7. Great Food Magazine Sept/Oct 2011

greatfood ISSUE # 8

HANDMADE IN THE HEART OF ENGLAND

£3.20

Celebrating local food & drink

Real Bread Issue The

From field, to mill, to oven

CLAIM FREE MEMBERSHIP TO GREAT FOOD CLUB

Dan Lepard’s Leicestershire loaf

Exclusive recipe using local ale

WHERE TO EAT?

Maps and reviews to help you decide

Save in Stamford!

EXCLUSIVE READER OFFER AT THE WILLIAM CECIL, P78

Kitchen delights, gardening nirvana and homely treats P79

Make a funky pinboard to brighten up your home

P76

Grow-your-own tips and veg patch recipes

P82

Stunning local kitchens to inspire and enjoy

Belvoir pudding, sausage cassoulet, tomato chutney

PLUS

A trip to Langar Hall Oundle Food Fest pictures Full farmers’ market listings Food events for your diary

ISSUE #8

YOUR HOME AND KITCHEN SECTION

RECIPES TO ENJOY & KEEP

£3.20

Also inside...

Welcome

Proper bread is back. Hallelujah!

Thanks to the work of people like the Real Bread Campaign and, more locally, Hambleton Bakery (p32), we’re rediscovering what a proper loaf tastes like. It’s been a while – the Chorleywood Process, which creates a facsimile of bread using chemical ‘improvers’ – has been with us for 50 years.

In this issue we’re celebrating real bread’s return, locally.

You’ll meet a Nottinghamshire wheat grower, a Rutland baker and a Leicestershire miller. There are also several great bread recipes, not least the one opposite.

GROWER, MILLER, Elsewhere, enjoy the beautiful new maps in BAKER...

Br ead section your Where To Eat section (p53) and take starts on p22 advantage of two superb offers from our advertisers – grab a free bottle of wine in beautiful Scalford (p20) and get 20% off your meal at The William Cecil in scenic Stamford (p78).

Editor

Contents NIBBLES 4 6 8 10 14 16

Your Letters The Big Picture News New Business Watch Join Great Food Club!

Events Diary

STARTER

18 Oundle Food Festival 20 Farmers’ Market Listings 22 Local Wheat Grower

MAIN COURSE 24 26 31 32 34 36

Dan Lepard Recipe Claybrooke Mill Subscription Offer Hambleton Bakery Gluten-Free Bread Recipe Baking Buddha

BACK FOR SECONDS 38 40 43 44

Herds and Whey Red Lion Day Planner Beer and Bread Jam

PUDDING 46 47 48 49 50

Belvoir Marmalade Pud The Insider Foodie Gift Hunter Lucy Cufflin Pub Walk: Breedon to Melbourne

WHERE TO EAT

matthew.wright@greatfoodmag.co.uk WRITE TO: Great Food, 7 Victoria Street, Melton Mowbray, Leics LE13 0AR. www.greatfoodmag.co.uk

Twitter: @greatfoodmag EDITOR: Matt Wright ADVERTISING: BPG Ltd Julie Cousins – j.cousins@ bournepublishinggroup.co.uk 01780 766199 SUBSCRIPTIONS: 01664 853341 PUBLISHED BY: Rocco Media PRINTED & DISTRIBUTED BY: Warners Midlands plc CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Graham Wright, Tim Burke, Andrew

Welcome

Brackenbury, Mark Hamilton, Emma Ansell, Rachel Quine, Jack Thorpe, Dilly Boase, Vanessa Kimbell, Dan Lepard, Rosemary Jameson, Sean Hope, Jane Baxter, Emily Holt, Mark Tetlow, Helen Benton, Lucy Cufflin, Helen Tarver, Jane Stirland, Matt Cox, Laura Harvey and... Rocco the Russell.

WEBSITE: @paulbunkham Full Ts & Cs are on our website STOCK PHOTOS: Shutterstock

COVER WATERCOLOUR: Wheat by Graham Wright.

GREAT FOOD MAGAZINE IS BI-MONTHLY: NEXT ISSUE OUT NOVEMBER 3, 2011 Great Food has been shortlisted for a Media Pioneer Award by the Specialist Media Show – www.thespecialistmediashow.com

54 55 56 58 59 62 64 65 66 68 70

Local Restaurant News Review: The King’s Head, Wadenhoe Ultimate Restaurant Map Profile: Langar Hall Reviews: Habibi and The Olive Branch Deli, Cheese and Wine Shop Map Profile: The Cakehole Queen’s Road, Leicester Farm Shop Map Profile: Welbeck Farm Shop Profile: School of Artisan Food

HOME & KITCHEN 72 74 76 79 80 82

Dream Home for Sale Baking Products Veg Patch Tips & Inspiration Make a Kitchen Noticeboard Antiques Your Dream Kitchen Great Food Magazine 3

THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS

Your letters

TELL US W HA YOU THINK, T WRITE IN & WIN

Your wise words, tips and chatter…

Derbyshire discovery

While driving through south Derbyshire the other day I discovered a fabulous farm shop. Croot’s near Duffield is a brilliant place to take the family. There are shire horses on the site, which is great for the kids, and the food on sale is absolutely delicious.

Steve Croot Apparently the shop of Croot’s was a runner up in the Farm Shop Observer Food Monthly Awards last year. If any of your readers visit, I can recommend the Derbyshire sausage!

Gary Tennison, Nottingham

Bake and make

Bread baking is making a revival and those who taste a real loaf often never want to eat poor quality bread again.

An organic, stoneground loaf truly is the ‘staff of life’ and contains many nutrients that are sadly lacking in today’s highly processed loaves. Tough economic times bring about constraints but can also stir our creative and resourceful sides. This is clear when I teach people how to take up a bread baking hobby and make a bit of dough for themselves!

By taking Virtuous Bread’s ‘Bread Angels’ course, you learn how to set up and build your own home baking business, supplying your local neighbours and communities.

Everyone benefits and the start-up costs are small. All you need is flour, water, salt and yeast and an oven!

Rosie Clark, Leicester (rosie@virtuousbread.com)

Mighty Oakdale

Have you ever tried Oakdale Farm Tea Rooms in Rearsby for a bite to eat? That place seriously bats above its weight for what it costs to eat there! I’ve got no association with the place but it should be on every foodie’s radar.

Gary Summers, Thurmaston

Rutland extravaganza

Finding a restaurant where I could celebrate my 50th was always going to be a challenge for my husband. However, we had a truly fabulous time. First, a cosy and relaxed lunch at the Finch’s Arms in Hambleton, Rutland. The menu was interesting and varied, and the wine list excellent. On a very grey and cold day the welcoming atmosphere and staff had attracted a surprising number and diversity of people, but no-one made us feel the need to hurry our three hour lunch! Then the main surprise… over to Hambleton Hall. What a truly fabulous place to stay. And the food? Totally palate blowing. Being a dessert freak I shall always remember the Finch's Arms, assiette of liquorice, Hambleton which sounded risky but was wonderful.

Christina Faull, Clipston, Leicestershire

Testimonials Great Food magazine is excellent and grist for the Food Programme’s mill (not quite the right image!). I will mull it over with the FP team. I love the paintings, too.

Sheila Dillon, The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4, London Great Food magazine is superb. There’s a feast to be had in the Midlands, and that magazine is the best guide.

Dan Lepard, professional baker and Guardian food writer, London

4 Great Food Magazine

Love Great Food magazine. Dog walks, pub/restaurant guides… if you live in the region, you should have a look.

Jonathan Agnew, Test Match Special, The Vale of Belvoir

Great Food deserves congratulations. It has progressed in both style and content.

I understand why its geographical spread has widened, but please don’t become too Nottingham orientated.

John Harris, Director, RKH, Leicester

How to contact us Write to the editor: matthew.wright@ greatfoodmag.co.uk or to Great Food Letters, 7 Victoria St, Melton Mowbray, Leics LE13 0AR

STAR LETTER

Buy locally!

I love everything about food, from buying and growing it, to cooking, eating and recycling it with late night leftover suppers or stocks. Rising food production costs have driven up the price of many of our favourite foods and supermarket chains have tried to entice cash-strapped customers by slashing prices on many staples. Rather than absorbing these financial losses themselves, some supermarket heavyweights have passed on losses to our already struggling farmers.

So what can we do to help? Well, buy locally as much as you can. We live in an area blessed with wonderful farm shops and farmers’ markets. When shopping in supermarkets, read the labels to check whether those tomatoes are from the UK or actually imported. This doesn’t apply to just supermarkets, though: this time last year, during British spinach season, I picked up a pack of spinach from a trader at Melton market only to discover it had been shipped over from Japan! If a trader is unable or unwilling to tell you where their produce comes from, then buy from someone who can.

I saw an excellent car bumper sticker the other day.

It read: “If you ate today, thank a farmer”. I think that about sums it up, really.

Hazel Paterson, Melton Mowbray

The writer of each issue’s Star Letter wins a free meal for two at awardwinning Entropy restaurant in Leicester (pictured right). For more on Entropy, go to entropylife.com

Your tweets

Join the daily chat. Go to Twitter, follow @greatfoodmag and share your wisdom

@sallybrighton

@greatfoodmag A couple of nights ago I caught @paulbunkham in the kitchen singing “Cheese Me” to the tune of Chaka Demus & Pliers “Tease Me”

@AdAhmed81

@greatfoodmag Kayal on Granby Street in Leicester serves amazing South Indian food

@EverardsTiger

@greatfoodmag Fancy some kangaroo?

Crocodile? Camel? Try The Wheatsheaf, Dallington

@GastroChap

@greatfoodmag I was at the wonderful Martin’s Arms, Colston Bassett the other day.

Now that is a brilliant beer garden

@edstagg

@greatfoodmag I’ve made the mistake of reading a couple of articles before bed. Bad mistake, woke up and I’d quenelled the pillows

the newest addition to hotel maiyango launches sat 1st oct 2011... photographs by smd photography

maiyango.indd 2

www.maiyango.com 0116 251 88 98 delikitchen@maiyango.com

18/8/11 12:09:25

(

THE BIG PICTURE

In the storeroom ARTICLE: MATT WRIGHT PHOTOS: ANDREW BRACKENBURY (ABRACKENBURY.COM)

Jo and David Clarke handmake Sparkenhoe Red Leicester on their own

I

n the storeroom at Sparkenhoe Farm in Upton near Market Bosworth sits 26 tonnes of Red Leicester cheese on beechwood shelves. Having been wrapped in muslin cloth and coated in lard, the cylinders are left for up to eight months to mature at 12˚C. The mould eats the lard as the cheese ripens.

6 Great Food Magazine

Lots of producers use ‘handmade’ on their labels but Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Company – set up by married couple Jo and David Clarke (pictured) in 2003 – has greater claim to the word than most. Their 150-strong herd of pedigree HolsteinFriesians supply the raw milk that makes Sparkenhoe Red Leicester.

Each morning at 7.30am, milk is piped directly from the milking parlour into the making room. It’s heated, stirred, salted and cut by Jo, David or new arrival Michael Thompson, who has joined the company after completing a School of Artisan Food diploma.

“We constantly tweak the recipe,” says David. “The reason is that the

Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co

Why Red Leicester?

“I met a chap called Charlie Walton in the pub,” says David Clarke. “As a lad, Charlie used to collect Red Leicester cheeses from Shepherd’s Farm in Bagworth and sit on them on the way to his father’s butcher’s shop. Shepherd’s was the last farm in the county to make Red Leicester before us. It stopped in 1956. Charlie said how wonderful the cheese was.

I thought if we can make Red Leicester as Charlie remembers it, there might be something in it.”

farm using milk from their own herd characteristics of our cows’ milk is always changing – it’s affected by the weather, grass, everything. So we alter the process to get some consistency.

But one of the charms of a handmade, artisan cheese is the slight differences you get in each batch.”

Sparkenhoe Farm now supplies Waitrose, M&S, Booths, local delis

and farm shops. But it’s taken lots of hard work to reach this point. “In 2000 it became clear we had to diversify,” says Jo. “The farm wasn’t making money so we considered putting in fishing lakes or off-road trails. We then realised that we didn’t want to sell the cows. It dawned on us that cheese would add value to their milk

and it was something we could brand.

We went to the British Cheese Festival and met dairy farmers who were making cheese with their own cows’ milk. We thought yes, we can do this!”

David’s grandfather, who in the 1940s bought the cows from which the Sparkenhoe herd originate, would surely be proud.

CONTACT Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co, Sparkenhoe Farm, Upton CV13 6JX, 01455 213863 leicestershire cheese.co.uk

Great Food Magazine 7

What’s

Cooking?

From Clawson Stilton to Farmer Fear’s Cider, the region’s artisan food scored highly

EDITED BY: MATT WRIGHT

Small STREET FOOD AWARDS This year’s British Street Food Awards take place at Harvest at Jimmy’s Food and Music Festival, Suffolk, September 9-12. The winner will sell their food in the Olympic Village in 2012. The final line-up includes Jalopy Pizzas of Dorset and The Laughing Stock, Edinburgh, but no Midlands vendors. Know any great local street food sellers? Let us know and we’ll publicise them. britishstreetfood.co.uk

CLAWSON SUCCESS Leicestershire’s Long Clawson Dairy has had a Champagne summer. The cheesemaker scooped 11 awards at July’s International Cheese Awards in Nantwich, including the Reserve UK Champion trophy for its Blue Stilton. A few weeks later, Clawson bagged the Supreme Champion award at the Bakewell Show for its Aged Leicestershire Red. clawson.co.uk

STARS GALORE FOR LOCAL PRODUCERS Five achieve faultless scores in Great Taste Awards

H

eart of England producers have starred in the 2011 Great Taste Awards, run annually by the Guild of Fine Foods and decided by 350 judges in blind tasting sessions.

One of the strongest performances came from Northfield Farm of Cold Overton, Rutland. The rare breed meat producer won a perfect three gold stars for its Jacob

STOCKISTS ADDED Great Food is now stocked in more of the region’s busiest and best farm shops. Gonalston, Welbeck and Harker’s of Nottinghamshire, plus Croot’s of Derbyshire and Malt Kiln of Warwickshire now sell the magazine (see p66). Local WHSmith stores recently started stocking the publication, while Waitrose has sold Great Food since 2010.

Antonio Carluccio judges 2011 Great Taste Awards entries

FARNDON’S NEW DELI Bustling Farndon Fields Farm Shop of Market Harborough has added yet another reason to visit by opening a deli counter. The deli stocks a large range of cheeses, hams, salamis, patés, anchovies, pork pies, oils and vinegars. farndonfieldsfarmshop.co.uk

8 Great Food Magazine

lamb, and two stars each for its beer bacon and British Lop shoulder of pork.

The region’s other three star winners were Thornbridge Brewery of Bakewell for its Jaipur and Bracia ales; Chase Farm Shop of Sutton Coldfield for its pork pie; Real Tea Cafe of Stratford upon Avon for its rooibos rhubarb; and Ogilvy’s of Northamptonshire for its Polyfloral Honey. Apart from being named Supreme Champion (not announced at the time of going to press), scoring three gold stars is the best possible result a producer can achieve, with only 20-30 products in the UK achieving the hattrick. Local two star winners include Long Clawson Blue Stilton (Long Clawson, Leics); Bittersweet Chocolates’ rose creams (Breedon, Leics); Farmer Fear Cider (Mountsorrel, Leics); Manor Farm yoghurt (Thrussington, Leics); Ragley Estates steak & ale pie (Alcester, Warks); and Country Victualler Smoked Ham (Newark).

HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES

Support 5% VAT campaign Great Food is supporting the campaign to lower the rate of VAT for the hospitality sector to 5%.

At 20%, our rate is one of the highest in Europe for this sector. France has a 5.5% rate on hotel accommodation, Germany 7%. We are unable to compete on a level playing field

with our European competitors.

Lowering the rate will boost tourism, create jobs and help countless small hotels, pubs and restaurants. This will outweigh any negative impact a cut may have on the treasury.

