Mr Simon Brian Offen

Simon Brian Offen (Cowell’s, 1976-1981). 

Died on 4th February 2023. 

 

   

‘Simon Offen’s family has let us know that a celebration of his life will take place at 2.30pm on Saturday 20th May at Christ Church Cathedral.

The service will be followed by refreshments in Hall. We would be grateful if you could let us know if you wish to attend so that we can have an estimate of numbers. Thank you’.

Please do email ose@stedwardsoxford.org if you would like to attend, so we can inform Christ Church of numbers.

The following obituary was kindly provided by Philip Blanchard (Cowell’s, 1977-1982).

Simon Offen, who died peacefully on February 4^th aged 60 was a member of a select group that attained a sporting blue from both Oxford and Cambridge Universities and retained a strong link to both Universities, the City of Oxford, and to Teddies throughout a varied and successful career in teaching, management, fundraising and business, which he combined with a love of gastronomy.

 

He was schooled first at New College Prep School where he shone as a gifted all-rounder, before arriving at Teddies in Miles Peregrine’s Cowells House in 1976. In any year group there are always boys who stand out as potential leaders, and Simon fell into that bracket. His gregarious nature, sense of humour and easy confidence saw him make friends easily.   At Rugby he was a superb second row, and at hockey a brilliant keeper.  He played a major part in the 1981 “unbeaten” XV when the fixture list included Wellington, Harrow and Bedford. The only narrow loss was to a touring side from Blackrock College, where his opposite number was future-international Neil Francis. Simon stood on the Irishman’s boots all afternoon in the lineout, and also crashed over for the best try of the match.

 

Simon’s all-round potential was spotted by Cambridge who offered him an unconditional place to read History at Selwyn College in 1982.  Before going up he had a term teaching at Teddies, leading to an accusation from Joe McPartlin (Former Staff, 1963-1998) that he had become a professional schoolboy, and he also got a job in Raymond Blanc’s kitchen in the original Quats’ Saisons restaurant in Summertown.

 

At Cambridge, Simon, a talented goalkeeper, was man of the match in the Varsity Hockey match in 1985. Facing a stronger Oxford team, which included Guy Hayward (Mac’s, 1977-1982) he saved so many shots on goal that the Daily Telegraph reporter described the match as “the greatest act of daylight robbery ever seen on a hockey pitch”. Oxford forced 25 short corners but remained scoreless. Cambridge scored twice from their four attacks.  Simon got his degree but he made more of a mark at Cambridge cooking lunches for his friends than he did in lectures or the library. As word spread of his culinary skills, he was employed at numerous dinner parties, and even the College Fellows as word spread.  His reputation as a bon viveur was not diminished when his car crashed onto a bowling green, and he expressed more concern for a salmon in the boot than for the car’s bodywork. 

 

Simon’s interest in cooking had been nurtured by a French road trip to famous restaurants with his godfather.  After Cambridge he returned to Le Manoir aux Quats’ Saisons to hone his skills.  Raymond Blanc still regards him as one of the two most talented chefs he taught and has a deep regret that instead of a career as a chef, Simon was accepted by Christ Church College, Oxford to gain a teaching degree.  Inevitably a second hockey blue followed, and in 1987 he accepted a job teaching history at Bryanston School in Dorset.

 

His six years at Bryanston saw him rise to become Head of History and Master in Charge of hockey. Colleagues remember a tireless orchestrator of events around the school and on foreign tours.  He instigated a very popular gastronomy course and cooked banquets for delighted friends, pupils and staff. One friend asked if they could take a bath in his private rooms, only to find it full of live crayfish. He proved an inspirational school master, as opposed to just a teacher, and showed exceptional dedication in everything he took on.

 

Simon left Bryanston in 1993 to set up an artisan food company. Stroff’s Sausages was based in Oxford’s covered market selling handmade free-range products. Following a successful launch, the company expanded into Cheltenham and Reading, but then ran into the BSE crisis of 1996. When an exit was offered by a butcher willing to buy the machinery, it was accepted.

 

Simon then gained management experience at Waddesdon Manor near Aylesbury. His work ethic and attention to detail, married with his knowledge of catering, saw him appointed Assistant Chief Executive in charge of three restaurants and the Five Arrows Hotel.  However, the Christ Church College development office had been targeting him for a number of years, and eventually persuaded him to join their team in 2009.

 

Simon’s organisation skills and panache saw him become Christchurch’s major breadwinner over the next 12 years, raising funds to enable the restoration of the boat house, and the setting up of educational scholarships. He embraced the bonhomie of Oxford College life, indeed he was perhaps made for it.  “Simon truly loved the House, and the alumni loved him”, noted one of his bosses at Christ Church.   In 2003, alongside his work for Christ Church, he started helping Vincent’s, Oxford University’s sports club based on the High Street to raise funds to celebrate their 150^th Anniversary.  Over the next few years he rose to become Bursar, overseeing a complete refurbishment of the premises, and helping the Club to secure its financial future. He organised a particularly successful series of events in North America to raise funds and promote Vincent’s sports scholarships.

 

Simon maintained close links with Teddies throughout his life, and was a central figure in the Martyrs firstly as Hockey Representative, then as Honorary Secretary from 1997 to 2002, and as President for 10 Years until 2012. He was often to be found working hard in Committee for the school’s interests. If he ever felt the school was moving in the wrong direction, he was forthright in his opinion, but remained a Teddies man through and through.

 

Simon was a long-time partner of Kathryn, who pre-deceased him in 2017. She brought two children from a previous marriage whom Simon adored, Edward Bloomfield (Field House, 2006-2011) and Charlotte (Mac’s, 2003-2008). They made beautiful homes in Oxford, and then at Carrick House near Bicester. Carrick became a mecca for myriad neighbours and friends from every stage of his life across the globe. There was always good food, laughter, and famously small amounts of tonic in the gin. His sense of humour has been variously described from “mischievous” to “outrageous” depending on sensibilities, and it was a central part of his warm character and his popularity.

 

Diagnosed late with cancer, Simon made no complaint, and instead set himself major targets over his last year, both at work and with his family, before he made his farewells.  All of those goals he achieved with characteristic bravery and typical good humour.

Simon’s mother Dorinne was also a popular house nurse of Field House and Sing’s and worked at the School for approximately 11 years.

 

 

 

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