Feast Norfolk Magazine April 17 Issue 15

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L O C A L LY S O U R C E D F R E S H F O O D 3 C O U R S E S £ 3 5 . 7 5 • F R E E PA R K I N G

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Editor's Letter -

to our April issue which we’ve had great fun putting together. It is bursting with goodies which really reflects what’s happening in the countryside as the fields start to spring into life. Our Anglia Farmers’ feature takes us to the Tacon family farm at Rollesby, near Great Yarmouth, where asparagus is about to take centre-stage - and that’s a real favourite with all of us here at Feast Towers!

Our kitchen gardener Ellen Mary tells us a bit more about rocket, that fast growing peppery treat, and Rachel Birtwhistle is seeing her hard work pay off at her new allotment.

The new chef at Congham Hall, near King’s Lynn, James O’Connor, uses new season lamb to help us create an Easter feast, while Norwich butcher Jamie Archer shares his favourite eight-hour roasted leg of lamb recipe with us, too.

Andy Newman visits The Deli at Jarrold’s, a great little food emporium right in the city centre, and with whom we’re holding an artisan producer evening next month. With cookery demonstrations, talks and the chance to sample some of the best local food around, it promises to be great fun.

I also chat with Chris Coubrough about the North Norfolk Food Festival held at Holkham in September - it sounds

as if it’s going to be better than ever this year and we’re taking part, too!

My husband and I love fish so really enjoyed our trip to the Wells Crab House where Scott and Kelly are making a really lovely, friendly place, while Andy and his wife, Becky, visited Bishop’s in the heart of Norwich. Don’t miss our respective reviews.

Our popular travel pages see my old boss Peter Franzen take to the high seas where he cooks with the stars, Emma Outten travels to Buckinghamshire and I try out the new look Chequers Inn at Thornham, in North Norfolk. Lucky devils, aren’t we!

I also had a fabulous night at The Wallow in Norwich when I met the owner and wine maker from the te Pa vineyards in New Zealand. That was a late night as we sampled their (entire) range!

And I’m delighted to announce that we are media partners with Porkstock, a family-friendly food and music festival held at the Norfolk Showground in October. Watch this space for all the latest news about this popular event. So, another busy, bustling month for us as we keep you all right up-to-date with all the food and drink events and activities in the region.

Happy reading.

Sara h Hard y

SARAH HARDY, Editor sarah@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

Congratulations to Amy from Suton who was the winner of our February issue competition. She’s off to dinner with friends at the Giggling Squid in Norwich. Don’t forget to enter this month’s competition to win a night away with dinner, too!

FEASTNORFOLKMAGAZINE.CO.UK

WELCOME

W E L C O M E

SEARCH FOR FEAST NORFOLK ON

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In this issue -

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ISSN 2397-1673

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61 Get baking this Easter, with these easy peasy hot cross buns

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REVIEWS

ABOUT US

36 Sarah Hardy pushes the boat out at Wells Crab House 38 Andy Newman has a date night with his wife at Bishop’s Dining Room and Wine Bar in Norwich

03 Editor’s letter 81 How to subscribe

WHAT’S ON

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C O N T E N T S

12 Discover the best food and drink events coming up in our part of the region 15 Enjoy our first Porkstock column as we bring you a monthly update on this family friendly foodie festival in October 16 The news and gossip round-up – we’ve got it covered!

FEATURES

06 Congham Hall Hotel offers us a foolproof lamb recipe: the perfect centrepiece to your Easter Sunday celebration 18 Sarah Hardy chats to Andrew Jones, chef patron of the new Farmyard restaurant in Norwich, which is taking the city by storm 24 Emma Outten heads to Horning to meet Claire Hudson of Norfolk's only accredited rare breeds butcher, Tavern Tasty Meats 52 Our featured cookbook this month is Katy Beskow’s 15 Minute Vegan, which is jam packed with simple, colourful dishes

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INTERVIEWS

22 Sarah Hardy heads to Wells-next-the-Sea to catch up with Chris Coubrough, Chairman of the North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival

REGULARS

26 In our City College Norwich feature, Head of the Hotel School, Steve Thorpe, explains to Emma Outten what the new exams and apprenticeships mean for hospitality and catering students 28 Our shop front feature is The Deli at Jarrold’s, where we are also holding a 'meet the producers' night next month 33 For our Anglia Farmers feature, Emma Tacon of The Tacons fruit and veg PYO and farm shop in Rollesby talks asparagus and more 41 Get cracking with our eggy gadgets and gizmos 42 For our Artisan Producer feature, we chat to young chocolatier Laura Cotton of Cocoa Delicious on the Norfolk/Suffolk border 48 Husband and wife team Nicholas and Loraine Parker, of The Lodge in Old Hunstanton take turns to answer our Chef Q&A

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52 56 Jarrold’s suggests more cookbooks including one from Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw 86 Chef turned apprentice butcher Hannah Kendle of Walsingham Farms Shop has the last word, for the Last Bite

RECIPES

21 Andrew Jones from Farmyard in Norwich shares his tasty rhubarb panna cotta recipe with us 45 Sara Matthews offers us a gluten free lime and coconut tart, plus soup and rolls!

51 Nicholas and Loraine Parker serve up a thoroughly decadent chocolate marquise 83 Ellen Mary serves up rocket, tomato and mozzarella pizza

DRINK

62 Our wine writer Andy Newman heads to Adnams to seek out three wines to enjoy with a curry 64 Sarah Hardy tries out te Pa wines from New Zealand 66 Award winning brewery Woodforde’s reveals plans for a new - lager!

COLUMNISTS

40 Sarah Ruffhead offers us another five of her best eats for the month 46 Justin Wright of Lovewell Blake wants to see a

strong brand created for Norfolk food and drink 50 Charlotte Gurney says all the signs are there at White House Farm 60 Charlie Hodson is already looking forward to this year’s Norwich Food and Drink Festival on Father’s Day! 69 Our wine expert Steve Hearnden comes up the perfect pairing for scrambled eggs and smoked salmon

TRAVEL

70 Peter Franzen cruises through cookery master classes with Mary Berry and James Martin 73 Sarah Hardy checks in and checks out The Chequers Inn at Thornham 77 Emma Outten travels to Buckinghamshire

GROW YOUR OWN

82 Ellen Mary has been growing rocket ready for those salad days 84 Rachel Birtwhistle is busy sowing seeds down on the allotment

COMPETITION

76 Win B&B for two at The Control Tower, near Little Walsingham, and dinner for two in the nearby Black Lion Hotel

38 THE TEAM

Sarah Hardy, Editor sarah@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk Emma Outten, Deputy Editor emma@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk Scott Nicholson, Designer studio@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk Rachael Young Senior Account Manager | 07900 823731 rachael@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk Hannah McKinney Senior Account Manager | 07917 122829 hannah@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk Geoff Clark Senior Account Manager | 07776 233659 geoff@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

Charlotte Gurney, Steve Hearnden, Jason Wright, Andy Newman, Sarah Ruffhead, Sara Matthews, Rachel Birtwhistle, Ellen Mary, Peter Franzen, Hannah Kendle, Belinda Jennings, Charlie Hodson

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Congham Hall -

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The glorious herb garden at Congham Hall Hotel in West Norfolk provides inspiration for executive chef James O’Connor as he creates us a lavish Easter Sunday lunch

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CONGHAM HALL HOTEL, near the Queen’s private estate of Sandringham in West Norfolk, is a charming choice for a holiday or indeed a spot of lunch!

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ITH 26 BEDROOMS, a spa complete with a 12 metre indoor pool, a tennis court and 30 acres of grounds to enjoy, it is a relaxing bolthole for those who want to explore both the nearby coast and surrounding countryside.

I should also mention the outdoor hot tub where you can while away a few hours, just soaking up the views and enjoying some ‘me’ time.

But, we’re a food and drink magazine and you need to know about the restaurant, now under the watchful eye of James O’Connor, who has worked in Norfolk for the past four years, having come to us from another leading contemporary hotel in Cornwall.

It is immediately appealing, with white linen table cloths, fresh flowers and a light and airy atmosphere. It has two AA Rosettes and there is much use of local produce, including Cromer crab, Brancaster oysters, Holkham venison and rare breed pork from Fruit Pig, near Wisbech. About 80 percent of the hotel’s food comes from a 20-mile radius.

And James, who is married with a daughter, takes his influence from the wonderful produce grown right under his nose.

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www.conghamhallhotel.co.uk

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For a start, there is the hotel’s near legendary herb garden, where 400 different varieties are grown. Add in the orchard and the extensive kitchen garden, and the hotel has an abundance of home grown goodies to enjoy, especially, at this time of year, salad leaves and spring vegetables.

Indeed, gardener Philip calls into the kitchen at 10am every morning to see what James would like!

The restaurant is open to all and lunch is a lovely option as you can wander in the grounds, inspecting that herb garden, afterwards. Afternoon tea is another popular option, and there is also a private dining room, The Writing Room, that’s ideal for celebrations.

James has now been at the hotel since just before Christmas so he is getting into his stride. The son of an RAF officer, he was brought up in Yorkshire, where he trained, but also spent part of his childhood in Norfolk, as his father was based at RAF Marham. ‘But I always say that I really learnt my trade at Claridge’s in Mayfair, as I went there when I was just 18. And I also worked at The

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Berkeley in Knightsbridge, another five-star hotel.’

Now the team of eight in Congham’s kitchen make everything from their own stocks to bread, and James is finding himself increasingly drawn to fish dishes. ‘I think people are eating more and more of it, I know we do at home,’ he comments.

Congham Hall is a lovely spot.

The Georgian mansion has many original features such as fireplaces, high ceilings and big windows, and is decorated with cool Farrow and Ball paint colours, with feature wallpapers

by Jane Churchill and fabrics by Zoffany and Sanderson.

It is smart, without being pretentious, and has plenty of great little touches, including a selection of walking boots which you can borrow for your adventures around the grounds!

Here James serves up a three course Easter menu for you to enjoy with your family. The fish course is a recipe he has just returned to; the lamb is always a winner while the lemon pud is simply his favourite - he even served it up at his wedding!

JAMES O'CONNOR

R E C I P E

Seabass Risotto with Parmesan and Red Wine

Acid Butter 250ml of white wine vinegar; 250ml of white wine; 1 onion (peeled and roughly cut into 8); 1 packet of butter, diced Red Wine Sauce 1l of reduced veal stock; 1 bottle of ruby port; 2 bottles of red wine

Serves Six METHOD Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer.

Using 5g of the butter, sweat off the shallot. Then add the rice and toast. By this I mean heat the rice up without colouring it to a point where you cannot touch it with your hand.

Once toasted, add the white wine and some salt, then, when the white wine has evaporated, add a little more vegetable stock just to cover the rice.

Carry on doing that until the rice is almost cooked (approx 15 minutes).

Then add the acid butter, grated Parmesan and the rest of the butter, taste for seasoning (it should be quite wet if not add a little warm water) and pour onto six plates, making sure that the risotto is level. Then place the seabass flat against the risotto and pour over some of the red wine sauce and serve Acid Butter Put the white wine, vinegar and onion into a pan and simmer very slowly until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the onion is cooked.

Slowly mix in the butter using a whisk and pass through a sieve. Allow to cool then store in fridge until required Red Wine Sauce Put the red wine and port into a pan and reduce to syrup then add the veal stock and bring to the simmer. Then allow to cool and refrigerate until needed

TURN OVER FOR MORE RECIPES!

INGREDIENTS 320g of carnaroli rice; 1 shallot (diced very finely); 50ml of white wine; 50g of grated Parmesan; 1 1kg seabass (filleted, pin boned and slice laterally as thinly as possible); 180ml of red wine sauce (see below); 35g of acid butter (see below); 750ml of vegetable stock; salt and pepper 50g of butter, diced

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ABOUT

GO

NUTS BUTTER SALTED PEANUT ON COMING SO

www.lakenhamcreamery.co.uk

@lakenhamcream Lakenham Creamery

Congham Hall -

Tuile Mix 50g of butter; 75g of icing sugar (sifted); 50g of egg white; 50g of flour Thyme Syrup 75g of caster sugar; 75ml of water; 5g of thyme

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METHOD Mousse Soak the gelatine leaves in the lemon juice and Grand Marnier, then dissolve by warming slightly over a Bain Marie. Mix the lemon zest with the yoghurt and sugar, then mix together with the lemon juice mix and fold in the whipped cream. Pour into ramekins and smooth over with a palette knife.

Put in a refrigerator and allow to set for three hours. Pour hot water around the sides and base of the ramekin to enable it to slide out placing it in the middle of a bowl plate. To serve, place seven pink grapefruit segments and seven orange segments around the mousse alternately, then drizzle some of the thyme syrup over the segments and place the tuile on to the mousse.

Tuile Mix Mix everything together, then allow the mixture to rest for two hours in a fridge. Then, using a palette knife, spread it into long, thin strips on a non stick tray and cook at 200°C until it is a light golden brown colour, then quickly starting with one end wrap around the hand of a wooden spoon or sharpening steel allow to cool and then gentle ease it off the end Thyme Syrup Bring the water and sugar to a simmer and leave then for five minutes. Add the thyme and allow to cool

R E C I P E

Mousse (enough for eight) 120g of natural yoghurt; 150g of sugar; grated zest of 3 lemons; 3tbsp of Grand Marnier; 225ml of lemon juice; 4 ½ gelatine leaves; 600ml of whipped cream

R E C I P E

Lemon & Yoghurt Mousse with Pink Grapefruit & Thyme

INGREDIENTS 42 orange segments; 42 pink grapefruit segments; 50ml of thyme syrup (see below); 6 tuile spirals (see below); icing sugar to dust

S P O T L I G H T

Grilled Loin of Lamb with Fondant Potato, Ratatouille & Glazed Shallot INGREDIENTS 3 loins of lamb; 6 banana shallots, peeled; ratatouille (see below); 6 cloves of garlic; 500g of baby spinach; 210ml of lamb sauce (see below); 20g of baby capers; 10ml of basil pesto; 750g of butter (125g for the shallots, 615g for the potatoes and 10g for the spinach); 6 large baking potatoes Lamb Sauce Bones from the loins; 4 cloves of garlic; 2 plum tomatoes; basil stalks (from the basil pesto); 30ml of white wine; 1l of reduced chicken stock Ratatouille 1 red pepper, peeled and diced; 1 yellow pepper, peeled and diced; 1 aubergine, diced; 1 courgette, diced; 50ml of tomato sauce METHOD Preheat the oven to 180°C. Slowly roast the banana shallots in 125g of butter until they are golden brown. Using a cutter, cut the potatoes into rounds approx 70mm in diameter then cut the top and bottom (leaving you a potato similar to a hockey puck). Place these potatoes with the butter in a pan and cook slowly, allowing them to brown slightly on both sides (this should take approx 1½ hours). Season the lamb, then roast it in a hot pan with a little vegetable oil. Once coloured, roast in the oven for 8/10 minutes. Remember to turn the meat during cooking. Allow to rest. Bring the sauce to a simmer, adding the capers and the pesto.

Sweat off the spinach in the remaining butter, season, then squeeze out any excess water/juices.

Place the fondant potato at the top of the plate with the warmed up garlic clove on top, quenelle the ratatouille and place at four o’clock, pointing towards the centre, then place the shallot at two o’clock again with point towards the centre. Place the spinach from ten o’clock down to six o’clock on the plate in a curve following the contours of the plate. Slice the lamb, going against the grain, and place on the spinach. Finally pour the sauce over the lamb, allowing it to flood most of the plate, and serve Lamb Sauce Roast off the bones, add the white wine, burn off the alcohol then add all other ingredients and simmer for 1 hour. Pass through a sieve and allow to cool

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

Serves Six

Ratatouille Sweat off all the vegetables in a little olive oil, season, then add the tomato sauce

l i r p A

What's On

DELIA-DESIGNED DINNER

Enjoy an evening with former cricketer turned TV personality Phil Tufnell at Carrow Road on April 7. During the evening, held in the Norfolk Lounge, there will be a three course meal designed by Delia as well as the opportunity to delve into key moments in Phil’s life and career.

Visit www.canarycatering.co.uk

CREME EGG AT CROMER

Head over to Amazona Zoo in Cromer this Easter Sunday and each child will receive a free Creme Egg! Explore and learn about a varied selection of animals native to South Africa.

Visit www.amazonazoo.co.uk

SPANISH FOOD AND WINE

Tuddenham Mill is hosting a Spanish Wine and Food Pairing Evening with Noelia Callejo on April 6. Noelia, a winemaker from Spain, will present a range of wines from her vineyard in Ribera del Duero, one of only 11 ‘quality wine’ regions. Indulge in delicious wines as well as a three-course menu created by Head Chef, Lee Bye. Visit www.tuddenhammill.co.uk

BAKE A CAKE

The ‘Bake for Heroes’ campaign starts on April 15 as Help for Heroes (H4H) is once again asking the great British public to dust off their aprons and get baking to raise lots of dough for wounded, injured and sick personnel, veterans and their families. A free fundraising pack will be sent to every Bake for Heroes organiser to help make each event a success.

Visit www.bakeforheroes.org.uk

60s REVIVAL

There’s to be a 60s Revival Festival on Cromer Pier and along the promenade on St George’s Day April 23 - to mark the decade when Britain was truly leading the way in music, fashion and the arts. The event will include public memorabilia and their stories in Tides Restaurant at the front of the Pier.

Visit www.north-norfolk.gov.uk

ART EXHIBITION

Catch the Paul Nash exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre from April 8. One of the most important British artists of the first half of the 20th century and a key figure of Modern Art in Britain, he’s renowned as an official war artist in the First and Second World Wars. Follow up with lunch in the Modern Life Café, which uses fresh, seasonal and local produce.

