Cibare London’s Food and Drinks Magazine
Issue Seventeen, Summer 2019
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Contents FOOD
REVIEW
Foodie Ideas 4 Spicy Thai Pork Burger 16 BBQ Rub 20 Lamb Meat Balls 22 Egg Taco 24 Mushroom Burger 30 Corn on the Cob 32 BBQ Peaches 34
Darkwoods Coffee 10 Roadkill 40
BEER BBQ Beers 36
FEATURE Chicken Thighs and Flat Lemon Mushrooms 18 Glazed Salmon 26 Uchucuta Pork Chops 28 Life Al Fresco 48 PX+ Festival 62 Bermondsey Street Bees Q&A 66 Putting the Canine in 74 Carnivorous
GARDENING The Healing Power of Gardening
44
BOOK REVIEW Taverna 6 Gorgeous Greens 76
HEALTH AND NUTRITION Totally Minted 5 Reasons to eat Meat this Summer
54 58
Cover image of a Roadkill burger from Camden Market 2
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With the summer sun comes the BBQing weather and along with that the time to play with your food so that it tastes good on the grill! Long gone are the days when we simply set fire to our bangers and burn our burgers: we have all (I hope) learnt the ways of the smoke and are slowly cooking our meats and veggies to perfection with the true Mediterranean patience that comes with a drink and a chat around the fire! Or in my family’s case, drinking coffee and smoking whilst the charcoal worked its magic! A Grand Tradition that I only partly partake in, considering… With this in mind, our summer issue is full of delicious sunshine filled recipes and great places to eat and enjoy. We only have happy reviews of things we love and handy hints on being a healthy person (for at least some of the time anyway!) Not forgetting our love of books and beers!! So baby get that beach body out there - you are always ready! Get those layers off and get comfy in the summer sun! We are here to fill your tummies with pure joy, your minds with fabulous ideas and your hands with wonderful things to eat!
Lots of love Eve x
Cibare
Editor’s Note
FOOD IDEAS
Bacon and Peanut Butter Bagle
FOOD IDEAS
Cheesy Omelette with Chorizo in a Croissant
BOOK REVIEW
Taverna By Georgina Hayden By Despina Mina
The beautiful photos recall summers as a child spent at my cousins’ house. We’d run around the dusty front yard under the grapevines while the men gathered round a couple of old tin BBQs and their other halves busily prepared everything else in the kitchen. These gatherings were so large that every table in the house was dragged out into the garden along with chairs of every height, so we could all sit and share precious moments together. A quick intro to growing up in a Greek Cypriot household… The kitchen is the heartbeat of the home, where we laugh, cry, shout and eat. There is no problem that can’t be solved with a little food, drink and a good chinwag across the table. We’d rather serve more food than can be eaten in one sitting because we WANT you to go back for 6
more. It’s in our blood to feed, water and mother you while you’re under our roof, a trait passed on from generation to generation. Resistance is futile. So in traditional Cypriot form, I didn’t bother making three separate courses. I simply cooked lots of food and laid it out on a large table for everyone to dive into. Brace yourself – the menu is pretty extensive so let’s focus on the highlights. • Dips: Is it even a Cypriot meal if you don’t have tsatziki (yoghurt and cucumber dip) on the table? I don’t know why anyone bothers to buy this when it’s so easy and satisfying to make. The best part is you can tailor it to your palette. I matched this with a delicious creamy spicy whipped feta with cumin. I hadn’t thought of it as a traditionally Cypriot dip before but the ingredients don’t lie: feta and yogurt (plus ricotta, though I’m sure our Italian friends won’t mind). • Kioftedes: Deep-fried meat balls, crispy on the outside, fluffy Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: Despina Mina
This one was always going to be close to my heart. Taverna, Georgina Hayden’s second cookbook, is all about her Cypriot heritage (therefore my Cypriot heritage) so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it!
and light on the inside. I always squeeze lemon and sprinkle some salt over them. My guests were swiping them before I’d even laid the table! • Fried halloumi, mint and roasted almonds which added crunch and made this simple dish a game-changer. • Roasted saffron cauliflower with date dressing:A personal favourite. I adore the sweet and sour dressing which seems to compliment not just the cauliflower, but everything else on my plate. • Roasted beets and leaves with dill yoghurt: Such an awesome combo and one I’ll be making again. When my guests took a vote on their favourite dish this one came a very close second to… • Makaronia tou fournou (pasta in the oven). This must be served at room temperature so it firms up and personally I think it tastes much better. It’s similarish to lasagna but we use long tubes of pasta instead of sheets. This was the show-stopper and, quite frankly, would have been enough served with just the village salad. Which by the way happens to be the best blooming Greek salad I’ve ever had outside of Cyprus or Greece!
• Bougatsa: This dessert was the only thing served separately. In hindsight, I probably should have chosen something light, like the cherry sorbet or fennel and rose ice cream. Instead I made this deep-filled custard filo pie. Oops! By the time it was served we all only managed a few forkfuls. It’s rich, creamy, sweet and not for the fainthearted. The bottom was a bit soggy but overall, I was pleased how it came out and it didn’t stop me from eating it again the next day. And the day after. Normally I run on nervous energy when I’m hosting a dinner party, particularly when the meal is designed around a brand-new cook book. But this time I was chilled out and relaxed, maybe because the food was so familiar to me. As I’m sure happens with many family dishes, my Mum cooks by feeling, taste and instinct. I doubt she even owns any scales, so you can imagine how hard it is to get any recipes from her. So for me this book was a modern guide to making many of those familiar much-loved meals – with added Georgina Hayden passion!
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PICTURE CREDITS: Despina Mina
• Persephone’s prosecco (named after Georgina’s daughter): To wash it all down we drank this with rose syrup and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. My guests came on a Sunday afternoon to soothe their hangovers (no naming, just shaming, hoho) and feel nourished. More booze wasn’t on their agenda until I made myself one of these, then they decided hair-ofthe-dog was the only way to fix things. Cibare Magazine
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REVIEW
Darkwoods By Emma Jordan
This issue we’re reviewing coffee from Dark Woods. Based in a refurbished weaver’s mill in the blustery West Yorkshire Pennines, Dark Woods was established in 2013 by a group of industry professionals who take their inspiration from the surrounding nature.
delicate milk chocolate caramel, which seems like quite a rich flavour for such a light-bodied coffee. It’s lifted by a light citrus hint of grapefruit. It’s got quite a sweet farm-y flavour with a glossy mouth feel. Overall, it’s a sweet, light and drinkable coffee.
They aim to source beans directly and their model favours a short supply chain. This means connection to all stages of the process and, importantly, the people involved, including the farmers to whom they pay higher than fair trade prices. All in all, they sound like a lovely company.
The acidic aroma is more pronounced in the espresso, with a surprising toasted hazelnut moment alongside a citric acid kick – like citric acid without the fruit. It leaves me with a slightly bitter caramel after-taste. This definitely works better in the cafetière, which is in fact what it says on the packet.
Panama |Light-bodied
The aroma of the ground beans is very acidic, but sweet. It’s citrusy, like sweet grapefruit, almost vinegary, and hits the sneezy bit of your nose. It’s extremely light-bodied and pours like tea – put a teaspoon in the cup and you can see it at the bottom. From the cafetière, I find a light citrus aroma and the immediate flavour is very 10
Arboretum|Medium-light
There isn’t much to mention about the aroma of the beans, other than an interesting scent of fresh rose leaves. First taste from the cafetière is a subtle chocolate hazelnut and the sense of green leaves is carried through. As we drink it, we start to pick up a really juicy side to this coffee, with soft flavours of Cibare Magazine
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lychee and pear coming through. There’s some citrus as well, sweet with no real sharpness to it – like lemon meringue pie, but made with oranges or an orange version of limoncello. It has an aftertaste of lemon sherbet and a sense of having drunk a light juice drink. There’s not really any bitterness to it at all. There seems to be less to say about the espresso. It’s very pleasant and again there’s no bitterness. The sense of juiciness is still there in bursts and that orange-cello flavour still present.
