about taste

about taste

Living La Vida Locavore

Hail Fellows, well met

Fellows Farm invites you to its first ‘Field to Plate’ wood fired dinners this September: 5th & 19th. Fellows Farm is an organically certified, emerging market garden, vineyard & specialist arable farm, only a few miles from Framlingham. The farm is owned by Ben MacKinnon, a Suffolk native and founder of e5 bakehouse, an artisan bakery in East London, which he now supplies with produce from the farm. Wanting to share it with a broader audience, Ben has teamed up with the chef Nicola Hordern – Ballymaloe, Quo Vardis, Darsham Nurseries – and on two nights this September, Nicola will prepare ‘fresh from the field’ produce over wood fire, supported by head gardener and former chef, Lughan Carr. Tickets are £40pp which includes an aperitif and 5 course set menu, BYOB. Email Ben at benmac@e5bakehouse.com

Birthday Honours go…

…To The Lighthouse, which celebrates a significant milestone this year – its 25th birthday. The doors were first opened in 1995 by Sara Fox and Peter Hill who then passed on the mantel to Sam Hayes, who grew into the restaurant trade under their careful mentoring; becoming manager before taking full possession in 2015. The core values are still the same as they always have been, welcoming customers through the door with a friendly smile to make them feel at home and serving delicious food complemented by an excellent wine list. A fine institution and very much part of the fabric of Aldeburgh, we wish Sam and his wife, Maxine, many happy years to come, serving their loyal following and new customers alike at their beacon on the High Street.

…and to Emmett’s, which celebrates its 200th birthday this year. The store in Peasenhall has been trading since 1820 and remained in the same family until it was bought by the now owner, Mark Thomas, in 2000. “It was like stepping back in time as so little had changed”, says Mark when he first took it on, “You could still buy individual cigarettes over the counter, and no one paid for anything as we had over 800 cash accounts.” Emmett’s is now one of only two producers who make naturally cured bacon, with all of the smoking and curing still taking place in the about smokehouse at the taste bottom of the garden. Along with its sweet pickled hams, Emmett’s bacon earned a Royal Warrant back in 1970, but since then, Mark has added a fabulous range of high class produce, personally chosen by him for its provenance and quality, from local producers and much further afield. Pop in at your peril as you may come out with a lot more than your bargained for!

In the can

In launching their brand-new venture just weeks before lockdown, the team at Niche Cocktails founded by Suffolk lad, Bob Scott, inadvertently found themselves having to rethink their sales strategy. Having intended to focus its target at the hospitality arena, this Melton based company – the first in the UK to produce canned shots – was quick to pivot its planning and develop an online shop, selling its cocktails direct to the thirsty consumer. Since March, the team has been dispatching Blood Orange Old Fashioned, Manuka Honey Whisky Sour, and Matcha Mojito, to hundreds of homes and has since added Passion Fruit Daiquiri to the range.

To order yours, visit www.nichecocktails.co.uk