Visit www.scva.ac.uk

SLOW FOOD FESTIVAL

GIN TASTING

Bakers and Larners of Holt is holding a Gin Tasting & Masterclass on April 20, presented by Craig Allison, Director of Bullards Gin, in Norwich. Taking place in the Number Ten Restaurant, Craig will take gin lovers on an exciting journey through the history of gin, and there will be a tasting of five different gins along the way.

Visit www.bakersandlarners.co.uk

Slow Food Anglia is holding its first Sagra (an Italian meal), at historic Holkham Hall, on the evening of April 8. Norfolk-based Bullitt Dining is partnering the event in the newly refurbished Lady Elizabeth Wing, and, during the day, there will be 22 East Anglian food producers inside the venue with another six street food vendors outside in the courtyard.

Visit www.slowfoodanglia.org and www.holkham.co.uk

Easter Activities

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden near South Walsham, is holding an Easter Egg Hunt on Good Friday, April, 14. Plus there will be face painting and Easter crafts for children.

Visit fairhavengarden.co.uk

HOLKHAM HALL

HALL ART

From April 30, Houghton Hall hosts a major exhibition by internationally-celebrated Turner Prize-winning British Landscape artist, Richard Long, one of the most influential figures of conceptual and land art. The fully licensed Stables Café, situated in the imposing Stable Block, offers a wide range of seasonally inspired hot and cold food, and afternoon teas.

Visit www.houghtonhall.com

HOUGHTON HALL

GAME AND COUNTRY FAIR

The East Anglian Game & Country Fair, the annual two day, family event, takes place on April 22 and 23, at new venue Euston Hall near Thetford. The Game Fair kitchen has a great new line up with a variety of cookery workshops and demonstrations taking place over the weekend from a selection of local chefs, plus there’s a wide variety of exhibitors in the food hall from East Anglia and beyond.

Visit www.ukgamefair.co.uk GAME AND COUNTRY FAIR

Our specially chosen food and drink events in April don’t JUST involve eating chocolate Easter eggs, says Emma Outten BRUNCH CLUB

Strattons Hotel in Swaffham is hosting a Bank Holiday Brunch Club on April 17, from 10am to 2pm.

The menu includes, for example, locally pressed apple juice from Ashill fruit farm, and Chorizo hotchpotch with potato, onion and egg served with toasted sourdough.

Visit www.strattonshotel.com

FOOD FLING

DINING CARRIAGE

North Norfolk Railway has an evening dining train running on April 27. Hauled by one of its steam locomotives, 'The North Norfolkman' dining coaches will carry you on two round trips from Sheringham, along the picturesque North Norfolk coastline, to Holt. Enjoy a four course meal on the move followed by coffee and mints.

Visit www.nnrailway.co.uk

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

Easter Egg Hunt

The Easter bunny has been up to his old tricks again on the Blickling Estate!

He has hidden clues around the National Trust garden to his secret stash of chocolate.

Join in the fun over the Bank Holiday weekend, April 14 to 17, and enjoy a Cadbur y chocolate treat at the end.

Visit www.nationaltrust.or g.uk

The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association hosts the 18th Spring Fling on April 4, an event which attracts more than 5,000 families to the Norfolk Showground each year. This year’s event will feature more than 70 interactive stands and exhibits, with activities aimed at children aged from four to 14. The aim is to help children gain a better understanding of where their food comes from.

Visit www.springfling.rnaa.org.uk

EAT Y TA &B S & 20 B 1 m £ oom

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Reopening for the summer season on Friday 14th April (Good Friday) until September Open daily from 9.30am until 4pm for brunch, lunch, cakes and more From June join us every Friday from 6.30pm for our Barn & Yard evenings with live music and food from our wood-fired grill VISIT WWW.GARDENKITCHENCATERING.CO.UK FOR MORE DETAILS T 01603 784500

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L A V I T S E F Feast Norfolk is delighted to be a media partner with Porkstock, a family-friendly food and music festival held in October. Get the date in your diaries!

V IS IT

A WISE PERSON once said; ‘A little bit of rain never hurt anybody’. And last September more than 3000 people proved that point when they ventured out on a damp day to celebrate the very best of Norfolk’s food and drink at Porkstock.

During the last three years Porkstock has become one of our county’s favourite foodie events with its chefs’ demo stage, street food trucks, live music and an array of fantastic food and drink producers selling their wares.

But Porkstock’s history goes much further back. 14 years ago, a group of beer and barbeque-loving friends started getting together for an annual family party; with local pork and beer at its heart. As more and more people wanted to join in, the gang decided that it was time to go public, and Porkstock was born.

Porkstock takes place on October 14, and is moving to a new home: the Norfolk Showground. ‘The Showground is a massive venue and we’ll only be setting up home in a tiny corner of it,’ explains James Ellis, one of the founders of Porkstock. ‘We know that people love the fact that Porkstock is very laid-back, informal, family friendly and a bit rough round the edges and we’re determined to retain that vibe at our new venue. One of the great things about the new venue is that we have loads of inside space so we don’t have to worry about the weather at all.

‘It’s important that people know that Porkstock is run entirely by a team of hard-working volunteers; with all profits going to a local charity. For the second year in a row, we’ll be raising money for Nelson’s Journey, which supports bereaved children in Norfolk. Porkstock 2016 raised more than £10,000 for them and we hope to top that figure this year.’

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There are two, very different, faces of Porkstock: During the day Porkstock is a free family festival for food, music and fun-lovers of all ages; with a fantastic selection of street food stalls, local food and drink producers, a real ale and Prosecco bar, live music throughout the day, a sausage eating contest, kids’ games and activities and lots of family fun.

The cookery demo stage is at the heart of the daytime event with demos and talks from some of the region’s leading chefs, butchers and restaurateurs as well as a few very special guests. The stage is coordinated by Porkstock patron Charlie Hodson, the founder of Charlie’s Norfolk Food Heroes.

As the sun goes down the Porkstock Party comes alive. The Evening Knees Up runs from 7pm midnight and is an adult-only, ticketed event where music takes over from food as the main attraction.

More than 50 volunteers helped with Porkstock last year. ‘We simply couldn’t make the event happen without our fantastic volunteers,’ says James. ‘Whilst we pay our suppliers, none of the helpers or event team (apart from one part-time administrator) get paid. And our sponsors are the other key part of the puzzle. By supporting the event they basically underwrite the event costs; so once we have money in from ticket sales we can give most of that to our lovely charity Nelson’s Journey.’

Ne ws and Gossi p

GO FIGURE

WINTER WINNER

Visit www.gofish.menu

A new fish and chip shop called Go Fish has just opened in Cringleford, Norwich, and promises a unique menu which has something for everyone; from traditional fish and chips to healthy, and even vegetarian and gluten-free options. You’ll find an array of special creations such as grilled sea bass, prawns and a succulent minute steak burger, in the Dragonfly Lane shop.

Moor Brewery’s Old Freddy Walker from Bristol was crowned Champion Winter Beer of Britain at the recent National Winter Ales Festival in Norwich, whereas Lowestoft’s Green Jack received a silver award in the Barley Wines & Strong Old Ales category for their Ripper Tripel and Adnams secured a joint bronze award in the Strong Milds and Old Ales category with their Old Ale. Visit www.nwaf.org.uk

DOUBLE CELEBRATIONS

There are double celebrations at a Norfolk Garden Centre after scooping two national awards at the Garden Retail Awards in London. Green Pastures, based in Bergh Apton, near Norwich, has been crowned Garden Centre Outlet of the Year (medium sized centre category) as well as bagging the Catering Excellence award for the best garden centre based restaurant.

Visit www.gardenretailawards.com

NEWS

ROUND-UP It must be awards season, as our food and drink producers are really showing the rest of the country what they’re made of, says Emma Outten

FEELING PROUD

Norfolk Food and Drink Ltd has launched a new membership scheme called Proudly Norfolk Food and Drink which is aimed at local businesses who champion local food and drink. It is open to producers, restaurants, cafés, bars, accommodation providers, venues and retailers. Benefits include a directory listing on the organisation's website, digital marketing support and access to networking events. The cost is £25 a year (plus vat).

Visit www.norfolkfoodanddrink.com

FOOD HERO AWARDS

The Aylsham Show launched its 2017 Food Hero Awards at Blickling Hall recently, with organisers now looking for nominations for this year’s event, the judging of which will take place during June, when category winners will be announced. The championship judging will take place during July and the overall winner announced at the Aylsham Show on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Visit www.theaylshamshow.co.uk/food-hero-awards/

FESTIVAL FUN

Norfolk & Norwich Festival, the largest arts festival in the East of England, has announced the full programme for its 2017 Festival in May, and highlights include a choral sleepover from The Voice Project in The Arms of Sleep which will give 40 audience members, per night, a bed and invite them to spend the night at the Assembly House, Norwich.

Visit www.nnfestival.org.uk

A TINY TIPPLE

The Tiny Tipple Company, based near Lowestoft, is going from strength to strength, with the trio boxes (customers can pick and choose any three flavours and make up their own gift pack for gin or vodka lovers or a selection of each) proving popular, plus new flavours from the autumn fruits are ready: Rosehip Vodka & Blackberry Gin. Do check out the new website!

Visit www.thetinytipplecompany.co.uk

PIG OUT!

Marsh Pig has got a brand new course, called 'Pig In A Day'. An artisan butcher, with 46 years’ experience, will show you how to break down a whole pig, and he'll also pass on his butchery wisdom to you about the best cuts to use. In the afternoon, you’ll be taught how to make treacle bacon and more.

Visit www.marshpig.co.uk

Producer of the Year Congratu

AWARD NOMINEES

lations to Great Tilkey Honey, based in Essex, which won the East of England Co-op's Producer Of The Year Award at the recent Supplier Supper at Wherstead Park near Ipswich (attended by us!). Michael Coe has been producing clear and set honey for the Sourced Locally range since 2012. The Suffolk County Winner was Alder Tree fruit cream ices, based near Needham Market, and KrustyLoaf bakery based in Fakenham and Holt won for Norfolk.

Visit www.eastofengland.coop

Congratulations to The Norfolk Deli in Hunstanton for making the shortlist for Delicatessen of the Year in the prestigious Farm Shop & Deli Awards – for the second year running. Bakers & Larners of Holt is also in the running for Foodhall of the Year. The winners will be announced at the Farm Shop & Deli Show at the NEC, Birmingham, later this month.

Visit www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk

KATE’S PURPLE PATCH

Last year’s Great British Bake Office contestant, Kate Barmby is supporting this year’s Purple Picnic, Nelson’s Journey fundraising week, which takes place in June. Individuals, schools and businesses are able to hold their own picnics, to raise vital funds needed to continue their work with bereaved children and young people living in Norfolk.

Visit www.nelsonsjourney.org.uk.

IN NELSON’S NAME

The new Nelson’s Gold Caramelised English Vodka, from the dynamic duo behind Wild Knight English Vodka, Matt and Steph Brown, launched just as we were about to go to press! So we just about found the time to head to the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich, where, rather fittingly, it’s reputed that Nelson had his first alcoholic drink exactly 250 years ago.

Visit www.nelsonsgold.co.uk

NEW FACE AT THE LAST

The Last Wine Bar and Restaurant in Norwich has appointed Iain McCarten as its new head chef.

The 31-year-old, originally from Devon, has worked in a variety of kitchens including the renowned Gingerman Group of restaurants in Brighton under chef Ben McKellar.

One immediate change which Iain is bringing in is a Fixed Price Menu which is available every lunchtime and also early evenings.

Visit www.lastwinebar.co.uk

RE-OPENING FOR BUSINESS (Pictured above)

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We’re looking forward to the reopening of the Garden Kitchen Café, situated in a 17th century dairy barn in the grounds of Hoveton Hall, from Good Friday. This year will see the opening of the newly refurbished barn next door to the tea rooms, which will host 'Barn & Yard Friday Wood Fired Grill' evenings throughout June, July and August, all overseen by owner and head chef Alex Firman.

Visit www.gardenkitchencatering.co.uk

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Farmyard N E W

F A C E S

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Making a Mark

Norwich Lanes has a new restaurant which is fast gaining the reputation for being the place for serious foodies. Sarah Hardy reports from Farmyard FARMYARD OPENS TUESDAY TO SATURDAY, FOR LUNCH AND DINNER

VISIT

www.farmyardrestaurant.com

CHEF ANDREW JONES may well be a Norfolk boy but he has spent his professional life in London - until now.

For Andrew opened Farmyard, on St Benedict’s, earlier this year and has been delighted at its reception.

‘It’s been amazing,’ he says. ‘People are so interested in us, what we do, how we cook and where we get our ingredients.’

He adds: ‘It’s really a journey of discovery for me. I’m finding out everything - what people like to see on a menu, and also where to get my ingredients. I guess that I am looking at everything with fresh eyes, a new perspective. And I think I use traditional Norfolk products in a very different way - at least, I hope I do!’

Andrew is originally from Reepham and left Norfolk to study economics at Nottingham University. Somewhere along the way he realised that the business world was not for him and, after admitting that his heart was really in food, he enrolled at Westminster Kingsway catering college. Here he found his feet, always experimenting with different flavours and textures and challenging the old order of things. ‘When I entered my first professional kitchen, it just felt like I had come home,’ he says.

He worked in many leading restaurants in London and under noteworthy chefs such as Richard Corrigan and Claude Bosi. His first head chef role was at Antidote wine bar and restaurant in Carnaby Street in Soho.

Yet, as many have found and no doubt will continue to find, the call of Norfolk was too strong to resist for too long. So, with his wife Hannah, and their two young children, they returned to the county and indeed to Reepham, two years ago.

He always planned to open his own restaurant and identified Norwich Lanes as a vibrant area. ‘We are really enjoying being part of The Lanes - there is a real community feel and everyone is really friendly. We have had lots of the other businesses come in and introduce themselves, and I have been going out to visit them, too.’

A considerable amount of thought has been put into the building’s design and overall look and it is certainly very pleasing on the eye.

Do make sure you take time to appreciate the colourful mural by Will Barras.

A top priority was to have as open a kitchen as possible so there is a large pass - that area where chefs put the final flourishes to a dish, and from where it is served. You can also see

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right into the kitchen and pride of place is Bertha, a charcoal oven which is a thing of beauty. She is fairly short and stocky, looks not unlike a safe, yet produces lovely char grilled, smokey dishes which are very much the restaurant’s signature style.

The menu is shortish and highly seasonal, with Brancaster mussels, meat from Keith at the Paddocks at Mulbarton, and Mrs Temple cheeses all featuring.

Andrew is relishing the new season’s influx of spring vegetables such as asparagus and is looking forward to foraging for, say, wild garlic. And he is almost gleeful about the imminent arrival of fresh berries.

Indeed, he uses strawberries from Sharrington, near Holt, and already has a recipe up his sleeve that he’s desperate to see on his menu!

‘Yes, before you know it, crab and lobster will be available - I can’t wait to try a whole lobster, roasted over charcoal to give it that lovely smokey flavour.’

He isn’t going to box himself into a corner by planning too much just yet although he is keen on the idea of guest chef evenings, and also food and wine pairing events. ‘This is a very sociable space - we already have a wedding reception booked in for September,’ he says.

So, as they say, watch this space.

RECIPE OVERLEAF

ANDREW JONES

strattons hotel with self catering, restaurant and cafĂŠ deli

boutique luxurious classic contemporary heart of norfolk award winning restaurant afternoon tea cocoes cafĂŠ deli self catering Luxury without sacrifice to the environment ash close swaffham norfolk pe37 7nh 01760 723845 enquiries@strattonshotel.com www.strattonshotel.com

Farmyard

R E C I P E -

A N D R E W J O N E S' S I G N AT U R E D I S H

BUTTERMILK PANNA COTTA, RHUBARB and ROSE

This has been a massive hit on the menu since we opened and really sums up what we are trying to do. I love a wobbly panna cotta, I have replaced some of the cream with buttermilk to make it lighter. It provides just the right amount of richness to work with the zing of beautiful forced rhubarb, one of the few native fruits available in the lean winter months. I poach the rhubarb in stock syrup flavoured with vanilla, cardamom and rose to give an exotic note to the dish and serve a little of the syrup on the plate - it is too delicious not to.

Don’t peel the rhubarb, the forced stuff is really tender and all the colour is in the outer layer.

INGREDIENTS

Buttermilk Panna Cotta 600g of double cream; 150g of caster sugar; 1 vanilla pod; 4 gelatine leaves; 425g of buttermilk Poached Rhubarb 500g of water; 500g of caster sugar; 1 vanilla pod; 5 dried rose buds; 5 cardamom pods; 1kg of forced rhubarb

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

METHOD Buttermilk Panna Cotta Soften the gelatine in cold water for 5 mins. Bring the cream, sugar and split vanilla pod to the boil. Take off the heat and whisk in the softened gelatine.

Pass onto the buttermilk. Pour into ramekins to set Poached Rhubarb Bring the sugar, water, vanilla, rose and cardamom to the boil and leave to infuse. Trim the rhubarb and cut into desired lengths. Cut the thicker stalks in half lengthways to even out the thickness. Using a probe thermometer, bring the infused syrup back to 80°C and drop the rhubarb in, and poach for 7-8mins until tender but not mushy

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BIGGING UP

THE LITTLE GUY

CHRIS COUBROUGH

The North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival is a highlight of the gourmet year. Sarah Hardy chats to chairman Chris Coubrough about this year’s event

www.northnorfolkfoodfestival.co.uk

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VISIT

Chris Coubrough

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ET IN THE GLORIOUS Walled Garden at Holkham Hall, the North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival attracts more than 12,000 visitors to the two day event.

Held on September 2 and 3 this year, chairman Chris Coubrough says there is a clear message about its philosophy.