Barrel Aged Common Grounds | Medium
Well, this is very interesting... Following collaboration with a nearby beer producer who wanted to use coffee in his beer, Dark Woods decided to use whiskey barrels from the brewery to store (rest) the coffee in before roasting. And indeed, as soon as we open the packet, we’re hit with a strong waft of booze. It smells like the end of a really fun night in an as-yet uncleaned pub that’s had sherry thrown around it. From the cafetière the boozy aroma is back, although it’s softer and rounder than it was in the beans – spiced rum, possibly Tia Maria (obviously because it’s like alcoholic coffee) and vanilla. I’m also picking up a bit of sweetened coconut and milk chocolate. We’re honestly concerned that we might start feeling the effects of alcohol soon. A bit of aerating reveals something slightly floral, a bit rose-y but otherwise it’s quite rich, fruity and a bit farm-y (manure-y, but in a good way). Unsurprisingly it turns out to be Ethiopian in origin. 12
The espresso is also very pleasant – slightly more bitter but with a rich undertone of vanilla. It has a fruity aroma and a plummy, fruity burst of flavour followed by a fruity alcoholic hit like booze-soaked slightly-charred Christmas pudding. This is definitely one to try. It’s lovely to drink and also an interesting talking point.
Peru | Asporago
The beans smell of peanut butter and ground. The peanut butter is subtler, perhaps mixed with milk chocolate, and there is some saltiness and some higher acidic notes. But most interestingly, there’s a spiciness to it, like pepperoni. The flavour is quite subtle but rounded, with a richness to it that’s strangely paired with a fresher juiciness. It still has a hint of peanut butter paired with white chocolate and cocoa butter. It’s moderately acidic. The packet describes flavours of white grape and I can’t really think of a better way of describing it. It doesn’t taste of grapes as such, but rather leaves you with the sensation of having eaten grapes. There’s more bitterness and acidity and the grape-y-ness is immediately apparent, almost like a medium grape-y white wine. The mild creamy white chocolate flavour in the cafetière is concentrated into a darker chocolate flavour – not quite milk chocolate, more a mix between dark and milk eaten in the same mouthful. Definitely the most zingy coffee we’ve tried this time.
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HUNGRY
SUMMER
FOOD
Spicy Thai Pork Burger By Ying Bower
INGREDIENTS Serves 2
500g minced pork (5% fat) 2 stalks lemongrass 1 red onion 4-5 garlic cloves or ½ tsp garlic salt 1 tsp ground turmeric Pinch of ground white or black pepper, as preferred 1-2 tsp chili flakes 5 lime leaves (optional) 1 tbsp cornflour
METHODS 1. Blend garlic, red onion, chili flakes and turmeric. Chop lemongrass into small pieces then mix everything together in the blender, except the pork. 2. Mix the minced pork and herb blend together. Add the salt, black/white ground pepper and cornflour, and mix well. 3. Form into burger shapes. 4. Cook under the grill and enjoy with steamed rice or on a burger bun with side salad. 16
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FEATURE RECIPE
MEAT Chicken Thighs and Flat Lemon Mushrooms By Jacks Meat Shack
My whole ethos is that BBQs should be fun and easy to prepare. These recipes are so simple that, even if you just fancy some chargrilled goodness after a busy day at work, they’re sure to deliver. Full of taste and flavour but not overly complicated, they leave you time to enjoy the last of the evening sunshine with a cheeky beer.
INGREDIENTS 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on 4 large flat mushrooms 2 lemons Salt and pepper to taste Jack’s Meat Shack Ranch Multipurpose Rub
METHOD 1. Light the BBQ so the coals will be ready to go once you’ve prepared the chicken. 2. Pinch the chicken thighs so you can feel the bone. Using a sharp knife, score through the skin until you touch 18
the bone. This helps speed up cooking and allows the rub to penetrate into the meat. 3. Season both sides of the thighs with Ranch Multipurpose Rub from a height – this allows a nice, even covering on your chicken. 4. Set up for two zone cooking, with all the charcoal on one side of the BBQ. This allows you to move meat away from the flames if it starts to char. 5. Place the seasoned chicken thighs on the side opposite the heat source, close the lid and allow the BBQ to work its magic for 10-15 minutes. 6. Season the flat mushrooms with a little salt and pepper – not too much salt as it can pull the moisture out of the mushroom. Place on the grill with the stalks facing down. 7. Check the chicken with a meat thermometer until it reaches an internal temperature of 74C. If you don’t have one, wait until the juices run clear. 8. Flip over your mushrooms – by now all the flesh should have opened up. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice Cibare Magazine
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into the mushroom. Half a lemon per mushroom is a good rule of thumb. 9. Place the thighs skin-side down over the lit coals to allow the skin to become brown and crispy. 10. The mushrooms should have soaked up all the lemon so are ready to serve with the chicken and a simple salad. Buy Jacks Meat Dust on his website: www.jacksmeatshack.com
FOOD
BBQ Rub By Emma Walton
Fill a jar with this for a fool-proof BBQ rub that you’ll use all summer long! It tastes great on pork ribs, chicken drumsticks and beef brisket. • • • • • • • • • • •
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8 tbsp paprika 4 tbsp garlic powder 4 tbsp chilli powder 3 tbsp salt 3 tbsp black pepper 2 tbsp onion powder 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp dried oregano 1 tbsp cumin 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground allspice
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FOOD
Luscious Lamb Meatballs By Samina Iqbal
Does anyone out there not salivate at the aroma of sizzling lamb meatballs? The flavour and texture particular to lamb really can’t be beaten. Add in a few herbs and spices and you’re on to a winner!
1 tbsp grated parmesan 1 cup breadcrumbs 1 tbsp dried parsley or Italian herbs Juice of 1 lemon Large handful of chopped Greek basil
If you’re making this recipe with the kids, feel free to make regular pasta for them and some beautiful wide-cut courgetti for yourself. Alternatively serve it with rice or quinoa or – if you’re feeling particularly virtuous – swap in cauliflower or broccoli rice for regular rice.
METHOD
So many serving variations, combined with its unbelievable simplicity and speed, make this dish a regular in our household. Try it and see!
INGREDIENTS 500g minced lamb 1 egg Black pepper ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp onion granules 22
1. In a large bowl, combine lamb mince, breadcrumbs, dried herbs, parmesan, garlic powder, onion granules and black pepper. 2. Beat the egg, add it in and mix well. 3. Form 20 small balls from the mixture, then fry gently in a little olive oil until cooked through. 4. Add the lemon juice and chopped Greek basil to the pan for a tasty and speedy sauce. 5. Enjoy with any of the accompaniments mentioned above.
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FOOD
Cheesy Egg Taco with Steak By Eve Tudor
INGREDIENTS One or two large eggs Cheddar or other melty cheese Butter for frying Filling: Nice bit of leftover steak or some frying steak Chopped tomato Chopped spring onion Chopped flat parsley Sliced avocado Splashes of olive oil and red wine vinegar Quantities will vary on your personal preference and how capable you are of holding it all into the taco. Or the size of your hands!
