Kind Community - Meet Nick Marsh
It's hard to miss Nick when he walks in store. His tall frame always impeccably dressed. Maybe a pair of Orslow french workwear pants with a perfectly fitting white tee. Or a thrifted button up shirt with some classic vintage Levis, usually styled with the perfect sneaker, cap and bag. He casually flicks through our menswear assortment, finding gems that suit him perfectly. Being true to your own style is a bit of an art, one that Nick has mastered.
"10 years ago when I moved to this area, the men were tradies and there were barely any good coffee shops. But coming coming from England, fashion has always been a part of our culture. To me it's all creative self expression... fashion, music, cooking." On his interest in clothes, "there's something about when you feel fabric and you touch it, the texture, the weave, there's an experience in that. When you put it on and it fits right. It complements your body and doesn't hide it."
We can relate Nick.
A chef by trade, but clearly a born creative, Nick was born in the South West of England. He made his way to Australia in 2013 and landed in Kingscliff of all places. Where he happens to now be working and living with his wife and 3 kids some 10 years later.
On a summery afternoon, we headed off to Flor Grocer in Burleigh. Hunting for something to cook for dinner, and maybe some afternoon snacks while we chat. This is how we like to shop. See what's available and make some magic from there.
As we talk back at our kitchen, it seems like Nick has rolled with the waves of life and taken it in his stride. Suffering a severe back injury and unable to work, allowed him to meet his wife, start a family and get some precious time with the kids while they were young. This led to them pursuing photography, which eventually led to careers in content creation.
On his love of food, it's more than just food itself but the whole experience he enjoys. He loves the coffee shop in the morning, the beach in the afternoon, the restaurants in the evening and then the music the later night. "That's how I grew up"
"When I eat out, I want it to be something I don't really make at home or don't have the equipment for. I want to go to Costa Taco and eat 20 tacos. Or go to Labart and get told what Im going to eat."
Again, we can relate Nick.
While we snacked on bread, butter and olives, Nick taught us how to make his favourite easy pasta dish for one (with enough leftovers for lunch, or in his case to take home to his beautiful wife). And he wrote the recipe out too so you can recreate this one at home!
Pasta with Tomato and Anchovy
Ingredients:
- 2 x Shallots
- 1 x Garlic clove
- 2 tins of whole Tomatoes
- 1 tin of Anchovies
- a splash of Red wine
- Parmigiano-reggiano
- Basil
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Pasta
Method:
Finely dice the shallots. Sweat on a low heat in lots of olive oil for 3-5mins. The aim is to soften and lightly brown.
Add finely diced garlic and sweat for another 3 minutes.
Take the anchovies out of their oil and add to the pan whole. Cook for another 5-7mins until everything has broken down and begins to form almost a paste.
Turn up the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, caramelise and break up the tomatoes with your wooden spoon. As it all thickens and starts to stick, deglaze with a splash of red wine. Add 3/4 of a tomato tin of water when the pan has regained its heat, turn down to low and leave to simmer.
Cook your pasta of choice.
When the pasta is nearly cooked, taste and season your sauce.
When the pasta is ready, add to the sauce, use the pasta water sparingly to thin the sauce as necessary.
Serve with fresh black pepper, basil leaves and a lot of grated parmigiana-reggiano.
An absolute pleasure to spend the afternoon with you Nick. We love learning more about our community! You can find him on instagram at @nicefitnick