Join the campaign – sign the ePetition at http://epetitions. direct.gov.uk/petitions/1198

Local food news FOOD PROJECT

COMMUNITY USES FOOD TO REGENERATE VILLAGE Derbyshire villagers aim to create ‘sustainable food economy’

I

t started as a project to improve local walking trails. Two years later, Tideswell in Derbyshire’s Peak District has a new cookery school, its own food trademark, a community garden, ‘incubation’ kitchen, micro-brewery, and better food education for its children. It is also attracting more tourists than ever and is the subject of a BBC documentary – broadcast on September 7. So what happened?

“Originally, we wanted £20,000 of funding to develop local trails to boost tourism,” says villager Peter Hawkins, now chairman of the Taste Tideswell project. “Then we found out about Village SOS [an initiative run by the Big Lottery Fund] and the grants it offered.”

Residents of Tideswell – a village once known as ‘the King’s Larder’ – came up with a vision to create “a thriving community sustained by its own food economy”. Central to the idea was a cookery school that would source ingredients from local shops, and a ‘Made In Tideswell’ food trademark that producers such as the butcher could use. The vision secured £433,826 of funding from Village SOS. Tideswell School of Food was created in an old showroom.

As well as sourcing local produce, the school’s kitchen can be used by village businesses to create and trial new food products. And profits from the school are spent on educating children about food. More info at tastetideswell.co.uk

Rocco Recommends “Excellent places that let me in”

THE EXETER ARMS “Paws up at my grandparents’ house in Stamford the other day, a sudden flight of fancy took me. Before you could say ‘Lincolnshire sausages’, I’d hopped over the gate and was heading east.

After a rapid rendezvous with Beyonce the Beagle in Burghley Park, I made my way to the Exeter Arms, Easton on the Hill. I was glad I did – this pub is comfortably yet classily fitted out, and serves good local beer. It was well after midnight when I returned to my basket.”

The Exeter Arms, 21 Stamford Road, Easton on the Hill PE9 3NS 01780 756321, theexeterarms.net

{

Left: Tideswell Right: Peter Hawkins celebrates winning the bid

Float to Land’s End G

raham Smith, MD of Leicester milk deliverer Kirby & West, is to drive an electric milk float 328 miles from Leicester to Land’s End in aid of Loros and Prostaid. He’ll average 13mph and be on the road for five days, recharging every 40 miles.

Donate at virginmoneygiving.com/maninafloat

}

From left: Julian and Michelle Clapham with Steve Swales

The world’s hottest pizza van!

Great Food spotted this ingenious vehicle by the side of the road in Nottinghamshire recently. Called Purely Woodfired, it’s a van modified so a woodfired pizza oven can sit inside. It belongs to Julian Clapham from West Bridgford, who travels the region cooking delicious thin-crust pizza for passers –by. Check out their website: purelywoodfired.co.uk

Transcendent te a rooms MISS B’S OF MELTON

Miss B’s Tea Rooms in Melton Mowbray is featured in a new guide to the UK’s top places to take tea, where it rubs shoulders with the likes of Claridge’s and the Dorchester. Miss B’s is praised in the AA’s Perfect Places for Afternoon Tea as having service that is “second to none” and for its teas, cakes and, of course, pork pies. Miss B’s is the only Leicestershire entry. Other regional listings include Stokes in Lincoln, Tasty Bite Tearoom in Thrapston and Lock House Tea Rooms in Long Eaton.

Miss B’s, 34A Market Place, Melton, 01664 481625

Great Food Magazine 9

Fresh out

the oven Keeping an eye on the region’s food and drink launches

In Brief

From left: Nick Bonner, Wendy Carter and Adam Gray. Main image: Inside Shires Cookery School

LORD NELSON, WINTHORPE

The owners of the award-winning Chequers Inn at Woolsthorpe by Belvoir have refurbished and re-opened The Lord Nelson in Winthorpe, near Newark. The refreshed pub has a 50-seat dining room and a large walled garden with outside bar.

Sample dishes include Native English Lobster Risotto with Tarragon, and Chargrilled Lamb Leg Steak with Fondant Potato. lordnelsonwinthorpe.co.uk

TASTE GOURMET SPICE Mark Hughes from Weldon in Northamptonshire has launched Taste Gourmet Spice Company, which produces a range of oils, rubs and vinegars designed to perk up food with minimum effort. You can find Mark at Oundle and Higham Ferrers farmers’ markets. tastespice.co.uk

SHIRES COOKERY SCHOOL Michelin-starred chef is behind Northants project

A

cookery school has opened at The Red Lion pub in the village of East Haddon, Northamptonshire. The Shires Cookery School offers a range of day and short courses (6pm-9pm) such as Caribbean Cookery, Perfect Pastry, Knife Skills and Sausage Making. Day courses start at £85 and short courses at £35.

Co-owner of the school is The Red Lion’s Michelin-starred head chef and co-proprietor Adam Gray, whose CV includes a two-year stint

The William Cecil

CHARNIA IS BORN Local chef Malcolm Rollings has launched Charnia, a catering company he is running from a unit at Freemans Common Market, Leicester. “I can ensure the quality of my ingredients is perfect and they are quite literally at my office door,” says Malcolm. In addition to outside catering, Charnia offers a delivery service. Customers can order fresh produce by email or phone until 10pm and receive their goods by 2.30pm the following day. charnia.co.uk

HOLLINGSHEAD OPENS Hollingshead Wine Bar and Grill has opened on Nottingham Street in Melton Mowbray.

FLITTERISS PARK FARM Flitteriss Park Farm of Brooke near Oakham is now selling Gloucester Old Spot pork, beef and lamb reared on its farm directly to the public. Deliveries of orders over £10 are free within the Rutland area. thesausagesite.co.uk

10 Great Food Magazine

at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire and a long working partnership with Gary Rhodes. Others behind the project are The Red Lion’s other owner Nick Bonner, and Wendy Carter, who has been running the Shires Cookery School at different venues for more than two years.

The Shires is located in the grounds of the pub in an attractive converted barn, which cost £100,000 to refurbish and kit out.

A Now open in Mill Street, Oakham

Otters in Oakham

O

tters Smokehouse and Deli has opened on Mill Street in Oakham, Rutland. On sale will be a range of naturally smoked fish and meats, artisan cheeses, individually sourced charcuterie, plus fresh olives, pesto, hummus and more.

Oakham is also getting a new pub, to be situated where Nick’s restaurant (pictured, left) used to be in Market Place. The Lord Nelson is scheduled to open in December 2011. The man behind the Lord Nelson is Michael Thurlby, proprietor of the Tobie Norris in Stamford and several other hostelries in the region. Great Food hears that the menu will be similar to that of the Tobie Norris.

fter an extensive renovation programme, The William Cecil – part of the Burghley House Estate and formerly known as The Lady Anne’s Hotel – has opened in Stamford, Lincolnshire under the management of Hillbrooke Hotels.

The dining room seats 75 and a simple, seasonal menu has been created by head chef Liam McLay. Local suppliers including Grasmere Farm, Hambleton Bakery (see p32) and Cote Hill Farm. In addition to a restaurant menu, there are sandwiches, elevenses and afternoon tea on offer.

The William Cecil – managed by Nicolas Jefford – has 27 individually decorated bedrooms.

Hillbrooke also runs the Bull & Swan, located just a few yards away.

See p78 for an exclusive William Cecil dining offer for Great Food readers.

The tea room at the William Cecil

Northeld Farm Shop

Award Winning Pub

OPEN 7 DAYS

O Our Restaurant “A slice of foodie heaven” Open Tuesday – Sunday for lunch 10am – 4pm Thursday – Saturday 7pm – late for evening meals O Rare and Traditional British Beef, Pork, Lamb, Poultry and Game From our Award- winning butchery O Artisan Breads, Brownies and Pastries from our Bakery O Fresh Local Vegetables, Cheeses and much more from our Shop O Fabulous Amphora Wine Workshop on site O Delicious Hedgerow Spirits produced on site WHISSENDINE LANE, COLD OVERTON, NR. OAKHAM, LEICESTERSHIRE LE15 7QF www.northfieldfarm.com 01664 474271 email: marc@northfieldfarm.com In 2011 our AWARD WINNING ways continue. We have just been awarded a clutch of Gold awards at the Great Taste Awards including a coveted 3* gold for Leg of Lamb, 2* Golds for Rutland Panther Cured Bacon and Shoulder of Pork, and 1* Gold for Sirloin Steaks. We won multiple gold and silver awards at the Newark & Notts Show for our hand-made sausages and pies.

In 2010 our accolades included Farmer’s Weekly Local Food Farmer National Finalist, Top 10 Farm Shops – The Times, Best British Apple Pie – British Pie Fi Awards, and Gold 1* Great Taste Award for our Rutland Panther Bacon.

A charming building with 7 unique rooms over 3 floors and a large enclosed patio We have 5 real ales including our own White Hart Ale and an expansive wine list that we import ourselves from around the world. We specialise in stone baked, handmade pizzas, plus a wide range of other dishes.

12 St Pauls Street, Stamford, PE9 2BE Tel: 01780 753800 info@tobienorris.com www.tobienorris.com

INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY Blyth-Richmond Investment Managers is an independent family run business. To maintain integrity and flexibility, we are 100% fee based. This allows us to offer the full spectrum of investment opportunities and – importantly – means we do not sell products or services to gain commission. Our only interest is in providing the best possible investment strategy to fit your needs. Customer service is top of our agenda and we encourage regular meetings with clients.

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Call us on 0116 230 3663 or visit www.blyth-richmond.co.uk

Blyth-Richmond | Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

p11_GF_SeptOct11.indd Sec1:11

18/8/11 12:50:10

Fresh out

the oven Keeping an eye on the region’s food and drink launches

Produce sold in the deli will be made in Maiyango’s kitchens

MAIYANGO OPENS DELI-KITCHEN New outlet will sell own-brand produce made using local ingredients

H

otel Maiyango is to open a unique deli-kitchen just around the corner from its award-winning restaurant and hotel in Leicester city centre. The new outlet will stock handmade produce, prepared daily by Maiyango’s kitchen team using carefully sourced local ingredients.

The deli-kitchen will launch on October 1 during Leicestershire’s Food Fortnight.

“You can choose food to take away, have it delivered later, or enjoy something to eat in at the deli’s kitchen table while reading the papers,” said Aatin Anadkat, managing director of Maiyango. Deli-kitchen customers will be able to buy a range of cheeses, freshly baked artisan bread, patisserie and desserts.

Also on sale will be handmade chocolates and petit fours, biscuits, fine wines and champagnes, oils and dressings, and a selection of houseblended teas and coffees.

In addition, the deli-kitchen will stock ‘Maiyango at Home’ meal kits inspired by the restaurant’s a la carte menu, allowing customers to recreate Maiyango favourites such as Moroccan Lamb Tagine at home. These kits are created by executive chef Phillip Sharpe. “No skill is needed,” said Phillip. “All the work has already been done in the kitchens. All you need to do is follow the instructions, relax and enjoy!”

The pioneering deli-kitchen is the next step in Maiyango’s ‘Love Local’ campaign, which sees

12 Great Food Magazine

the Leicester hotel and restaurant – one of just four national medal winners in the ‘Taste of England’ category at the 2011 English Tourist Board Awards – sourcing ingredients as locally as possible.

For example, Maiyango stocks Swithland Spring Water, gets fish from Leicester market and sources many of its fruit and vegetables from the city’s Saffron Lane Community Allotments.

“The deli-kitchen will be a showpiece for fantastic local food,” said Aatin. “We’re proud of our county’s produce and our ethos is to provide local food from the best local producers, responsibly packaged.

We also use recycled or recyclable products wherever possible and we will be making our city centre deliveries on foot or by bike.”

Maiyango’s distinctive look will be carried through to the deli PHOTOS: GARY SUMMERS, SMDPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

GROW AND SWAP

The Veg Exchange Local fruit and vegetable growers are being invited to bring their spare produce to Maiyango and swap it for deli-kitchen goodies. The fruit and veg will then be used in Maiyango’s kitchens to create dishes ready for sale the following day. Suppliers can

contact Maiyango through Twitter (@HotelMaiyango), or email – thevegexchange@ maiyango.com – to find out the day’s best deal.

Hotel Maiyango, 13-21 St Nicholas Place, Leicester LE1 4LD, 0116 2518898, maiyango.com

Executive chef Phil Sharpe

On our farm we grow over 40 varieties of seasonal fruit and vegetables which we sell in the shop

BUTCHERS

Dining through the seasons at the Lake Isle

CAFE CAFE PLANT CENTRE

Harvesting this autumn: 4 varieties of potatoes, pumpkins with a selection of fruit and vegetables The Lake Isle Hotel & Restaurant prides itself on the celebration of the seasons by using the very best seasonal produce for each of its mouth-watering menus.

THE THREE HORSESHOES INN Breedon-on-the-Hill Derby DE73 8AN Tel: 01332 695129

And now, with our amazing new menus, there ’s even more reasons to come and enjoy lunch, dinner or that special festive celebration at the Lake Isle.

Simply, visit our website to view the new Lunch Menu, A La Carte Dinner Menu and our Christmas 2011 Menus.

We look forward to welcoming you soon.

01572 822951 www.lakeisle.co.uk info@lakeisle.co.uk 16 High Street East, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9PZ

‘Country Inn Dining· ….with Garden Terrace….

‘Gourmet Food & Gift Shop· ‘Our Own· and Locally Sourced Foods... with... Handmade Chocolates and Chocolate-Making Courses!... By BitterSweet

www.thehorseshoes.com

Morning Coffee & Brunch 10.30-12.00pm Lunch 12noon-2pm & Dinner 5.30-9.15pm Sunday Lunch from 12 noon ~ CLOSED Sunday Evening.

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Join Great Food C What you’ll get… * A MEMBERSHIP CARD

entitling you to special offers at a growing list of some of the region’s best restaurants.

These eateries are an all-star cast, handpicked by Great Food magazine, and all are committed to sourcing ingredients locally – including Hotel Maiyango (Leicester), The Olive Branch (Clipsham), Lake Isle (Uppingham) and The Red Lion (Stathern).

Eat at the best restaurants for less

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Enjoy superb local food

Support local producers

at some of the region’s finest farm shops – such as Farndon Fields – best butchers and greatest delis. All are independent, local businesses – shopping with them means more money stays in the area.

Attend great dining events

Eat locally grown produce

* INVITATIONS to special events at Great Food Club venues, including supper clubs, tastings and meet-the-producer evenings.

* ACCESS to a website that puts you in touch

with the Great Food Club network of businesses, bringing you news of their upcoming events, tastings, and special Great Food Club offers.

The club will give you the satisfaction of supporting a network of local, 14 Great Food Magazine

Club today!

The unmissable new club for people who love to eat brilliantly, locally

FOR LOVERS OF GOOD LOCAL FOOD

www.greatfoodclub.co.uk

Club

HOW DO I JOIN?

There are currently two ways to join Great Food Club: 1) By subscribing to this magazine (see p31) – all subscribers automatically become members of Great Food Club (if you are a current subscriber, you will receive your membership card and information pack shortly).

2) By going to www.greatfoodclub.co.uk and entering your email address. There are 250 free memberships available on a first come, first served basis. If you are one of the first 250 you will be informed by email by October 30, 2011.

independent, high-quality businesses, while also enjoying great offers Great Food Magazine 15

THINGS TO DO

Events & things to do Delicious ways to spend your time in the

Great Food recommends...

September and October are busy months in Great Food’s patch. Here are our picks RUTLAND FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL, SEPT 17 Building on the success of last year’s inaugural festival, this year’s event will again be at Rutland Water – Empingham entrance. It promises to be a big celebration of food in England’s smallest county. Free entry with small parking charge; 11am to 6pm; discover-rutland.co.uk

2

3

BELGRAVE HALL GOOD FOOD FAIR, SEPT 17-18

Locally grown produce and organic food are the themes of the sixth Belgrave Hall Good Food Fair in Leicester. Stallholders include Farmer Fear’s Cider, Bobby’s Indian Vegetarian, Tunnel Brewery and Pick’s Farm; 11am to 4pm both days; entry £1 for adults, children free.