METHOD Chop up the filling and give it a good mix with the oil and vinegar. You only need enough oil to coat it, so go very easy as the cheese is oily too! Give your egg (or eggs) a whisk and get it into a little frying pan if you can, and let it 24
have a nice fry in a little butter. Once the egg starts to harden add enough cheese to cover your egg nicely. You don’t need to go too crazy but again it’s up to your personal taste! When the underside is cooked flip it over carefully and cook the cheese, but just enough till it begins to golden. Then place it on a plate for preparation. (Make sure whilst you are cooking that you can move the egg around so that it comes away from the pan easily. The cheese and oil combo will help to be fair!) Whilst cooking your egg you either need to cook that nice piece of fillet steak or frying steak: I’d say only with minimal seasoning as you are adding lots more flavours to it, and cook it to your specification. So go very easy on the salt, but don’t leave it out completely or your steak won’t taste good. Once everything is cooked and ready you can begin to fill your cheesy taco. I’d decant everything onto a plate then add as much steak and salad as it will hold and as much as you can hold too! Then the only thing you can do is enjoy! Cibare Magazine
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FEATURE RECIPE
MEAT Bourbon and Whisky-glazed Salmon with Mango Pico de Gallo By Jacks Meat Shack
INGREDIENTS 1 half side of salmon fillet 1 large red onion 1 pack vine ripened cherry tomatoes 1 bunch of coriander 1 mango 1 lime Smoked salt 1 tablespoon candied jalapenos Jack’s Meat Dust Multipurpose Rub 1 shot Bourbon 1 tablespoon maple syrup
METHOD 1. To make the Pico de Gallo, fine dice the red onion, tomatoes, coriander and mango. Mix in a bowl, squeeze over the lime juice and season with a liberal crack of smoked salt. Throw in the candied jalapenos for an extra spicy kick. Allow to stand in the fridge overnight to let the flavours come together. 2. Light the BBQ so the coals will be at the right temperature when you’re ready to grill. 3. Lightly season the salmon on
the fleshy side using the Meat Dust, sprinkling from a height to ensure an even coating. 4. If you’re using a cedar plank to roast your salmon, follow the instruction as guided. Place the salmon on the plank skin-side down. 5. Allow the fish to roast on the plank until the internal temperature reaches 50C, then apply your glaze. 6. To prepare the glaze, mix the maple syrup and bourbon in a small bowl and chuck in a pinch of Meat Dust for good measure. 7. Use a silicone brush to coat the salmon with the glaze on the fleshy side, and continue to grill. 8. Check the internal temperature until the salmon reaches 64C, then it’s ready. 9. Serve on your poshest plates topped with a good helping of the Pico de Gallo and a fresh rocket salad. Buy Jacks Meat Dust on his website: www.jacksmeatshack.com
FEATURE RECIPE
Badass Uchucuta Pork Chops By Theo Michaels
Uchucuta is a traditional Peruvian salsa made predominantly with chilli, herbs and cheese, but I love using it as a marinade for pork chops cooked on the BBQ.
INGREDIENTS 1 pork chop per person – about 350g, 1.5-2inches thick 2 green jalapeño chillies 1 scotch bonnet chili 100g feta cheese 1 tblsp vinegar Juice of 1 lime 1 clove garlic 80ml extra virgin olive oil 20g fresh coriander (about a handful) Pinch of salt
METHOD 1. Put the chillies under the grill or over an open flame until charred, then pull stalk off. 2. Add the chillies and all other ingredients (except the pork) to a blender and blend till smooth.
3. Keep a few tablespoons of the marinade for garnish – make sure it doesn’t come into contact with raw meat. 4. Add the pork chops to the remaining marinade and marinate overnight – if you don’t have time, an hour will do. I put mine into a zip lock bag in a bowl in the fridge. 5. Take the chops out of the fridge an hour before you want to start cooking. 6. Once your BBQ is hot, place the chops on direct heat for 4-5 minutes each side or until nicely charred. 7. Remove the chops and rest on a warm plate for 10 minutes – if you don’t, they’ll be tough. 8. Thickly slice half the pork chop and drizzle a tablespoon of the marinade over the meat. If the marinade is too thick, add a dash of water or lemon juice. 9. Season well with salt and finish by sprinkling over some freshly chopped coriander. Goes well with an ice-cold beer and some nachos to soak up that surplus Uchucuta dip!
PICTURE CREDITS: J Theo Michaels
FOOD
Mushroom Burger By Dani Gavriel
These taste fantastic served with ovenbaked butternut squash, parsnip and carrot fries.
INGREDIENTS For burger ‘bun’: 1 Portobello mushroom 1 tomato, sliced 1 red onion, sliced Handful of rocket leaves 1/2 tsp sesame seeds For veggie burger patty: 1 finely-grated onion 1 finely-grated carrot 1 finely-grated sweet potato 1/4 broccoli head, finely-grated 1 finely-chopped red chilli Handful polenta or fine bulgar wheat 1 egg to bind Salt & pepper Handful of freshly chopped parsley 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs 30
METHOD 1. Mix all patty ingredients together. 2. Form into a patty and roll in the polenta. 3. Spray with oil spray then grill for 15 to 20 minutes. Or pan fry for extra crunch, turning once until golden brown. 4. Grill Portobello mushrooms. 5. Assemble burger and sprinkle with sesame seeds
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FOOD
Corn on the Cob By Eve Tudor
INGREDIENTS 2 large corn on the cobs Half a packet of butter 1 chillis 1 handful of thyme Pepper As much Parmigiano Reggiano as you feel is required
cob. Leaving no kernel uncovered! It’s only fair. When you are sure that your corn is cooked the way you like it, take it off the BBQ and give it another smear of the butter but then grate a generous amount of cheese into it and enjoy! Lets face it. Cheese makes everything taste amazing!
METHOD Put those babies on the BBQ and get them cooking. Whilst they are working hard, get your butter cold from the fridge and place it in a bowl. Chop up the red chilli nice and fine and pull off the thyme leaves from the stalks and give them a chop too. Then give your butter a nice season with a little pepper, mixing it till everything is spread evenly through the butter. When your corn is almost ready, add a generous smear of butter to the entire 32
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FOOD
BBQ Peaches By Eve Tudor
INGREDIENTS 4 peaches 1 or two dessert spoons of butter A couple of HUGE spoons of your favourite honey like Bermondsey Street Bees Honey A small handful of fresh thyme
METHOD Halve your peaches and take out the pip and get that BBQ nice and hot. Place a pan on the heat (but keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t get too hot!).
Once you are ready to turn them over place a little knob of butter in each little peaches pip hollow and drizzle honey all over them and turn over so the cut sides are down! Then you just need to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn but they do get nice and caramelised! You can always add more butter and if you really must more honey!!! Try and get those delicious thyme leaves directly on the fruit for extra deliciousness. Then simply serve with a huge dollop of fresh cream or mascarpone!
Put some of the butter in the pan to melt and having pulled off the thyme leaves from their stalks add those too, to heat up and release the fragrance a little. When the butter has melted place your peaches in the pan, cut sides up, to warm up. I’d leave them for about 10 minutes but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. 34
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BEER
Barbeque Beers By Jon Moore
Barbeque season is here – or at least, it should be by now. You’ve got your coals on, your food is ready to go, and a hoard of hungry, thirsty guests will knock on your door any minute now. But what beers are you serving? The huge range available these days means it’s easier than ever to pair your beers with your food. Here are some suggestions for great barbeque beers, chosen not only for flavour but accessibility. All are available in major supermarkets, so should only be a quick dash away if you’re in a hurry.
