills, and focuses on promoting healthy eating and a sustainable food system.[9]

The School offers a range of courses including butchery, bakery and food business courses which are taught by experienced artisan food producers from around the world.[10] It regularly welcomes international students for longer courses.

Parente is quoted as saying: “My background, working with challenging adolescents, led me to believe that everyone has the potential to contribute to society, no matter how unpromising a start they have.”[11]

She has said: “My greatest pleasure is to see students of all ages from all walks of life producing delicious food in a thoughtful way.”[12] Parente currently serves as the School’s Chair of Trustees.

In December 2016 it was announced that Parente would receive an MBE for her services to charity and education.[13] She was subsequently presented with royal honours in November 2017.[14]

Parente served on the panel of judges at the 2017 Produce Awards, and in April 2018 she will feature as a judge in the BBC Two series 'Top of the Shop', where contestants compete to produce the best artisan food.[15][16][17]

Parente is also involved with several other charities. She serves as the President of the League of Hospital Friends (Mansfield and Sutton) and sits on the council of Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming.[18][19] She is the President of Portland College,[20] and also a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire.[21]

References

  1. ↑ Tom Kerridge to search for Britain's best artisan food producers Yorkshire Post. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  2. ↑ Council of Trustees: Alison Swan Parente Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  3. ↑ Women's Therapy Centre - Officers Companies House. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  4. ↑ Find a Therapist Association of Child Psychotherapists. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  5. ↑ How to become an artisan baker The Guardian. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  6. ↑ Get a degree in breadmaking Country Life. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  7. ↑ A new artisan school opens in Nottinghamshire The Telegraph. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  8. ↑ Cooking Skills: Alison's Artisan Revival High50.com. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  9. ↑ MBE Honour Celebrated Mansfield and Ashfield News Journal. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  10. ↑ All courses - The School of Artisan Food The School of Artisan Food. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  11. ↑ Alison Swan Parente The School of Artisan Food. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  12. ↑ Food: Leading Real Bread Campaigner Becomes First Ever Fellow of the School of Artisan Food Nottingham Live. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  13. ↑ Alison Swan Parente: Order of the British Empire The London Gazette. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  14. ↑ Royal Recognition for Welbeck Couple Worksop Guardian. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  15. ↑ 2017 Produce Awards Regional Judges Delicious Magazine. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  16. ↑ Media Centre: Tom Kerridge fronts brand new BBC Two series to find Britain's best artisan food producers BBC. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  17. ↑ Top of the Shop The School of Artisan Food. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  18. ↑ Sherwood Forest Hospitals eBulletin April-May 2017 National Health Service. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  19. ↑ School of Artisan Food honours Real Bread Campaign co-ordinator Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  20. ↑ Residential Training and News: Spring 2004 National Archives. 26 June 2004. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  21. ↑ Fundraising networking event to celebrate Nottinghamshire's artisan food and drink producers Nottinghamshire.gov.uk. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
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