Free parking available; leicester.gov.uk/foodfair

EAST MIDLANDS FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL, OCT 1-2

One of the region’s biggest food festivals returns to its roots at Melton Mowbray cattle market. Expect pies, cheese, beer and more, plus a Vintage Gadget Roadshow. Great Food will be there too, so say hello! £6 on the door, children free; 10am-5pm/4pm. eastmidlandsfoodfestival.co.uk

4

5

HAMBLETON HALL’S MUSHROOM HUNT, OCT 1

This is the tenth year that Hambleton Hall – located on Rutland Water’s Hambleton peninsula – has held its fungi foray. Foragers will walk through the woods at Burley on the Hill, just a few minutes from Hambleton, led by expert mycologist Paul Nichol. Last year 35 varieties were discovered. Tickets cost £85 including coffee, lunch and wine. Meet at 10am; hambletonhall.com

SUSTAINABLE BILLESDON ANNUAL FARMERS’ MARKET, OCT 23

The soul of British food is in its rural communities, and Billesdon’s Annual Farmers’ Market at the village community centre in east Leics is a fine example. Organised by the Sustainable Billesdon Group; 11am-3pm; call 0116 2596872 for more details.

Please check with organisers of all events before setting off

16 Great Food Magazine

region this autumn

Dates for your diary SEPTEMBER September 9-11

LUDLOW FOOD FESTIVAL It might be a little bit outside of Great Food magazine territory but Ludlow Food Festival, held in the town centre and inside Ludlow Castle, is one of the best in the country. Worth a visit.

Adults £8.50, children £2; foodfestival.co.uk

September 10

SADDINGTON PRODUCE SHOW AND FOOD FAIR A brand new free food event held at The Queen’s Head pub, Saddington near Market Harborough in South Leicestershire, 10.30am-3.30pm. The aim is to celebrate harvest by gathering together the best local food. There will be a produce show, cookery demos, art exhibition and treasure hunt.

Call 0116 2402139 for details.

September 11

EASTON WALLED GARDENS AUTUMN COUNTRY MARKET Easton Walled Gardens consists of 12 acres of ‘lost’ gardens near Grantham. Its autumn market is a great place to find plants and good local food in a beautiful setting; 11am-4pm, adults £5.75, children £1.50; eastonwalledgardens.co.uk

September 14

1

LAUNDE ABBEY COOKERY DEMO & SUPPER EVENING

Freshly renovated Elizabethan Launde Abbey – recently awarded a Four Star Award by Quality in Tourism – is holding a series of food events.

September 14 sees a demo by a guest chef where you’ll learn new skills and try the dishes being created. Price is £15 per person, including a two-course supper; 7.15pm start; launde.org.uk

September 17-October 2

BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT “Buy British food and support local farmers” will be the message being shouted during British Food Fortnight, which takes place at Harvest Festival and was first run in 2002. Find out more at lovebritishfood.co.uk

September 17

CALKE SHOW: PLOT TO PLATE Enter your home grown produce in the veg, fruit and flower show at Calke Abbey. Meet local food producers and watch Abbey chefs demonstrate culinary ideas. Adults £4.80, children £2.60, plus parking; 11am-4pm; nationaltrust.org.uk/calke

Events For a regularly updated events diary, go to greatfood mag.co.uk

4 3

2

1

September 17-18

October 5

This event is designed to showcase all that’s great about growing your own. There will be a food hall, ales and ciders, plus arts and crafts marquees. Location is Parker’s Piece, Cambridge.

Entry is free; oakleighfairs.co.uk/foodandgarden

The new cookery school at East Haddon, Northamptonshire, runs a variety of one-day and short courses. This three-hour session will teach you the basics of preparing Indian food.

6pm-9pm; £35; shirescookeryschool.com

September 24-25

October 8

FREE CAMBRIDGE FOOD & GARDEN FESTIVAL

STRATFORD FOOD FESTIVAL Over 60 exhibitors will line the banks of the River Avon and streets of Stratford; 10am-7pm on Saturday; 10am-6pm Sunday. Entrance to the main arena is £5 on the gate; children free; stratfordfoodfestival.co.uk

OCTOBER October 2

TO ARTISAN 2 INTRODUCTION BAKING – USING WILD YEAST AND SOURDOUGHS One day course at The School of Artisan Food on Welbeck Estate, Worksop. You’ll learn how to create and care for your wild yeast starter. £150; schoolofartisanfood.org

3

CURRY IN A HURRY AT THE SHIRES COOKERY SCHOOL

SEASONAL EVENING OF FOOD AND DRINK AT CHATSWORTH FARM SHOP Enjoy a seasonal four-course dinner in one of Britain’s best farm shops, made with ingredients grown on Chatsworth estate near Bakewell, Derbyshire. 6.30pm start; £50; chatsworth.org

October 14-23

BIRMINGHAM FOOD FESTIVAL A brand new 10-day celebration of Birmingham’s food scene, which boasts 27 global cuisines, three Michelin-starred restaurants, the Balti Triangle and several farmers’ markets. As part of the festival, over 100 restaurants will create special menus and there will be a programme of themed events; visitbirmingham.com.

October 15

ST KYNEBURGHA COUNTRY FAIR A rural event taking place in Castor village centre, near Peterborough. There will be local food, arts and crafts in St Kyneburgha church, and refreshments from the Village Cafe.

10am-5.30pm; 01733 380303 or 01733 380541.

October 22

BRAMLEY APPLE FEST AND SOUTHWELL MINSTER FESTIVAL OF FOOD & DRINK

4

Take part in the Southwell Bramley Apple heritage trail, learning the history of the Bramley – first grown in Southwell in 1809. There will also be food stalls in magnificent Southwell Minster, the cathedral church of Nottinghamshire; 10am-4pm; free; bramleyapples.co.uk

November 19

BITE ‘N’ WRITE, BIRMINGHAM A new event for food bloggers. Meet fellow bloggers, network and learn new skills. There will be workshops for food photography, recipe development, SEO tips, video blogging and web advice. Held at the city’s Custard Factory. £75 plus booking fee; 10am-6pm; bite-n-write.co.uk

Great Food Magazine 17

OUT & ABOUT

UT & AB •O

&

AB

& ABOUT

•OUT

UT

UT O

Food Festival OUT • O

Left: Shawn Plumb from PYO chilli farm Edible Ornamentals of Chawston, Bedfordshire.

Right: A local selection from Montagu Hampers.

Oundle Food Chilli growers, honey makers, cider brewers, sausage sellers...

A

rtisan producers from all over the Midlands flocked to one of the region’s most authentic and content-packed food festivals on July 16, 2011. Torrential rain couldn’t dampen spirits and in addition to 30 or so stalls, there were sausage making sessions, sushi classes and talks by food luminaries including Arthur Potts Dawson, founder of London’s People’s Supermarket, and baker extraordinaire Dan Lepard (see p24). Put it in your diary for next year.

Above: Brigitte Dijksterhuis of Kingsthorpe Farm, Polebrook.

Above left: Dan Lepard’s bread making demo.

Above right: Mary Cresswell of Pudding & Pie, Kings Cliffe.

Right: Terry Smith of Smith’s Smokery, Friskney. Left: Chilli sauce

by Edible Ornamentals.

18 Great Food Magazine

Left: Les Green from Deeping Fudge Factory. Above right: Jo (left), Luke and Ruth Phipps from Phipps Honey, Leighton Bromswold.

Right: Chris Seagon from Laurel Farm Herbs, Saxmundham.

Market Above: Great Food’s stand and festival band Five String Thing.

Right: Steve Cooper and Will Evans of Duck Fat Roasties, Nottingham.

Left: Thomas and Simon Dale of Jollydale Cyder, Stamford, Lincs.

Right: Squisito of Monks Kirby, Warwickshire, make their own Italian inspired products.

Festival 2011

All these local producers and more came to Oundle Food Fest Oundle Chapel Bar & Dining Room team (l-r): Harriet and Charlie Palmer, Tom Franklin and Haydn Laidlow.

PHOTOS: MATT WRIGHT

Great Food Magazine 19

MARKETS

Farmers’ markets Leicestershire & Rutland

Where’s your nearest?

Warwickshire

SUTTON COLDFIELD

ATHERSTONE

ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH

MARKET BOSWORTH

SOUTHWELL

When Third Sat, 9am-2pm

When Third Sat of month, 9am-2pm

When Fourth Sun, 9am-2pm

When Third Thurs, 9am-3pm

BEDWORTH

BLABY

MARKET HARBOROUGH

WEST BRIDGFORD

When Last Weds, from 9am

When Fourth Sat of month, 9am-1pm (third Sat in Dec)

When First Thurs, 8am-3.30pm

When Second and fourth Sat, 8.30am-1.30pm

BIRMINGHAM HIGH ST HARBOURNE

BURBAGE

MELTON MOWBRAY

WOLLATON

When Every Tues and Fri, 9am-2pm

When First Sat, 9am-1pm

When Second Sun, 10am-2pm

OAKHAM

When Second Fri, 8.30am-2.30pm

CASTLE DONINGTON

STAMFORD (LINCS)

When First Sat, 9am-1pm

BROUGHTON ASTLEY

When Second Sat, 9am-12.30pm

EARL SHILTON

When Third Sat, 8am-2pm When Every other Fri, 8.30am-3pm (July 1, July 15 etc)

WORKSOP

When Third Sat, 9am-1pm

When Third Sat, 9am-1pm

Nottinghamshire

BELPER

BEESTON

When Second Sat, 9am-2pm

KIBWORTH BEAUCHAMP

When Fourth Fri, 9am-2pm

CHESTERFIELD

BINGHAM

When Third Sat, 9am-1pm

When Third Sat, from 9am

When Second Thur and last Sun, from 9am

LEICESTER

MANSFIELD

When First Thurs, 10am-4pm

When Third Tues, 9am-4pm

LOUGHBOROUGH

NEWARK

When Second Weds, 9am-4pm

HINCKLEY When Third Thurs, 9am-2pm

When Second Sat, 9am-2pm

Northamptonshire BRACKLEY

BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET

When Third Sat, 9am-1pm

When First and third Weds, 9am-4pm

When First Sat, 9am-1pm

DAVENTRY OUNDLE When Second Sat, 9am-2pm

When Fourth Fri, 10am-2pm

ALFRETON

WARWICK When Fifth Sat (irregular), 9am-2pm

COLESHILL

Derbyshire

When Second Fri, 9am-3pm

HIGHAM FERRERS

COVENTRY When Second Thurs, 9am-4.30pm

When Last Sat, 8am-3pm

LEAMINGTON SPA

When Third Thurs, 9am-1.30pm

When Fourth Sat, 9am-2pm

NORTHAMPTON

TOWCESTER

DERBY

When Third Fri , 9am-2pm

When Second Fri, 9am-2pm

When Third Thur, 9am-3pm

RUGBY

WELLINGBOROUGH

HEANOR When Third Sat, 9am-3pm

When Last Thurs, 9am-2pm

When Last Thurs, 9am-2pm

When First Wed, from 9am

RIPLEY

SOLIHULL

NOTTINGHAM

When First Sat, 9am-3pm

When First Fri, 9am-5pm

LUTTERWORTH

When Third Fri, 9am-4pm

SWADLINCOTE

STRATFORD-ON-AVON

When Second Sat, 9am-1.30pm

RETFORD

When Third Sat of month, from 9am

When First and third Sat, 9am-2pm

When Third Sat, from 9am

NUNEATON

NB We’ve used a number of sources to compile this list. Always check market is running before setting off

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Tel: 01664 444737

www.kingsarms-scalford.co.uk

haycock.indd 2

12/7/11 16:16:24

LOCAL PRODUCER

Real Bread: Stage One To get flour you need milling wheat. Matt Wright meets Nottinghamshire eco-farmer David Rose to find out more

A

ugust evening sunlight casts its mellow glow over fields near the village of Car Colston, four miles north of Bingham. The combine harvester is pursued by a cloud of dust as it scythes through the crop, heading downhill towards St Wilfred’s church. A warm aroma of freshly cut wheat fills the air.

With rain forecast in the next few hours, there isn’t long to gather all the Canadian Red wheat – a tall, commercial milling variety that will be sold to make bread.

David Rose checks the giant vehicle’s progress. This is his field.

David is part of a co-operative of four neighbouring farms called Farmeco, which shares labour and equipment.

“We’re squeezing the combining in

now before it gets damaged by rain,” he says. “This crop is very thin in the middle because we had a dry early summer. There’s not as much here as we’d hoped, but the rest of our crops will make up for it.”

David’s family has farmed these fields for three generations.

In 1933 when his grandfather arrived, this was a mixed farm.

“He used to deliver milk to the villages, and grandmother sold produce at the local markets,” says David. But times changed. Mixed farms became less profitable and economies of scale were needed, so the neighbouring farms amalgamated to create a larger, more focused business.

Wheat decisions

David Rose (left) and Angus Reid

David explains a little more about growing wheat. He tells me that farmers must decide whether to grow feed wheat – sold as animal feed – or milling wheat – sold to millers to make flour for bread.

There are many varieties of each.

“Milling wheats don’t yield as highly as feed wheats. This field of Canadian Red will yield a tonne and a half per acre, while feed wheat would have yielded up to four tonnes.” However, milling wheats fetch higher premiums than feed wheats, so it can be competitive – more profitable, even – to grow them. But there’s added risk: if your milling wheat isn’t up to scratch – if it’s damaged by rain,

‘David ’s family has farmed these Nottinghamshire fields

David Rose and Angus Reid watch as their combine gathers the milling wheat. Surrounding this Nottinghamshire field is 3000 acres of Farmeco land.

By pooling labour and resources the four farms that make up Farmeco can achieve economies of scale

22 Great Food Magazine

fo

Milling wheat

Farmeco comprises four Nottinghamshire farms

A combine harvester costs around £240,000

Community Care Farm

Farmeco Community Care Farm is David Rose’s own trailblazing project that aims to reconnect the community with local farming and food production, while improving education and health. As a result, David is involved in projects such as providing seeds for schoolchildren and building a classroom on the farm.

wheat is sufficient. And you have to achieve the quality so you give it priority. And the economics are a constant battle because big millers tend to buy wheat from overseas where it often has a better specification due to better growing conditions – and where it costs less, too.”

No sleep for example – then it gets downgraded to feed, and your premium vanishes.

As a result, most British farmers stick to growing feed wheat. But not David, who is passionate about local food and works closely with the Real Bread Campaign. “You have to be sure the premium you will get for your milling

If growing wheat in England is challenging then harvesting it is plain nasty. “We were up at 5am this morning and will be going until about 3am,” says Angus Reid, another member of Farmeco. “We often work 20 hour days at this time of year. In the last 14 days, I’ve put in 185 hours.”

David checks his Canadian Red wheat

His voice is drowned out by the combine – around £240,000 worth – which comes within yards of us, bathing us in a smog of dust. When it’s gone we walk out into the field, crunching the freshly cut stalks. David explains that in an adjacent field he has more wheat growing. “Lots of varieties, all grown together. They mix and become more disease resistant and higher yielding. That enables us to use fewer fertilisers.”

As the sun sets over the fields, the grain is transferred from combine to tractor. Its next journey will be to a mill, where it will be ground into flour.

CONTACT Farmeco, Shackerdale, Car Colston, Notts NG13 8JL, 0560 3144832, farmeco.co.uk

for three generations’

Great Food Magazine 23

HOME BAKING

HOMEMADE BREAD

When Dan Lepard came to town...

Vanessa Kimbell meets baking royalty and grabs a recipe

D

an Lepard is an award-winning London-based baker who’s probably best known for sharing recipes and cookery tips in The Guardian. He’s also written several highly regarded books on baking and runs the popular website, danlepard.com. I first came across Dan’s recipes through my sister. “You must make some of his recipes,” she raved. “They always turn out exactly as they look like in the photos. I am now a baking goddess,” she declared.

This theme of delight at the consistently great results produced by Dan’s recipes has been a constant whenever and wherever his name is mentioned. So having been guided by his book The Handmade Loaf for years, I decided that when Dan was next in the region I’d try to catch up with him. Happily, this year was the second time that he had run a bread making demonstration at Oundle Food Festival (see p18).

Joy of baking What should have been a gloriously sunny July day in the pretty Northamptonshire market town turned out to be the scene of torrential rain. Nevertheless, Oundle’s Victoria Hall was packed with baking enthusiasts for Dan’s demo, which was brilliantly informative. Despite now regarding myself as an experienced baker, I learnt more in those two hours than I have in years. Hard-won baking tips came thick and fast as Dan delved passionately into the delightful intricacies of bread making. From practical nuggets like: “A cloth-lined, flour-dusted proving basket [see p74] is a really useful piece of kit to help maintain your loaf’s shape”; to handy advice: “A great website for getting your baking kit is bakerybits.co.uk.”