CLASSIC BBQ Pilsner Urquell
There’s a lot to be said for keeping things simple. Sometimes you want to be unfussy, not overly complicated. You want the classics: burgers and sausages, plus something refreshing to sip in the sunshine. And let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like a well-made lager on a hot summer day. Pilsner Urquell is the classic Czech 36
lager. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s comparable to the big bland lager brands you can buy by the slab. It’s a quality product, full of flavour. At 4.4% it has a gentle biscuity-caramel body, delicate floral notes and just enough hoppy bitterness – it must be one of the smoothest lagers out there. If you want something crisp and clean to cut through the meat, it’s a great choice.
ADVENTUROUS BBQ Beavertown Bloody Ell
If you’re the sort of person whose barbeque is all about sticky glazes and marinades, perhaps even some game, you’ll need a beer with some bite to square up against those bold flavours. A great choice is a modern American-style IPA with punchy bitterness and juicy hop character. Bloody Ell is modern IPA with a twist, from Tottenham brewers Beavertown. That twist is a generous addition of blood orange juice and zest, which really enhances the big citrusy flavours from Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: Jon Moore
the Citra and Amarillo hops. They’ve recently lowered the ABV of this one to 5.5%, so it’s more easy-drinking than before. Just remember that it’s not actually juice.
LIGHT BBQ Camden Week Nite
Not everyone wants to consume their bodyweight in grilled food. Perhaps you want to keep it light, sticking to salads, grilled veggies and maybe a bit of chicken or fish? If that sounds like your kind of barbeque, you want an easy-going lowABV beer to match. And Camden have got you covered. Week Nite is a super light unfiltered 3% lager that’s delicate, crisp and refreshing. They’ve opted to use American and New World hops, so this is a modern interpretation rather than a traditional European-style lager, but that doesn’t mean it’s excessively hoppy or unbalanced. This is all about subtlety, rather than bold and brash flavours. Given its low strength, it’s also a great choice if you plan to have a few beers over a couple of hours.
Austell’s Sayzon, a 5.9% farmhouse ale brewed in collaboration with awardwinning beer writer Melissa Cole. It’s a light, pale beer with a hefty amount of bitterness, a peppery flavour and a bonedry finish, perfect for cleaning your palette between mouthfuls. To enhance the experience, they’ve added a hint of ginger, lemon, lime and cinnamon, which adds to the overall complexity. It’s a beer that demands your attention so it might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s a great entry to the style if you want to try something different this summer. All beers were purchased from local branches of Tesco and Waitrose and cost under £3 each.
SMOKED BBQ St Austell, Sayzon
Some people like to go all-out on big smoked flavours; doubling down on oak smoked ribs and brisket. If that’s your plan, you’ll want a beer with enough character to stand up to those big robust flavours. A good choice is a saison, a traditional European-style farmhouse beer, historically brewed to quench the thirst of farmworkers in Wallonia, the French-speaking south of Belgium. An excellent modern example is St 38
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REVIEW
ROADKILL By Eve Tudor
Well I’d like to say it’s all in the name but thank GOD it’s not!!! It’s a quirky name for a serious brand! And baby they are serious about MEAT!! It’s all about the steak. But they are also hardcore about burgers, they kick ass with bacon and their pulled meats rule. And all because the boy is part chef part butcher! We have a vision people and the vision is ROADKILL. What started out as an idea to try something new to go it alone has, in the last six months since its opening, turned into a legacy in the making. This Camden Market food stall is not only moving into a much bigger space as I write this article, but you will be seeing Roadkill all over London by the end of the summer. Roadkill will be in a new central London food court near you very soon!! And honestly you want to get right in there now before everyone realises just how well these people cook their meat. Everything they do is with the upmost 40
respect to the animal and the process of turning it into food. They use the whole animal leaving nothing to waste, with first class farmers chosen by owner and chef Matt, farmers who are as local to Camden as they can be but with high ethical standards which our chef is adamant come first). Using the best farming methods, means producing the best meat from happy animals and then taking care of that meat to create the most delicious food for a true carnivore. Even their chips are cooked in beef fat and wow they are so good! It started with the opening for me. I stumbled across it on social media and thought to myself that I definitely need to go there!!! With a name like that I want in! And I’m so pleased that I did, with a few friends and ordering everything on the menu, we had such a delicious feast and a really good night hanging out in Camden Market. At that time, I just knew that the owners were meat freaks - I didn’t realise until later in the evening that we were Cibare Magazine
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talking about farms and their ideas for a butchery class. Now this was new to me for a chef to want teach people how they actually butcher their dinner, but I think it’s brilliant to educate your customers about what they are eating. So once I heard the classes had begun back to Camden I came, and of course I made sure I was there for a nice lamb master class. (Being Greek Cypriot, it was an absolute must for me obviously!). Well I was not alone!!! A lovely crowd was there with me, of foodies and real BBQ masters watching as the Roadkill butcher and his serious set of knives (and a saw!!) showed us what to do. Thankfully we were given an assortment of delicious lamb starters as we watched which were so good and there were moments of real eye rolling delight, which made it a little hard to concentrate on the class. But our butcher was nice enough to slow down knowing we were all munching away and answered lots of questions.
mentioned previously Roadkill can glam that baby up as much as you like with a great selection of all sorts in that bun too. But I think there is a lot to be said to knowing that if you go to Roadkill you will get a great burger. (Honestly though have the steak too. You will thank me later I promise you!). I can’t wait to get to their new restaurant now. To take my kids down there for a nice summer lunch and to get my friends round for a great steak before going out for some cocktails. This Camden spot is perfectly placed for a meal out before hitting the town, or getting that shopping done!
PICTURE CREDITS: Alex from @immersifood
Once that little lamb had given us our educational part of the evening there was a three-course meal beautifully prepared by the great chefs of Roadkill and we ate each course with a lovely wine pairing from the guys at the Camden Grocer (where the classes took place.) But yet again these guys just cook their meat to perfection. At their launch I had a full beef feast and now I was on the lamb and honestly in my eyes they just can’t go wrong. Their food is just a damn pleasure to eat! Their restaurant makes a perfect place to sit in Camden Market and have a great burger and fries. It may sound simple and honestly as I 42
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PICTURE CREDITS: Alex from @immersifood
GARDENING
The Healing Power of Gardening By Emma de Sousa
There’s been a fair amount of press lately about the great benefits of being outside. Take a walk in the woods, potter in your garden, dig the allotment or walk along the beach. We all know that being outside, whatever the weather, makes us feel alive, energised and generally a whole lot better. There’s something very powerful about the great outdoors, even if you’re only doing something mildly active such as gardening. I spend a lot of time outdoors. I’m not only a florist (a few years back I decided to grow flowers to supplement my business with locally-grown produce) so all year around I dig, weed, water, plant, sow and cut flowers. While it’s not gentle exercise and takes its toll on my (slightly ageing) body, it makes me happy and keeps me sane as well as physically fit. I also get huge pleasure tending my veggie patch and, of course, eating anything I happen to grow. Rose petal perfume and mud gravy with leaves 44
My love of the great outdoors has always been there. I have memories of playing in and around my Dad’s allotment as a child – aged 87 he still has the beloved allotment he got 47 years ago. The smell of rain on cow parsley evokes memories when I walk my dogs in the woods all these years later. I remember making rose petal ‘perfume’, creating mud gravy with leaves and sticks (the veggies in my ‘roast dinner’) and eating freshly-picked carrots with dirt still on them. I’ve always lived somewhere with a garden. It’s essential for me to have a place where I can step outside. In my humble opinion, the act of growing is pure therapy – even pots on a balcony or window ledge. There’s much talk about the benefits of alternative medicine and I truly believe what you do with (and put into) your body has a profound effect on your wellbeing, physically and mentally.