‘It is all about giving the little guy a platform. I remember when I was starting out, I needed somewhere to show what I could do - I used to set up a table in Castle Mall, just to demonstrate some dishes and get myself known.

‘Our festival, and we are now in our eighth year, is all local produce and local producers - we are the real deal!’

All prospective producers and suppliers are carefully vetted to ensure goodies have good provenance, with Chris adding: ‘We promote North Norfolk producers

first, and then Norfolk as a whole, and have a couple of ones from the borders! And we like to have a mixture - we don’t want, say, five chutney makers as it’s not fair on anyone.’

There are some regulars, indeed as Chris says, producers are usually keen to return as the footfall at the festival is so good. ‘People are signing up already - we have Sarah Pettegree and her Bray’s pork pies, Candi Robertson and her chutneys, Sarah Savage and her Essence jams, Ferndale Farm Cheeses, Bread Source and more.’

The festival, which is run as a not-for-profit organisation, also stages a very successful cookery demonstration arena called the Arthur Howell Cookery Theatre as it is sponsored by the hugely popular local butcher. Well known chefs taking part include Richard Hughes, Richard Bainbridge, Eric Snaith, and Chris himself. He says: ‘It is always great fun and keeps you on your toes. We make a real effort with the theatre - everyone is miked up and there are lots of cameras, including overhead ones, so you get good close-up shots and can see exactly what is happening.’ www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

The Cookery Theatre is hosted by another well known local cookery expert, foodie writer Mary Kemp, and you can expect plenty of banter as the chefs enjoy themselves as they present a selection of their favourite dishes.

Visitors should have lots of choice for refreshments, with Hushwing Café just one of the suppliers providing food and drink options in their shepherd’s hut.

‘And we have pizzas, a seafood concession, and more,’ says Chris, originally from New Zealand and who now runs the Crown Hotel in Wells and the Ship Hotel at Brancaster.

This year it is hoped that there could be a producers’ demonstration area and there are always lots of events and activities for children on offer, such as story telling sessions from Bewilderwood. Also look out for live music.

Admission to the festival is free although parking at the Holkham estate is £3 per car per day.

The festival is of particular interest to us here at Feast Norfolk as we are teaming up with the

organisers to be a media partner of a new and ultra exciting event. We can’t say too much about it yet as, as they say in the movies, it is all ‘under discussion’ but we can say that it is shaping up nicely. It will be an event for people to take part in and could well involve cake. We will be keeping you informed about the festival and revealing all about our involvement in our next issue.

• The North Norfolk Restaurant Week is expanding to become the Norfolk Restaurant Week and takes place from October 30 to November 10 this year.

More than 60 restaurants are expected to take part. Organiser Martin Billington says that this year’s deal is for weekdays, and sees great offers available. ‘Two and three course deals will be available at both lunch times and in the evenings. There are two options - £10 and £15, and £15 and £20, for two or three courses respectively.’ Visit www. northnorfolkrestaurantweek.co.uk for full details.

CLAIRE & ANDREW HUDSON WITH THEIR THREE CHILDREN

c

LAIRE HUDSON was busy baking pork pies at her new butchers shop in Horning the day we met – a far cry from dealing with million pound tenders in her previous job!

The self-confessed townie (she was born in Norwich and raised in Long Stratton), Claire met farmer Andrew Hudson on a night out in Norwich 14 years ago, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Andrew, a farmer based in Smallburgh, was a business partner in Tavern Tasty Meats, which was started in 1991 by Roger Human, an ex-policeman who rekindled his boy-hood experience of keeping pigs. The shop was developed on Roger’s smallholding, the site of an old pub, in the village near North Walsham. After a short time the traditional meat business was accredited by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as Norfolk’s only rare breed butcher.

Andrew, who also owns Harvey Hudson Farming, Smallburgh, had been supplying Tavern Tasty Meats with rare breed pork, came on board as a partner in 2001. Harvey Hudson Farming also supplies the majority of lamb to the shop.

Claire takes up the story: ‘Then, at the end of 2015, Roger decided that he wanted to hang up his apron and retire – and Andrew and I bought him out.’

Both Andrew, 47, and Claire, 41, are passionate about the quality of meats that can be produced from traditional breeds and are proud to say that Tavern Tasty Meats offers full traceability and low food miles. ‘The food miles are almost nothing and that’s what people love,’ says Claire.

Andrew has the farm, comprising of 230 acres of mainly arable, to run on a day to day basis. Claire adds: ‘We have got about 120 ewes and lambing has just started.’

Taking on Tavern Tasty Meats has meant a major lifestyle change for Claire. ‘Where I used to work I would go in to work with a nice dress on and shoes and bags that matched - now I’m wearing hiking boots and jeans all the time to keep me warm. It’s a million miles from where I was, but I’m absolutely loving it.

‘I never thought I’d meet and marry a farmer, to be perfectly honest,’ says Claire, before mentioning their three children: Holly, 10, George, eight, and Harry, seven.

‘I had a job working for a company called Fendercare as proposal manager. Because we’d taken the step that we were going to buy Roger out we wanted to put all efforts into it and I decided to leave my really good job in March of last year.

Tavern Tasty Meats -

‘In that time I’ve learnt how to make all the pastry items and I’ve gone out and got some more wholesaling accounts for us.’

In November of last year the opportunity to open a Tavern Tasty Meats shop in Horning came up, with Claire saying: ‘It’s going really well – we’ve had our first Christmas here, which exceeded all of our expectations. I think what they love about us here in Horning is the fact that our farm is four miles up the road.’

And she’s optimistic about the year ahead: ‘As the holiday season picks up I’m hoping we’re in prime position here, for when all of the holidaymakers moor up and come in.’

She explains: ‘We’re right on the Broads, and people are going to love the fact they can come into the shop and buy not only local traditional and rare breed meats but also Crush Oils, Norfolk Honey and other delicious local goodies.’

She adds: ‘We’re going to be doing things slightly differently to how we do them at Swafield, offering hot and cold baguettes, quiche salads, and hampers from here.’ In fact, Claire has just secured a contract with a boating company based in Wroxham to supply hampers as part of their customer loyalty scheme.

‘Hampers for us this year are a brand new thing. We can put together meat feast hampers, for two, four or six people; a picnic hamper, a Continental hamper, a barbeque hamper and a luxury hamper.’ Expect to find the likes of Norfolk Pure Apple Juice and chocolate brownies from the Little Norfolk Kitchen in there. ‘Every single thing (apart from the crackers) that goes into my hampers is produced in Norfolk,’ says Claire.

P R O F I L E

CLAIRE HUDSON

in the

MEAT www.t avernt asty.co .uk

market

VISIT

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Tavern Tasty Meats in North Norfolk

is Norfolk's only accredited rare breeds butcher. Emma Outten heads to the new shop in Horning to meet Claire Hudson, half of the husband and wife team behind it

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

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Tavern Tasty Meats also offer a traditional catering service, tailored to events, from marquee weddings to retirement parties, offering a variety of barbecue foods, including hot pork rolls, hotdogs, burgers and salads.

It certainly kept her busy last year: ‘I had something on nearly every weekend throughout the entire summer.’ And this month she’ll be at The Stately Car Boot Sale in Sennowe Park on April 30.

All in all, she says: ‘We’re quite busy for such a small butchers.’ She has a full time butcher, Andy Neeve, in the Horning shop plus a kitchen assistant, Genna Newman, has just started.

Claire is nothing if not ambitious for Tavern Tasty Meats. ‘It’s my intention to make this as big a success as possible and in five years or so we are looking to expand again and get another shop, in North Norfolk.’

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F E A T U R E

VISIT

www.ccn.ac.uk

PERFECTLY QUALIFIED

City College Norwich

New exams, new apprenticeships and new pathways to progression – it’s all happening at City College Norwich this year and not least within hospitality and catering, as the Head of the Hotel School, Steve Thorpe, tells Emma Outten

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THE HEAD OF THE HOTEL School at City College, Steve Thorpe, is on a mission. ‘We need to get away from the idea that people who are not very good academically end up in the kitchen.’

And this is certainly shaping up to be the year to put that to the test. For a start, there’s the new Tech Levels - the rigorous, advanced (Level 3) technical qualifications – which will run alongside A Levels and other vocational qualifications in performance tables for 16 to 19 year olds as of this year. Steve comments: ‘It helps people feel that technical qualifications are as well sought after and respected as those academic pathways.’

The new Tech Level has led to a ‘unique’ opportunity within the Hospitality and Catering Programme, as Steve explains: ‘Professional chef qualifications are now changing to a twoyear, Level 3 option, and direct entry for people with four GCSEs, graded four (or C) or better.’

The qualification, he adds, ‘includes things like costing, menu planning, dish design, and purchasing, as well as advanced culinary skills, so there’s a real emphasis now on chefs being able to have an understanding about the kitchen and the way it’s managed.’

Along with the new Tech Levels, the new GCSEs reach the results stage this summer (English and Maths GCSEs will be graded 9 to 1, with 9 being the top grade), as do the new A Levels.

Suffice to say, Steve comments: ‘The biggest thing now as a college we’re looking at is the whole structure of education for 16 to 18 year olds.’

As if that wasn’t enough change to be getting on with, there’s also the new Apprenticeship Standards developed by employers. City College offers www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

Steve Thorpe also has this update:

WE’VE GOT to the end of term and another busy 12 weeks, and in that time we’ve had an Ofsted inspection, which has been very good for the college, and highlighted some of the great things we do.

The Hotel School has been reaccredited by the Sector Skills Council, meaning we are still a centre of excellence for food preparation, food and beverage service, front office and reception, and customer service we are quite unique in the spread of excellence that we’re noted for.

We’ve also had a visit from the AA College Rosette Scheme and are very proud to have kept our highly commended rating for the restaurant.

We are proud to be part of the new Proudly Norfolk initiative the launch took place here and was an opportunity for us to ensure our students are aware of provenance, a real element in the training and development of chefs and restaurateurs of the future.

And congratulations to the White Horse in Chedgrave for winning Apprenticeship Employer of the Year in our recent Apprenticeship Awards, as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

Directly after Easter we’ll be back for the last 10 weeks and we’ve got a number of events to attend to, such as the Royal Norfolk Show, when Hotel School students will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner.

All in all, it’s an exciting time.

There will be lots of exams and lots to look forward to, along with some great dining experiences.

Apprenticeships from Level 2 through to degree level, so not just for 16 to 18 year olds. As an approved provider, it works with hundreds of employers delivering 1300 Apprenticeships.

Seven new apprenticeship standards have been developed for hospitality, with clear Apprenticeship Pathways. For example, a Level 2 Commis chef could progress to a Level 3 Chef de partie and then to a Level 4 Senior chef culinary arts. Similarly, a Level 2 Hospitality team member could eventually progress to a Level 4 Hospitality manager (as could that aforementioned Commis chef).

From this month, employers with a gross annual pay bill of more than £3 million will be required to spend 0.5 per cent of the total on a new tax introduced by the Government called the Apprenticeship Levy.

Although Steve, who has been involved in writing and setting the Standards nationally, makes the point: ‘The majority of the hospitality business is made up of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) which will not pay the levy,’ adding: ‘There are some real benefits coming for small businesses.’

The College also runs professional development courses, and the plan is to develop these courses even further. Steve has this message for employers: ‘If you get known for offering your staff Continual Professional Development as part of your employment strategy you would be able to retain your staff and fill posts more easily.’

He concludes: ‘Learning is something that progresses through our life and doesn’t actually finish when we’re 16, 18 or 21.’

He says of all the changes within education and training which are taking place this year: ‘It’s a big change for all of us.’

destination

DELI

This month Andy Newman visits family run department store Jarrold’s, in Norwich, which boasts a well-run deli in its basement

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Jarrold

S H O P

F R O N T

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NORWICH is one of the country’s top retail destinations, and one of the main reasons for this is that, alongside the usual national chains, the city boasts a thriving independent sector. The collection of winding medieval streets known as The Lanes is home to a unique selection of small, quirky shops, a useful counterbalance to the expanses of plate glass fronting the big corporate retailers.

One store has been flying the flag for independent retail in Norwich for more than two centuries. Family-run department stores are already a rare breed, but Jarrold’s has successfully moved with the times, and as a result it remains a jewel in the city’s retail crown.

Until 2002, however, there was a significant gap in its offer: food.

In 2002, store bosses, recognising that a food hall can be a useful way of drawing more footfall into a department store, opened a joint venture in the basement with Beccles deli, Baileys.

Within a year Jarrold’s realised that to make the most of this opportunity, they needed to be ploughing their own furrow.

Taking Judith Finney onto their own staff – she had been part of the Baileys team which got the deli started – the operation was rebranded ‘The Deli’.

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

Judith was no stranger to the sector. For 14 years she had run the Food To Go offer at Norwich’s Marks & Spencer store. Sensing the opportunity to be in at the start of something new and exciting (and after 14 years of starting work at 5am every day), she jumped at the chance of making the move.

Judith spent the next three years learning the deli trade. In 2006 she was made buyer manager of The Deli, with overall responsibility for its success.

‘I love food, it’s my passion,’ says Judith. ‘Wherever I’m going, I am always looking for new things.

Just recently I found myself in Kings Road in London, and found a fabulous chocolate maker on a market stall there. We are now introducing their range into Jarrold's, ahead even of Selfridges.’

It is that concentration on finding new things which has been the bedrock of The Deli’s success. ‘People always tell me that they come here because we offer something different,’ she says. ‘That’s important, because stocking food and drink that isn’t widely available gives people a reason to come in.’

That approach has paid dividends, with turnover now around three times what it was when Judith took over, with The Deli taking an increasing amount

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The Deli at Jarro ld's is in the basem ent of the London Street store

VISIT

www.jarrold.co.uk

JUDITH FINNEY AND GEORGE BRENTNALL

of floor space – a far cry from the early days, when the deli counter was, according to Judith, ‘tucked away in a little corner’.

The food and drink on offer comes from all over the world, but Jarrold's Deli is very keen to promote local produce. One area where this is very obvious is gin.

The Deli was an early stockist of Norfolk Gin, and soon afterwards started offering Bullards Gins; that company now distills an exclusive version for Jarrold's, Bullards Hop Gin. With Adnams and Black Shuck also on the shelves, you won’t find a more comprehensive selection of local gins anywhere.

With people now travelling from far and wide to seek out Judith’s discoveries, The Deli is now regarded as a source of footfall for the store as a whole, and plans are afoot to expand still further during 2017.

As part of those plans, Judith has just been joined as team leader by George Brentnall, an enthusiastic foodie who until recently ran his own deli in Walberswick in Suffolk. His appointment will increase the time which can be devoted to seeking out new treats, and the expansion plans include a bigger cold counter, with a wider selection of cheeses, salamis and antipasti.

Keep up to date

with our Bank Holiday Garden Parties and Summer Events on our Facebook page

Visit our 17th Century restaurant & garden All our dishes are home cooked, using fresh local produce | Families welcome

Netherton House, The Street, Long Stratton, Norwich NR15 2XG | 01508 531500 enquiries@nethertonhouse.co.uk www.facebook.com/nethertonhouserestaurant

OUR OPENING TIMES Monday-Thursday 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm, Friday- Saturday 12pm-Midnight, Sunday 12pm-10pm

www.crownhotelnorfolk.co.uk 01328 710209 www.shiphotelnorfolk.co.uk 01485 210333 WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA

NORTH NORFOLK

BRANCASTER

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The Deli

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Here at Feast Norfolk, we’re teaming up with The Deli at Jarrold’s in Norwich to stage an exclusive Meet the Producers evening next month. Sarah Hardy invites you along THE DELI AT JARROLD’S is, just like we are here at Feast Norfolk, a big supporter of local produce and producers. And to celebrate, we’re staging an artisan producers evening in the store on May 17.

Kicking off in The Deli, in the basement, at 6pm, there is the chance to meet some of the best artisan

her job and how she decides what she should stock, and I’ll be on hand to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly bits of running the region’s only food and drink magazine!

producers in Norfolk as well as enjoy talks and demonstrations from some of our foodie experts.

We’re going to interview The Deli’s manager, Judith Finney, to find out a little bit more about

All the producers will be offering samples and you’ll get to hear their back stories first hand. They are a fascinating bunch and are set to include Matt and Steph Brown from Wild Knight Vodka, Peter Smith, head distiller at Bullards Gin, and Janet Peachey with her preserves.

The Feast Norfolk team will be on hand through the evening, which will finish at 8.30pm, and a cookery demonstration is also planned. Several of our columnists will be present to talk about their specialisms, and there’s obviously the chance to snap up some delicious food and drink treats and all the other great goodies on sale in the store’s basement - there’s literally everything from colourful aprons to the latest high tech kitchen gadgetry.

Tickets are £10, to include a glass of wine (soft drinks will also be available) and some light bites.

It’s really all an excuse for us foodies to get together, swap stories, recommend new eateries,

talk recipes and support those who are at the sharp end of creating new and exciting produce - whether it is cheese, chutney or beer!

It should be a fun evening and we’d love you to join us. Tickets are available from Jarrold’s customer services department or online at www.jarrold.co.uk.

MEET THE

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u c e rs d o r p e "A l l t h ’ l l g e t d you n a s e l t hand " p s m r i a f s s g

o f f e r i n i r b ac k s t o r i e e b l l i w the to hear

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The Tacons -

F A R M I N G

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The Tacons based near Great Yarmouth have built up a solid business in homegrown, high quality fruit and veg straight from the field over the last decade. Emma Outten speaks to one of the family, Emma Tacon

tHE

TACONS

take on fruit and veg

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

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The Tacons F A R M I N G

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EMMA & CHARLIE TACON

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One call for electricity, broadband, fuel, gas, heating oil & insurance Hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, bistros, farm shops

01603 881 881 www.af-affinity.co.uk

www.thetacons.co.uk

on the farm, we started growing fieldscale vegetables to deliver alongside the asparagus and the strawberries.’