Three of the finest things in life... beer, bread and flour

Short & Sweet Dan’s new book Short & Sweet is out in October, published by Fourth Estate Harper Collins.

If you are into baking, it is a wise investment – danlepard.com

Baker meets miller: Dan Lepard with Spencer Craven, miller at Claybrooke Mill. Spencer’s flour was a central ingredient of the loaves in the picture

A local loaf During the demo, Dan used flour produced by Claybrooke Mill, south Leicestershire – one of the country’s few water mills that still produces flour commercially (see p26).

“I’m impressed,” said Dan. “Much of Claybrooke’s flour is organic and produces a beautifully light, golden-crusted loaf. I can recommend using it for sourdough, as it holds the structure of the loaf well. There is lots of bubble-holding gluten in there, which gives a great crumb.”

The other local ingredient Dan used was Beacon ale from Leicestershire brewer Everards. “This is a great beer for baking – rich in malt but without too many hops, which can slow down the action of the yeast. It’s also delicious for washing down a ploughman’s lunch!”

24 Great Food Magazine

Dan with a copy of Great Food at Oundle Food Fest

So what’s so good about the idea of a local loaf? “When you taste the best breads in other countries, they gain their excellence through a combination of skill and careful use of the best local ingredients, and that’s something we’re not doing enough in Britain. It gives the bread’s flavour a signature that can’t be imitated outside of the county easily.

As Leicestershire and the surrounding area has many excellent food producers, it just makes good sense to do what our bakers here would have done a hundred years ago and create a local bread with a distinctive flavour.”

Dan was also impressed by Everards’ Project Artisan, a scheme pioneered by the family owned brewer to encourage artisan bakers (and other food producers) to bake in Everards’ pubs (see p43). “As a baker, Project Artisan is exactly the kind of innovation we need to encourage great food locally.” Q

Recipe

Dan Lepard’s Leicestershire Ale Loaf * 150ml warm water * 200ml Everards Beacon ale

* 25g honey * 1 tsp fast-action yeast * 1 75g strong wholemeal flour from Claybrooke Mill, Leicestershire * 300g strong white Claybrooke Mill flour, plus more for shaping * 1 ô tsp fine salt, less if you prefer * Oil for kneading

Dan Lepard writes... Forget the old ten minutes of ache-inducing kneading – science has shown that time is more important than effort. Just give the dough three very short, light kneads on an oiled worktop, just ten seconds for each. This gives a brilliant crumb texture for very little effort. Using oil rather than flour stops it sticking to your hands, and avoids extra unmeasured flour drying the dough out. Use a good ale like Everards’ Beacon, and for flour try the excellent stoneground flours from Claybrooke Watermill.

1 Stir water, ale and honey together in a mixing bowl,

sprinkle in the yeast and stir well.

Add flours and salt, mix well to a soft rough mass, then cover the bowl and leave for 10 minutes.

This pause gives the flour time to absorb the moisture and helps the stretchy gluten develop.

2 Lightly oil a 30cm patch of worktop, knead the dough gently for about 10 seconds then return it to the bowl, cover, and leave for 10 minutes. Repeat this light kneading sequence twice more at 10-minute intervals, then cover the dough and leave for an hour.

3 Flour worktop, shape dough into a ball, place it seam side down on a floured tray, then cover and leave to rise for an hour. Heat the

oven to 220C/200C fan (Gas 7) and place a dish containing boiling water on the lowest shelf to help colour the crust.

4 Cut a cross in the top of the dough with a sharp blade, place the loaf in the oven with a good 10cm gap between it and your dish below, and bake for about 45 minutes until richly coloured.

Then move the baked loaf to a wire rack to cool.

‘Forget the ten minutes of kneading – science has shown that time is more important than effort’

Great Food Magazine 25

LOCAL PRODUCER

The Mill on theFosse Matt Wright discovers a living, breathing link to our past

I

n today’s fast paced, high consumption world, a commercial watermill is an anachronism, a relic that uses technology dating back to 300BC. Water-powered mills making stoneground flour have been superseded by their hyper-efficient offspring – giant electricity-devouring gristmills that break down millions of tons of grain with huge steel rollers.

Considering the technology that Claybrooke Watermill employs is well over 2000 years old, it’s no surprise that running it as a commercial enterprise in 2011 is challenging.

“It’s tough, but milling is in our bones,” says Sally Craven, who manages the business with husband and head miller Spencer. “We love what we do and are about to celebrate 10

years of working at the mill. We’re going to have our miller’s stencil made [see opposite page, top right], which will hang alongside the names of the others millers who’ve worked at Claybrooke over the centuries.”

Claybrooke Mill is one of the few commercially producing watermills remaining in the UK and is located in the Leicestershire village of Claybrooke Magna, near Lutterworth. There were thousands of watermills all over the country at the time of the Domesday Book and many remained in use until the industrial revolution, but today there are just a handful left.

There is thought to have been a watermill at Claybrooke for more than 2000 years, when horses would have been the

“ T here’s thought to have been a watermill at Claybrooke for only traffic on the major Roman roads of Watling Street and Fosse Way, which intersected just a few hundred yards away at High Cross.

I’m standing with Spencer and Sally on the ground floor of the mill, near the pit wheel. It’s July and there’s no grain here at the moment; it’s the calm before the rush of the late summer and autumn harvest. “We take this opportunity to do some mill maintenance,” says Spencer. “We’ll split the milling stones to give them a clean and a dress. We try to get everything done so once the harvest is in, you’re ready.”

Spencer and Sally Craven inside Claybrooke Mill

26 Great Food Magazine

Stoneground flour Names of past Claybrooke millers

Past owners

Millers used stencils to brand their bags of flour. Spencer and Sally found these old stencils lying around when they took over the mill. The top stencil belonged to Marmaduke Fawkes, who milled at Claybrooke in the 1850s.

Speculation links Marmaduke and his family to a certain Guy Fawkes. The link is made all the more curious when you consider that the Gunpowder Plot required large quantities of flour to cause the explosion and that the meeting place of the conspirators was the Red Lion Inn at Dunchurch, just a few miles from Claybrooke Magna.

Big wheels... the heart of the mill

more than 2000 years’ Burrstones and damsels

Spencer and Sally mill an array of award winning stoneground flours for both home bakers and the trade.

Their millstones – not, unfortunately for lovers of local geology, made from Derbyshire gritstone (“leads to grit in flour”) but from French burrstone (“the best, because it contains lots of fissures and sharpens itself as it wears”) are powered by water that flows from a tiny brook, through a man-made watercourse called a leat, and into Claybrooke’s millpond. From here, its flow into the mill and onto the giant water wheel is controlled by Spencer. “All mills are made with lime mortar because the whole building shakes when the wheel is operating,” he says.

We walk up steep wooden stairs to the first floor. “This is the tun case,” says Spencer, pointing to a wooden contraption where you feed in the wheat. “Then you’ve got the horse, which supports the hopper, which feeds the shoe, which is vibrated by the damsel – it’s called a damsel because it chatters away all day,” Spencer whispers that last bit. “The grain then flows into the eye of the millstone. There are various controls to raise or lower the angle of the shoe to vary the rate of grain feed.”

Once the wheel is turning and the grain is flowing, Spencer uses the tentering gear to alter grist quality. The closer the millstones are together, the finer the grist, but a finer flour is not necessarily a better flour. “The difference between fine and coarse is a minute movement – one thousandth of an inch,” says Spencer.

Award winning Claybrooke flours

Great Food Magazine 27

LOCAL PRODUCER SUBSC R LIKE T IBE!

Where the flour sacks get filled

MAGA HIS TURN T ZINE? TO MA O P31 K YOU G E SURE E NEXT IST THE SUE

“When we get fresh grain in, it takes Spencer up to four days to get everything set up correctly,” says Sally. “And you have to alter the settings daily, too. Keeping the grist a consistent size requires you to make changes depending on whether the atmosphere is dry or damp, and according to water level.” And that’s the miller’s art.

Labour of love The milling method might be the same as it’s always been, but running a watermill as a business today is rather different than it was at the height of watermilling. Sally describes some of the challenges: “Employing staff is tricky because of modern health and safety regulations, which weren’t really written with old watermills in mind,” she says.

‘When we get new grain in, it can take four days to get set up correctly’ “Also, there’s nowhere to buy standard mechanical parts because every mill was built differently.” Machining the main bearing – a solid block of phosphor bronze – took Spencer three days recently.

Getting the right wheat isn’t easy, either. “We use organic where possible,” says Spencer. In a perfect world, the wheat for Claybrooke flour would be grown in fields near Claybrooke Mill. But in reality, the economics of modern agriculture make this impossible. Spencer explains: “Milling wheat seed is expensive to buy, you have to spend time looking after it, it’s low yield, and if it doesn’t make the grade it gets downgraded to animal feed. The economics are against it from the word go. Wheat for animal feed is easier – farmers are guaranteed a certain yield and can work out what they’re going to get per ton.”

Spencer tries to buy UK grain but it’s all down to quality.

“What goes in the top comes out the bottom, so I have to start out with as good a quality grain as possible. Other mills have the ability to blend but we don’t. You have to read the markets and try to buy your wheat at the right time, when the price isn’t at its height. It’s not easy.”

Flour power

Claybrooke muesli is worth tracking down

Claybrooke Mill makes muesli and porridge as well as many types and blends of stoneground flour.

Varieties include chilli flour (“for bread with attitude,” says Spencer) and the award winning Woodhouse Mix, named after The Woodhouse restaurant in Woodhouse Eaves near Bradgate Park. You can buy Claybrooke Mill products from their stands at Burbage, Loughborough and Market Bosworth farmers’ markets, or from a variety of farm shops (see p66).

Selling flour is also tricky, with many supermarkets not geared up to deal with small-scale water- and wind-millers and the challenges they face. “Some supermarkets’ penalty clauses for late delivery are horrific,” says Spencer. “They don’t seem to understand the traditional milling process.

However, Waitrose is quite supportive of local producers and seem to be more flexible so we may consider becoming a supplier in the future, but for now it’s not worth the risk.”

The future

Facts & figures

In one hour, Claybrooke Mill uses 200,000 gallons of water, generating nine horsepower and 6800lb ft of torque, the same as about 4000 family cars. The water wheel turns at 7rpm.

Claybrooke’s millpond contains 1100 gallons of water per inch and the leat contains 13,500 gallons per inch. The wheel will run for 4.39 minutes using one inch of water.

28 Great Food Magazine

Claybrooke Mill is tough to run and needs the commitment of a passionate family team to make it commercially viable.

However, let’s hope that the water wheels of Claybrooke and mills like it turn for years to come. Not only because it produces high-quality stoneground flour using sustainable, renewable power, but also because it provides an important link with our past.

CONTACT Claybrooke Mill, Frolesworth Lane, Claybrooke Magna, Leicestershire LE17 5DB, 01455 202443, www.claybrookewatermill.co.uk

The Coach House Inn New Menu Arrives Bruntingthorpe South Leicestershire

Welcoming, l ecia Charming, Sp The Joiners is a delightful gastropub serving simple, perfectly cooked food.

At The Coach House Inn, our new menu has arrived for you to enjoy. It’s yet another reason for you to come and enjoy the warm welcome, beautifully-cooked traditional pub food and comfortable relaxing atmosphere.

Also, for dinner on Mondays to Thursdays and lunch on Tuesdays to Saturdays, we have a 2-course menu for £12.50 per person and a 3-course menu for £15 per person.

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Call us today and book your table on 01780 720166

For further details please call 0116 247 8258 or see our website www.thejoinersarms.co.uk

E x p e r i e n c e

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Great Food Magazine 31

LOCAL PRODUCER

Real bread BITES back

Hambleton Bakery’s rise and why real bread is back ARTICLE & PHOTOS: VANESSA KIMBELL

Tim Hart

Passionate food lover Tim Hart (below) owns Michelin-starred Hambleton Hall in Rutland and Hart’s in Nottingham. After researching the history of bread-making, he set up Hambleton Bakery with Julian Carter in 2008.

32 Great Food Magazine

W

isps of wood smoke melt into the morning mist and we are greeted with warm smiles and a crackling fire in the former hunting lodge sitting room at Hambleton Hall, overlooking Rutland Water. Tim Hart, owner and cofounder of Hambleton Bakery, explains that artisan bread is undergoing a resurgence. The bread they make today at Hambleton Bakery has exactly the same properties as the bread that was made 200 years ago in the area. Hambleton’s Local Loaf – one of many types of loaf made by the bakery – uses stoneground flour milled by a local windmill. The dough is fermented using beer barm (ale froth) from Grainstore Brewery, Oakham. Then the bread is hand formed and left to prove in willow baskets before loaves are turned out into the woodfired oven.

Tim is justifiably proud that in three years Hambleton has grown to have four outlets: Exton (where all the bread is baked), Stamford, Oakham and now a franchise in Oundle.

The bakery also supplies several restaurants and sells bread through lots of local delis and farm shops, including

Farndon Fields Farm Shop in Market Harborough, which is the most recent addition to Hambleton’s portfolio.

In Britain today, the vast majority of bread is baked in factories via the Chorleywood Process, where degraded flour is combined with high doses of yeast, resulting in accelerated fermentation. Making a loaf like this takes about 90 minutes from start to finish. Numerous chemicals are also added, designed to inflate, moisten and preserve the finished product. “This tasteless commercial bread has dominated for too long,” says Tim. “It’s a national disgrace.”

Before the mid-19th century, when Louis Pasteur discovered that fermentation was caused by living organisms – namely yeast – the bread-making process was a mystery. But bakers did know that it was possible to make bread in two ways – by the sourdough method, which allows a flour and water mix to ferment naturally, or by the beer barm method.

Hambleton makes bread using both techniques. The sourdough method, Tim explains, was not common in

Bread

Julian Carter creates tarts like a dervish

The woodfired oven in Exton

Hambleton Bakery’s new franchised outlet in Oundle

‘ Bread like this is our culinary heritage and feeds the soul and body’ England. “Our historical digging showed that in preindustrial Britain, bakers simply went to the local brewery to borrow some froth off the top of fermenting beer and made a starter with that, which is exactly what we do for what we call our Local Loaf.”

Meet the baker Head baker at Hambleton is Julian Carter, who used to be Hambleton Hall kitchen supremo Aaron Patterson’s sous chef. Before that he was a chef with the RAF. “When Julian decided to return to his roots to bake, I was excited by the possibility of making traditional bread for Hambleton Hall and our Nottingham restaurant, Hart’s,” says Tim. “Julian is the fourth generation of eldest sons to become bakers.”

It’s a ten minute drive from Hambleton Hall to Hambleton Bakery’s Exton headquarters. Sunbeams bounce off the water as the road winds east around the reservoir. We arrive. The grandeur of the Hall is far behind.

This is humble. Overlooking a meadow, the green door of a once-abandoned electrical substation opens and fresh baked bread smells escape. Bright strip lights hang from magnolia ceilings. The Spanish-designed woodfired Ipsor oven is set in traditional red bricks and radiates a constant heat, while all around baked goods are stacked waiting to be taken to their next destination – trolleys crammed with tarts and shelves heaving with baskets of proving sourdough.

Julian Carter is deftly filling a sea of pastry cases with custard. He doesn’t spill a drop. They are Portuguese egg custard tarts. He talks quickly, with a soft accent gained

Hambleton’s giant oven

The woodfired oven at Exton is three metres in diameter, big enough to bake 50 loaves at a time. It is powered by ash and beech logs gathered at local forests, which would otherwise go to waste. It bakes up to 500 loaves a day and gets through 11,000 logs per year. The temperature inside never drops below 200C and if left, the oven would take three weeks to cool down.

Hambleton bakes every day except Christmas day.

Local Loaf

Stoneground wheat flour combined with local ale barm to create a malty, slightly bitter loaf.

Above left: willow proving baskets in Exton. Above right: Hambleton’s stall at the Rutland Food Festival, September 2010

Manchet

Soft breakfast roll.

“The Englishman’s answer to a croissant,” says Tim Hart.