Prescribe gardening not pills
People today are experiencing so much mental/physical disease and ill health. It Cibare Magazine
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makes no sense to me that we continue to freely prescribe drugs when there’s plenty at our fingertips to help heal mind and body without costing the earth. Prescribing more gardening, growing (and eating) fresh food and physical activity should be the norm, rather than simply dishing out antibiotics. Of course it’s not the solution to all illness, but I feel sure the world would be a healthier place if we all got moving and had more fresh air. Get your wellies out and start digging! Make a small space in your garden or offer to help an elderly neighbour with theirs. Join a local gardening group or do 20 minutes of outdoor activity every day, like a short walk. Even when I’m snowed under at work (pretty much all the time) I still walk my three rescue dogs each day. It gives me thinking time, clears my mind and makes me feel good.
What to do in the garden and veggie patch now • July and August are the hottest months so you need to water frequently. Ideally you can still harvest water from any butts you’ve set up. If not, make sure you give everything a good water once or twice a week rather than a light sprinkling every day. Water early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid evaporation.
now: brassicas, salad leaves, chard, spinach and courgettes, as well as the first tomatoes, cucumbers, plums, raspberries and so on. • Don’t forget to keep sowing – you can sow salad leaves for crops right into autumn. • Keep the greenhouse wellventilated and watch out for pests. Pinch off any infestations or spray with a soapy water solution or garlic spray. No chemicals for me… everything I grow uses natural deterrents and if nature decides it’s not to be, so be it! • Keep composting. Remember lots of your kitchen waste can go into the bin. No meat, fish or cooked stuff that will attract rats, but veggie peelings, shredded paper, tea bags and grass cuttings are all fine. Aim for a really good mixture of brown and green matter. • If you eat eggs, save the shells to bake in the oven and sprinkle around tender seedlings to keep slugs and snails at bay. This is my number one deterrent – though as we have chickens I can collect egg shells all year round. Most importantly… enjoy! Enjoy eating fresh produce. Enjoy being in the great outdoors. It’s the best medicine we have.
• Hoe off weeds when you can find the time and leave them to bake in the sun. If the weather’s wet, remove them from the surface otherwise they’ll reroot and you’ll be back to square one. • 46
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FEATURE RECIPE
Life Al Fresco By Gillian Balcombe
The sun is up, the heat is on. It’s the best time of year to prepare delicious cold cuts and salads for outdoor dining or lunching, rather than roasting yourself unnecessarily at that garden inferno commonly known as a barbecue. These easy-to-prepare recipes are firm favourites in my house and perfect for a summer buffet.
Pastrami-style Turkey INGREDIENTS A turkey breast fillet, around 1.25kg 20ml maple syrup 10ml soy sauce 40ml olive oil 2 tsp chili flakes 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp garlic granules 1 dstsp mustard
METHOD
1. Line an ovenproof dish with silver foil leaving loads of overlap so it will fold over.
2. Mix all ingredients together and slather the mix all over the turkey breast fillet. Put the coated meat into the lined dish, fold over the foil loosely and leave in fridge to marinate for 4-5 hours or overnight. 3. Heat oven to 180C (Fan) and roast the covered meat for 40-45 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 10 minutes, then make sure it’s cooked through. 4. Allow to cool, then slice. The meat will be really moist with a tasty spicy coating.
Rice Salad METHOD For the salad
1 sachet cook-in-the-bag brown basmati rice, cooked and cooled 280g jar of marinated mixed mushrooms, drained + roughly chopped (Sainsbury’s antipasti range is perfect) 75g frozen petits pois, cooked and cooled Chopped parsley (frozen is great, saves you chopping)
For the dressing
2 tbsp sunflower oil 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp caster sugar 1 tsp Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD 1. Mix all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. 2. Put all dressing ingredients into a screw top jar and shake well to combine. 3. Pour over salad ingredients and mix so everything is well coated. It’s up to you how much you use, just bear in mind the rice will continue to absorb it.
Panzanella Salad Nothing screams summer more than the yummy ingredients in this variation on an Italian classic.
INGREDIENTS 1kg of tomatoes, a selection of different shapes, sizes and colours (red, orange, yellow, green, black), cut into bite-size pieces ½ kg ciabatta or sourdough bread (or any rustic crusty variety you like), cut into 2cm cubes 2 tbsp olive oil Red wine vinegar 1 red onion Pack of fresh basil leaves Salt and pepper to taste
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METHOD 1. Put the tomatoes in a colander over a bowl and scatter salt over them. Leave for about 15 minutes to drain. You’ll use the resulting liquid as part of the dressing. 2. Combine the olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl then add the bread cubes, using your hands to ensure they’re well coated. Put them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 180C (Fan) for about 15 minutes until pale golden and crunchy. 3. Slice the red onion and steep the slices in boiling water for about five minutes to soften. 4. In a large bowl, put the prepared tomatoes, onions and baked bread cubes, with about half the pack of roughly shredded basil leaves. 5. Add the tomato liquid, a good slug of olive oil, some red wine vinegar, plus salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Combine everything well and let the flavours mingle while you set the table and raise the parasol… Simple flavours, easy prep – perfect for lazy summer days. Bon appetit!
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HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Totally Minted By Jo Farren
If you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it!) enough to have peppermint growing in your garden, then come summer it’ll be everywhere. Once established, this hardy plant does grow like a weed and can happily take over an entire border or herb patch. Known to accompany lamb and a useful addition for gastric issues, this delightful herb is often overlooked. Yes, it is indeed a great herb for wind but it has so much more to offer: it is also useful for indigestion, particularly what I call ‘upwards wind’ so make of that what you will. A member of the lamiacae family, this useful plant is cousins with rosemary, sage and lavender - all aromatic plants with similar actions and known for their strong smells and, amongst herbalists, for their anti-inflammatory actions on various systems. You’ll notice this family has a square stem, so next time you’re rummaging in your mint plant, rub the stem between your thumb and forefinger and feel that square stem. Kinda neat that all lamiacae have this. 54
Anyway, in addition to being an essential part of my dispensary and delicious with lamb, this overlooked garden lurker can be the star of the show in the salad and lunchbox arena too. I can’t say that my recipes are totally organic, they are a bit of a mish mash of other recipes and dishes I have eaten and amalgamated in my own kitchen.
KINDA NOT TABBOULEH
This can be made with Puy lentils, quinoa or bulgur wheat - in fact what I make it with are ‘lentilles vertes’ - Puy lentils have Protected Designation of Origin and tend to be on the pricier side* whereas my lentilles vertes are a cheaper alternative which still retain some of the nuttiness of the Puy. They also hold their shape well, unlike green and red lentils which have a tendency to mush down a bit more. What you want in this dish is something that will hold its shape. *Price tends to be a factor in many of my recipes, mainly because I have three children who all have different tastes and will usually turn down my culinary Cibare Magazine
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attempts in favour of crackers.
INGREDIENTS 150g Lentilles vertes ** 750ml water ** 1 red onion 3 large tomatoes 1/2 cucumber 1 clove of garlic or dried/lazy equivalent Salt Pepper 2 tbs cider vinegar Handful of fresh mint
I tend to make up a batch and store in a jar in the fridge. Take some good, thick Greek yoghurt, grate some cucumber into it, add chopped mint, salt, pepper and garlic (again, to taste). Mix well. I enjoy this with as much as I can possibly manage, what’s not to love: mint, garlic, cucumber, winning on all levels. Makes a great accompaniment to falafel, barbecue, grilled halloumi‌seriously, anything goes! So there you go, my take on this abundant garden dweller, go forth and enjoy!