Richard and Charlie have been supplying the East of England Co-op food stores with fresh, local strawberries and asparagus since 2009.

‘It meant that the van, driving around Norwich and delivering, suddenly had a lot more stops,’ recalls Emma, 38.

‘We have two vans now, going round twice a week.’ Emma’s jam has also gone down a treat within the regional Co-op’s Sourced Locally range. ‘While the boys were small I started making jam out of surplus fruit - to start with it was just to sell here from our farm shop, and then once the boys went to school I increased the turnover and started supplying East of England Co-op and other local shops.’ Perhaps unsurprisingly, The Tacons was shortlisted in the Co-op’s Producer of the Year awards last year.

Meanwhile, the farm shop has grown from humble beginnings. Emma says: ‘It used to be pallet in the barn, with an honesty box. Charlie turfed his mum’s car out of the garage about eight years ago and made that into the farm shop.’ Then, two years ago, part of the adjoining stable block was converted, too.

However, there was a near miss with the recent Storm Doris. ‘We had two nice big trees fall on us, the first took down the garden wall and the second missed the shop by about six inches.’

The Farm Shop stocks free range eggs, and local produce such as Norfolk Farmhouse ice cream, and Norton’s cheese. ‘I try and keep it as local as possible,’ says Emma. ‘I know all the individuals making the products.’

Plus she adds: ‘My sister, Sarah, makes homemade cakes and my father in law makes tomato chutney.’ Duck eggs, meanwhile, come from a neighbour.

Then there’s all the homegrown fruit and vegetables, of course. Emma points out: ‘The vegetables we can’t grow such as carrots and parsnips because our land is not sandy enough for root vegetables - we get from Peter Ward, in Spixworth, but we can do all the greens ourselves.’

So when does she imagine the asparagus season will start this year? Last year it was late March and exceptionally early because it was very mild, this year it will be more like early April.’

Emma concludes: ‘Hopefully what we do is provide the story behind the food, so people can have confidence in where their food has come from.’

VISIT

iF

YOU WOULD like to know exactly where your fruit and veg comes from, then head to The Tacons Farm Shop and Pick Your Own in Rollesby, near Great Yarmouth.

From late May you’ll be able to take your family and enjoy the country air whilst picking your own fresh fruit, including the ever popular strawberries and raspberries.

And in the meantime there’s always the farm shop, stocked up at this time of year with very seasonal rhubarb, along with potatoes, onions, cabbages, cauliflower, beetroot, leeks, curly kale, sprouting broccoli, celeriac, swede, and apples.

Emma, one member of the family firm who was busy manning the farm shop on the day we spoke, says: ‘On a Sunday night I send out a weekly email to customers about what’s available.’

This month it will be all about asparagus, of course, the vegetable that started the ball rolling for the Tacons in the first place. The family has been farming at The Grange for three generations, with Emma commenting: ‘We’ve been farming here for more than 100 years. Charlie, my husband, works with his dad, Richard Tacon, and his mum, Sarah Tacon, is still very much involved as well.’ Then there’s James, 11, Ben, nine and Laurie, six, forming the youngest generation.

The crops have historically included wheat, barley and sugar beet, as well as numerous fruits and vegetables, and asparagus was introduced more than 30 years ago – and the enterprise has developed from an acre of plants prepared in the kitchen sink to around 20 acres, all still hand-picked and bundled.

Pick Your Own strawberries then began in 1980, and they were solely a PYO enterprise until about 10 years ago when ‘a wet summer prompted Richard and Charlie to pick the strawberries and sell them to shops and that opened a new side of the business,’ says Emma, before commenting: ‘It would be easy to go down the tunnels route, because you take the weather out of the equation, but we think our strawberries are so tasty.’

Also, around that time, Emma continues: ‘Charlie, who was working part-time for a neighbouring farmer, wanted to come home and be full time with his dad so, to increase the income

H C T CofA THE

SCOTT & KELLY DOUGAL

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VISIT

' iM

A HUGE FAN OF SEAFOOD, and more often than not select it when eating out - mainly because I am shocking at cooking it at home!

I’ve had this little gem of a place on my list to visit since it opened last year, tempted by tales of bulging platters, the freshest of fish and plenty of choice.

The restaurant is situated right by the quay, so the fishermen don’t have too far to travel to deliver, and the selection of fish on the night we visited included crab, lobster, sea bass, cockles, crayfish, hake, oysters, salmon, and the more ambitious red snapper, swordfish and so on! Indeed, such is the localness of the catch, that the fishermen themselves are named, with Billy Ward’s lobsters a real treat.

Daily specials are marked up on a fishy board, with more on the

www.wellscrabhouse.co.uk

Day

menu itself, and they are divided into sections with a fish pun theme - ‘casting off’, ‘the main catch’ and so on. We love a little word play here at Feast Towers!

There was plenty I could have chosen, and really fancied one of their sharing platters, crammed with goodies from smoked prawns to roll mop herrings and all things in-between. Only problem was that Himself had other ideas and wasn’t in a sharing mood. Always the way!

So, I went for a starter of mackerel, beetroot and horseradish salad at £6 which was dreamy, with a little bit of a bite, followed by a pastry topped fish pie at £14 which came with a healthy portion of greens.

The fish pie was packed with hake, crayfish tails, carrots, peas and much more - each forkful really punched its weight!

Sir had crayfish Tom Yum at £7, a hottish soup, and he then went for a warming red snapper Thai green curry at £15 which came with lovely coconut rice - and disappeared quick.

I had fancied the scallops or the salmon and prawn fishcakes as starters, and the sea bass with crab mash for mains. And the half kilo

Wells Crab House -

Husband and wife team Scott and Kelly Dougal have created a perfect seafood restaurant,

Wells Crab House, in the picturesque seaside town, says Sarah Hardy

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

E A T I N G

O U T

lobster Thermidor at £26 sounded just right for a special celebration.

Next time.

We decided to share a dessert and again there was a lovely choice, with plenty of seasonal offerings including a rhubarb brûlée.

Eventually, we went for a blood orange bavois with a clementine gel and orange meringue at £7 which was a lovely sweet end to this impressive meal.

This is a nice and comfy restaurant, with a coastal vibe throughout.

There’s a wooden floor, a cream and aqua colour scheme and lots of quirky decorations such as wooden fish, sailing and crabbing paraphernalia, and a wonderful example of stained glass, with a colourful crab on it.

The restaurant can seat about 60 people, there are those trendy banquettes and large windows look out onto the street so you can keep an eye on what’s happening in this increasingly foodie town.

The wine list is extensive and I enjoyed a glass of Sacchetto Pinot Grigio from Italy, with a good hint of lemon, and I spotted Bacchus white wines from the Winbirri vineyard, at Surlingham, near Norwich. The couple also serve Yardbird ale by Greene King and Aspalls cider. And Kelly’s love of gin is apparent, as there’s a gin ‘menu’ with around 20 gins on offer including Norfolk’s Black Shuck.

The couple have had plenty of experience in running quality restaurants and it shows. Scott has the kitchen running like a dream. He has a clear vision, and is pursuing it with vigour, and Kelly glides through the front-of-house, ensuring everything is ship shape.

And while the accent is firmly on seafood here, there are vegetarian and meat options - with meat supplied by Arthur Howell’s in the town. There’s a children’s menu, too.

My only piece of advice? Do book as it can get busy, especially as the main season commences!

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Bishop`s Dining Room & Wine Bar -

E A T I N G

O U T

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Andy Newman visits the small but beautifully formed

Bishop’s

restaurant in Norwich and, it’s fair to say, he loved it!

BISHOP'S opens Tuesday to Saturday, for lunch and dinner

dININg AT THE BISHOP'S TaBLe

WHEN I FIRST started eating out in Norwich in the 1980s, there was a triumvirate of restaurants which were a step above the rest: Adlard’s in Upper St Giles, still the only establishment in the city ever to have won a Michelin star, and now home to Roger Hickman’s; Marco’s in Pottergate, sadly long gone and converted into a private dwelling; and Brasted’s on St Andrew’s Hill, where the late John Brasted held court in a convivial – sometimes rather too convivial - manner.

When Brasted’s moved out of the city, the pint-sized building which housed his restaurant struggled to find a place in the hearts of city diners. It went through a number of iterations before being bought by

the Croyden family, owner of city jewellers Winsor Bishop, who gave it its current name, Bishop’s.

The Croydens sold the business in 2009 to its manager Alessandro (Alex) Tranquillo, an ebullient Italian originally from Lake Como, who came to the UK in the early 1980s and went on to work in some of the most iconic eating establishments of that era: among them The Churchill Hotel, Langan’s and the Savoy Grill, where he spent seven years (this prior to the Gordon Ramsay takeover).

His time owning and running Bishop’s has seen its reputation steadily grow, so we thought it was high time we went to see what all

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the fuss was about – the last time I set foot in this building I was served by John Brasted himself!

What immediately strikes you is the cosiness of the place. It’s been said that it resembles nothing less than someone’s home dining room (albeit in a very smart home), and that’s an apt description. Entry is via an elegant bar, and then into the dining room, which seats no more than a couple of dozen.

There is a cosy decor, comfortable and intimate, all muted grey and quality napery - a welcome break from the modern trend of barn-like dining rooms industrially decorated in hard surfaces. In short, this is the perfect place for a date night.

fondant, which came with candied satsuma, orange gel and marmalade ice cream.

Chocolate fondants can be a little over-sweet, so the acidity provided by the orange citrus theme running through this dish was well chosen. Slices of blood orange, surely one of the most underrated fruits, completed a very elegant plate.

Becky’s pudding was simpler: a slice of perfectly moist pistachio and olive oil cake served with orange sorbet, sesame seed tuile and orange jelly.

The man behind all these undoubtedly fine dining dishes is Ed Mulley, who was celebrating his sixth anniversary as head chef at Bishop’s on the March weekend we visited. I first came across Ed when he was working the stoves in The Last Wine Bar’s subterranean kitchen; now he cooks upstairs on equipment inherited from the Brasted’s days. A major kitchen refurbishment is scheduled for the summer.

This is quality stuff, and that makes the value tremendous.

Dinner is £28.95 for two courses or £34.95 for three courses, with one or two dishes attracting small supplements and a generous selection of seasonal vegetables which serves two costing £4.50. The wine list is also very reasonable – we enjoyed a decent bottle of Valpolicella Ripasso costing £37.

I have written before about how chef-led restaurants can become too fixated on the food, at the expense of the overall experience. At Bishop’s, while Ed is upstairs leading the kitchen team, Alex is in charge of front of house – which has been his passion all of his career.

It shows: the service, which in a restaurant this cosy could be overwhelming, is perfectly pitched, attentive without ever being intrusive.

It is nearly 20 years since I last sat down in this room for dinner, in the twilight of the Brasted’s reign. I’m delighted to report that it now houses a restaurant which is more than worthy of that heritage.

ED MULLEY, FREDDIE GRIGGS & CASEY CHAMBERLAIN

www.bishopsrestaurant.co.uk

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

VISIT

The dinner menu is a wellchosen choice of six starters, six mains and five puddings; a short menu (always a good thing in my view, because it can reflect what is fresh), but even so it left us in a lather of indecision.

In the end I went for seared king prawns in a baby clam beurre blanc, roasted Jerusalem artichoke petals, kale and truffled salami. This was one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time, a perfectly balanced umami hit, with the temptation to overwhelm the dish with truffle neatly avoided.

My wife had the home cooked salt beef, which came with the lightest of tempura onion rings, cornichons, rocket and capers, along with air-dried cherry tomatoes and wasabi mayonnaise. This was a lesson in balancing flavours, the acidity of the pickles a perfect foil for the salty beef.

I’m always sad at this time of year, because it spells the end of the season for so many delicious foods, and venison is perhaps top of that list. So I took the opportunity to finish the season with the venison main course, which was a pistachio crusted loin served with a poached pear tartlet, hispi cabbage and an unctuous red wine and cacao sauce.

The temptation in British restaurants is always to err on the side of safely well-done when it comes to cooking meat, but that would be a travesty when dealing with such a beautifully tender piece of meat.

The chef sent it out perfect – really rare, seared on the outside and just warm in the middle.

My knife went through it like butter, but it certainly didn’t want for flavour.

After much indecision, my wife plumped for roasted breast of Gressingham duck, with a potato and artichoke gateau, pan-fried kale and a rich red wine jus. The gateau was the perfect accompaniment for the duck, its earthy notes complementing the richness of the well-seasoned meat.

Pudding for me was a Cointreau and chocolate

Sarah Ruffhead -

C O L U M N

FA M O U S FIVE

Norfolk foodie Sarah Ruffhead, tells us what she has loved eating this month ONE

Ceviche of Fish

Kingfish to be precise, and yes I was in the Caribbean in case you haven’t heard of said fish. The divine colonial Cobblers Cove Hotel in Barbados serves the most delicious food, much of it the freshest, just-caught-that-morning (by hotel fisherman Barker) fish, which is imperative for ceviche, which is basically slivers of fish marinated in citrus fruit. This pretty lunch version used passion fruit, and was drizzled with a light mustardy mayonnaise.

TWO

Seafood Risotto

And some. One of my most favourite restaurants ever, (for food/style/ location/buzz) is The Lone Star, Barbados, with its fusion of European and Caribbean dishes, and their classic risotto at dinner is just yummy. It has

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a creamy base with white wine and saffron that lets the flavours of the oodles of pink shrimp and fresh Maine lobster shine. It is topped with the sweetest eating lobster claw, and Parmesan shavings.

THREE

Carpaccio of Octopus

The Cliff Beach Club is just wow, in a stunning location, set on two levels, with the bluest of sea views and sea foam spray hitting the deck.

Best to arrive by boat and make your way along the new floating jetty. A fabulous lunch for eight, and so many tempting dishes on the menu, it was hard to choose. Their carpaccio of octopus was perfect. A passion fruit dressing again, a light olive oil dressing and sprinkled with lemon zest and micro herbs.

FOUR

Roast Monkfish

Back to the cold, so warming fare was very necessary. Lunch at The Crown in East Rudham, by the fire, with freezing temperatures outside, and only just over jetlag, so this lunch hit the spot.

A lovely chunky piece of the whitest monkfish (sometimes known as the poor man’s lobster, but such a versatile fish - stew it, roast it, barbecue it, put it in a chowder), wrapped in Parma ham and roasted gently. It was served with creamed potato (yes, yes, yes!), spinach, wild mushrooms - those teeny tiny fairy ones, and a red wine

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jus. A good combination of flavours.

Exceedingly delicious.

FIVE

Scotch Eggs

Ah, but not just any old Scotch egg.

Not like those nasty, grey round the edges eggs enrobed in cheap, mealy sausage meat and dipped in lurid gritty crumbs...no these are my absolute favourite of all time. The Scotch eggs to top all Scotch eggs. In fact I choose them most times that I go to The Duck Inn at Stanhoe. Ben Handley's Scotch black pudding quail eggs are top notch. Just enough black pudding, a perfectly-cooked, oozing with golden yolk, quails egg and a crispy crumb. I always think that when you are eating out, you should choose things that you don’t make yourself, and I admit to never having attempted a Scotch egg (yet). The Duck's are served with a dollop of tarragon mayonnaise, and they are the perfect starter.

www.sarahruffhead.com

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G A D G E T S

&

G I Z M O S

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as e u s r as

02.

eggs

FRY 'EM, BOIL 'EM, POACH 'EM - HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS IN THE MORNING? WE’VE GOT IT COVERED 03.

04.

Where to buy

05.

hughes.co.uk

01. Egg Run for storing eggs from Garden Trading Company £17.50, Loose’s, Norwich 02. Judge two-egg poacher, £20, Jarrold’s 03. Qudos 4 in 1 Perfect Pan, £39.99, available from your local Hughes store or online www.hughes.co.uk 04. Pan pancake/ crepe pan, £18, John Lewis 05. Smart Breakfast Master, £59.99, available from your local Hughes store or online www.hughes.co.uk 06. Roost double egg cup in aluminium by Adam Goodrum for Alessi, £27, www.alessi.com

06.

LAURA COTTON

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Cocoa Delicious A R T I S A N

P R O D U C E R

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STIR IT UP

Cocoa Delicious is creating a stir on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, with its gourmet hot chocolate stirrers. Emma Outten chats to chocolatier Laura Cotton VISIT

FROM GRADUATING as a veterinary surgeon to becoming a self-taught chocolatier, there might not be many parallels to draw when it comes to Laura Cotton’s career change.

‘I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2011, the complete opposite end of the spectrum,’ says Laura, who went on to do an internship in Newmarket before working at a veterinary college in Hertfordshire.

A year later Laura stumbled across the concept of the chocolate stirring spoon, and it appealed to the chocoholic in her – especially as she loved hot chocolate.

‘I set myself a little challenge of having a go at making them.’ Although Laura adds: ‘The first ones were just awful, because I didn’t know anything about tempering chocolate.’

After months spent watching YouTube videos, Laura taught herself how to temper chocolate by hand: ‘It’s all about the temperatures you have to heat the chocolate up to when you’re melting it, and the temperatures you have to cool it down to before it goes into moulds. I had quite a scientific brain, anyway, from my degree so I found it interesting and a challenge - I’m a bit like a dog with a bone!’

And she makes the point that, at that time, ‘I wasn’t even aware of tempering machines.’ In Hertfordshire, Laura had started running a little chocolate business on the side, and adds, ‘when I moved back home to Norfolk I carried on with the chocolate business.

‘Then I decided at the beginning of 2013 that this was something I was going to do full-time and became selfemployed.’

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

www.cocoadelicious.co.uk

The result is Cocoa Delicious, based at the family home in East Harling. ‘When I first started I set up a Facebook page and mainly sold to friends and family in the area. I did all my work from the kitchen, with a bowl of chocolate and a microwave and a thermometer.’

