Two years ago, my daily challenge was figuring out how I could elevate the simple mushroom, or blend local produce into something that would have food critics saying that I was good at my job. It is an art form that is often underappreciated. Every person that you produce food for has a different palate, a completely different take on what you are trying to achieve to bring them endless joy throughout the journey of a dining experience. The hardest days come when you fail at that task and get the dreaded complaint, an unhappy customer, someone who you could not please even though you had done exactly what you thought was correct, effectively your red line.

Enter the ability not to change, call them an idiot and worry more about keeping the people who like your style and beliefs happy rather than exploring how to please those who disagree with you. This my friends is not an issue that solely exists in the world of a chef, it exists throughout society.

Covid-19 hit us all, it forced my hand away from hospitality and into a world in which I had to challenge the government. For me the easiest option was to be shouty and aggressive towards the hurdles that sometimes were only hurdles because of my approach. I had no option but to change and try to appeal to those who had a distaste for my ‘style.’ I had some superb friendly pieces of advice from the likes of Sinead McLaughlin, Caoimhe Archibald, Sue Gray, Brenda Burke, Peter Hall, members from within ExcludedNI, Stewart Dickson and John Stewart. Even at a later stage after my running battles with the DUP’s Sir Jeffery Donaldson, he was someone who offered me a steer in the right direction. There was one very special person who during this time, when change was the only option, steered me in the right direction, and I am forever grateful. That person was the host at the CDPB Fellowship Programme Symposium, its launch event, Claire Sugden. Her qualities for someone so young are something to be admired.
Again, with that dreaded forced hand of change, after an old friend told me to go for it (who I am forever grateful for and hope someday to find a common ground with) I found myself in front of a panel on Zoom for an interview about a Fellowship Programme I knew nothing about. I was very honest in that interview and told them, I’m not the right person, I have no idea what it’s all about and that there are probably 50 other candidates that meet the criteria for the Programme. What I did not know was that the CDPB panel was already looking for change, for difference and to see what else was on offer, as three days later I found myself accepted onto something that I felt was above me.

What came next was a series of marvellous trips and adventures into thought provoking discussions around change and how to resolve differences. Relationships from true honest North Belfast banter, a beautiful poetic mind drifting from the Mournes to wherever his quill takes him, an educational genius who helps me with my typos behind the scenes and a wonderful leader all the way from Poland. You would think that with all this positivity I would hold no regrets, but I do….

My regret is that I waited until my hand was forced to change to look to work with those I disagreed with. I should have gone out and challenged myself to work harder for those that disagreed with me sooner, rather than sitting in the comfort of those who agreed with me.
Don’t wait for change to be forced upon you.

Brian Donaldson