For a big bowl, enough for at least four people I use 150g Lentilles vertes 750ml water
METHOD Bring the lentils to the boil and simmer for approx 20 mins, or according to packet instructions. When cooked, remove from the heat, strain and leave too cool. **If you’re using quinoa/bulgur wheat, then prepare this according to the directions on the packet and disregard the 150g/750ml quantities for the lentils.
PICTURE CREDITS: Jo Farren
In the interim, finely dice the red onion, tomatoes and cucumber. Chop the mint. Mix the cider vinegar, salt, pepper and crushed garlic (to taste) in with the diced vegetable mixture and mint. Once the lentils are completely cooled, mix together and chill. Crumble over feta before serving. Delish! I like to serve alongside a yoghurty, minty dip - this is simple and easy and 56
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HEALTH AND NUTRITION
5 reasons your waistline will thank you for eating more meat this summer By Thomas Bisson
1People eating plant-based diets has been on the rise for some time now, whether for ethical or environmental reasons, personal preference or to join a trend. Whatever their reasons, I won’t be debating them either way. Selfishly, I have two purposes in this article. To entertain you through stories and to expand your knowledge around food, especially with regards to meat.
They are terrible for your heart. They are amazing for your heart.
Keeping a slim stomach and high energy has always been a battle. In the search for the ‘perfect’ diet, I’ve tried many: vegetarian, pescatarian, low-carb, highcarb, even a green juice cleanse. The last one took the most willpower. (One day I’ll tell you how eating a soup made me emotional and almost brought me to tears.)
I’m sharing my findings here, not to say this is the best way forward for you, but that this is what’s worked for my clients. Especially with regard to losing weight, staying slim, getting rid of bloating and boosting energy.
If you’ve ever researched nutrition, you may have been left scratching your head. Nutrition is probably one of the most contradicted areas of study. For example, the debate on eggs has raged for years. They will kill you. They won’t kill you. 58
But people are individuals and there’s no ‘one size fits all’, like most advertisers try to tell us. The best way to discover what works for you is to test it yourself. You may get different results from Lucy down the road, but that’s the beauty of genetics.
Keep an eye on your GPS I don’t mean your satnav. (Though if your sense of direction is anything like mine, keep a watchful eye on it.) This GPS stands for Grains, Potatoes and Sugars. When increasing your meat intake, especially if you love steak and fish, keep an eye on these three food groups. They’re the main ones that attack your stomach and Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: shutterstock Lisovskaya Natalia
Keep these two rules in mind 1. Eat when you’re hungry 2. Stop when you’re full Sounds pretty simple so far, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. I designed this to work for me, because I know how easy it can be to eat and keep eating. (When bored I can dominate a packet of digestive biscuits.) You may have found that when a plan is hard to follow after a week, the chances are you won’t stick to it for a year. So how about some…meat? Instead of going for the usual fruit or pastry to settle your hunger, try steak, bacon, or salmon – whatever takes your fancy – and eat as much as you want. I’m serious, you don’t need to count calories, just stop when you’re full. You’ll begin to notice you start snacking less, and your usual 2pm energy dip isn’t as severe. After 7-10 days your trousers may feel looser. Why does meat help you lose weight? 1. Meat is protein, which takes longer to break down than carbohydrate, leaving you fuller for longer.
3. Fish boosts Omega 3 levels and acts as an anti-inflammatory to protect joints and muscles, which is especially important as you age. 4. Red meats boost creatine, which helps you feel stronger. Think of those films and TV shows featuring vampires drinking animal blood. It helps them live but leaves them unsatisfied, whereas the vampire who drinks human blood has full power (and seems a little happier too HA!). 5. And you’re helping to protect the human race. Kangaroos outnumber Australians 3 to 1, sheep outnumber New Zealanders 10 to 1. The UK cow population is over 10 million, making it the deadliest large animal in the UK, so we must band together to protect our friends and family… (wink). Don’t take my word for it. Try this for the next 10 days and see how you feel. You might not end up with the ultimate strength and sex appeal of a vampire, but my personal training clients lose an average of 10kg over 12 weeks by tweaking their nutrition. It supports their training and helps them feel even fitter and stronger. PICTURE CREDITS: Alex from @immersifood
energy levels, leaving you bloated and lethargic. Minimising or cutting them out can speed up the process of losing a few inches around your stomach, and reduce your hunger at the same time.
2. Meat provides all the essential proteins and fats your body needs to for recovery, repair and energy in one source. Whereas the mixing and matching needed in a plant-based diet can be a hassle. 60
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FEATURE
PX+ Festival
This August a ground-breaking UK festival takes place for the second time at Duchess Farm in Hertfordshire. PX+ gives people working in the hospitality, food and drink industries the chance to come together to create, share, discuss and celebrate.
name just a few, there will be Gareth Ward (Ynyshir), Peter Gunn (Ides), Sarah Frankland (Pennyhill Park) Alex Bond (Alchemilla), Isidora Díaz Fernández (Todo a la Parrilla in Chile/Denmark) and Sam Buckley (Where The Light Gets In, Stockport).
In an industry where long hours and intense working days mean there are few opportunities for people to get together, PX+ offers a hub for the creative minds of leading chefs, bakers, butchers, cheesemakers and other wonderful producers to meet and mingle. Not forgetting front of house teams, sommeliers, makers and drinks producers too. This revolutionary festival lets them enjoy a feast for palates, minds, ears and eyes over the course of one dynamic weekend.
Producers and growers are important headliners too, including Natoora, Neal’s Yard Dairy, Hodmedods, Halen Mon Sea Salt, Cabrito Goat and Pump Street Chocolate. New to the line-up are regenerative agriculture pioneers Flourish Produce and many other incredible producers and farmers who’ll cook, taste and share knowledge through hands-on workshops, talks and tastings.
Visitors can experience some incredible dining experiences, including an intimate Pastry Kitchen and Secret Dining Table hosted by some of the industry’s most renowned chefs. To 62
A bakery and pastry kitchen will be working throughout the weekend, with Kimberley Bell (Small Food Bakery, winner of 2018 BBC Food and Farming Awards), Louise Bannon (Tír Bakery Denmark, formerly Noma), Sarah Lemanski (Noisette Bakehouse, former YBF winner) and Wing Mon (Head Baker Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: Horst Friedrichs for PX+ Festival
By PX TEAM
The central ethos of PX+ is to provide an opportunity to talk, share and collaborate and the weekend is packed with thought-provoking conversation. The Let’s Talk About It barn will host talks, panel discussions and informal gatherings where headliners and guests share their stories and experiences. Honest talks with real people who are at the top of their profession and have worked hard to get there.
‘hospitable pricing’ on all food, drink and experiences. This is an annual opportunity for guests to join likeminded professionals in the food, drink and hospitality industry to celebrate, collaborate and drive change!
PICTURE CREDITS: PX+ Festival
Ten Belles, Paris) joining the festival for 2019.