The business has progressed from there, however. ‘We recently built a production unit and kitted it out as a commercial kitchen with stainless steel and I’ve now got two tempering machines.’

The unit is in the back garden – needless to say Laura’s parents have been very supportive of her venture!

Her gourmet hot chocolate stirrers are lovingly handcrafted in small batches from the finest Belgian Couverture Chocolate. ‘It’s mainly Fair Trade chocolate,’ adds Laura. ‘I don’t make the chocolate, bean to bar, but it’s something I would be interested in doing in the future.’

She spent months sourcing the moulds, as she wanted to ensure a high quality finish with an attention to detail – they are her USP, as they are something of a dinner party piece. ‘I like chocolate to look glossy, almost mirrorlike.’

She adds: ‘When I first started I probably made a couple of hundred stirrers over quite a few months. Now I’ve got the equipment and the unit I make thousands of them, especially peak times such as Christmas and Easter.’

Laura loves this time of year. ‘Easter IS chocolate.’ She’s into doing seasonal specials and says: ‘I’ve got a couple of new things for this year: the Easter bunny stirrer and the Easter chick stirrer.

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‘I’ve also got the Boozy Bunny Hot Chocolate Stirrer, with a pipette of alcohol - they’re a really good alternative to an Easter egg.’

The Boozy Tipple Collection is an added indulgent variation on the classic, developed with grown-ups in mind (last year she collaborated with the English Whisky Co., based nearby).

And move over sugared almonds, as Laura’s stirrers and chocolate lollipops make wedding favours with a difference, and they are tied with ribbon to suit a wedding theme.

Finally, there’s the rocky road bars chocolate blended with a delicious mix of fluffy mini marshmallows and crunchy digestive biscuit and moulded into a chunky bar. ‘I’ve just relaunched those, in the last few weeks,’ says Laura (there’s a Mini Egg one for Easter, for example).

Cocoa Delicious can be found in stockists nationwide as well as NotOnTheHighStreet.com and Yumbles. com. Closer to home you can try her stirrers in Gracie’s Coffee House in East Harling. ‘I sell all around the country and I’ve got customers abroad - some in Spain, a couple in Australia – I get enquiries from all around the world which is nice. That’s the power of social media.’

Is she planning world domination?

‘One chocolate spoon at a time!’ comes the reply.

Laura sounds as if she is enjoying her dramatic career change: ‘The artisan food industry is growing rapidly. It’s very on-trend although I don’t think it’s going to go out of fashion. More and more people are buying into the story behind the brand and the face behind the story.’

Your Gluten Freedo m

sPriNG -

R E C I P E S

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into

Spring Sara Mat thews

powers into spring with aromatic herbs, zesty limes and glorious spices

SARA MATTHEWS runs Your Gluten Freedom, visit www.yourglutenfreedom.co.uk

LIME and COCONUT TART

Your family will love this sweet tasting tart. A little preparation is needed the day before but the rest is plain sailing INGREDIENTS

For the base 100g of dried, shredded coconut; 60g of ground almonds; 1½tbsp of coconut oil (melted); zest of 1 lime; 1tbsp of lime juice; 3tbsp of date water (from soaked dates) For the filling 225g of raw cashews nuts (soaked in water overnight); 14 pitted dates (covered with water and soaked overnight); 1tbsp of vanilla extract; zest of 2 limes; juice of 1½ limes; 1tbsp of coconut oil (melted) Topping 40g of dairy free/gluten free chocolate (melted); coconut flakes and lime zest to decorate

METHOD The day before you are ready to make the tart, place the cashews in a bowl, cover with water and leave overnight, then place the dates in a bowl and cover with water and soak overnight. Do not discard the date water as you will need some of this for the recipe. For the base (which can be made the day before) put the ground almonds and coconut in a bowl and mix. Add the melted coconut oil, lime zest and juice then mix again. Then add some of the date water, a little at a time, until you have a dough like mixture. Press the dough into a parchment lined, 9-inch, loose bottom flan dish, making sure to come up the sides. Smooth and flatten the mix with the back of a spoon. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or until needed. To prepare the filling, put the drained cashews, lime zest, lime juice, vanilla, coconut oil and drained dates (reserving water and setting aside) in a food processor and blend on a low speed, then gradually increase to medium speed.

Stop the blender now and then and, using a spatula, scrape down the sides. Keep doing this until you have a thick paste. Then add, little by little, the date water until the mixture becomes creamy and lightly fluffy in texture. This usually takes between 4-6 tbsp depending on how long the cashews and dates were soaked for. Remove the flan case from the fridge and transfer the cashew mix, smoothing the top with a pallet knife. Return to the fridge for at least an hour to set. To finish melt the chocolate and drizzle over the top of the tart and decorate with lime zest and raw coconut flakes. Store in the fridge

TURN OVER FOR MORE RECIPES!

SERVES

8

JUSTIN WRIGHT

Lovewell Blake -

C O L U M N

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TA K I N G PRI D E I N O U R CO U NT Y ’ S PRO D U C E

www.lovewell-blake.co.uk

WE HAVE JUST seen the launch of ‘Proudly Norfolk’, an initiative from Norfolk Food & Drink to create a brand for food producers, retailers and restaurants which will reassure consumers that the food and drink on offer is proudly produced in our county.

In an era when consumers are increasingly concerned about where their food comes from, this is a welcome idea which will hopefully encourage people to seek out produce which is made in the county.

It comes as the link between farms and the public is becoming ever closer. The agricultural sector is making big efforts to engage with consumers through open weekends and other educational initiatives. At the same time, provenance is the watchword for many consumers, made wary by repeated food fraud scandals.

Food producers often find themselves in the middle of this equation. They are often the ones who actually buy from farmers and the ones whose brands are sought out by consumers.

Producers have an important role as honest broker, ensuring that the promises made on the label actually reflect what is in the jar or packet.

Food production has many different aspects and, here in Norfolk, we see most of them – from growing or raising primary ingredients on our farms, to turning those ingredients into finished foodstuffs that consumers will buy. The new brand encourages that production chain to source as much as possible within the county and to be loud and proud about having done so.

VISIT

DISCLAIMER Please note this article is provided for your information only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, information contained herein may not be comprehensive and you should not act upon it without seeking professional advice.

Justin Wright, who heads up Lovewell Blake’s specialist food and drink team, says that creating a really effective food and drink brand for Norfolk requires absolute transparency in the supply chain

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Clearly, there are some ingredients which simply can’t be grown in Norfolk – olives for example.

That doesn’t mean that Norfolk-made products containing such ingredients can’t be labelled as such, providing there is transparency about where the ingredients are sourced from. Several Norfolk producers make tapenade and no-one would expect them to get their principal ingredient from the county.

Marketing experts will tell you that a brand will only gain traction with consumers if it is honest. The people behind the Proudly Norfolk brand say that, to earn the right to use the gold and black roundel, producers must prove that the product is Norfolkbased. That rigour is important and we should welcome it.

Interestingly, transparency in the supply chain for food and drink is a hot topic just now, especially as the UK starts to decide what regulations it will adopt post-Brexit.

To win over the consumer, the more information they can provide about their supply chain, the better; and, if you want to be truly local and express yourself to be Proudly Norfolk, that supply chain goes beyond where you get your ingredients from: are you using a local printer to make your labels, local equipment suppliers, local marketing firms and so on?

This great initiative is much-needed and deserves to succeed. To do so, and to build credibility with the consumer who will ultimately part with their cash, the brand needs to represent true localness, with as much as possible of the supply chain within the county. Only then can we truly claim to be Proudly Norfolk.

Your Gluten Freedo m -

R E C I P E S

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SPICY LENTIL and BEAN SOU P

CARROT and HERB ROLLS These are delicious and easy to make, with a beautiful crumb texture on the outside and yet soft in the centre. They are a great accompaniment to soup and stews or as a tasty mid-morning snack to share with friends with a little chutney, hummus or a savoury spread INGREDIENTS 240g of plain gluten free flour; 2½tbsp of ground flax seeds; 1tbsp of baking powder; pinch of salt and fresh; ground pepper; 1tsp of oregano; 2tsp of mixed herbs; 1 large grated carrot; 100g of dairy free spread chopped into small pieces and chilled (I used Stork block); 180ml of nondairy milk (I used soya milk however, any milk will work); 1tsp of apple cider vinegar

METHOD Preheat the oven to 200°C. Prepare a baking tray, lining with it parchment paper. Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and thoroughly combine. Add the Stork and with your fingers, rub and mix together with the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture. In a jug mix the milk and vinegar and combine with a whisk or fork. Add this to the flour mix and combine until it resembles a rough dough. Carefully stir in the grated carrot. Using a spoon, dollop 8 equal amounts onto the prepared baking tray. You may need to use two trays depending on the size of your trays. Do not flatten as you want them to be round. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden in colour. These rolls are delicious hot but can be kept for a couple of days in an air tight container. You can reheat them for a few minutes to refresh

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

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METHOD In a large pan cook the onions in the oil on a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent.

Add all the spices and garlic, cook for a further 2 minutes on a low heat stirring to prevent from burning.

Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, water and lentils. Simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Add the kidney beans, chickpeas lemon juice, salt, pepper and tahini.

Stir to combine, add the spinach and fresh coriander, cook until spinach has wilted. Serve with carrot bread rolls for a filling lunch or with mashed sweet potato for a filling dinner.

Serves 4 -6

Makes 8 large rolls

INGREDIENTS 2tbsp of rapeseed oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 3 cloves of garlic, crushed; 6 tomatoes, chopped; 500ml of water; 2tsp of cinnamon; ½tsp of ground ginger; 1tsp of cumin seeds; 1tsp of coriander; 1tsp of sumac spice mix (optional but adds a lovely citrus kick); 1tbsp of tomato purée; 1tsp of chilli powder; 1tsp of smoked paprika; 120g of red lentils; tin/carton of chickpeas (400g) drained; tin/carton of kidney beans (400g), drained (can be replaced for black beans); 1tbsp of tahini; juice of 1 lemon; a handful of chopped fresh coriander; a large handful of spinach; salt and pepper to taste

Husband and wife Nicholas & Loraine Parker, are proving to be quite the double act at The Lodge Inn in Old Hunstanton

LIFE ON A PLATE

Who are you and where do you work?

NP - My name is Nicholas Parker and I’m head chef at The Lodge Inn in Old Hunstanton.

LP - My name is Loraine Parker and I’m pastry chef at The Lodge.

How long have you been there?

We both began in April 2016.

Where were you before?

Before coming to The Lodge we headed up the team at the King’s Head Hotel, Great Bircham.

Where did you train?

NP - My training began back in 1988 at the age of 18 in London’s Mayfair at Le Gavroche restaurant with Albert and Michel Roux, where I got a commis chef position on the veg prep section. I stayed there for five years.

LP - Upon leaving school at 16, I started work in a hotel in my home town of Chester, and soon realised that I had a passion for pastry, so much so that the head chef at the time helped me to find a pastry commis position in London at The St James Club in Piccadilly. From there I moved to The Churchill Hotel in Portman Square, working with a large pastry brigade headed by French pastry chef Michel Littiere.

Who has inspired you?

NP - Firstly it has to be my old boss, Albert – he has such a wealth of knowledge, if you worked hard and showed willing he would show and teach you anything. He used to describe his chefs as ‘my little fledglings’!

I also admire chef Rick Stein and the food writer Nigel Slater.

LP - My biggest inspiration has got to be Michel, his knowledge of pastry is incredible and his thirst for perfection and all things pastry is infectious when working with him. And even after more than 25 years I still call him for help and advice if ever I need it. I am also in awe of Cherish Finden, executive pastry chef at The Langham Hotel, London.

What is your favourite ingredient?

NP - Wow, there are so many I couldn’t list them. Fresh herbs, spices, oils - the list is endless! But if one ingredient was to stand out above all others it would simply be salt, it’s so overlooked and underused.

LP - It would be very hard to name just

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Loraine & Nicholas Parker

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NICHOLAS & LORAINE PARKER

one favourite ingredient as it changes with the season, from an abundance of berries in the summer, grown nearby, to Valrhona chocolate from our speciality supplier.

What is your signature dish?

NP - Our bestseller is The Lodge’s burger which, although possibly not the most inspiring of dishes for a chef to cook, is the best burger it can be.

It’s been in development for some months now, with special attention to the spice seasoning and beef ratios to keep it as juicy as we can! For myself

What do you like doing when you’re not cooking?

Above everything, we enjoy spending time with our family. We work a lot of unsocial hours and the kitchen is our life and can sometimes take over, so any time away from the stove is precious to us and we try and make the most of our free time. This is the first job in more than 20 years where we have the same days off.

Where do you like to eat in the region?

There are so many good restaurants in Norfolk. For a special occasion we enjoy Congham Hall or The Orange

Tree as both have very nice menus, but sometimes sitting on the quay after a walk on the beach at Wellsnext-the-Sea with a bag of fish and chips from French’s, watching the world go by, is just as good.

What would you be doing if you were not a chef?

NP - Being a chef is all I know, since I started part-time washing up jobs in the local pub kitchen at weekends.

Thirty years on, I’m still at it but thankfully have moved on from the pot-wash.

LP - Again I’m the same as Nick, there isn’t anything that I can think of that I would do if I wasn’t a chef, although I have always liked the idea of owning a small tea room and making my own fresh breads, cakes and chocolates.

What is your foodie prediction for the year ahead?

We’ve never been one for food trends, we try and cook to please rather than cook to impress. We would like to think that this year’s focus will be on good strong flavours rather than appearance.

RECIPE OVERLEAF

Got a favourite gadget?

NP - We are extremely lucky to have one of the most well-equipped kitchens I’ve ever worked in: we have computerised ovens, sous vide water baths, vacuum chambers and Thermomixers. During our summer season we are incredibly busy, and time is a luxury we don’t have so these items are very useful to have.

LP – My favourite gadget has got to be our Thermomix, I was quite unsure of it when I first started, but now it's indispensable.

my favourite dish to cook has to be a Bouillabaisse, in spring and summer – with a glass of chilled rosé wine and fresh crusty bread.

LP – At The Lodge, my best selling desserts are our sundaes, which change every three months.

The dish that has stuck with me over the years, is my warm raspberry and cinnamon torte, which has gone through a few variations, but has always been a winner.

White House Farm -

C O L U M N

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Next Farmers' Market: April 15 from 9.30am

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Charlotte Gurney is more than a little excited about the first ever brown tourism sign pointing in the direction of her farm

I'd be a rich lady if I had a pound for every customer who has arrived at the counter smiling, ‘we loved the signs coming down the drive, particularly the 'don't despair, you're nearly there' one, just when we wondered where we were going’!

So next time you pass Blue Boar Lane on some miserable supermarket trip, give our new signs a go; come and seek us out. I promise it will be worth it!

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WHITE HOUSE FARM, BLUE BOAR LANE, NORWICH TEL 01603 419357 OR VISIT WWW.NORWICH-PYO.CO.UK

IT IS WITH GREAT EXCITEMENT that this month, I share with you, Feast readers, the erecting of our first ever brown tourism sign.

After months of communication with various authorities, Broadland District Council now recognise our business as an official destination for day trippers and customers alike.

Although access from Blue Boar Lane will only remain until June, clear signage will now lead the way from the main road down to the farm.

In the four years of being a farmer's wife and putting our energy behind the ever growing business, I have come to respect signs of all sorts.

It seems you can advertise where you like - print, radio, online - but what people really like is a good old fashioned sign telling them where they can have their next cuppa!

You'll note that I've taken this to heart and at White House Farm we sport many a sign from the moment you turn in, from 'beware of the goose' to a parking sign for 'golden oldies' and even some Norfolk speak 'keep-a-troshin' to give encouragement on the long drive.

It may seem a little bonkers to some of our first time visitors but it certainly adds character to a special place, not to mention getting people talking.

The Lodge Inn R E C I P E

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LORAINE & NICHOLAS PARKER

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chocolate

MARQUISE SERVES

4

INGREDIENTS For the Chocolate Marquise 225g of dark chocolate; 240g of butter; 3 egg yolks; 85g of caster sugar; 375ml of double cream For the Chocolate Glaze 50g of water; 125g of sugar; 95g of double cream; 60g of glucose; 38g of cocoa; 3 gelatine leaves

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

METHOD For the Marquise Place chocolate and butter in a bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. In another bowl whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks and set aside.

Place yolks and sugar in another bowl and whisk over a pan of simmering water until light and fluffy. Carefully mix the yolk mixture into the chocolate and then fold in the cream. Pour into tray, place in the fridge until set.

For the Glaze Bring water and sugar to the boil, and in a separate pan boil cream, glucose and cocoa. Mix both together. Meanwhile soak gelatine in cold water until soft, squeeze out any excess water and add to chocolate mix. Mix well, and place in fridge, skimming off any air bubbles that may form on the top. When mixture cools down to approximately 30-35 degrees, pour over marquise mixture. Leave until completely set, before removing from mould and cutting into portions using a hot sharp knife.

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Katy Beskow -

LITTLE

MISS

C O O K B O O K

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MEAT FREE

Yorkshire-based

Katy Beskow

publishes her debut cook book which is crammed with fuss free vegan recipes

A

RE YOU A BIT SUSPICIOUS about going veggie? Let alone becoming a vegan? Well, this debut cook book from Katy Beskow should inspire you to go meatfree. Katy, a food blogger, cookery tutor and all round foodie who uses the title Little Miss Meat Free, has been a vegetarian since she was a child and turned vegan in 2006.

She is self taught, being inspired by Tooting Market which she visited when she was a student in South London. ‘It was so exotic, and so cheap! I started to make up batches of food for the people I lived with, then more friends and family wanted my dishes. I started to write recipes for magazines, and also give food demonstrations - so it has just built up,’ she explains. ‘I love talking about food, and preparing it. That’s my favourite way of spending my day.’

