Home grown

from Broadcaster 2023

Green futures CANAPE and a new Broads Peat Partnership

There’s lots of delicious Norfolk and Suffolk produce – here are just a few examples.

Broads brew

Norfolk produces some of the best malting barley in the country and the Broads has many small breweries offering beers to quench your thirst after all the fresh air and outdoor activities on offer. Some come with a pub conveniently attached and some offer tours and special events.

Beccles Food and Drink Festival

27 May, plus two weeks of fringe events becclesfoodfestival.co.uk

Suffolk Open Studios Weekends in June suffolkopenstudios.org

Royal Norfolk Show

28-29 June

Visit the Broads Village royalnorfolkshow.co.uk

Heritage Open Days 8-17 September heritageopendays.org.uk

Out There International Festival of Street Arts & Circus 15-17 September great-yarmouth.co.uk/whats-on

Norfolk Open Studios 23 September to 8 October norfolkstudios.org.uk

Woodfordes (C3) at Woodbastwick on the River Bure in the northern Broads was one of the first local breweries to be established in recent times and has its own spring water. Their Fur & Inn is next door and the brewery offers tours and has a shop. Combine a visit with activities at nearby Ranworth or Salhouse. Over at Neatishead on the River Ant, the White Horse Inn (C2), with brewery, is very convenient for the boardwalk at Barton Broad. In the southern Broads, Reedham, on the Wherryman’s Way long-distance walk along the River Yare between Norwich and Great Yarmouth, is home to Humpty Dumpty Brewery (D5), named after locomotives that operated on the Norwich to Lowestoft line in the early 20th century. These particular engines were front-heavy and looked as if they might fall off the line, so were known as Humpty Dumpties. The brewery has a shop and offers lots of events. Redwell’s Brewery (A4), on the edge of Norwich, not far from Whitlingham Country Park, is continuing the city’s rich brewing history, which goes back for centuries. They offer a taproom, beer garden and brewery tours. Another southern Broads brewery to try is St Peter’s (C7) near Bungay (with Bungay Castle to visit), on the River Waveney. They are replicating a traditional pre-19th century practice of adding fruit and honey to create special seasonal brews. They also brew alcohol-free beers. Brewery tours and a shop are available. woodfordes.co.uk thewhitehorseinnneatishead.com humptydumptybrewery.com redwellbrewing.com stpetersbrewery.co.uk

Broads vintage

accompaniments to our local wines and beers.

Fen Farm Dairy (C7) is another source of great local produce close to Bungay. They say: “It is our responsibility to be excellent stewards of the land we farm and the delicate ecosystems that live here. Our mission is to become carbon negative. Almost all our energy comes from renewable sources including our unique cow-poo powered heat exchange system and solar battery storage.” Their Baron Bigod (of Bungay Castle) cheese is a Brie-style cheese and you can also buy milk, butter, cream and yogurt produced in the dairy. Baron Bigod was named the best British cheese brand for 2022/23 in the Fine Food Digest awards. fenfarmdairy.co.uk

The Mack family have been farming in the Yare Valley (C4) since the early 1900s. One of their crops is oil-seed rape and more recently they’ve been producing rapeseed oil, cold pressed to retain its nutritional benefits. They also use the oil to produce infusions, dressings and sauces. Their farm shop sells an extensive range of their own and other local produce, and there’s a separate patisserie serving lunches, teas and other refreshments. The nature reserves at Surlingham and Rockland are close by to explore. yarevalley.com at this event with drop-in activities and guided walks. Find out about fungi friends and scream with the spores on a fungtastic guided walk looking at mushrooms, with activities along the way. A mushroom display and fungi craft activities are available through the day.

Cost Drop-in activities free; guided walk £13 for child + adult, £22 for family (up to 4 people), no unaccompanied children

Booking essential for guided walks 01692 678763

Winbirri Vineyard (B4) is producing award-winning Broads wines, and offers a wine garden and vineyard tours. It’s convenient for a visit to the RSPB nature reserve at Surlingham or a stroll to Bramerton, both beside the River Yare. Chet Valley Vineyard (B5) at Bergh Apton offers vineyard tours, picnics and self-catering accommodation for six in the Vine House. Not far away, you can explore the River Chet at Loddon and Chedgrave. Flint Vineyard (C7) at Earsham, near Bungay on the River Waveney, includes a shop and offers tours with lunch, as well as guided tastings. winbirri.com chetvineyard.co.uk ﬂintvineyard.com

Cheese, oil and sparrow grass

These are all more produce from the Broads and would be great local

One of the other suppliers to the Yare Valley shop is the The Tacons (D3) at Rollesby, near the Trinity Broads in the northern Broads. Norfolk is known for asparagus or sparrow grass, to use a traditional name, and The Tacons have made it their speciality. They introduced it over 30 years ago, following a chance broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and the enterprise has developed from an acre of plants prepared in the kitchen sink to approximately 20 acres (about eight hectares), all still hand-picked and bundled. The farm shop is open all year and from June to October you can ‘pick your own’ soft fruit, onions and pumpkins. thetacons.co.uk thetacons.co.uk hope you enjoy it!

Whatever you’re eating and drinking in the Broads, we hope you enjoy it!

See also page 53 and VisitTheBroads.co.uk/eating-out

Tel: 01493 751096

The Green, Stokesby NR29 3EX theferryinnstokesby@gmail.com www.theferryinnstokesby.co.uk

The Ferry Inn, situated on the River Bure, sits within picturesque, tranquil and unspoiled surroundings, perfect for enjoying a meal in the beer garden while watching the boats go by. Inside the 19th century bar and restaurant, the open fireplaces, wooden settles and beams make the atmosphere cosy and warm.

Our home cooked food menus offer something for everyone and we offer food all day. We have an extensive selection of Adnams ales, wines and spirits. Alongside these we also offer other lagers, beers and ciders as well as a good selection of soft drinks.

Come and sit in our large beer garden and soak up the riverside atmosphere. Dogs are welcome inside and out, our car park is for our customers and we are fully accessible.