2018 archive: This interview describes Dubbin Good Food and its menu at the time. Business details and services may have changed.
In 2018, Dubbin Good Food owner Hannah Critchlow spoke to Explore Buxton about her café and her approach to cooking.
Owner Hannah Critchlow has had a passion for food most of her working life and at the age 26 was one of the founding partners at The Green Pavilion Cafè in Buxton before studying for her BA (Hons) Hospitality Management degree and proudly achieving a First Class Honours in 2012. Hannah’s ethos around healthy or ‘clean’ eating is something she’s always firmly believed in.
“When my Father was diagnosed with a serious health condition, this spurred on the whole family to eat better food. It can make you feel so incredibly different if you eat the wrong foods and I really got thinking about the science behind it. With my experience and life long passion for creating tasty but healthy dishes, I saw a gap in the market for Buxton and that’s how it all began”.
Following graduation from the University of Derby in Buxton, single mum of two Hannah wondered how to put her plan in action. “I’ve always loved being my own boss and I’d had a vision about owning my café again and really adopting the ‘clean eating’ approach. I started selling salad boxes from the back of my van to local businesses and that really took off. We then moved to a small unit on Green Lane and Dubbin Good Food was born!”
“As a single mum of two it’s not been easy but with hard work and sheer determination, we got there. I’d encourage anyone thinking about setting up their own business, regardless of their circumstances, just have a go, you never know what it will lead to.”
By the beginning of 2018 Hannah was looking for bigger premises. “It was hard to find to the right place but then I could see Higher Buxton really growing, there was a buzz about the area with new independent businesses popping up. And I’m so glad we made that move, the community up here is just brilliant”.
In 2018 Hannah described the support she had received from nearby businesses and the local community.
What is clean eating?
“Clean eating” has no single medical definition. A balanced diet can include processed foods; processing alone does not make food unhealthy. Some people need to avoid gluten or dairy for medical reasons, but avoiding them is not automatically healthier for everyone. See the NHS guide to processed foods and coeliac disease guidance.
“Rather than revolving around the idea of ingesting more or less of specific things (for instance, fewer calories or more protein), the idea is more about being mindful of the food’s pathway between its origin and your plate. Clean eating is about eating whole foods, or “real” foods — those that are un- or minimally processed, refined, and handled, making them as close to their natural form as possible”, explains Hannah.
The 2018 menu included breakfasts, burgers, soups, sandwiches, cakes and the salad boxes with which the business began.
In 2018 Hannah said: “We serve food that’s cooked from scratch with no additives, E numbers and or preservatives and we only cook in rapeseed or coconut oil.”
Food additives are assessed for safety in their permitted uses; an E number alone does not mean an ingredient is harmful. The NHS advises replacing some saturated fat with unsaturated fat and lists coconut oil as a source of saturated fat. See the Food Standards Agency and NHS guidance.
The café also described vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options in 2018.
In 2018 Hannah described the café’s approach to sustainability: “We buy pretty much everything locally. I’m really passionate about the environmental side of the business.” She said the café encouraged customers to bring reusable cups and participated in a water-refill scheme.
Hannah said she wanted people to enjoy familiar dishes made in a way that reflected her approach to food.
Outside catering in 2018
At the time of this interview, the business also offered outside catering.
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