For 2019 topics focus on industryspecific issues such as looking after people, food media and the impact of the brigade in restaurants, as well as the power to influence food systems, climate and sustainability. Headline speakers include Clare Smyth (Core by Clare Smyth), Will Goldfarb (Room4Dessert), Lisa Markwell (Code) and Alex Welch (Harvester). New for 2019 is ‘Let’s Have A Drink With...’ a series of discussions curated by Sula Richardson and Clara Rubin. They have put together an incredible line-up of sommeliers, mixologists, brewers, tea and coffee experts including Hannah Lanfear (The Mixing Class), Liam Scandrett (WSET), Asma Khan (Darjeeling Express), Michael Vachon (Maverick Drinks), Ania Smelskaya (Silo), Ben Walgate (Tillingham), Nik Darlington (Red Squirrel Wine) and Gavin Monery (Vagabond). PX+ Festival was created in 2018 by a group of 14 hospitality industry insiders. Everything at PX+ Festival is about the industry and for the industry, even the 64
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PICTURE CREDITS: PX+ Festival PICTURE CREDITS: PX+ Festival
PICTURE CREDITS: PX+ Festival
FEATURE BUISNESS
Q&A with Dale Gibson & Sarah Wyndham Lewis Co-founders of sustainable beekeeping practice BERMONDSEY STREET BEES
We co-founded Bermondsey Street Bees in 2007. We’re an ethically-focused beekeeping business based in London’s Bermondsey Street, with fifteen apiary sites across Central/East London and East Anglia. We mainly supply chefs and bartenders, and sell jarred honey through some micro-local specialist food stores.
What made you start up?
Dale: In 2006 I saw a honeybee at work on the damson tree in my allotment, and suddenly realised I knew almost nothing about this species we depend on so much. I thought about it for a week or so, then started looking for somewhere to find out more. Sarah: He literally woke up one morning and said, “I’m going on a beekeeping experience day, do you want to come?” I said, “Do you remember how allergic I am to bee stings?” So he said “Well, don’t come then”. He knew that challenge would make sure I went! We spent a 66
fascinating day and – there and then – Dale decided to start training to be a beekeeper. It was the end of one life and the beginning of another.
What’s your main focus?
Dale: Raising happy, healthy honeybees in a city that is the most densely populated with hives in Europe, and is losing green space on a continuing basis. To do this, we’ve become a bit of a weird entity, but since it’s our own business we can please ourselves about how and what we do. On one hand, we’re extremely busy commercial beekeepers and we sell raw honey, albeit with an unshakeable ethical and sustainability policy guiding everything we do and placing our bees’ welfare way above any honey production. We also run a consultancy business, helping other businesses to formulate and implement meaningful CSR policies. Sarah: On the other hand, we spend a lot of our time educating people Cibare Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: Scott Winston
Tell us about your business!
about bees and raw honey, including working to green London by planting for pollinators and encouraging others to follow suit. We’ve both come up through corporate backgrounds and those skills stand us in great stead. We’re not frightened of approaching local or national government departments or big business to get help with our various initiatives and we have some incredible partnerships going, with a surprisingly wide reach.
Is it very time-consuming?
Both: It is ALL consuming! There’s absolutely nothing sweet or bucolic about large-scale beekeeping. It’s unrelenting hard physical work, and that’s before you even get around to all the paperwork involved with running a small business, especially in the food industry with its many regulations. We both work 7-day weeks year-round and often turn in 16-hour days during peak season, from March to October. It’s not a job, it’s a vocation. Nobody is ever going to get rich keeping bees or selling honey – it’s something you do out of utter conviction, love and fascination.
Do you do anything for your local community as part of your business?
Dale: Beekeeping is an intensely local business. The bees fly between 2 to 3 miles from the hive and you need to be very aware of what’s available to them or might threaten them within that specific area. London is packed to the gills with honeybees and it’s our responsibility as sustainable beekeepers to ensure our own bees a) have enough to eat and b) are not foraging at the expense of more delicately-balanced pollinator species, 68
such as bumblebees and solitary bees. That can only happen if we are involved – literally – at ground level. This is especially the case around our home apiary, on the roof of our Bermondsey Street live/work space. Our friends and neighbours plant for our bees and, in return get first dibs on the honey – which has twice won Best Honey in London plus a 3-star Great Taste Award. Sarah: We’ve also planted a series of pollinator gardens in local parks, often focusing on edible plantings to create habitats to feed insects, birds, mammals and even people. We love seeing people, especially children, connecting with nature through those plantings. On a wider scale, we make all our knowledge and experience available to other people who may want to undertake similar projects on their home turf.
You run courses, particularly on pairing honey and cheese. Is this for fun or a part of your business plan?
Sarah: A bit of both really. The honey tastings originate from my allergies making me completely unsuited to beekeeping! But I come from a farming, wine-producing family, so it was natural for me to graduate towards explaining our product to people. Raw honey is a very particular and magical product, miles removed from what’s sold as ‘honey’ on the supermarket shelves. I trained in Italy as a Honey Sommelier, which was fascinating and has given me a whole new solo career alongside working with Dale, when we run beekeeping experiences and sustainability workshops. (PS. Honey and cheese – what’s not to love??) Cibare Magazine
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What do you think of the initiative for planting wild flowers in gardens to help local wildlife?
Dale: We’re pretty dismissive of the current obsession with wildflowers for a number of reasons. Mostly because wildflowers are neither reliably easy to grow nor durable, and because offering wildflowers as a panacea for all pollinators distracts from some of the serious biodiversity issues at play. Sarah: For all the effort of getting a good wildflower patch established and keeping invasive species at bay, you could so easily be putting really durable and meaningful pollinator forage into the ground. Think herbs, flowering bushes and, if you have space, fruiting trees that honeybees in particular (and many bumblebees) prefer to wildflower patches. Honeybees evolved over millions of years as tree dwellers, making flowering bushes and trees their primary food resource for optimal health.
Do you plant specific things for your bees? Would it change the taste of your product if you planted something new? Sarah: I absolutely love the tropical fruit notes passionflowers bring to honey and I’m guilty of many guerrilla plantings. But they do add beauty in any garden or park landscape, so I don’t think anyone would ever mind. Mint is another favourite note that greatly enhances a couple of our honeys. It’s noticeable as garden mint (that’s been allowed to flower) and also as water mint where we have hives foraging on marshy areas. Many herbs have vivid aromatics that www.cibare.co.uk
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definitely make an immediate impact on a honey’s flavour profile. Species such as marjoram, thyme and rosemary are firm honeybee favourites, especially when planted in large clumps or drifts that mimic the ‘3D’ forage availability of a tree.
Does the taste of your product change due to other factors?
Dale: Just like a fine wine or olive oil, honey is a delicate and very specific product of its terroir – easily spoilt by commercial processing and adulteration. In fact, these three products share the dubious distinction of being, globally, the most commonly forged and adulterated food substances. Sarah: The soil, the plants, the weather and the way the honey is handled all contribute to its final taste and (again, just like wine or olive oil) honey can vary greatly in flavour from year to year. We specialise in single-varietal raw honeys – this means we never blend, heat or micro-filter our honey. We treat it with care, respect and experience to produce something authentic and characterful, true to the terroir and the year, with all its individual flavour and nutritional components intact.
Tell us one interesting or unique thing about what you do or your product Dale: We are, I think, unique amongst commercial beekeepers in still seeing the whole process through from planting bee forage and caring for the hives to harvesting and even jarring by hand. Yes it’s slow and time/labour-intensive, 69
but this is the way we believe the best honey is produced. It’s one of the reasons why our honeys consistently win awards and we were named the UK’s Small Artisan Producer of The Year in 2016. It’s no coincidence either that we’re members of both the Slow Food movement and the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Where can we buy your product?