Sourdough

The dough is fermented for 24 hours using the bakery’s own starter culture.

The crumb has a springy texture.

from his home city of Liverpool. “The slow fermentation of our bread encourages the development of lactobacilli, which in turn creates lactic acid. It is this acid that is responsible for the slightly sour taste of sourdough bread.” The bread itself is renowned for keeping well. Lactic acid is an effective mould inhibitor which means it lasts up to a week.

Julian moves over to the oven and opens the lower cast iron door. There is a blast of warmth and I glimpse hot ashes.

He loads logs while telling me that the oven itself was sourced from Barcelona. Julian seems unconcerned by the intense heat. “It’s a rotary oven and costs just £14 a day to run,” says Julian. “Using one of these is not just about fulfilling a romantic notion of baking, there are practical considerations as well, and one of those has to be cost.”

Hambleton Bakery’s success proves that artisan bread is indeed undergoing a resurgence. But why? Tim explains: “Our bread has sold well because it’s a small treat. It might be twice as expensive as supermarket bread but it’s still the same price as a cappuccino and lasts all week.” Then there are less hard-headed reasons. Bread like this is everything we once lost. It is our culinary heritage and its return feeds the soul as well as the body. Q CONTACT Hambleton Bakery, Cottesmore Road, Exton, Rutland LE15 8AN, 01572 812995, hambletonbakery.co.uk

Great Food Magazine 33

RECIPE

Dilly Boase’s gluten-free bread

Cornmeal is gluten free

TOP TIP Get a digital thermometer so you can check your bread’s internal temperature. When it’s 92C, it’s done

D

illy Boase from Monmouth in South Wales is a member of the Real Bread Campaign and recently came to Melton Mowbray Country Fair to demonstrate the art of bread making. She also created the wonderful visual recipe on p2.

Below is Dilly’s gluten-free bread recipe, which can be enjoyed by people with coeliac disease, a condition that makes them intolerant to gluten – a substance found in wheat.

As a passionate baker, Dilly has interesting views on gluten intolerance. “I believe there are few real coeliacs,” she says. “Most people who think they are – as I thought I was – actually suffer bloating from a reaction to under-fermented flour. This is due to the way that most industrially produced bread is made.

“The high speed of the industrial bread making process doesn’t give yeast and lactobacilli a chance to break down the flour and make it digestible for us, nor to produce the alcohols that make slowlymade breads taste so blissful. Even if you’re not gluten intolerant, gluten-free baking can give you a taste of different flours and you’ll be making a bread that everyone can share.”

Dilly Boase at the Melton Mowbray Country Fair

Dilly Boase’s gluten-free bread

Local honey

Makes two loaves, one for freezing

* 250g rice flour * 110g fine cornmeal * 50g dried milk powder * 2ô tsp xanthan gum (a powder

to take the place of gluten – available from health food shops) * 1 rounded tsp salt * 2 tbsp linseeds, toasted in a low oven (optional) * 3 free range eggs, beaten * 1 generous tbsp honey * 600ml water, tepid * 40g fresh yeast or 20g active dried yeast

1 Line two 500g capacity loaf tins with greaseproof paper.

2 Dissolve yeast and honey in 1/3 of the tepid water, leave in a warm place while you prepare everything else.

3 Thoroughly mix rice flour, cornmeal, milk powder, xanthan gum, salt and cooled linseeds (optional) in a big mixing bowl. It is essential that these are well mixed before the liquids are added.

4 When the yeast has had six minutes, it should have made a slightly frothy layer on the top of the water. At this point, mix in the rest of the water and the beaten eggs.

5 Stir the liquid into the combined dry ingredients, then beat thoroughly, ensuring that there are no dry bits left.

The mixture will thicken as the grains absorb the moisture, but it’ll stay more like a batter rather than a dough.

6 Share the mixture between the two tins.

Cover them with a damp tea-towel to prevent a skin forming.

7 Leave till the mixture reaches just below the lip of the tins, which will take 20-30 minutes depending on room temperature.

Preheat oven to 190C (Gas 5).

8 Bake for 55-60 minutes. They’ll be done when they’re nicely browned and sound hollow when turned out and tapped underneath. Cool on a rack before cutting.

To freeze your loaf, wrap in paper, then a plastic bag. To defrost, leave sealed in plastic bag at room temperature.

DID YOU KNOW?

A field of linseed – this glutenfree ingredient will give your bread a distinctive flavour

34 Great Food Magazine

Linseed, also known as flax, is grown both for its seeds and for its fibres. Various parts of the plant have been used to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets, hair gels, and soap.

Why not use local honey in this recipe? Pictured below is honey produced at hives kept at Sysonby Knoll Hotel, Melton – sysonby.com

Real Bread Campaign

The Real Bread Campaign supports artisan bakers and fights for better bread in Britain.

Find out more at sustainweb.org.

W

e would like to welcome you to our shop in the heart of Melton Mowbray. Our aim is to bring you the finest cheese and dairy produce, much of it sourced in Leicestershire and surrounding counties; as well as the best from the UK, and a growing variety of continental cheeses.

Our cheeses from the local area include the complete Long Stilton is our speciality, ours Clawson range, Quenby Hall Stilton, is sourced directly from Long Lincolnshire Poacher, Godminster Clawson Dairy, based just five Organic Vintage Cheddar, Stafford miles outside Melton Mowbray.

Cheese from Bertelin Cheese, and Sparkenhoe e F )PS B UBTUF PG UI F Farm Red UI PN GS CFTU DIFFTF Leicester.

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FOOD PEOPLE

Goodbye office, hello bakery!

Following a UK trend, Sue Bowers has given up corporate life to set up a bakery ARTICLE: HELEN TARVER

S

tathern in the Vale of Belvoir offers a surprising choice of good food outlets for a small village.

There’s an award winning pub, the Red Lion Inn (see p40), not to mention the equally lauded sausages of highly regarded butcher David Cox. But, according to village lore, it is over 100 years since there was a baker. Now, for at least some of the week, this is set to change with the opening by Sue Bowers of Baking Buddha, a bakery that she operates from her garage.

The dawn of 2011 was the moment when Sue, originally from Sheffield, decided that this really was the year to make a life change. As she says: “I was in Lisbon for New Year and had to rush home as my mum was really poorly. It made me think, ‘What am I doing? Life really is too short’.”

A lifelong interest in food, catalysed by a bread-making course at the School of Artisan Food at Welbeck Estate (see p70), and the need for

“My stepdaughter designed the Baking Buddha artwork”

‘Baking Buddha is nothing to do with religion – it refers to the size I’m getting after eating all this great bread!’ change all came together and Baking Buddha began to become a reality.

Sue’s story is not unique. The School of Artisan Food is turning into a Mecca for Brits disillusioned with corporate life and wanting to learn how to become professional food producers.

Sue Bowers gets another sourdough out of the oven

Always liking to do things slightly differently, Sue was determined not to go down the corner shop route but to do something a little more eclectic.

“I want this funky garage bakery to work. I like the idea of the garage with a trestle table and baskets of bread.

Open the doors, it’s a bakery. Close the doors and it’s back to normal!”

Bread community Joining the Real Bread Campaign has given Sue great support to help get the business up and running. As she sees it, “The people you come to meet in the Real Bread community want to help you, whereas in corporate life they want something from you. People have been so willing to help, it’s lovely.”

Sue’s first public foray on her own to sell her bread was at the annual Party

36 Great Food Magazine

Kit in Sue’s garage/bakery

in the Park in Stathern in June, which attracts visitors from the village and from the wider Vale, so it was perfect for getting people to sample her wares.

“I made a huge range of stuff, as I wanted to show what I could do. I was so tired on the day, as I was baking from 7am through to 8pm on the Friday, then I had a few hours’ break, then did the sourdough and started proving. I finished at 1.30am and was up again at 6am!”

Sue’s first bread was a pitta from Claudia Roden’s New Book of Middle Eastern Food, but her real love is sourdough. “I love the idea that you

G

The Baking Buddha’s Pan Candeal Castilian round loaf Makes one loaf

* 500g strong bread flour * 10g salt * 15g fresh yeast * Olive oil for greasing baking sheet and glazing 1 Sift flour onto work surface or in a bowl and make a hollow in the centre.

2 Add salt, crumbled yeast, and 200ml of lukewarm water.

3 Knead all the ingredients into a smooth dough (about five minutes continuously).

4 Cover and leave in a warm place to rise until it has doubled in volume.

5 Shape the dough into a round loaf (about 30cm in diameter) and carve a diamond pattern on the surface using a sharp knife.

6 Place on a greased baking sheet and brush with olive oil.

7 Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C (Gas 6) for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy Christmas and New Year at Barnsdale Lodge

G

G

The warmest welcome awaits you at Barnsdale Lodge.

Why not treat yourself and relax with us this Christmas.

We have a delicious Christmas menu with locally sourced ingredients. Enjoy cocktails, play board games with the family, cosy up in front of the fire with a good book or head off for a brisk walk around Rutland Water. Christmas packages available from £440 pp for 3 nights.

{ } TOP TIP

“I’m not into bread perfectionism. My advice is to get stuck in and find your own way” – Sue Bowers, Baking Buddha

Sue discovered this recipe when on holiday in Spain

can make something so special from just flour, water and salt. Sourdoughs are so amazing, they’re like Jabba the Hutt when they get going!” And she must be doing something right, as her Ginger Beer Levain won first prize in the home baker class at the recent Melton Big Bake. So the next time you’re passing down Mill Hill in Stathern and wonder what that smell is, chances are it’ll be really good, proper bread. And why Baking Buddha? “Nothing to do with religion,” says Sue. “It’s because of the size I’m getting after eating all this great bread!”

Bring your party to ours!

CONTACT Baking Buddha, Stathern, Leics.

There is a Baking Buddha Facebook page, or email Sue at poonum@ btinternet.com

From £26pp for dinner and disco. For bookings or more info please call, email or visit the website.

G

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The Avenue, Rutland Water, Nr Oakham, Rutland LE15 8AH tel: 01572 724678 enquiries@barnsdalelodge.co.uk

www.barnsdalelodge.co.uk

LOCAL PRODUCER

Herds and whey Olive Branch All-Stars

Long Clawson Dairy supplier and Chairman John Collishaw keeps 200 cows that produce the milk that makes your Stilton ARTICLE & PHOTOS: MATT WRIGHT

A

ll over Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire are farms that supply milk to Long Clawson Dairy – one of Britain’s biggest producers of Blue Stilton and maker of over 30 other celebrated cheeses. You can spot Clawson suppliers from their blue roadside signs, which sport the company logo (see opposite page). If you see a blue sign, chances are you’ll see a field of cows nearby. And if you’re a cheese fan, you should really doff your cap, because the cows in front of you produce the raw milk that makes your cream crackers worth eating.

Collecting the milk Over 40 dairy farms produce milk for Clawson, each with its own story to tell. One supplier is Clawson chairman John Collishaw, who keeps 200 Holsteins on 500 acres at Malthouse Farm near Hickling village, two miles from Long Clawson Dairy.

I arrive at John’s farm to see a calf trying to stand up. It was born minutes before my arrival. “Shame you missed it,” says John, who has been up since 6am and has already milked 200 cows, helped by son Edward – it took them three-and-a-half hours. Soon, the day’s second milking session will begin before the daily lorry arrives to

transport the bounty to the dairy.

After a few more tasks, John and Edward will get home at 8pm. This, more or less, is their schedule seven days a week. It’s relentless.

“It was a simple birth,” says John, glancing at the new arrival. “She’ll be standing up in an hour. Tending to new calves is another job we have to deal with, although my wife Molly handles that side of farming life – she’s better at it than me!”

John’s family has been associated with Long Clawson Dairy for many years. “Father first started to supply Clawson in the 1970s, which is about the time I joined the family business.

I’ve now been a director for 25 years and chairman for five. Being chairman involves looking after members’ interests [Long Clawson has been a co-operative since it was founded in 1911] and helping to oversee the strategy of the business.”

It’s a big job. The success of Long Clawson Dairy – and that of the region’s other makers of Blue Stilton – is hugely important to rural communities in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. “A lot of people in the area either directly or indirectly rely on Clawson Dairy,” says John.

“The geographical protection has really helped – Stilton cheese has

The finished products The milk produced on John’s farm and others like them is turned into a variety of Clawson cheeses, including Stilton, Thomas Hoe Stevenson Aged Leicestershire Red, Paneer and Shropshire Blue.

Each day, milk is collected from all these farms before being brought back to the dairy for testing. In the case of Blue Stilton, the milk is then pasteurised, cooled and pumped into huge stainless steel vats, where starter culture and rennet are added, turning the milk into curds. The following morning, after the whey has drained, the curd is cut into six-inch blocks, then milled, salted and finally tipped into cylindrical cheese hoops to mature.

38 Great Food Magazine

John’s farm is near Hickling, Nottinghamshire

DID YOU KNOW? Each day, Clawson lorries collect 20,000 gallons of milk from its member farms to take back to the dairy to turn into cheese.

always has been local to this area and we’re very proud to keep it that way.”

John is referring to the fact that milk used for Blue Stilton must – by law – come from Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire, a situation that has existed since the cheese received Protected Designation of Origin status in 1996.

Happily, Clawson is enjoying success. Exports – particularly to the US – are going well and sales in general are strong. John believes this is down to teamwork. “We’re very fortunate that everyone works together at Long Clawson Dairy – the management, farmers and staff. There’s a fantastic family atmosphere and that’s what has made the dairy successful. When

“The success of Clawson is hugely important to rural communities in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire”

Cheese

Heifer calves are thriving in their new hutches

John Collishaw at Malthouse farm

everyone works together, it’s amazing what you can achieve.”

As well as thinking about Clawson’s strategy, John has to consider the most efficient way to run his own farm. He’s about to invest a large amount of money in a robotic milking system that will save time and labour. “Our milking sessions currently take too long, partly because we have to put on all the milking clusters ourselves.”

The key to running a dairy farm for cheese is the ability to produce high-protein milk to get the highest possible yield of cheese. Holsteins are good for yield but other breeds are excellent too. One Clawson supplier has recently moved over to a French cow – the Montbéliarde – which is proving effective.

Another key to successful dairy farming is being as self sufficient as

Below: Ideally, this calf will have up to 16 years of farm life ahead of her

John will soon have a robotic milking system to save time

Left: Clawson Red Leicester.

Right: Young Stilton

possible. John grows as much of his own feed – corn, for example – as possible, and with rocketing grain prices that has stood Malthouse Farm in good stead. John’s herd eats eight tons of feed a day in the winter and produces five tons of milk a day.

Increasing the health of the calves is also crucial, something that John has had success with recently. “Our calves now begin life in hutches that we’ve imported from the US [pictured

above]. This works incredibly well because they can see each other and feel safe and secure but there’s no cross contamination. It’s revolutionised our calf rearing.”

The calf born this morning will be put into a hutch as soon as it’s on its own two feet, when it will tended

by Molly. Then it will join the rest of the milkers at Malthouse Farm, supplying the white stuff that makes your Blue Stilton.

CONTACT Long Clawson Dairy, Long Clawson, Melton Mowbray LE14 4PJ 01664 822332, clawson.co.uk

Great Food Magazine 39

Red Lion’s perfect a Your guide to a day of relaxation and great food, dreamed up over a pint by the chaps from The Red Lion in the Vale of Belvoir

A

utumn in the Vale of Belvoir is a stunning time.

Majestic views include the Gothic turrets of Belvoir Castle pricking the surface of a morning mist; crisp, golden leaves on the trees of Stathern and Plungar Woods contrasting against blue sky; and the Vale’s carpet of fields spreading out before you – best seen from atop Mill Hill, north of Eastwell village. Such visual feasts are enough to make you hungry, and the time is right for spicy soups, slow-roast beef and autumn fruits. Here’s how you could spend an autumnal day according to the Red Lion Inn of Stathern’s Bib Gourmand-winning team.

Noon

A warming soup using one of the season’s most popular vegetables.

Great as a starter, nice as a snack, ideal for Halloween or Bonfire Night

Spiced pumpkin soup Serves 6

Pre-dinner drink

A summer cocktail to get you in the mood for eating. Don’t feel guilty about enjoying a snifter – the sun is over the yardarm.