She has poured all her passion and enthusiasm into this straight-forward cook book which starts with a basic introduction to vegan cooking, with advice on the equipment you need, plus essential store cupboard ingredients.

In chapters covering Breakfast, Light Bites, Mains, Essentials and Sweet Stuff, Katy offers 100 straightforward recipes and tips about preparation, freezing and storing. Look out for 2 Minute Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies, Harissa Aubergine Kebabs with Cucumber, Red Onion and Mint Relish and The Lazy Millionaire’s Shortbread Pudding.

It suddenly all becomes much more ‘do-able’ and the recipes look wonderful!

Here are three fresh and zesty ones to try!

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'

SERVES

TWO

Edamame Beans on Toast with Lemon & Chives Frozen edamame beans are available from many large supermarkets. They are very versatile, so keep a handy bag in the freezer INGREDIENTS 1tbsp of olive oil; 6tbsp of edamame (soya) beans; 1 clove of garlic, crushed; juice of 1 unwaxed lemon; small handful of chives, finely chopped; pinch of coarse sea salt; 2 thick slices of sourdough; drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional); cherry tomatoes, quartered

TURN OVER FOR MORE OF KATY'S RECIPES!

METHOD In a pan, heat the olive oil and edamame beans over a high heat for 2 minutes.Add the garlic to the pan and quickly stir-fry for another minute.

Reduce the heat to low/medium. Add the lemon juice to the pan. Stir the chives through the beans along with the salt. Cook for a further minute and then smash the beans roughly. Lightly toast the bread until crisp and golden. Pile the beans high on the bread and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil for an added fruity flavour, if desired. Top with tomatoes before serving.

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15 minute vegan by Katy Beskow (Quadrille £15)

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAN JONES

Katy Beskow -

C O O K B O O K

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Squash & Orange Salad with Hazelnuts Blast the butternut squash in a microwave for 2–3 minutes to soften the skin and make peeling and chopping easy and fast

Serves Two INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp of sunflower oil; 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small, even chunks; 1 courgette; 1cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated; 100g of sugar snap peas; 1 avocado, peeled and chopped; a handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped; 2 generous handfuls of watercress; a handful of hazelnuts For the dressing 4tbsp of extra virgin olive oil; 1 unwaxed orange; 1 tsp of wholegrain mustard METHOD Heat the oil in a large wok over a medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash to the wok and cook for 5 minutes. In the meantime, peel the courgette into strips using a vegetable peeler. Add it to the pan with the ginger and sugar snap peas and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. While the vegetables are cooking, arrange the avocado and coriander on a large plate with the watercress and hazelnuts.

To make the dressing, add the oil to a bowl, then slice the orange in half and squeeze in the juice through a sieve. Whisk in the mustard until fully combined. Place the hot vegetables over the watercress salad and drizzle over the dressing.

Courgette & Lemon Pappardelle With Pine Nuts This fresh, lemony pasta tastes like summer in a bowl, even when it's cold outside. The grassy flavour of courgette meets the crisp bites of toasted pine nuts, all brought together by addictively slippery pappardelle ribbons

Serves Two

INGREDIENTS 200g of dried pappardelle (egg free); 1tbsp of olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 clove of garlic, crushed; 2 medium courgettes, grated; 1tbsp of pine nuts; 2 unwaxed lemons; generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper; 2tbsp of extra virgin olive oil; handful of fresh basil leaves

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METHOD Cook the pappardelle in a large saucepan of boiling water over a high-medium heat for 10 minutes until al dente, then drain. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onion to the pan, followed by the garlic. Add the courgettes to the pan and increase the heat to medium. Stir frequently to avoid burning and encourage even cooking, and cook for 4–5 minutes. Add the pine nuts and cook for a further minute.

While the courgette is cooking, slice the lemons in half.

When the courgettes have softened, squeeze over the juice of each lemon through a sieve, then remove the pan from the heat and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Toss the cooked, drained pappardelle into the courgette and coat evenly. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and scatter over basil leaves. Serve immediately.

books

Hot Off The Press This month’s selection of new cookbooks includes one from Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw

THE LITTLE BOOK OF BRUNCH

by Caroline Craig & Sophie Missing £16 Brunch as a meal is growing in popularity, and versatile menus frequently include tasty ingredients such as eggs, avocado, bacon and bagels.

From Middle Eastern Shakshuka to traditional English savouries, from healthy 'Brunch Bowls' to indulgent pancakes, there are plenty of ideas for delicious brunch recipes. Delicious.

NATHAN OUTLAW'S HOME KITCHEN

by Nathan Outlaw £20

A broad collection of recipes from this Michelin-starred chef for all sorts of home cooking and types of meals. Cromer crab lovers might like to try the crab and chilli omelette and satay quail salad. The range goes from Sunday roasts and accompaniments to easy, everyday dinners like chicken and leek pie and breaded hake with tartare sauce. Ideas for special occasions include prawn and Champagne risotto and barbecued butterflied leg of lamb. Rounding things off tastefully with sticky toffee pudding or elderflower custard tart with poached gooseberries.

FOOD FOR A HAPPY GUT

by Naomi Devlin

A YEAR OF BEAUTIFUL EATING

HOW TO EAT BETTER

£20

by Madeleine Shaw

Nutritionist and River Cottage teacher, Naomi Devlin has grouped these recipes in three sections to show how to keep your gut happy. First Naomi makes suggestions about how you can calm your gut. If it is sensitive, the first recipes are full of low FODMAP ingredients, seafood, broths and probiotics to soothe digestion. The next section includes recipes and tips to nourish your gut with beneficial foods full of fibre, pre- and probiotics.

And finally there are herbs, pickles and teas full of healing properties to stimulate and regulate digestion when you need a little extra help. A combination of science and good sense.

For those who appreciate the difference in taste when eating seasonal food there are more than 100 nutritious and wholesome recipes packed with flavour and medicinal benefits.

Madeleine focuses on the importance of eating in tune with nature. A recipe for each season, enjoy Lamb Chops with Parsnip Mash and Asparagus in spring; cool off with a Papaya and Peanut Salad in summer; embrace the autumn with a Pumpkin and Red Cabbage Salad with Miso Dressing and indulge in winter with Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

£20

by James Wong £20

I didn't know that if you choose a Braeburn apple over a Fuji, you get almost double the antioxidants from an apple that tastes just as sweet. I also didn't know that if you don't put strawberries in the fridge, they will quadruple their heart-healthy compounds and if you cook broccoli with a teaspoon of mustard it sends levels of cancerfighting potential sky rocketing. James Wong shows you how to make any food a superfood, every time you cook with more than 80 foolproof recipes to put the theory into practice.

The annua l Steiff Collec tors event is being held in store on April 26 as Ian Monr oe, direct or of intern ationa l sales, pays a visit. He will be introd ucing the latest bears , expla ining their develo pmen t, and a teddy bears ' picnic is also promi sed. Ticke ts for the 6pm event (6.30 pm start) are £7.50 . Visit www. jarro ld.co.u k for more www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

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Ea ste r lun ch is a del icio us affair, wit h new sea son lam b as the obv iou s cho ice for fam ily cel ebr atio ns

NOT AN ACCURATE IMAGE OF FINISHED DISH - FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

ROASTED LAMB is a wonderful centre-piece to any family gathering at Easter and, without a doubt, leg is the most popular cut.

It is a quick roast and best served slightly pink. If you’re only cooking for a few people you may want to have just half a leg, but even better look at some of the more primal cuts such as a rack or a rolled saddle. For a slow roast a shoulder is perfect.

Your local butcher is always on hand to help you select what works best for you. But do remember to ask him how long he hangs the lamb for - it should be between seven to 10 days. When you’re in the shop and choosing the lamb, look for pale pink flesh and firm, creamy-white fat, and another indication of young lamb is a slight blue tinge to the bones.

Butchers -

F E A T U R E

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Easter

ON A Plate

Jamie 8 HOUR ROAST Archer’s LEG OF LAMB Favourite INGREDIENTS METHOD Lamb 1 whole leg of lamb Preheat the oven to (about 2-3 kgs); 2tbsp 140°C.Heat the oil in Recipe of olive oil; 5 shallots; a roasting tin, add the 10 garlic cloves, cut into wedges; 4 bay leaves; 2 sprigs of rosemary; 2 sprigs of thyme; whole bottle of red wine

SERVES

6-8

leg of lamb and brown on all sides over a high heat. Place the shallots, rosemary, garlic and thyme around the lamb.

Pour in the red wine and cover with tin foil. Roast in the oven for 7 hours then remove the foil, baste and then cook for a further 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cover, let it rest while you make a sauce with the juice from the roasting tin

FR EE

LO O CA RD L ER DE S LIV O E VE RY R O £4 N 0

Love local for your Easter feast!

Treat yourself to the new season Norfolk spring lamb, ours comes from Nick Gardner at South Creake.

Come and see our two gorgeous shops stuffed with local produce, in Little Walsingham or at Norfolk Lavender!

BUTCHERS • DELI • TAKEAWAY • HIGH WELFARE, FREE RANGE MEATS FROM LOCAL FARMS • • NORFOLK FOOD AND DRINK CHAMPIONS •

www.archersbutchers.com Guild Street Walsingham NR22 6BU 01328 821877 Open 7 days

www.walsingham.co

Lynn Road Heacham PE31 7JE 01485 570002 Open 7 days

177-179 Plumstead Road, Norwich

Tel 01603 434253

OPEN Mon to Sa

t

7.30am-5.3 0pm

fresh meat & poultry

About us

· Traditional Butchery · From Farm To Fork · Award-Winning Sausages · BBQ Specialist · Home Cooked Meats · Free Range Pork, Lamb, Beef · Fresh Local Game · Discounts On Large Orders · Catering Trade Supplied · Recipe Ideas And Cooking Advice · Delivery Service · 69 CHURCH STREET, CROMER, NORFOLK, NR27 9HH t: 01263 514541 e: info@icarushines.co.uk w: www.icarushines.co.uk

We only stock the best beef, lamb, pork and poultry available PADDOCKS BUTCHERY & DELI STORES Church Farm,Norwich Road, Hethersett NR9 3AS 01603 812437 Paddock Farm Shop, Norwich Road, Mulbarton NR14 8JT 01508 578259 The Street, Bunwell, NR16 1AB 01953 789708

CATERING DIVISION Wood view Farm, Church Lane, Wicklewood, NR18 9QH, 01953 602470

www.thepaddocksbutchery.co.uk

Charlie Hodson C O L U M N

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CHARLIE HODSON

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FESTIVAL

fever

This month Norfolk food hero Charlie Hodson urges us to support a day-long festival in Norwich in June

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT, four years ago, after an afternoon spent with the lovely Sarah de Chair, now chair of Norfolk Food and Drink, discussing the delights of living and working in the county, that we would now have a such a popular organisation? With an annual day-long festival at its core, we gently touched on how I could get involved and now I’m delighted to be their Champion.

We are all about promoting our amazing producers, growers and farmers and our flagship event is the Norwich Food and Drink Festival, on June 18.

For the second year, it is being held at one of the city’s 12 iconic buildings, The Forum, and St Peter’s Street, and, as it is on Father’s Day, it promises to be a great day out for all the family.

Activities, including live music, a hog roast and lots of children’s fun and games, start at 10am and run until 5pm.

Charlie’s Norfolk Food Heroes is hosting the Cookery Demonstration Kitchen, sponsored by Anglian Culinary Supplies and Crown Supplies, and it is a real who’s who of culinary royalty!

CHEFS TAKING PART INCLUDE: Kate Barmby - A nurse, farmer’s daughter, Brown Owl and mum and our Norfolk contestant on last year’s Great British Bake Off - and yes, she’s responsible for reigniting many people’s love of baking.

Richard Bainbridge - Chef patron of Benedicts in Norwich’s Lanes and winner of the Great British Menu.

He’s very talented, very humble and you have to try his trifle.

Daniel Freear - Sous chef at Strattons in Swaffham. He wowed us with his Pork Wellington at last year’s Porkstock food and music festival in Norwich. A real rising star.

Steve Thorpe - Vice-Principal at City College, Norwich. He’s a great chef and teacher and one of the main reasons why the Hotel School is such a national success.

Richard Hughes - Chef director of the Assembly House in Norwich. He’s a patron of the Festival, and a great advocate of all things Norfolk. He is also running a new cookery school.

Scott Taylor - My great friend and a talented chef. He is the development chef at Infusions4Chefs and the Ice Cookery School, near Bury St Edmunds, and always a joy to watch on stage.

And me, Charlie Hodson!

Expect plenty of banter, new and exciting ideas for dishes to try at home and plenty of Norfolk produce used!

The whole day, which also includes the hugely popular Battle of the Bangers contest, is sponsored by Norwich-based solicitors Cozens-Hardy. Also look out for a Producers’ Street Market, sponsored by Lovewell Blake, and the Adnams Beer Garden. More details at www.norfolkfoodanddrink.com

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Reader Recipe

NiCe BUns!

HOT CROSS BUNS

Have a go at these easy but tasty hot cross buns, courtesy of Norwich student and keen baker, Esme Dickinson INGREDIENTS 500g of strong bread flour and a little extra for dusting; 7g sachet of dried yeast; 1½tsp of salt; 75g of caster sugar; 315ml of mixed milk and warm water; 170g of juicy sultanas; zest of two small oranges; 60g of mixed peel; 2tsp of ground cinnamon For the cross piping 75g of plain flour; 1tbsp of caster sugar For the glaze 2tbsp of caster sugar

Makes Twelve

METHOD 1. Sift the bread flour, caster sugar and salt together in a bowl then mix in the yeast.

Gradually add the mixed milk and warm water and mix to achieve a pliable dough 2.

Lightly flour a work surface then tip out the dough and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic 3. Carefully mix the peel, orange zest, sultanas and ground cinnamon into the dough and make sure they are evenly distributed.

Then leave to rise in the bowl for an hour 4. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and then pull off 85g pieces of the dough and make them into balls.

Place the balls onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart and allow to prove for another hour 5. Preheat the oven to fan 210°C 6. Make the flour piping

by combining the plain flour, tablespoon of caster sugar and 80ml of water and blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and with a small plain nozzle and pipe a cross over the top of the buns when they are ready for the oven 7.

Bake the buns for 15 minutes at 210°C, then turn the oven down to 180°C, cover with foil and bake for a further 10 minutes 8. While the buns are cooking, heat 2tbsp of water and sugar for the glaze until all the sugar is dissolved. Brush over the buns when they are just out of the oven 9. Allow to cool for 1015 minutes and serve warm. The buns can also be sliced in half, toasted and served with butter.

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Wine

A N D Y

N E W M A N

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BOTTLES TO GET

SPICY Andy Newman says put down the

pint of lager and look to the grape next time you tackle a curry

WITH

Three wines to try with curry ROLLY GASSMANN RIESLING, 2012 (Adnams, £16.49) Made by one of the best producers in Alsace, this combines lime and blossom with honeyed apricot notes; a wonderful aromatic Riesling which will partner fragrant Asian curries containing coriander, lemongrass or ginger. Its five years of age gives it the depth to compete with bigger flavours than you might expect. A steal at this price.

ADNAMS GARNACHA ROSADO, DOP CARIÑENA, SPAIN (Adnams, £6.99) The strawberry pink colour and initial fruit hit on the nose suggests that this will be a one-dimensional easydrinking rosé, but behind all that there is surprising structure and a decent level of tannin – and the wine is packing a big 13.5% alcohol.

This is one for a curry with an element of sweetness to it, such as a Balti.

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DOMAINE GRANDY, VACQUÉRAS, 2014 (Adnams, £11.99) This northern Rhône village wine is made from that region’s holy trinity of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah, and delivers big fruit without being too sweet, and backed by a good structure and adequate but not overwhelming tannin.

Excellent value, and would make a good foil for a lamb Rogan Josh.

A

S ASIAN food continues to appeal, there is still a reluctance to drink wine with a curry.

Perhaps it’s been ingrained in us that the chilli heat of a curry needs an ice-cold pint of lager. This attitude has not traditionally been helped by less than stunning wine lists in many curry houses – but what about if you are one of the growing number of people who enjoy rustling up your own at home? Should you be leaving the wine in the cellar and nipping out for a few bottles of Cobra?

In short, no. Whilst there is nothing at all wrong with drinking beer with curry – and Norfolk has many fantastic craft beers which will perform better than that massproduced, Staffordshire-brewed ersatz Indian beer – this is a wine column, so I am going to concentrate on how the grape can partner your curry.

The first thing to say is that you can’t pigeon-hole a whole continent’s cuisine under the one-word term ‘curry’. A fragrant, lemongrass-scented Thai green curry is a very different proposition from a chilli-hot warm-spice Indian curry.

Bear in mind also that we have got used to the idea of a curry meal being a mezze-type selection of lots of different dishes, so the wine you choose must complement the whole meal, not just the one (or two, or three) curries at the heart of it.

The first thing to take into consideration - and the reason why so many people think that wine cannot be matched with curry - is how hot the dish is going to be.

Whilst it is going to be easier to find a good match for a milder curry, it’s possible to find wines which go well with all but the most chilli-laden, take-theroof-off-your-mouth versions.

There are some rules of thumb to bear in mind.

The first is that tannins

can make the spice in curries even spicier, so red wines which are on the fruitier end of the spectrum will tend to work better.

For whites, you are looking for wines with enough body to stand up to the spices (whether that’s chilli or other spices), and with enough acidity to deliver a palate-cleansing freshness. Fruit is again important, and often wines with just a little sweetness will work better than absolutely bone-dry whites.

