This weeks My sheddie is Ian from the Cheeseshed, a friend of readersheds and of course official cheesemonger to National Shed Week.
Sheddies name
Ian Wellens
Shed name
Selfbuild or off the shelf shed?
Off the peg, I’m afraid and considering my past life as a cabinetmaker that’s a bit of a disgraceful admission. It was a wedding present from my Mum and Dad when Susie and I got married in 1997.
Why have you got a shed? uses etc
It’s a place for me to work away from the house. In ’97 there were four of us in a small end-of-terrace house. I was writing my PhD at the time, and also had music to write and teaching to plan, so I desperately needed a quiet, deatched place to get on with all that stuff. A shed at the top of the garden was the ideal solution.
In late 2005 I had the idea for an online business selling Westcountry cheese. Almost as soon as I had the idea, I also had the name. It just had to be The Cheese Shed, which appealed to me on a quirky level, but was also true, as the business really IS run from a shed just like the one in our logo (which I drew with a felt pen on the kitchen table).
Mind you, I always have to quickly point out that there’s no actual cheese in the shed (apart from my lunch): that’s all kept nice and chilled elsewhere.
How would you describe your shed?
It’s basically a fairly straightforward 12 x 8 garden shed. However, one of the very ordinary windows has been replaced by a beautiful traditional farmhouse window (left over from another project). It’s also fully insulated and boarded out with T&G inside and suprisingly smart. had to improve things when the TV came last year – Gary Rhodes’ ‘Local Food Hero’ on UKTV.
We didn’t win by Gary said I was “a different kind of hero”. I think that’s good. It is, isn’t it?
Who are your shed inspirations?
We were on holiday on the Isle of Harris last year, which has picturesquely shabby sheds at every turn. It must truly be the Shed Capital of Britain, and encourages me to keep the shed down-to-earth, as well as reminding me that corrugated iron is the thing to aspire to.
Future Shed plans
Mmm. Well, if the business keeps on growing then I might outgrow this shed. But I’d have to move to a bigger shed, wouldn’t I?
I mean a business with a name like the The Cheese Shed can’t be rn from an industrial unit, can it?
How did you find out about our community?
That is a very good question. Surely Readers Shed has ALWAYS existed, hasn’t it?
I mean hasn’t it?
What word would you use to sum up Sheds
Bona
Remember you have until the 30th November to win a Shed load of cheese worth £50 from Ian and his shed of cheese.
If any other sheddies (who have shared their sheds) would like to be featured in this Spot, the fill out this Q & A Form and I will get back you!