Both: Most of the honey we produce goes to some of London’s top hotels, restaurants and bars, from Hakkasan and Duck & Waffle to the Café Royal and the Artesian Bar at The Langham. We also supply many smaller local bars and cafes. We used to sell our honey in jars through some big chains, but recently we’ve pulled out of those to refocus on microlocal specialist food businesses that really know and understand our honeys, rather than just banging product on their shelves. Our partners include the very wonderful Giddy Grocer on Bermondsey Street, Camden Grocer in Chalk Farm, Honey&Spice in Fitzrovia, Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant & Castle and Guzzl Club in Brixton. We also produce a signature collection for Selfridges. Online, a selection of our honeys is available from bakerybits.co.uk. PICTURE CREDITS: Scott Winston
Sarah’s book Planting for Honeybees is available now. Bermondsey Street Bees bermondseystreetbees.co.uk Email sarah@bermondseystreetbees. co.uk to join the mailing list for info on special events and courses. 70
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PICTURE CREDITS: Scott Winston
PICTURE CREDITS: Bermondsy Street Bees
UPCOMING EVENTS JULY + AUGUST
Summer Saturday afternoon beekeeping experiences | The Charterhouse, London EC1 Every Saturday afternoon from July 20th to August 31st, we’re running beekeeping experiences at our Charterhouse hives in collaboration with our friends at Hiver Honey Beer. There will be bees, there will be honey and there will be beer! All in an incredible medieval palace in the heart of London. SUNDAY 21st JULY Living the Foodie Dream workshop with Sudi Pigott | Honey HQ, Bermondsey Street Leading food writer @sudifoodie is running a brilliant workshop for foodies and would-be food writers at our HQ in Bermondsey Street. This all-day event includes lunch and a tutored honey tasting with Sarah, co-founder of Bermondsey Street Bees.
THURSDAY 8th + FRIDAY 16th AUGUST Tutored Global Honey Tasting | Lambeth Palace Bermondsey Street Bees’ co-founder Sarah – one of only three professional Honey Sommeliers in the UK – is holding two 2-hour Tutored Honey Tastings at this extraordinary London location. In these fun, interactive and thought (and palate)-provoking sessions, she’ll use global honeys to tell the story of man’s dependence on the bees, from ancient cultures through to modern times. You’ll taste extremely rare honeys, all with fascinating tales behind them. Weather permitting, the sessions include a visit to the @bstreetbees hives within Lambeth Palace’s 800 year-old gardens. Book a place www.universe.com/events/ honey-sommelier-tasting-at-lambethpalace-tickets-J8NDMT
SUNDAY 14th JULY Bees & Flowers Day with The World Bee Project | Chelsea Physic Garden, London Learn about bees, flowers, honey and the work of The World Bee Project at this whole-day event in one of London’s oldest and most fascinating gardens. There will be plenty of talks and workshops with @ bstreetbees Dale as one of the speakers and @sarahwyndham.lewis manning a stall selling raw honey, beeswax wraps and more.
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PICTURE CREDITS: Bermondsy Street Bees
PETS
Putting the canine in carnivorous By Roz Lishak
Agreed, dogs may discover and eat a few plant-based options in the wild. But in reality, they need more protein in their diet than humans do. To any proactive pet-lover the following will read like old news, so consider this an appeal to less responsible dog owners… The meat food options – and treat snacks in particular – on the market for dogs range from the good to the bad and the downright ugly. Among the canine community, responsible owners make the sensible decision to read and understand dogfood labels. By discovering the ingredients, they can make the kind of decisions about their pet’s diet that the dog itself would want to make.
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Dogs may eat fruit and veg – and it’s good to include a variety of snacks in their diet. However, it’s a human trait to assume that dogs being fussy about their needs/desires is akin to them picking up a menu and choosing their faves. Dogs don’t have that option, so it’s down to us to ensure our pets get exactly what they need. And dogs need meat. When choosing a meat product, the proportion of the meat ingredient should be top of the list. If any others are listed first, think about it. Does 50% meat content sound good? What’s in the other half of this ‘meat-based’ temptation? Variety in their diet is important, but remember that pooches need their protein. If you’d like to get on your dog-and-bone to chat about this further, I’d be happy to chew the fat (and spit it out!) with you.
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PICTURE CREDITS: shutterstock Blanscape
It should be no surprise to most of you that dogs are meat-eaters. That said, there appears to be an increasing belief in certain circles that dogs can survive and thrive without meat.
BOOK REVIEW
Gorgeous Greens by Annie Bell By Rebecca Stratton
Meat is the main feature of this issue, so as a long-term vegetarian I was racking my brains about what I could possibly offer for my cookbook review! Then I remembered a series of books I have, and this one in particular, which is all about vegetables, sides and salads. You may love meat, but what you serve with it can make or break a meal after all. This book is simply gorgeous (no pun intended). Really beautiful large colour photos are pleasing to flick through, and it’s well presented with a large font size which makes it particularly easy to cook from, propped next to the stove.
Roasted vegetables
A chapter on roasted veg includes roasted red onions with rocket and beetroot salad, grilled manchego-stuffed mushrooms, baked aubergines with honey, feta, pine nuts and pomegranate and, a favourite of mine, imam bayildi. If you’ve never had this Turkish specialty, make it immediately: meltingly-soft griddled and baked aubergine topped 76
with a zingy mix of tomatoes, garlic and onion. A great side, or enough for a meat-free meal on its own.
Gratins: the answer to all my cheesybaked dreams…
This chapter features spinach and mozzarella ready to be dolloped onto thick slices of sourdough. You also find root vegetable and vintage cheddar, which would be fantastic alongside a roast dinner. And gratin of greens with cabbage, sprouts and Dolcelatte would make a nice side for a seared steak.
Gorgeous grains
I love this chapter as I’m always trying to include more pulses in my meals and this is great inspiration. It includes bulgar wheat, cashew and rocket pilaf and a beautiful quinoa, feta and herb salad.
Potatoes
In this chapter they skip the obvious and instead cover some great dishes. Lyonnaise potatoes – a classic dish of Cibare Magazine
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sautéed potato and onions, a hit of garlic, topped with a fluttering of parsley if you have the energy – go with practically anything. There’s a recipe for new potato salad with a classic fresh herb vinaigrette and lovely crispy roast potatoes with feta, which would be a great side to roast leg of lamb.
PICTURE CREDITS: Gorgeous Greens By Annie Bell
Salads
There are lots of salad recipes in this book, so I’ll leave out the classics and list some of the more unusual ones. Such as caponata of summer vegetables, apple and celeriac remoulade with homemade mayonnaise, button mushroom carpaccio, little gem, almond and raisin salad with goat’s cheese, and Moroccan inspired carrot and cumin salad…
Green mains
This section focuses on standalone vegetable dishes that could serve as the main event and the following look too good not to get a mention. Look out for asparagus tart, bubble and squeak pie (wow!), courgette frittata and the most adorable fondue-filled baby pumpkins ready for serious crouton dipping. A great book, full of celebration of the humble side dish!
Team Links Despina Mina - @forkedldn
www.forkedldn.com Emma Walton - @supperinthesuburbs www.supperinthesuburbs.com Jon Moore - @beerinthesuburbs Emma de Sousa @theurbanflowerfarmer www.urbanflowerfarmer.com Ying Bower - @yingenough Dani Gavriel - @dani_gavriel Penny Langford -@peneoplepeer Roz Lishak - @yourpupparazzi Rebecca Stratton -@cakerebecca www.rebeccas-cakes.co.uk Gillian Balcobe - @gillianbalcombe
Thomas Bisson - @chigwell_personal_training Jo Farren - @jo.farren www.jofarren.co.uk/link Samina Iqba - @samina.i Scott Winston - @scott_winston_food www.scottwinstonfinefood.com Eve Tudor - @editoroffood Eileen MacCallum www.aweebirdie.com Theo Micheals - @theocooks www.theocooks.com
Alex from @immersifood Jack at @jacksmeatshack
Bermondsey Street Bees @bstreetbees Viners Cutlery @vinerscutlery
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