To try and get a handle on this, I asked Bonnie Dillaway, manager at the Norwich branch of Adnams, for some help, and I popped into the store to taste a few of her suggestions, along with some of my own.

Matching wine and curry is one of the themed evening tastings they periodically put on in the store, and when I went along, she was preparing for such an event.

Those present would taste six selected wines – ranging from an Italian Frizzante through to a weighty northern Rhône blend – with three main dishes and a variety of accompaniments.

The three most successful matches in my book were a very slightly off-dry Alsace Riesling which combined a citrus zest with a honeyed apricot note; a Spanish Garnacha rosé which offered

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bags of fruit but also some structure to cope with more forward-tasting curries; and one which I pulled off the shelf at Adnams, a juicy, fruity Vacquéras which would be spot on with a hot, meaty curry such as a Rogan Josh.

These were three very different wines, but demonstrated well how choosing carefully to match particular types of curry is important.

As with so much in wine, the only real way of working out what wine will go with the particular curry you are eating is to experiment. Get it right, and you will enjoy a much broader range of flavours than you’ll get from that bland pint of lager, and the food will taste better, too.

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The Wallow W I N E

T A S T I N G

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WALLOWING IN

WINE

Sarah Hardy heads to a wine tasting in Norwich where the chance to meet the vineyard owner and winemaker, from New Zealand, added depth and flavour to the evening

www.tepaw ines.c om www.broad land-w inerie s.com

LIAM McELHINNEY

HAYSLEY MacDONALD

T

HE CHANCE TO meet two wine experts from New Zealand was too good an opportunity to miss, especially as the meeting point was Wallow, a great little place in Norwich’s increasingly trendy Lanes area.

Haysley MacDonald and Liam McElhinney, both laid back New Zealanders from te Pā Wines, were spending two weeks on a whistle-stop tour of Britain and Ireland - with a quick nip to the Continent, too, spreading the word about their wines.

The evening at Wallow, on Exchange Street, was organised by Broadland Wineries, based in Cawston near Aylsham, who import the wines, and very jolly it was, too.

Both Liam and Haysley have great personalities and are clearly passionate about what they do - and where they do it. And I have to say that the estate, at Marlborough, 250k north of Christchurch, South Island, looks absolutely stunning. With the Pacific Ocean on one side, and the River Wairau on the other, it offers near perfect growing conditions.

The estate, one of the oldest in New Zealand, dates back 800 years. It was run as a sheep and beef farm until Haysley, one of five siblings, decided to move into wine production in 2003, when the first grapes were planted. He enlisted the help of his old schoolfriend, Liam, and off they went, with the first wine produced in 2011.

Now 400 hectares are planted and te Pā (which means our home in Maori) produces Sauvignon Blanc, Oke Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. Their inaugural 2015 Chardonnay won a Gold at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards.

We tried all of them, with Liam telling us what to expect.

They were right up my street, being lovely and smooth and very quaffable, indeed. And the accompanying selection of cheeses, pickles and meats sent me to heaven!

Wallow is fast becoming a go-to place for keen wine lovers and the first floor is particularly inviting, with its little bar, fab sofas to sink into and open fire. I thought the evening was great fun, and to have the actual vineyard owner and his wine maker there, explaining exactly what their hopes and dreams were, made it extra special.

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

Tasti ng Notes

2015 SAUVIGNON BLANC efruit Bursting with intense aromas of grap and fruit ion pass and lime zest with lively and e allur ng addi s note l flora er elderflow ant complexity. This wine delivers an eleg array of delicious flavours and a crisp refreshing finish.

2015 PINOT GRIS , Classic Pinot Gris notes of white pear show a nectarine and subtle jasmine flowers palate The . class and n nctio wine of true disti urs of flavo rich with e, pois and y purit es exud at. noug white peach and creamy 2015 CHARDONNAY s Generous aromas of grapefruit, citru s Citru oak. ty toas and lint blossom, gunf urs flavo nd almo fresh and , arine nect , peel s. note ky smo and are supported by spice ed refin a wine this t lean has lees The time on ant, texture. This wine is focused yet eleg a fine and possesses good fruit intensity and ring. cella rd rewa will that structure 2015 OKE SAUVIGNON BLANC ns of Aromatically the wine gives impressio fruit e ston grapefruit, citrus blossom, ripe stone and flint. The palate is weighty with fruit is The . fore the to pith s citru and fruit , a hint of supported by spice and toasted nuts ity. acid g shin toffee and refre , 2015 PINOT NOIR ROSÉ Strawberries red the s plum and ies berr cherries, rasp eshingly fruits of summertime in a glass. Refr delicious.

2014 PINOT NOIR hint Alluring aromas of dark plum and spice her Furt ity. plex com ding broo of at a wine t exploration is rewarded with a brigh berry rasp ry, cher red of perfume and scents and full is te pala The s. note l flora and lifted a long concentrated with soft silky tannin and juicy finish.

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Woodforde`s -

B E E R

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V IS IT

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AT WOODFORDE'S we have generally only ever made our beer with four ingredients: water, hops, yeast and barley. It’s just the processing and how the ingredients are mixed/measured that add the flavours and taste experience for the consumer. We then go on to add additional ingredients to mix things up a bit, for example different hop varieties, and ingredients such as rye.

We are especially focused on ingredients at the moment, as we are developing a new lager to bring into the Woodforde’s portfolio later this year.

Belinda Jennings,

Head Brewer at Norfolk’s awardwinning brewery, Woodforde’s, reveals how she's working on something very different. Whisper it quietly: lager!

This has involved using some new malts, and some very new hops, hot off the press. We’ve been working particularly closely with the hop suppliers, as if you want to establish a new brand, you do have to ensure you have no shortage of the ingredients going forward, and for hops there can be a shortage in the current market.

The brewing team has been working well together, using these new ingredients, all ready for putting the lager to our Woodforde’s tasting panel in a month’s time.

When it comes to new product development, we usually get it right first time in the case of guest beers, but then that should come as no huge surprise, as we tend to know our kit and ingredients. However, the lager is an altogether different proposition, as it involves the new malts, yeast, hops and a new fermentation process.

Much research has been required for example, research on which lagers do well, why do they do well, and what market do we want to aim for?

Obviously we have needed to gather all this information before putting a beer together.

But it's certainly proving to be an exciting time for me, as head brewer, and it’s always nice to get away from the paperwork!

T H G I E R H T L AL

i N e d e r ing PICTURES BY

66

ADAM LIVINGSTONE

PUB NEWS

You may have noticed but pubs are changing, to accommodate a wider audience, good coffee, quality/restaurant style food, a wider beer range, events and groups! All in all, the aim is to appeal to the younger generation of both men and women - and their children, of course!

Also, The Fur and Feather, the impressive Brewery ‘Tap’ located adjacent to the brewery in converted former cottages here in Woodbastwick, is now under Woodforde’s management (it was previously tenanted), with new menus in place and some great events coming this summer including local bands playing. It is one of the few places that sell the complete range of Woodforde’s beers and is also well known for its delicious, hearty pub food. Plus it’s a dog friendly pub, so is a perfect pit stop after a decent walk in all our wonderful countryside.

Woodforde’s has recruited a new manager, Ian Cates, to work with well known local head chef Tim Abbott to create even more great food and beer matching. They are, after all, a perfect marriage!

Easter and Father’s Day bookings are available now. And do look out for Woodforde’s at many of this summer’s top events such as the Royal Norfolk Show in June and Porkstock in October. We love to meet our fans and hear about exactly what drinkers want.

Ts www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

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Four Kirby Cane Barn 1 £235,000 Four bedrooms bedrooms Over 4,100 sq.ft.

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Rockland All Saints £850,000 Barn 11 3,379 sq.ft.

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Food & Wi ne Pairing -

S T E V E

H E A R N D E N

-

G eG go to

work on an

02.

This month our wine expert Steve

Hearnden

tells us what to drink with the very versatile egg!

01.

I OFTEN WONDER what I should be drinking when eating my fried egg sandwich – and it’s usually a glass of white! But I have decided to focus on scrambled eggs with smoked salmon - a must for my family on Christmas morning, just after opening the presents – and a great tradition continued to this day by my sons.

Along with the food came Champagne (the boys were educated in drinking the bubbly stuff at an early age!). This last Christmas it was not Champagne but Blanquette de Limoux. Didier Bourrel produces an outstanding Blanquette from a small acreage of vineyards just south of Limoux, a hilly part of the Languedoc region (just about), with many micro-climates affecting the wine produced. The Mauzac grape is dominant with a little Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc added.

Limoux is considered the real home of bubbly, not Champagne, but that is another subject altogether! Made in the traditional 'Champagne method', this wine is not widely sold in the UK but here in Norfolk I have ample supply. It is the 'Tête de Cuvée', which is the first pressings and the best quality: smooth and even bubbles with a dry and rounded taste. It’s perfect with the scrambled egg and smoked salmon combination, and would also go well with my fried egg sandwich!

For an alternative to Champagne, try Blanquette de Limoux at £16

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

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AS A CLASSICALLY trained chef, I was taught many ways of cooking and serving eggs, and my favourite to eat was 'en cocotte'. Add a little tomato concasse and you have a perfect easy to cook starter! The Blanquette de Limoux is an excellent aperitif and would continue well with the ‘en cocotte’ but I think I would switch to the still white wine from Puy Real Saint Pourcain (2010). This village is quite a few miles south of Sancerre but is still considered to be in the Loire Valley wine-making region. To the south east you will arrive in Burgundy and so not too far for the Chardonnay grape to travel and thrive.

A small family run domaine where the husband and wife team make remarkable wines, their white wine is basically chardonnay but has a small percentage of wine from the Tresselier grape. This grape is very much the local grape and is not grown outside of the area, but its inclusion does add just a little freshness to the wine. The wine is still soft and would accompany the sweetness of the tomato and the egg perfectly. Famille Laurent also makes some great red wines: combinations of Pinot Noir and Gamay. The reds would accompany 'oeufs sur le plat Bercy' – another method of cooking eggs which have a little tomato sauce and a small chipolata added. This style of cooking would suit those with an Aga, as you leave the egg to cook on the side of the stove! All in all, another easy starter.

Try Puy Real Saint Pourcain Blanc and Rouge at £12.95

All wines are available from…Tastebuds Wines, based at Strumpshaw Post Office, visit www.tastebudswines.co.uk or contact Steve at steve@tastebudswines.co.uk

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Cruise T R A V E L

-

HIgH ON THE

RETIRED NEWSPAPER EDITOR PETER FRANZEN LEARNS TO COOK WITH THE STARS AS HE TAKES TO THE SEA

70

VISIT

www.pocruises.com

F

ANCY BRAGGING you have been taught personally to cook by James Martin or to bake by Mary Berry?

Well I can, even if it was only for a couple of hours. But where the lessons took place may surprise you.

It was in the middle of the North Sea on a ship cruising around the British Isles. And on another occasion sailing down to the Mediterranean.

Food has always been an essential part of the cruise-holiday recipe, with many big ships hosting five-star restaurants offering exquisite dining aboard.

But one company has taken our love of food a step further, where you can be taught to cook by some of the finest chefs in the land. Aboard P&O’s newest ship Britannia you can find The Cookery Club, Britain’s first cookery school at sea.

Celebrity chef James Martin is the patron of the cookery school centred on a £1m state-of-the-art kitchen on the top deck of Britannia. Here you can master the art of fine cuisine and delicious recipes under the expert tutelage of some of the finest gastronomic minds in Britain.

The head of The Cookery Club is Irishman Nino Giovanni MacMahon. His team of experts is on hand with classes on all Britannia cruises, but if you crave some ‘celebrity’, look out for Food Hero cruises with the likes of James Martin, Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar, Eric Lanlard and Mary Berry.

Where else could you get the chance to learn from the best in the business?

The last time I was aboard I joined a masterclass with celebrity French patissier Eric Lanlard. Under his expert tuition I learned to make shortcrust walnut pastry for a fig, lardon and dolcelatte tart and then turned my hand to a ginger and chocolate soufflé.

The soufflé rose beautifully, but whether I could do it again on my own is another matter. That said, he left me with the knowledge that baking is not cooking, the latter being imprecise. Baking, he said, was kitchen chemistry and sticking exactly to the recipe was the difference between success and failure.

Eric is one of life’s nice guys, and proved very approachable and understanding with his teaching technique, and in my case showed considerable tolerance. I’m not sure he got that kind of generosity of spirit when he worked with Albert and Michel Roux. But with his help, the end result was good enough to eat - so we did just that with Eric at the head of the table.

Along with the masterclasses, book signings, and Q&A sessions, there’s even private dining with exclusive dinners hosted by the food heroes.

You also can join the chefs on one of their carefully crafted foodie shore excursions in handpicked ports of call.

Whether you’re an enthusiastic cook, a budding novice or a complete beginner like me, The Cookery Club team gives hands-on tuition to help develop essential cooking techniques and those allimportant presentation skills.

Each cookery class can hold 24 guests and everyone works in pairs – so if you come on your own you will always be partnered up with someone else keen to learn the art of cooking, making the sessions more fun and interactive. If there’s ever an odd number, one of the chefs is always on hand to jump in and pair up.

The classes are held on sea days when the Britannia is cruising between ports, and prices vary from around £45 to £75 when one of the food heroes is leading the class.

And the best bit? You get to be your own celebrity chef for the class. There’s absolutely no preparation, washing or clearing up to do – everything is done for you so you can focus on the learning and eating!

ERIC LANLARD

JAMES MARTIN TEACHING IN THE BRITANNIA COOKERY CLUB

PETER FRANZEN & MARY BERRY

WAITROSE NORWICH Waitrose Norwich Eaton Centre, Church Lane, Eaton, Norwich NR4 6NU Tel: 01603 458114 waitrose.com/norwich Sun: Mon: Tues: Wed: Thur: Fri: Sat: Branch Location

10:00 07:00 07:00 07:00 07:00 07:00 07:00

- 16:00 - 20:00 - 20:00 - 20:00 - 20:00 - 21:00 - 20:00

Branch Services Food Counters & Ranges Fish Cheese Delicatessen Rotisserie Meat Bakery Kosher Range Customer Facilities Lottery Counter Cash Point Cafe Waitrose Car Park Parent/ child Parking Customer Toilets

Other Services Glass Loan Fish Kettle Loan Boots pharmacy

Shopping Services Waitrose Entertaining Quick Check/Quick Pay John Lewis Click & Collect

The Chequers -

S T A Y C A T I O N

-

Room

inn at the

Sarah Hardy checks in at The Chequers, a former coaching inn set on the glorious North Norfolk coast

73

The Chequers Hotel has just been awarded 3 AA Silver Stars and the restaurant 1 AA Rosette

The Chequers -

S T A Y C A T I O N

74

-

VISIT

www.chequersinnthornham.com

T

HORNHAM, hovering on the North Norfolk marshes, is an ideal spot for a relaxing getaway. Sandwiched between Holme-next-theSea and Titchwell, it doesn’t take much imagination to conjure up pictures of smugglers, ghostly shadows and general eerie mystique.

Yet the unspoilt village boasts three great gastropubs, all offering lovely accommodation, plus a great deli, which also has rooms for visitors.

But I chose the recently revamped former coaching inn, The Chequers, on the High Street, for my little escape. Bought by the Agellus Hotels group in October 2015, the white-washed village inn has undergone a major refurbishment to bring the building into the 21st century without compromising the traditional pub atmosphere.

The hotel group also own the nearby Lifeboat and has invested £1.5m across both properties - and it shows.

The Chequers, which dates back to the 16th century, is deliciously luxurious, but don’t think there’s that rather hackneyed coastal chic vibe, rather there’s something a bit more interesting. It’s all very cool and contemporary, with muted colours on the walls, and original features, including open fires and exposed beams, which make it very charming indeed.

There are 11 bedrooms and all are kitted out with luxurious Missoni throws, super soft carpets, ESPA beauty products, plus fluffy towels and robes aplenty. Incidentally, all are dog-friendly so Bella the border collie and Buddy the golden doodle got to live it up, too.

Food is taken seriously with head chef Shayne Wood, originally from Devon, making the most of local produce and producers. Holkham beef features strongly, there’s pork from Tim Allen and cheeses from Mrs Temple. Naturally, fish is a favourite, with locally caught crab about to burst onto the menu, and home made deluxe pizzas are a house speciality.

75

You can eat in the low ceilinged bar, where dogs are allowed, or in the spacious dining room in the rear extension, its soft grey tones lit by shiny copper downlights.

We parked ourselves in the bar as dogs are allowed, and I enjoyed a Bullards gin while my friend had a glass of fizz. Adnams is available, and local real ales include Moon Gazer from The Norfolk Brewhouse.

We started with a selection of three tapas dishes for just £10. These are great fun and allow you to mix and match as the mood takes you - we opted for juicy olives, hummus and foccacia bread, plus a pork belly dish and that ever popular option, pickled mackerel. You do have to be careful not to over order, as these dishes are really tempting!

I went on to enjoy a pan-seared fillet of bream which came with a great Bloody Mary dressing while my friend had pan-roasted chicken with Heritage tomatoes - and plenty of other bits and pieces.

There’s nearly always a gourmet burger on offer, a vegetarian option and a couple of daily specials, too.

Desserts offer the more unusual, with lots of different tastes and textures. I enjoyed warm carrot cake with pistachio ice cream, pineapple and chilli while my friend tried a warm chocolate brownie with an orange sorbet. The home-made icecreams, spied at another table, looked very fine, too.

We both reported a good night’s sleep and breakfast was very pleasant the next day.

Eggs come Benedict, Royale or Florentine, kippers are locally smoked and there’s even black pudding.

Outside sees seating at the front of the pub plus a lovely courtyard at the back. And their two cedar wood pavillions really caught my eye. Seating up to 10 and 14 respectively, what a great place to host a private dinner.