Blackberry & apple cocktail * 2 ladles blackberry rum * 2 tsp blackberry purée

1pm Starter

* 1kg diced pumpkin flesh * 1 onion, peeled and chopped * 21 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped * 1/2 tsp fresh red chilli, finely chopped * /2 tsp ground cumin and turmeric, singed in a hot frying pan 1 * 1 tsp honey * /2 glass dry white wine * 1 litre vegetable/ chicken stock

* 50ml apple juice * 1 tsp lime juice

1 In a large saucepan, add a drizzle of rapeseed oil and roast off the pumpkin, onion and garlic until golden brown.

2 Add the honey and cook for a further two minutes.

3 Deglaze with the wine and completely reduce by boiling rapidly.

4 Add the chilli and spices and cook for a further two minutes.

5 Add the stock, then bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes before removing from the heat.

6 Blend smooth with a stick blender.

7 Ladle into large soup bowls and serve with fresh chopped coriander, beetroot crisps and crusty warm bread.

To make blackberry rum, put equal amounts of washed blackberries and caster sugar into a sterilised Mason jar and cover with a bottle of white rum. Leave in a cool, dark place from anything between two weeks and two months, shaking every so often. Strain through muslin before bottling.

Alternatively, you could use ready-made blackberry vodka.

Blackberry purée is simply blackberries put through a food processor, with sugar added to taste. Serve in a highball glass.

Did you know?

During the Great War, children were allowed time off school to pick blackberries so the juice could be sent to soldiers

Beetroot crisps: use a peeler to very thinly slice beetroot, then fry

Coming up at the Red Lion…

SEPTEMBER 19-30, 2011: BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT MENU The Red Lion team has created a range of dishes to choose from during British Food Fortnight. Examples include Mushroom ‘Cappuccino’ Soup made with Blewitts picked in the Vale of Belvoir; Rutland Trout Bradade served with toasted sourdough from Hambleton Bakery; and Apple and Stathern Hedgerow Blackberry Cobbler.

CONTACT The Red Lion Inn, Red Lion Street, Stathern, Leicestershire LE14 4HS, 01949 860868, www.theredlioninn.co.uk

40 Great Food Magazine

autumn day Roast topside of beef Serves 4-6

* 750g trimmed topside of beef * 4 parsnips, peeled and chopped * 4 carrots, peeled and chopped * 8 shallots, peeled * 2 garlic cloves * 1 large sprig thyme

1 Seal beef in a hot pan until golden brown. Season.

Remove from the pan and leave to one side.

2 Place the vegetables into the pan with a little beef dripping and seal to golden brown.

3 Place vegetables into a roasting tin with the sealed beef on top. Season, then roast in a preheated oven at 200C (Gas 6) for 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Onion gravy

* 1 medium Spanish onion,

peeled and finely chopped

* Garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

* 1 tbsp plain flour * 1 glass port and 1 glass red wine * 1 tsp redcurrant jelly

BEER WITH YOUR LUNCH? Batemans is a family owned brewery based in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire. Its 4.7%, award-winning Combined Harvest brew is a multigrain beer made with oats, rye, wheat and barley. It’s light, floral, fresh and grassy – perfect for an Indian summer and excellent with a Sunday roast of beef.

1 Fry the onions and garlic until brown, dust with the flour, then add the port and wine.

2 Bring to the boil, add redcurrant jelly and dissolve, then add the stock and resting juice. Bring back to the boil. Place in a gravy jug and serve.

Home cooking Look out for quince from October to December

3pm

Pudding

Quince and goats’ cheese tart

Makes one tart

* 4 ripe quinces * 1 stick cinnamon * 1 star anise * 600ml water * 450g sugar * Juice 1 lemon * 140g goats’ cheese

* 2 tbsp creme fraiche * Juice 1 large lime * 2 heaped tbsp caster sugar

* 2 drops vanilla essence * 300ml whipping cream * 2 leaves gelatine

You will need a 20cm flan ring lined with sweet pastry you have baked in advance.

1 Peel, quarter and core quinces. Place in a pan with cinnamon, anise, water, sugar and lemon juice.

Simmer gently for one hour, until quinces are soft and red in colour. Drain and allow to cool.

2 Break cheese into pieces and place in a bowl. Pour in the cream, sugar and lime juice. Mix thoroughly.

3 Soak gelatine leaves in cold water for five minutes.

Remove from water and place in a small pan with two tablespoons of the cream cheese mix. Put the pan over a low heat, stirring until gelatine has dissolved.

4 Add contents of the pan to the set aside cream cheese mix, then stir in two drops of vanilla essence.

5 Arrange cooked quinces on the base of the pastry case and pour the cream cheese mixture on top. Use the back of a spoon to smooth over.

6 Place tart in fridge for an hour. When serving, use quince juice to drizzle over each portion.

2pm Lunch

There’s nothing like roast beef for Sunday lunch, served with rich gravy and washed down with a beer. A great local supplier is Harker’s Farm Shop in Clipston, Notts, which sells beef raised in nearby fields – harkersfarmshop.co.uk

A Red Lion Inn roast of beef

Great Food Magazine 41

The T he

A deliciously different experience.

Old Barn Inn

NOW OD ING FO V R E S A D N Y ON MO GS EVENIN

Come and visit us during the day for a relaxing coffee and nibble on our selection of home made cakes that have become famous in Stamford.

Our bake house is constantly producing cakes to order, including many novelty designs.

We can now offer you a new evening experience with our evening bistro. Bring your own favourite bottle of wine and enjoy some of the freshest ingredients that our region has to offer.

Prepared expertly by our head chef Liam Chettle.

BURGHLEY WEEKEND Bookings are now being taken for Burghley Weekend.

37 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DS Bistro Bookings & Coffee Shop enquiries: 01780 754222 Cake enquiries: 01780 762978 www.thefinefoodstore.com

Warm, rustic and welcoming The Old Barn Inn is exactly how a country pub should be.

The Old Barn Inn serves great fresh British food using a selection of locally sourced ingredients.

We cater for private parties of all sizes in our charming intimate venue.

Give us a call to see what we can do for you.

E-mail: mail@oldbarninn.co.uk - Telephone: +44 (0)1858 545215

THE OLD BARN INN, ANDREWS LANE, GLOOSTON,LEICESTERSHIRE, LE16 7ST GOOD GO G OOD OOD OD FOOD FO OO OD - CASK CASK CA ASK ALESALE ALE LESS- ACCOMMODATION SACC CCOM OMMO MM MO ODA DAT TIION N

To celebrate its centenary Long Clawson Dairy has enlisted Michelin chef Tom Aikens to bring a magic touch to a book which blends together the social history of a century with some mouth watering recipes.

The Book takes the reader on a journey through the decades, starting from the 1910’s. It uncovers Long Clawson Dairy’s history piece by piece in each chapter whilst also offering a delicious selection of cheesy recipes of each decade.

Available to order now from www.amazon.co.uk and in stock at

The Melton Cheeseboard

8 Windsor Street, Melton Mowbray Tel: 01664 562257

www.clawson.co.uk www.facebook.com/clawsondairy www.twitter.com/clawsondairyltd Long Clawson Dairy Ltd., Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 4PJ Tel: 01664 822332

p42_GF_SeptOct11.indd Sec1:42

19/8/11 09:05:39

Local beer Mark Tetlow Master Brewer Mark Tetlow is head of quality control for Everards Brewery. When he’s not sampling beer, he’s talking about it, or eating real bread

Newly discovered bakehouse at Ye Olde Baker’s Arms, Blaby

Ancient partners

An old pub bakehouse highlights beer’s ancient links to bread

T

he story of man’s relationship with bread and beer is the story of civilisation. Before our ancient forebears worked out how to brew ale and make loaves some 10,000 years ago, we were condemned to a tiring game of cat and mouse, hunting and gathering food as it roamed over hill and dale. On realising it was possible to grow crops, grind them down and ferment them – magically, as it must have seemed back then – into bread and beer, we became more content to stay in one place. That meant we could build communities – first villages, then towns, then cities.

And crucially, we could celebrate our achievement by drinking beer! In a broad sense, bread and beer have dictated where mankind finds itself today. All hail Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of bread and beer!

At Everards, we’re acutely aware of beer’s historical significance and its close links to bread and community.

So we were ecstatic when Chris Smart, landlord of Ye Olde Baker’s Arms in Blaby, Leicester, discovered in his pub

a bakehouse that may date back to the 13th century. It consists of an ancient room – around 10x2m in size – and a massive brick oven. We believe that it was Blaby’s community bakehouse for many generations.

The find ties in perfectly with Everards’ Project Artisan (see right) and highlights our view of pubs as the hubs of communities.

PROJECT ARTISAN Project Artisan is a new scheme that aims to help artisan producers bring life back to redundant buildings located next to Everards’ pubs, and real food to the communities they serve. Bakers and other producers can rent a building that suits them, and Everards will support them. For more information, email Everards managing director Stephen Gould – sg@everards.co.uk

Inside the bakehouse We visited the Baker’s Arms with passionate baker Rosie Clark from Virtuous Bread (see below), armed with loaves she’d made using Everards Tiger. She thought she’d arrived in bread heaven. “This old bakehouse makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end,” she said. “Imagine all the loaves that have been baked here over the centuries. Bread and beer really push your ancient buttons.

All over the world, thousands of years ago people realised that if you ground grain with water then you could make something to eat, whether that’s Mexican flatbread, Italian focaccia or

English beer barm bread. It links us all and breaking bread and sharing it is the basis of almost every faith.”

In the future we may see the pub’s old bakehouse being used again. Rosie has told me that she would love to teach bread making to the local community from there. There’s also the possibility that locals could use it as a venue to sell their own homemade loaves. We’ll keep you posted.

MT

Tiger Best Bitter Recipes...

For recipes using award-winning Everards Tiger, visit everards.co.uk/ tigerherorecipe

Mark inside the old bakehouse at the Baker’s Arms

CONTACTS Ye Olde Baker’s Arms, The Green, Blaby LE8 4FQ, 0116 2771166; Everards, Castle Acres, Narborough, LE19 1BY everards.co.uk

VIRTUOUS BREAD Founded in 2010 under the strapline “Eat well, do good, earn a living”, Virtuous Bread aims to make it fun and easy for people to buy, make, learn about, share and eat good bread. Virtuous Bread has a network of people called Bread Angels who run baking courses all over the UK and act as lynchpins for the Virtuous Bread concept in their communities. Rosie Clark (right) is a Bread Angel from Leicester. To find out more about her sociable, artisan bread baking courses, call her on 07894 232543 or email rosie@virtuousbread.com

Great Food Magazine 43

JAMS & PRESERVES Rosemary Jameson Rosemary is gets jubilant over jellies and cheery around chutneys. She runs preserving classes at Jam on the Hill near Oakham and also owns jam kit retailer www.jamjarshop.com

Mellow fruitfulness Autumn mists fill the air and fruit is everywhere.

It’s the zenith of the preserving year, says Rosemary Jameson

A

utumn is the pinnacle of the preserving year – a race against time to get everything prepared and pickled. Now’s the moment to make chutneys, to jar up the last of the jams – damson, plum and greengage – and to make use of the hedgerow fruits – blackberries, sloes and crab-apples. What a sense of achievement you feel when nothing is wasted and the cupboards groan with bottles and jars of delicious preserves to last us through the year. What memories when we open a jar of bramble jelly, made from blackberries gathered on the last fine weather walk of autumn along the old railway cutting, grandchildren and dogs racing ahead, heedless of the harsh winter to come.

Apple jelly

Blackberry vinegar Try making delicious blackberry vinegar – place 675g of blackberries into a large bowl and cover with 500ml of red wine vinegar. Cover and leave for a week, stirring daily.

Press the fruit as you do this to extract the juice. Strain through a jelly bag into a pan, add 450g of granulated sugar and 225g of honey. Heat gently until sugars are dissolved and then bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes until

Autum n words

Here’s a verse from one of my favourite poems, John Keats’ ‘To Autumn’, which perfectly captures the season’s mood.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; s the moss’d cottage-trees, apple with To bend And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; shells To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel , With a sweet kernel; to set budding more bees, the for rs And still more, later flowe cease, Until they think warm days will never For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells

44 Great Food Magazine

COOKING APPLES

Local varieties include Belvoir Seedling and Langton’s Nonesuch.

Blackberry vinegar A classic autumn preserve – great on breakfast pancakes

the fruit turns thicker and syrupy. Now pour the mixture into sterilised bottles and seal tightly.

Fruit vinegars are amazingly versatile – they can be used as drinks by diluting them with hot water in the winter, or with soda; they can be poured over rice puddings or ice cream, or used in salad dressings and savoury dishes.

Bramble brandy A variation on the sloe gin theme is bramble brandy – a beautifully rich, fragrant spirit to warm the cockles of your heart on bitter winter days. Just put equal amounts of blackberries, sugar and brandy into a large sterilised jar. Shake every other day for two months, then strain through muslin and pour into sterilised bottles. It’s an excellent drink to enjoy at Christmas.

Cooking apples The mainstay of many autumn preserves is the cooking apple, which England is famous for. It is a pity that many of the old varieties have gone but we still have great orchards and we should support them. If you are lucky

Autumn fruits

JOIN THE GUILD OF JAM MAKERS The Guild’s aims are:

To promote and encourage jam and preserve making both in the UK and internationally The Waterbath Method Fold a J-cloth or old tea towel and place in the bottom of a large, deep pan. Loosely cap the bottles or jars and stand them in the pan.

Pour in cold water as high up the containers as possible, then turn on the heat and bring the water to the boil. Turn down to a low simmer and continue heating for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully lift the jars/bottles out and tighten the lids securely. Leave to get cold before storing in a cool place. Your sauce, cordial or juice should keep for up to a year – refrigerate after opening.

To provide an information source to jam makers gathered from industry professionals and talented amateurs To provide a framework for jam makers to develop, share information and create a like-minded community for mutual support Guild Membership is open to industry, artisan and home producers, either as corporate or individual membership.

Join the Guild and link up with fellow jam fans

JAM JAR

enough to have your own SHOP CLASSES Coming up soon: tree, or maybe a neighbour Christmas is Coming – has one, make sure that Oct 15 and 30; Spice of Life nothing is wasted. Cooking – Oct 16. All to be held at The apples make beautiful Smithy at Burley on the Hill, Oakham. More details chutneys, either as the main can be found at ingredient or mixed with jamjarshop.com plums or blackberries – or some autumn vegetables.

Keep the peel and the cores – they can be cooked down with water to form the basis of a range of jellies with the addition of herbs, blackberries, elderberries or just on their own with cinnamon and cloves.

Freeze apple juice as pectin stock, ready for those low-pectin, difficult-to-set jams you’ll make next year, or bottle it in sterilised bottles, using the water bath method to ensure it keeps for 12 months (see above).

Every season is completely different in preserving terms and we should embrace, enjoy and rejoice in the abundance and diversity of flavours and produce that we can create from simple and modest ingredients – it will not only feed our families but feed our souls.

Blackberry brandy is a worthwhile variation on sloe gin

For further details, or membership pack enquiries, please send your contact details by email to info@jamguild.co.uk PO Box 2979, Bristol, BS5 5EY, www.jamguild.co.uk

The Guild of Jam and Preserve Makers is a notfor-profit company

More details at www.jamguild.co.uk Great Food Magazine 45

RECIPES

Warm Salad of Grilled Leeks, Fennel and Roasted Romanesco

By Jane Baxter Serves 4–6

* 3 leeks * 1 fennel bulb * 1 head romanesco, separated into florets

* 2 tbsp olive oil

For the dressing: * juice of 1 lemon * 2 tsp caster sugar * 1 tbsp white wine * 1 tbsp good quality white wine vinegar * 1 garlic clove, crushed * Pinch of fennel seeds, crushed * Pinch of ground allspice * 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle * Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper * 1 tsp chopped tarragon

{ } TOP TIP

Depending on the time of year, you could add cauliflower or purple sprouting broccoli to this salad. To get the best results, keep the salad dressing just warm and add each vegetable as soon as it’s cooked.

1 Preheat the oven to 180C (Gas 4).

Heat all the dressing ingredients except the tarragon together in a large pan and leave to cool and infuse.

