Meet Nichola

bespoke Jewellery designer, food writer and food events

Nichola’s career has had many strands but she regards them all to be complementary and enjoys them equally. Born in Glasgow, Nichola trained at Edinburgh College of Art, gaining a Royal Society of Arts bursary, the Johnson Matthey Silverware Award and a travelling scholarship from the college for the most outstanding design student. After a post graduate year, Nichola started her career as a bespoke jewellery designer and maker. Her work is mostly for private clients but is also represented in many public collections, including the V&A in London and the National Museum of Scotland.

Nichola’s husband, John Fletcher, pioneered Britain's very first deer farm in 1973, as a reaction against the problems they found with livestock production in the early 1970s. While John concentrated on the management of deer, Nichola developed a hugely successful venison business – Fletchers of Auchtermuchty - which she eventually sold in 2012. Through her years of promotional efforts with journalists and through her own extensive food writing, cookery demonstrations and teaching workshops, Nichola was instrumental in developing the UK venison industry, a task which earned her an MBE in 2014 from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for her services to the industry.

Nichola’s food writing career evolved from her involvement in venison, as she saw the need for sound venison handling and cooking information. This extended to game, meat in general, and also to the history and culture of food, including the histories of feasting, caviar and Scottish oatmeal, all of which subjects won prestigious awards. For several years she worked for the Financial Times Food & Drink pages.

Nichola lives and works near Auchtermuchty in Scotland, where since 2012 she has been creating a new garden with flowers and vegetables.