The chef will work out a special menu for you so what a treat!

The Chequers is a great find - there are, for example, lovely little touches like bottles of sloe gin in the bedrooms for you to help yourself to.

And although it is tempting to just chill out, you should make it out onto those atmospheric marshes, and the nearby RSPB reserves are magnificent at all times of the year. Brancaster has golf, Old Hunstanton has a glorious sandy beach and well, there’s always great shopping at Burnham Market.

We walked the dogs at Sandringham, with the hounds loving the mature woodlands, and we also took them to the beach at Hunstanton, for them to dip their toes in the bracing Wash!

Competition

CHA

CE T O WIN !

VISIT

www.controltowerstays.com

THE CONTROL TOWER

N

TAKE CONTROL

VISIT

www.blacklionhotelnorfolk.co.uk

This month we’ve teamed up with a North Norfolk vegetarian Bed and Breakfast, The Control Tower, to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a complimentary one night stay for two, plus dinner for two at the nearby Black Lion Hotel HOW DO YOU FANCY staying in a former Second World War Control Tower for RAF North Creake Airfield? The Control Tower in Egmere, near Little Walsingham, has been lovingly converted into a B&B with four double rooms all with beautiful art deco fixtures and furniture - from beds to bathtubs. Moreover, the exterior has been returned to its iconic landmark modernist look.

And on the breakfast menu there is a plentiful supply of delicious Norfolk produce, freshly cooked with care.

The Control Tower is currently ranked the number one Bed and Breakfast in Norfolk on Trip Advisor, plus it is proud to be listed as a Special Place to Stay in Sawday’s.

The competition prize also includes dinner for two at the nearby Black Lion Hotel in Friday Market Place, Little Walsingham. Refurbished in 2014, it offers an eclectic mix of original features and modern-day comfort in its bar, dining

room and six bedrooms. The food served is of the highest quality, prepared to order using the freshest, natural ingredients, all sourced locally from farmers, fishermen and traders.

Look out for a good selection of real ales, too.

It is also dog-friendly.

HOW TO ENTER

To enter our competition, simply answer the following question:

Where is The Control Tower located?

Send your name, address and daytime telephone number to competitions@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk. You can also enter by liking and sharing the competition on our Facebook page. Entrants must be over 18 and normal Feast Norfolk rules apply. The editor’s decision is final.

The prize is a complimentary one night B&B stay for two (between June and September a weekend booking requires a chargeable second night at standard rate).

The prize also includes a three course meal for two with complimentary glass of wine or soft drink each in The Black Lion. All bookings are subject to room/table availability and current bookings. The prize to be taken during 2017. The competition is open until April 30 2017.

Buckinghamshire -

S T A Y C A T I O N

-

tle 'sslow take it

The north Buckinghamshire countryside is only a couple of hours drive from Norwich, so Emma Outten decided to take her daughter away for some oldfashioned charm

77

The Bell Hotel, Market Square, Winslow, Buckingha mshire, www.thebe ll-hotel.org

BLETCHLEY PARK

As WE BROWSED

around a lovely boutique shop in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, my daughter and I felt a sudden connection to home. The lady who runs Dapples Gifts revealed that she and her partner, who happens to be from Norfolk, were planning to buy an apartment in Norwich as they liked the city so much! Who can blame them?

Winslow is a historic market town situated between Aylesbury and Buckingham, and boasts a number of quaint boutique shops situated around the Market Square. We arrived on market day – Wednesday – but just as the fruit and veg stalls were packing up for the day.

Our home for the night was The Bell Hotel, which has stood proudly in the Square since Tudor times. In fact, records dating back to the 16th century show evidence of the hotel being in existence, and, more specifically, stonework in the foyer and cellar can be dated back to 1666.

This is very much a family-owned, traditional coaching inn – imagine oak beams, fireplaces and small doorways, and you get the picture. It offers a friendly, home-fromhome atmosphere, with differently designed, comfortable en suite rooms – we were in one of the four executive rooms, complete with a four poster bed and a spa bath.

We couldn’t help but notice that the hotel has recently opened its very own pie shop and has already won several awards which have included a Gold award last year, for the best Steak Pie in England.

However, we were booked in for an evening meal at The Old Thatched Inn, a countryside gastro pub in the picturesque village of Adstock, which is just a seven minute drive away. The inn dates back to 1702 and combines heritage with a menu that fuses the freshest seasonal ingredients cooked with emphasis on taste.

We had already heard, from our lady in the gift shop, that we would be in for a treat.

The Old Thatched Inn is very much a locallycelebrated place to eat. Managed by owner and ex-chef Andrew Judge and his wife Lisa, the team believe in casual dining and source the finest, freshest ingredients from a multitude of small specialist food producers and suppliers, preferring local and organic produce whenever possible.

Favourites on the seasonally-changing menu include locally sourced rare-breed lamb, an extensive fish selection delivered direct from Billingsgate market, and home-made ice creams, with further specials that change daily. The Old Thatched Inn also boasts a wine list featuring close to 40 selections, including white, red, rosé and Champagne and is one of

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Buckinghamshire -

S T A Y C A T I O N

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

The Old Thatched Inn, Main Street, Adstock, Buckingha mshire, www.theol dthatchedin n.co.uk

the only gastro pubs in the county to have five fine ales on tap along with a vast shelf selection of malt whiskies and other spirits from across the globe. However, as I was chauffeur to my daughter for the evening, I wasn’t able to make the most of all that!

We particularly liked the welcoming and comfortable waiting lounge, and also noticed a generous bar area and large conservatory.

However, we were shown to a cosy corner table in an elevated seating area, where we overheard the table next door extolling the virtues of samphire (that Norfolk connection coming through loud and clear yet again!).

We shared a starter from the specials menu: baked Camembert studded with rosemary and garlic, and served with a selection of freshly baked breads served with a red onion marmalade (£11.95). This was as soft and creamy as you might imagine, and I’m glad I was encouraged to share this when I ordered, as there is only so much rich French cheese you can eat in one sitting! For my main course, I kept it local with a confit leg of Aylesbury duck served with creamed potatoes, seasonal vegetables and red wine gravy (£14.50). The duck fell off the bone and was melt in the mouth stuff. My daughter ordered from the children’s menu: breaded chicken burger with chips and salad (£6.50). For desserts, we both decided that adult portions were the way forward, with my daughter having strawberry and shortcake Eton mess, served with local strawberries (£6.50); whereas I had a perfectfor-the-time-of-year white chocolate mousse served with summer berry compote (£5.50).

The following day, we enjoyed a full English breakfast back at the hotel, and then it was time for some sightseeing. There are many attractions nearby, including retail outlet Bicester Village; Silverstone; Waddesdon Manor and Gardens; and Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, but we decided on discovering Britain’s best kept secret: Bletchley Park, home of the Codebreakers, which is now a heritage site and vibrant tourist attraction. It was only a 15 minute drive away, and we particularly enjoyed checking out the exhibition of the Oscar-winning movie, The Imitation Game, within the iconic Victorian mansion where the key scenes were filmed.

Then, just a couple of hours later, we were back home in Norwich. My daughter and I really enjoyed our time away and, as we head towards summer it is now the perfect time to visit Winslow and its surrounding attractions.

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SUBSCRIBE NOW! WELCOME TO FEAST all your NORFOLK - a feast for icated ded ine senses! As a magaz d foo g ivin thr ’s ion reg to the p you and drink scene, we’ll kee coolest up-to-date with all the trendy bar openings, the latest e kitchen hav st mu the , ms tea roo you es issu gadget - and any re. awa be to need We want to promote new e for faces, suggest somewher hout a relaxing night away wit and having to drive for hours foodie preview some of our big to have events. And we promise ! way the a lot of fun along the of e som d iste enl ’ve We ss and best writers in the busine

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temporary we promise a fresh, con ly love e som h design wit photography first If you subscribe now, the our May one issue you receive will be The Broads where we take a look at al mix of as well as offering the usu t reviews, ran tau res es, tur topical fea tions, ges profiles, cook book sug more. and p sho to ere ideas on wh yourself It’s a wonderful treat for sun with (thinking of sitting in the latest our a nice long cocktail and kly, fran and t, fec per a it’s issue) or die in your easy, pressie for the foo life! on We’d love you to join us ’ll have you y rne jou t our gourme a ball!

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r

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ROCKET

April can be a quiet month for harvesting, as the gardener’s attention is focused more on weeding and sowing. Whilst there are a few vegetables that can be harvested, leafy green salad leaves can fill in the harvest gaps with ease. There are numerous varieties available that produce almost an endless supply of green leaves for cutting. Rocket is low in calories, high in many phytochemicals and full of Vitamins A, C and K. The flavour adds a punch to salads and is incredibly easy to grow.

This month our kitchen gardener

Ellen Mary

tells us all about growing – and eating – rocket

82

Spring Greens -

G R O W

Y O U R

O W N

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For more information and advice, visit www.ellenmarygardening.co.uk

How to grow

SOW Make a line in your soil, which should be moist, and thinly sow seeds as evenly as you can, to avoid the plants becoming too over crowded later on. Then just lightly cover the seeds with some soil.

Rocket prefers a sunny site but can tolerate some shade and in particularly hot weather may need a little shade or the leaves can get a little tough and the flavour not so nice. Some horticultural fleece will do the job.

CARE Keep the soil moist but no need to water too much - even watering is preferable as that does help to stop them running to seed too quickly and doesn't dilute the flavour. Don’t forget to keep weeding, by hand is best so you don't damage or accidentally hoe up the rocket leaves, and remember to give the leaves a little shade midsummer.

HARVEST Simply cut off the leaves individually or cut them down at soil level and watch them keep on growing! If you do sow too many and they start to flower, even the flowers are edible and both taste and look pretty on a plate or in a salad. Keep your eye out for flea beetle where the leaves have tiny holes in them. When you’ve cut the leaves a few times and you notice they aren't growing back, remove that plant and sow some more all through spring and summer.

ELLEN MARY

WILD ROCKET

Rocket has been eaten since Roman times, although rumour has it that it was not allowed in monasteries due to its believed aphrodisiac effects. Later, when it was grown much more, the idea of tossing rocket leaves in with lettuce leaves was perhaps to ‘calm’ the desires.

I would purely expect the strong flavour of rocket is surprising and tantalising to the taste buds - but nothing more than that! The benefit of growing leafy green salads is they can be grown almost anywhere: on a windowsill, a balcony, in a pot or container, or even a hanging basket - not just on a vegetable patch.

Wild rocket seeds are widely available and great to use if you are just starting out with growing your own food.

R EC I P E W I T H E L L E N M A RY

ROCKET, TOMATO & MOZZARELLA PIZZA

Rocket really adds a super flavour to salads but you just can’t beat it on a pizza! If you want to cheat you could buy a margarita pizz a and add a pile of rocket on top but making your own base isn't as hard as you may think, so give it a go!

Serves Two

INGREDIENTS Base 7g packet of yeast; 1tsp of sugar; 250m l of warm water (not hot); 1tsp of table salt; 1tbs p of olive oil; 350g of strong white bread flour Topping Tube of tomato paste; a sprinkle of grat ed cheddar cheese; a few tomatoes of your choic e (plum tomatoes are my favourite); a pack of mozzarella; your own freshly cut rocket leaves; pepp er to taste METHODS Put 50ml of the water, with the suga r and yeast mixed in, near a heat source or in a warm cupboard for about 15 minutes or until the mix has become frothy. Put the flour, mixed with the salt, in a large mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon to make a well in the centre. Pour the olive oil in the well and then add the yeast mixture, along with the remaining water. Use the wooden spoon to scrape down the flour into the well and then mix everything together. Get your hands in the bowl and knead the dough. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface, take your dough out of the bowl and knead it for a good 10 minutes. Whe n the dough is smooth, put it back in the bowl, add a tiny drizzle of olive oil to the top and then cover with cling film. Place it near a warm heat source and watch that dough double in size! Heat the oven up to 180°C. Take the dough back out of the bowl, give it another knead for a good 5 minutes and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a round pizza shape. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Rustic is good!

Use a spoon to spread the tomato past e over the pizza up to about 1cm from the edge s. Grate some Cheddar cheese over the tomato past e. Add some chopped tomatoes. Place slices of moz zarella over the top and grate a bit more chee se over everything. Cook in the oven for abou t 15 minutes.

Add your rocket to the top of the pizza

Yo u c a n fo ll o w R a c h e l's a ll o tm e n t a n ti c s o n Tw it te r : @ tr e a tl ik e d ir t

Allotments -

F E A T U R E

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the plot thickens The fruits of Rachel Birtwhistle's labours are beginning to show, down at the allotment, as April seed sowing gets underway

ONE THING I didn't expect to grow when I started going to the allotment was a list of new acquaintances.

I have been humbled by people's genuine interest in my plot and their desire to offer help and advice. So-much-so that thanks to the generosity of my allotment compadres, I have a row of five raspberry canes, one flourishing rhubarb plant and a blackcurrant bush - all thankfully donated with advice on how not to kill them! The generosity of spirit between growers is evident across the allotment and it’s not just an act of pity (I think) between those that know (them) and those that know nothing (me).

It is part and parcel of the allotment experience and I'm really enjoying meeting a completely new group of people, who have more experience than I ever will about the art of growing fruit and veg.

Down on the allotment, 'The Shed' is the equivalent of a student’s union/ social club/fraternity house, only minus any debauched activities and drunken shenanigans - I hope,

incidentally, that I am wrong about this and look forward to providing an anecdotal correction in the months to come! In this fine establishment, which is quite literally an extremely large shed, allotment members gain access to a plentiful supply of discounted goods: netting, matting, twine, seeds, weed and pest killers and much more is widely available upon production of an allotment association membership card. The thrill of getting 10 per cent off at Topshop with a valid NUS card has been replaced by weed suppressant matting at bargain basement prices - fact!

Work on the plot has proved literally fruitful over the past month.

I have designated about a third of the allotment for soft fruit and have planted raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, and gooseberries, in addition to several rhubarb crowns. For ease of planting, I have constructed raised beds and gained a dangerous love of power tools in the process. I am assured by my allotment buddies that nothing

screams amateur more than the sound of consecutive screws being blunted by an electric screwdriver in the pursuit of raised bed perfection!

Most of the fruit planted has met with my family’s approval except for the gooseberry bush, which my fiveyear-old queried, worrying what this hybrid waterfowl/berry combination would look and taste like.

In terms of vegetables, a seed of doubt is germinating in my mind, which is ironic as, aside from the seed potatoes, it is the only veg currently growing. April is, I am told by the lovely man in 'The Shed', the 'most important month for the allotmenteer' (no pressure). My vegetable seeds are ready to be sown outside in the newly constructed beds and I've got seed trays galore ready for indoor sowing. It's exciting and daunting and I desperately don't want to get this bit wrong as two thirds of the allotment is at stake. Thankfully the days are getting longer so it feels like there is time to get a little more done - any day now the plot will eventually thicken.

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Hannah Kendle

HANNAH KENDLE

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T H E

L A S T

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Mwww.walsi AKIN G THE ngham.co

CUT

HANNAH KENDLE, AN APPRENTICE BUTCHER AT WALSINGHAM FARMS SHOP, TELLS US WHY SHE’S TAKING ON THE BOYS Are you from Norfolk and where do you live?

I was born in King’s Lynn and still live there.

How old are you?

24.

Can you tell us about your former life as a chef on the Norfolk coast?

I loved every second of it and no two days were ever the same, especially over the summer season – there was never a dull moment and I was constantly learning. I worked at The Lodge in Hunstanton and before that I worked at the Lavender Kitchen in Walsingham.

What made you train to be a chef in the first place?

I loved cooking - it’s such a big passion of mine – so I decided to do a hospitality and catering course at West Anglia College after high school, and I was amazed by the flavours and what dishes you can make out of certain foods.

And what then made you decide to become an apprentice butcher instead?

The butchery side of things has always intrigued me. A lot of people were surprised when I applied (I think at the back of their minds they wondered how I would cope with cutting up a dead animal) but when I was younger I used to go out shooting

with my dad and we used to gut, skin and cook some of the stuff he used to shoot so it’s always been part of my life.

How long have you been working at the Walsingham Farms Shop?

I started in September and started my apprenticeship in December – just in time for Christmas, which was fun.

Tell us why you believe it to be the best move you’ve ever made?

Because I love the job I’m doing now, it’s given me a new drive and a passion to learn new things, and I like the fact I don’t have to work evenings, now, so I’ve got more time to myself. My partner does triathlons and marathons and I like to go around the country, supporting him.

What’s it like being a female butcher in a mainly male industry?

It’s fantastic – I love it. People always comment on how unusual it is to see a girl behind the butchery counter and I love seeing the look on their faces because it proves anyone can do anything. It’s not necessarily a male role.

Are you proud of being a girl butcher?

I’m really proud because there’s not many of us and it makes it extra special, but I have had to adapt some of the things I do because I

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don’t have the strength to lift things, like the men do, so I get round it be cutting the meat that’s hanging into bits I can then carry out onto the block.

What’s the favourite part of your job?

Customer interaction. It’s really nice as you get to know all the locals and regulars who come in, and they always ask how my apprenticeship is going.

Where do you like to eat out?

I like to cook at home but when I do go out we go to the Black Lion in Walsingham. If we go in the evening I’m happy to have sirloin steak with blue cheese sauce – I like to go there because we supply the meat and it’s nice to know where the beef is from and that it’s been well looked after.

What’s your favourite meat dish?

Rolled sirloin - I like to roast it to medium rare and have it with Lyonnaise potatoes and some vegetables - it’s kind of like a roast. I love sirloin in any shape or form!

What are your ambitions for the future?

I want to keep on learning and when I’ve finished learning I want to take part in competitions and do demonstrations, and get the public to see that girl butchers can be just as good as the men.

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