2 Wash the leeks and blanch them in boiling water for five minutes; drain, then split them in half lengthways. Trim the fennel and cut into very thin slices.

3 Grill the leeks on a griddle pan until slightly charred, then cut into 2.5–5cm pieces. Grill the fennel until wilted and add to the dressing with the leeks.

4 Toss the romanesco in the olive oil, season and roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes, until just cooked through and slightly brown. Add to the dressing.

5 Toss the vegetables together, season well, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the tarragon.

Now get the book...

This recipe is from Everyday and Sunday – Recipes from Riverford Farm by Jane Baxter and Guy Watson – riverford.co.uk

Belvoir Marmalade Pudding

By Sean Hope, head chef at the Olive Branch in Clipsham, Rutland

“This is a traditional store cupboard pud,” says Sean (pictured). “It’s in our repertoire at both the Olive Branch and its sister pub the Red Lion in Stathern.

I imagine it’s fed Vale of Belvoir residents for hundreds of years!”

Makes 6 individual puddings

* 250g unsalted butter * 250g caster sugar * 80g egg yolks (approximately 5) * 310g breadcrumbs * 50g Seville orange marmalade * 7.5g baking powder 1 Cream the caster sugar with the butter until light and fluffy.

2 Beat in the egg yolks, then fold in the breadcrumbs, baking powder and marmalade.

3 Butter your cake moulds (if you have some, you could use wide, shallow coffee mugs as pictured below), sprinkle them with flour and fill each with mixture 2/3 of the way to the top.

4 Bake in a preheated oven at 180C (Gas 4) in a bain-marie (baking dish filled with about an inch of water) – for approximately 25 minutes.

5 Allow to cool a little and then turn out. Serve with clotted cream and plenty of homemade marmalade.

Use three-inch cake moulds or coffee mugs like these

46 Great Food Magazine

Business tips

THE INSIDER

The art of good service

How to create a stir for the right reasons. By Helen Benton

M

ost people have one or two trusted review websites that they use as a safety net to check a pub or restaurant before visiting.

I use Great Food’s website and Trip Advisor. We generally know that reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt because each one reflects a personal experience, but that said, they can help to influence where my husband and I eat out, particularly if we don’t know an area well.

Customer service is an important part of creating a memorable eating experience and it can easily be forgotten in the quest to produce sublime food. For me, great food and great service must sit hand in hand.

I want to share some simple ideas on how to improve service and minimise the risk of negative reviews.

1

Efficiency

The old rule of simple efficiency when dealing with customers is as true today as ever.

Customers can have entrenched expectations about how they are greeted, served or how long they are prepared to wait for food – and it doesn’t take much to put noses out of joint. Putting in place simple processes to monitor efficiency of the basics can prevent complaints.

The Boot Room in Leicester does this and as a result scores top marks for service on Trip Advisor.

For example, they make sure every customer is greeted within a few seconds of walking in.

2

The human touch

No-one can expect perfect service every time but we can expect transparency and a bit of the human touch to alleviate situations that aren’t quite right.

Our local pub got it spot on last Sunday. We were slightly disappointed that some favourite dishes weren’t on offer. Firstly, the waiter came over to apologise – this made us feel a little better – but the cherry on the cake came when he gave us a free pud. We weren’t expecting that RAOK (Random Act of Kindness – see my 2011 trends article) and it made our experience well worth writing about!

3

Quick fix

Many businesses live in fear of review websites. By inviting honest feedback you can get to the root of problems that may exist. This can be done in person, on your website or through social media sites. This way, any issues can be fixed sharpish and not affect perception of your brand. When The Vintner wine merchant (thevintner.com) set up shop, for the first six months they actively asked each customer to have a little moan on their website about the things that the shop could improve upon. The customers appreciated the chance to do this and in doing so felt a part of building what is now a popular brand.

4

Little details

Attention to detail and thoughtful touches really impress when it comes to great customer service for food businesses. For example, I love it when the chef comes to speak to some of the diners. Similarly, other thoughtful details are noticed. I was impressed when I received a restaurant booking confirmation by text that also included the postcode (so I could tap it into the sat nav) and a list of that evening’s specials to whet the appetite.

The chef asking for feedback from diners is a nice touch and shows an open approach

The kitchen at the Olive Branch, Clipsham: it’s busy here but front of house calm efficiency is a must

The Insider’s top three... pork products (not just the dear old pies!)

BOWLER HAT HOG ROASTS: see right.

Case study

A catering company with a traditionally English approach, involving bowler hats, bow ties and delicious pork...

GRASMERE GRUNTAS: Incredibly moreish snack salamis from Grasmere Farm, Lincolnshire. Can be bought in local pubs or via the Grasmere website: grasmere-farm.co.uk HAMBLETON FARMS’ DRY CURED SHORT BACK BACON: This is the best bacon I’ve tried locally. Available in delis or in bulk on the Hambleton website: hambletonfarms.co.uk

BOWLER HAT HOG ROASTS

John Hewitt and his son John own this local business. They serve delicious hog roasts or banquets, dressed in their finery and bowler hats. We chose them for our wedding and were so impressed because they really got the basics of great food and great service right. They came to visit our house in person before the event, were efficient, polite, and listened to our every wish. What won us over was their extra splash of British charm that set them apart from their competition.

BOWLER HAT ROASTS: 07891 715588

HELEN BENTON Helen specialises in business and brand strategy, innovation and communication planning. Please get in touch if you think she could help grow your business – hownowmarketing.com

Great Food Magazine 47

The Foodie Gift Hunter’s autumn tips

Bracia ale

Well travelled local mum Helen Tarver is the Foodie Gift Hunter.

Read her blog about gifts for food lovers at thefoodiegifthunter.co.uk or follow her on Twitter, where she’s known as @presentsqueen

FROM £1 PER kg

Fresh local apples If your kids are going to have an apple a day, then make it a fresh, local one. Take them to Goachers near Retford, where they can pick their own or gather in-season pears or blackberries. Five a day the interesting way!

Contact: goforgoachers.co.uk, 01427 880341

Should you need something stronger than tea (see below), then a glass of 9%ABV Bracia from Thornbridge Brewery of Bakewell, Derbyshire, might do the trick. A rich, dark, honeyinfused ale offering hints of chestnut and dark fruits, it’s the perfect autumn tipple.

Just don’t overdo it!

Contact: thornbridgebrewery. co.uk, 01629 641000

love this...

PRICE FROM £8/500ml

Summer’s over and it’s term time again.

These gifts suit the autumnal feel PRICE FROM £3.75

Sheffield Brew

PRICE FROM £9

Autumn means warm mugs of tea. Go strong and northern with a pot of Sheffield Brew from Tea Box, also based in the Steel City.

A mix of strong Assam and rich Kenyan black teas.

Contact: teaboxonline.com, 0114 3279249

Tickleberry loaves

Elderflower soap Back to school means there’ll be plenty of germs floating around. Encourage your kids to wash their hands before each meal by having interesting soaps to hand, like this bar of elderflower soap made with olive oil from Soap of the Earth of Queniborough, Leics. Reminds you of summer and gentle on small or large hands.

Contact: soapoftheearth.co.uk, 0116 3191102

Spooky cupcakes

FROM £21 FOR 12 CUPCAKES

End of October means you’ll need sweet treats for Halloween, and Vegan Cakes Direct of Matlock can help deliver treats with no tricks for those with food sensitivities. Still cute but their options include egg, dairy, gluten and wheat free, meaning everyone can join in the fun.

Contact: www.vegancakedirect.co.uk, 07951 215121

48 Great Food Magazine

Need new inspiration for school lunchboxes? Move away from standard sliced white and try something like a plaited poppy seed loaf or chorizo and thyme fougasse from The Ticklebelly Bakery in North Scarle, Lincs.

Contact: ticklebellylane.co.uk, 01522 779205

FROM £2.50 PER LOAF

Home cooking Lucy Cufflin Local chef Lucy is author of the brilliantly practical cookbook Lucy’s Food. She also runs a food and kitchenware shop in Leicester’s Stoneygate

Seldom Seen fruits We should be proud of our area’s rich pickings, says Lucy Cufflin

W

e all know that our cousins from across the Channel are proud of their regional produce and varied mix of cheeses – and rightly so. Well, we had some French friends coming to stay so were keen to show off the fantastic things available here. Not that we’re competitive or anything.

Obviously we have our locally produced food – pork pies and stilton cheese immediately spring to mind.

But after a visit to Seldom Seen Farm in Billesdon, Leicestershire, we were overwhelmed by the host of local flavours there for the picking – tayberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, and throughout the season and until well into autumn, different varieties of raspberry.

You can choose to get down and dirty and pick your own or simply buy ready picked fruit in punnets from the shop. The weather was good and with family in tow we picked to our hearts’ content and came home with more raspberries than we had bargained for. Some were simply thrown into cake mixture (divine), some pressed through a sieve, adding a quarter of their weight in icing sugar to make

fabulous fresh coulis (the children’s favourite on ice cream), but most went into our fabulously easy fresh raspberry tart (see below).

The pastry recipe is a development of an old American pecan pie crust formula, with the addition of cream instead of water bringing the pastry crumb together to ensure a shortbread-like consistency, while making it rich and sweet to taste. It’s the perfect vehicle for the gorgeous fruit we’d just picked – easy and foolproof for even those who consider themselves non-pastry makers.

The fruit is held in place by a light coating of jam – think about it, jam is simply fresh fruit and sugar so is perfect to hold our plump, juicy, fresh raspberries in the pastry. Not to let our hand-picked raspberries down, we used raspberry jam by Sandra’s Jams (made from fruit grown on Sandra Herbert’s own farm at Whetstone Pastures, Leicestershire – quite sublime).

We wanted to finish our tart with something equally local, so served it with what we call ‘posh squash ‘n’ cream’ – not glamorous sounding but so good. Simply whip half a pint of

Seldom Seen Farm grows all manner of PYO fruits

double cream with three tablespoons of cordial – elderflower, ginger and lemon grass, mulled wine fruits, whatever you fancy. And there you have it – a glossy, slightly coloured, sweet and aromatic side to any pud.

Of course, we have the king of cordials on our doorstep so we opted for Belvoir Fruit Farm’s elderflower concoction to complement our truly local raspberry tart.

We held back the six biggest raspberries and plopped them into a glass of fizz to start the evening off – a taster of the divine pud to come.

Lucy’s local raspberry tart with posh squash ‘n’ cream For pastry: * 250g plain flour * 125g caster sugar * 125g butter * 4 tbsp cream For filling: * 600g locally grown raspberries * 4-5 tbsp of Sandra’s raspberry jam * 1 tbsp lemon juice For serving: * ôpt double cream * 3-4 tbsp Belvoir Farms Elderflower cordial * Fresh mint sprigs

1 Preheat oven to 180C (Gas 4).

2 Take a 20-25cm flan dish and cut two circles of baking parchment ready to line it with.

3 Put flour, caster sugar and butter into a food processor and blitz. Add cream and pulse to mix. Bring pastry together with your hands on a lightly floured surface. It will be similar in texture to shortbread.

4 Roll out the pastry on one piece of baking parchment and lift paper to place both paper and pastry into the tin. Work gently around the edges so the paper is pleated and the pastry stands in front of the

pleats. Don’t worry if you break the pastry, just press it back together, as it will melt together as it cooks.

5 Trim pastry to straighten the top edge, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans/uncooked lentils or rice. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, then remove paper and beans and return to oven until golden and crisp. Cool in tin.

6 When cooled, lift out on the paper and place on a plate removing the paper from beneath.

7 Put jam in large saucepan and add the lemon juice, heat stirring to remove lumps then boil to make a

little sticky. Add raspberries and stir to coat fruit in jam. Pile into pastry case and allow to set.

8 Add the elderflower to the cream and whisk until gently floppy.

9 Decorate slices of tart with mint and serve with elderflower cream.

Great Food Magazine 49

PUB WALK

The walk

Church Square, Melbourne

PARK IN THE CAR PARK of the Three Horseshoes, Breedon on the Hill (see right).

With your back to the front of the pub, cross the road and walk up The Delph, following the public footpath sign.

1

WALK UP the hill and as you reach the brow and start to descend, turn right uphill along a gravel path, following the footpath sign.

2

BREAK OFF to the right again to continue uphill, then turn right again, going uphill towards Breedon church.

3

Beer and chocolate at the Horseshoes, then to Melbourne

WALK TO THE RIGHT of the church, past the beacon to join the road, which you follow as it descends and bends left. Then, before the road bends right, look for a footpath sign on your right and follow it.

4

Start at a pub that has its own chocolate maker, then stroll to a pretty market town

OVERVIEW OF AREA

50 Great Food Magazine

The Round House

}

Outside the Three Horseshoes is a village round house (pictured right). Built in 1793, it was used to detain drunks and other petty criminals. Offenders would have experienced almost total darkness inside. It was last used in 1885.

The hill was once home to an Iron Age hill fort, and now the church of St Mary and St Hardulph proudly sits at the top. The church is built on the site of an old monastery.

Over in south Derbyshire, the Georgian market town of Melbourne is a fascinating place to wander around, home to a variety of historic buildings. One such place is beautiful Melbourne Hall, where William Lamb, second Viscount Melbourne (and ex-British Prime Minister), used to live.

Viscount Melbourne gave his name to Melbourne, Australia.

When Great Food did this walk on a dank Sunday evening we found ourselves, tired and hungry. The only pub serving food in Melbourne was Ye Olde Packhorse, which rejuvenated us with a fine Sunday roast.

WALK ONTO THE golf course, following the yellow markers. Eventually, looking ahead you will see two markers some yards apart pointing in opposite directions. Ignore these and continue to the marker ahead of you.

6

LEAVE THE GOLF COURSE, cross the track and follow the path across fields towards the farmhouse. Go past the house and over the stile, walking towards Melbourne.

7 8

Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown copyright. AM44/10.

T

his five-mile circuit begins inside north-west Leicestershire but before long you’re over the county boundary and striding through south Derbyshire. Your starting point is the Three Horseshoes (see right) and our advice is to enjoy a pub lunch, some chocolates and a couple of drinks here before climbing the hill to Breedon church.

This steep limestone hill, which rises to 122m above sea level, is Breedon’s most distinguishing feature, although quarrying has eaten half of it away.

WALK DOWNHILL to join a path next to a road. Walk by the road for 100 yards and then follow the sign left, crossing the road to go through a gate to join a wooded path. Continue straight ahead, following the white markers.

5

GO OVER another stile and after the cattle grid, walk diagonally right across a field.

AT THE END of the field, go over the stile and follow the path into a grazing area. Go through the gate, following the arrow, and you’ll see Melbourne Hall on your left. Now go through the next gate.

9

GO THROUGH A third gate and turn left on the road and into Melbourne (a town that’s worth exploring before you begin your return journey to Breedon).

10

Breedon & Melbourne

Detailed walk map

Ordnance Survey mapping © Crown copyright. AM44/10.

PUB WALK

The Three Horseshoes

TO BEGIN YOUR return journey to Breedon, turn left into Church Square.

Walk to the left of the church and around the lake (water on your right). At the end of the water do not go through the first gate but follow the track to the left and then turn right through another gate.

the field and then immediately left over a stile. Walk diagonally uphill to the right through the trees, up six steps and over a stile to emerge in a field.

11

GO STRAIGHT ON through the field, following the arrow.

Breedon church soon comes into view.

At the end of the field, turn right and then go straight on, back onto the golf course, sticking close to the hedge on your right.

17

FOLLOW THE PATH across the field, go over the stile and continue straight on, skirting around a wood, which is on your left.

12

AT THE END of the wood as you reach the field’s corner, do not turn right towards the buildings but go straight on, dropping down steps to a stile in the hedge.

13

GO STRAIGHT ON UPHILL following the line of trees and through the gap in the hedge, to join the gravel/grass track. Soon you will see a signpost with a concrete stile to the left.

Drink too much and end up in here

14

AT THE SIGNPOST turn immediately left, cutting diagonally through the field towards the trees. Go over the stile, turning slightly left, following the yellow arrow to walk through the narrow band of trees, over a small bridge and over a stile.

