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James Morris (left) Will Benzies and Jack Faulkner
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Clare Morris (left) and Jane Willmot
James & Clare Morris - Their Green (and fiery) adventure
James and Clare Morris have a track record for liking all things ‘green’. Clare used to work at Slapton Ley as Site Manager of the National Nature Reserve where she practiced the FSC motto “Environmental Understanding for All”. Dr James – he has a PhD in Laser Physics (like you do) - worked for the last five years on a project using algae to provide clean energy.
However, both are heading in potentially new directions but with their green credentials very clearly still intact.
From their converted chapel in Blackawton, where they live with their two children, they are working on two projects with green ethics at their heart.
Clare is starting a new florist venture using flowers grown in the village. This breaks from the normal practice used by florists to buy-in from large nurseries, with blooms trucked in from Holland or flown in from Kenya. At Blackawton Blooms, she and her partner Jane Willmott use flowers they have nurtured themselves - from seed to flower to bouquet - they do it all: “Home-grown not flown”.
“We love flowers and wanted to create displays that feel more natural and are more sustainable. We are not certified organic, though we do practice organic growing. We mostly grow cottage garden and wildflowers with a natural feel and our arrangements range from formal to funky that you simply won’t see elsewhere. They last longer too as they are cut, arranged and delivered in less than 24 hours – imported flowers just can’t compete. They are proving very popular – we’re in delis, pubs, holiday accommodation, restaurants and we’ve done four weddings and a funeral, plus a commercial photo-shoot.”
James’ project is a complete departure in many ways for him. He spends his normal week translating texts from German into English or developing oceanographic sensors for Valeport in Totnes.
So how did he come to make a new version of a traditional classic?
“I was on holiday with my family in Sicily when I saw local people using a traditional wood-fired oven,” he said. “I was convinced that I could improve on the design whilst preserving the classic features. When we got home I started work.”
Enlisting the help of his friends and colleagues Will Benzies, Sven Hirons and Jack Faulkner, James conducted more than 70 tests on his materials and constructed part and full prototypes in only four months.
James had looked at the large, heavy firebrick oven in Sicily and realised that with modern materials it should be possible to create a lighter oven that could be as strong and as effective at holding heat as its thousand-year old inspiration.
He thinks he’s succeeded.
“We use stainless steel fibres to reinforce the firebricks (just like the Tudors who used horse hair to reinforce lime plaster) so we can make them thinner and lighter. We created a proprietary plaster – full of air and also reinforced with stainless steel fibres - that reduces heat loss from the oven so it stays hotter for longer. The outside stays relatively cool even when the fire is raging at 450°C inside – making it safe for use in a family garden. This is perfect for pizza but also for seafood, meat, vegetables, bread, and even cakes and puddings (try doing that on a BBQ!). It has a distinctive ‘geodesic’ design like the iconic ‘Bio-Domes’ at the Eden Project and for exactly the same reason: incredibly strong but lightweight.
The oven uses fewer materials and needs less fuel than conventional designs – but these aren’t the only reasons it is ‘green’.
“We have sourced nearly all our materials from Devon and all of them come from the South West,” he said. “That means less road-miles, and using wood fuel is more sustainable than LPG or charcoal BBQs, plus providing logs creates jobs in the rural economy.”
“We’ve been inspired by nature in the geodesic design and used the best of modern technology to create an affordable and attractive product. I’m really proud of it. Being based in the South West, Clare and I are passionate about protecting the environment and want to be involved in sustainable projects - we are both doing that!”
First Published By The Dart July 2014