15

16

TURN LEFT AT THE next marker down into a small gully and then do a swift right and left (just follow the markers) before walking uphill with the hedge on your right. Now follow the markers downhill to Breedon. It’s straight on all the way except the path turns left and follows the road for a few yards before joining the pavement.

18

NOTES: We’ve done this walk and believe that the instructions are clear and accurate.

It’s steep in places and likely to be muddy. Take a map – OS Explorer 245 – and allow enough time.

WALK UPHILL towards more trees and turn right at the top corner of

FOLLOW ASHBY Road as it bends right past the war memorial. The road becomes Main Street and bends left and goes uphill to the Three Horseshoes.

19

Garden at the Horseshoes

This large pub on Breedon’s Main Street is unique. To the left as you walk through the front door is a quarry tiled bar area – exposed bricks and stonework dominate, and you’ll feel like you’ve travelled back to the 18th century. It’s a great spot for a pre-walk pint and sandwich (ham and piccalilli – £5.95), or perhaps for morning coffee and brunch, served Monday to Saturday from 10.30am. To the right is a comfortable dining area with beautiful antique tables. If you opt for a sit down lunch or dinner, you won’t be disappointed – in our experience the food by head chef Ian Davison is excellent.

You can choose between snacks – such as Lincolnshire sausages with mash and red cabbage (£8.95); or go for full-on mains – think ribeye beef with wild garlic butter (£19.50) or salmon with sweet potato curry (£17.95). Things get even more interesting when you wander into a back room, where you’ll find a farm/food gift shop selling the pub’s own produce, such as Three Horseshoes’ Tomato Ketchup, plus local eggs, cheese, bread and preserves.

The cherry on the top is artisan chocolate maker Bitter Sweet, which creates award-winning delicacies in a pub outbuilding and offers chocolate making courses.

There’s a fine garden too.

Three Horseshoes, Main Street, Breedon, Leics DE73 8AN, 01332 695129, thehorseshoes.com

Cosy spot inside the pub

Great Food Magazine 51

www.eastmidlandsfoodfestival.co.uk www.eastmidlandsfoodfestival.co.uk

East Midlands

food & drink Held in the heart of Melton Mowbray

Saturday 1st October 2011 10am – 5pm Sunday 2nd October 2011 10am – 4pm The Cattle Market, Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray, LE13 1JY

Book ahead and save!

Entry £5 if pre-booked, £6 on the door, children under 16 FREE Visit Eshop at www.goleicestershire.com Tel: 0844 888 5181 or buy directly from Leicester Visitor Information Centre, Town Hall Square, Leicester or Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, Melton Mowbray, Group discounts available Showcasing the best local produce and presenting an abundance of flavours from a wide spectrum of nations Fine wines, beers and spirits and a range of gourmet gifts Lots of hands-on activities, tastings and demos for children and adults alike in our dedicated Family, Food and Fun Zone One-to-one discussions in our Celebrity Food Clinic Live demonstrations in the Rangemaster Cookery Demonstration Theatre Organised by the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership For further information call Kenyon Communications on 01673 828764 or email kathleen@kenyon-communications.com

p52_GF_SeptOct11.indd Sec1:52

19/8/11 09:06:02

Where to

EAT & DRINK Your guide to some of the region’s tastiest places

P58

P64 Welbeck

Bakewell

Lincoln Ollerton

Matlock

LANGAR HALL

Mansfield

Langar

THE CAKEHOLE Barrowby

Newark

Derbyshire

Lincs

Notts

Ashbourne

Sleaford

Nottingham

Derby

Grantham

Burton

Staffs

Leics

Melton Oakham

Lichfield

Rutland

Leicester

Warwicks

Kettering

Selihull

P65

Rugby Warwick

QUEEN’S ROAD Leicester

Peterboro’

Corby

Market Harboro

Birmingham

Stamford

Oundle

Stilton

Cambs

P55

Northants Northampton

Beds

THE KING’S HEAD Wadenhoe

Great Food Magazine 53

WHERE TO EAT

Where to eat

LOCAL RESTAURANT NEWS What’s simmering, stewing and steeping at some great local venues – by Tim Burke Local restaurant news is sponsored by Great Food Club

NEW DINING ROOM New to Birstall in Leicestershire is The Dining Room, an Indian restaurant from the team behind the eatery of the same name in Oakham. The menu combines curry-house favourites with more unusual dishes such as spiced king scallops with saffron mayonnaise, and peppered kangaroo fillet with masala mash.

You can bring your own wine or beer, too.

The Dining Room, LE4 4GL, 0116 2676774, diningroombirstall. co.uk SAT'S UP Nottingham’s Restaurant Sat Bains has moved up three places to number three in the Good Food Guide’s new list of the UK’s top 50 restaurants. Guide editor Elizabeth Carter praised head chef Bains (pictured above) for “innovation, acute detailing and

Dean Crews' Chef's Table – diners can watch bespoke dishes being prepared

54 Great Food Magazine

jaw-dropping complexity”. Other restaurants from the region to make the list are Fischer’s Baslow Hall at 27 and Hambleton Hall, 31.

Purnell’s in Birmingham is at 38.

Restaurant Sat Bains, NG7 2SA, 0115 9866566, restaurant satbains.com

Harborough – and you can have your first drink on the house. Visit the Old Barn website to download a voucher.

The Old Barn Inn, LE16 7ST, 01858 545215, oldbarninn.co.uk

ITALIAN ROSETTES Firenze, the Italian run by Sarah and Lino Poli in Kibworth Beauchamp is celebrating being awarded two AA rosettes. Firenze’s repertoire runs from spectacular dishes such as veal fillet with sweetbread to a simpler two course Menu Mercato at £17.50.

Firenze, LE8 0LN, 0116 2796260, firenze.co.uk

EATING THE MIDLANDS Two Leicestershire restaurants are celebrating the East Midlands Food Festival (see p16) with special menus using the region’s best produce. Stapleford Park’s Taste of the East Midlands evening takes place in its two AA Rosette restaurant on Friday, September 30 (£99). Scalford Hall’s festival menu will run on September 30 and October 1. Scalford prices are £28.95 per person; or £58.45 including a stay over with breakfast.

Stapleford Park, LE14 2EF, 01572 787000, staplefordpark. com; Scalford Hall, LE14 4UB, 0845 4001403, scalfordhall.co.uk

FREE BEER AT THE BARN Order your meal before 7pm on any day including Saturday at The Old Barn Inn – an individual country pub in the hamlet of Glooston near Market

NADA BUDAYA Nottingham sees a high profile launch in September with the arrival of Nada Budaya. This Malayasian introduced itself to locals with a stall at the city’s food and drink festival this summer and now opens on Broad Street adjacent to the Broadway cinema. The restaurant has links with the well-

established Ning in Manchester, so look out for dishes such as slow-cooked Beef Rendang, flavoured with galangal, coconut and lemongrass; and sea bass with soy, ginger and spring onion. Nada Budaya, NG1 3AL, nadabudaya.com WATCH IN OPULENCE Dean Crews, executive head chef at Opulence at Derby’s Cathedral Quarter Hotel, has introduced a Chef’s Table option where he creates a menu around a group’s favourites. Diners can discuss dishes with the chef and watch preparation through a kitchen window. Crews, who last year cooked for the Queen on her visit to Opulence, has a policy of sourcing local meat.

Cathedral Quarter Hotel, DE1 3JR, 01332 546080 thefinesse collection.com/ cathedralquarter TASTE OF ALSACE Le Bistrot Pierre rounds off its Tour de France evenings highlighting regional cuisine with an Alsace night on October 6.

The menu (£16.50 for three courses) features specialities such as the iconic bacon and onion tart flammekuche. Book at any of the region’s branches: Leicester (pictured above), Derby, Nottingham, Leamington Spa or Stratford-upon-Avon. lebistrotpierre.co.uk

Reviews

The King’s Head, Wadenhoe CUISINE: British gastro pub PRICE PER HEAD: £35 (for three courses plus wine) KIDS WELCOME: Yes DOGS: Yes CUSTOMER CAR PARKING: The most picturesque car park I’ve ever parked in FOOD TIMES: Mon to Fri: 12-2.30pm and 6-9pm; Sat & Sun: 12-3pm and 5.30-8.30pm

Menu samples STARTERS Chicken liver paté, onion jam and granary toast £4.95 Homemade soup with crusty bread £4.95

A nice thatch on the King’s Head

MAINS Seared Tuna Steak on salad with mustard dressing £9.95 Pan fried pork chop on crushed roasted sage potatoes and a cider cream sauce £9.95

T

he first thing you notice about The King’s Head is its stunning location. Wadenhoe is a completely unspoilt Northamptonshire village of stone cottages, untouched by the 21st century. Park at the back of the building and you’re greeted with a huge lawned garden that falls away to the River Nene.

Entering the cosy bar, we were warmly met by bar manager Dave Porter. He seemed to be expecting us, like an old-fashioned mine host.

My wife started with potted crab and granary toast, which was as fine an example of this simple dish as I’ve tasted. My grilled local asparagus with poached egg and British air-dried ham was good, though the asparagus wasn’t the most tender (but it was the tail-end of the asparagus season). The egg was poached perfectly.

Serendipity led us to a fantastic Pinot Noir chosen from a short wine list. Light in colour

DESSERT Lemon tart, lime jelly and raspberry sorbet £6.25 and body, its fruity, rounded, spicy flavour wasn’t overwhelmed by my sirloin steak or my wife’s rump of lamb. My rare steak was cooked perfectly and the peppercorn sauce was excellent. My wife swiped one of my hand-cut chips and declared it to be one of the best she’d tasted. I found it hard to disagree.

I like places that don’t take themselves too seriously, which was perfectly demonstrated by the mint jelly served with my wife’s lamb.

Jelly should wobble… and raise a smile – and it did both. The lamb was served perfectly pink with a thin and crisp layer of skin and fat.

And so to pudding. My cheese and biscuits were unremarkable, though the Black Bomber cheddar was delicious. My wife’s Strawberry Delight was just that.

We ate in the chummy bar, but there is a separate, more formal dining room. The King’s Head was buzzing all night, which created a wonderful atmosphere – the sort of place where you could lose a winter afternoon in front of the fire. And it was good to see a few locals in for a couple of pints at the bar.

We topped off our excellent meal with a walk around the village before reluctantly returning to the 21st century. Mark Hamilton THE KING’S HEAD Church Street, Wadenhoe, Northants PE8 5ST, 01832 720024, wadenhoekingshead.co.uk

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Great Food Magazine 55

Ultimate local Some of the region’s best restaurants. This map is updated every issue – email your tips to editorial@greatfoodmag.co.uk Assiette Stamford PE9 2BE assietterestaurant.co.uk 01780 489071

Curry Lounge Nottingham NG1 6LF currylounge.co.uk 0115 9418844

Kilworth House Hotel North Kilworth LE17 6JE kilworthhouse.co.uk 01858 880058

Purnell’s Birmingham B3 2DH purnellsrestaurant.com 0121 2129799

Barnsdale Lodge Oakham LE15 8AH barnsdalelodge.co.uk 01572 724678

Entropy Leicester LE3 0RB entropylife.com 0116 2259650

Lake Isle Uppingham LE15 9PZ lakeisle.co.uk 01572 822951

The Red Lion East Haddon NN6 8BU redlioneasthaddon.co.uk 01604 770223

The Bay Tree Melbourne DE73 8HW baytreerestaurant.com 01332 863 358

The Falcon Fotheringhay PE8 5HZ thefalcon-inn.co.uk 01832 226254

Langar Hall Langar Village NG13 9HG langarhall.com 01949 860559

The Red Lion Stathern LE14 4HS theredlioninn.co.uk 01949 860868

The Bell Inn Stilton PE7 3RA thebellstilton.co.uk 01733 241066

Firenze Kibworth Beauchamp LE8 0LN firenze.co.uk 0116 2796260

La Casa Loco Rugby CV21 3AW lacasaloco.co.uk 01788 565756

Restaurant Sat Bains Nottingham NG7 2SA restaurantsatbains.com 0115 9866566

The Belmont Hotel Leicester LE1 7GR belmonthotel.co.uk 0116 2544773

Fischer’s at Baslow Hall Baslow DE45 1RR fischers-baslowhall.co.uk 01246 583259

Marquess of Exeter Lyddington LE15 9LT marquessexeter.co.uk 01572 822477

San Carlo Leicester LE1 1DEL sancarlo.co.uk/leicester 0116 2519332

The Berkeley Arms Wymondham LE14 2AG theberkeleyarms.co.uk 01572 787587

Hambleton Hall Hambleton LE15 8TH hambletonhall.com 01572 756991

Mallory Court Leamington Spa CV33 9QB mallory.co.uk 01926 330214

Simpsons Edgbaston B15 3DU simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk 0121 4543434

Bobby’s Leicester LE4 5AT eatatbobbys.com 0116 2660106

Hammer & Pincers Wymeswold LE12 6ST hammerandpincers.co.uk 01509 880735

Boboli Kibworth Harcourt LE8 0NQ bobolirestaurant.co.uk 0116 2793303

Hart’s Nottingham NG1 6GN hartsnottingham.co.uk 0115 9881900

Martin’s Arms Colston Bassett NG12 3FD themartinsarms.co.uk 01949 81361

The Boot Room Leicester LE1 5JN thebootroomeaterie.co.uk 0116 2622555

The Haycock Hotel Wansford PE8 6JA thehaycock.co.uk 01780 782223

Nevill Arms Medbourne LE16 8EE thenevillarms.net 01858 565288

Brownlow Arms Hough on the Hill NG32 2AZ thebrownlowarms.com 01400 250234

Hotel Maiyango Leicester LE1 4LD maiyango.com 0116 2518898

Northfield Farm Cold Overton LE7 3DB northfieldfarm.com 01664 474271

Tobie Norris Stamford PE9 2BE tobienorris.com 01780 753800

Caffe Italia (Bistro) Melton Mowbray LE13 0PN 01664 561 777 caffedeli-italia.co.uk

Jackson Stops Stretton LE15 7RA thejacksonstops.com 01780 410237

The Old Barn Inn Glooston LE16 7ST oldbarninn.co.uk 01780 410355

Turners Harborne B17 9NS turnersofharborne.com 0121 4264440

Chapel Bar & Dining Room 12 Oundle PE8 4EJ chapeldining.co.uk 01832 274730

Jim’s Yard 27 Stamford PE9 1PL jimsyard.biz 01780 756080

Olive Branch 42 Clipsham LE15 7SH theolivebranchpub.com 01858 545215

The White Hart 57 Ufford PE9 3BH whitehartufford.co.uk 01780 740250

Chequers Inn Woolsthorpe by Belvoir NG32 1LU, chequersinn.net 01476 870701

The Joiner’s Arms Bruntingthorpe LE17 5QH thejoinersarms.co.uk 0116 2478258

Oundle Mill Oundle PE8 5PB oundlemill.co.uk 01832 272621

The William Cecil Stamford, Lincs PE9 2LJ williamcecil.co.uk 01780 750070

Chutney Ivy Leicester LE1 1TR chutneyivy.com 0116 2511889

The King’s Arms Wing LE15 8SE thekingsarms-wing.co.uk 01572 737634

Peacock Inn Redmile NG13 0GA thepeacockinnredmile.co.uk 01949 842554

The Woodhouse Woodhouse Eaves LE12 8RG thewoodhouse.co.uk 01509 890318

The Crown Inn Old Dalby LE14 3LF thecrownolddalby.co.uk 01664 823134

The King’s Head Wadenhoe PE8 5ST wadenhoekingshead.co.uk 01832 720024

The Pheasant Keyston PE28 0RE thepheasant-keyston.co.uk 01832 710241

World Service Nottingham NG1 6AF worldservicerestaurant.com 0115 8475587

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Mansion Derby DE1 2SN mansionderby.com 01332 343665

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Bakewell

47

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Ashbourne

49

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Burton

Stapleford Park Stapleford LE14 2EF staplefordpark.com 01572 787000

52

Staffs

Summersault Rugby CV21 3BW 01788 543223 summersault.ltd.uk

53

Lichfield

Three Horseshoes Breedon on the Hill DE73 8AN, 01332 695129 thehorseshoes.com

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46 51 56

Birmingham Solihull

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60

Always check opening hours before setting off

restaurant ma p

Restaurants

Welbeck

Key

Ollerton

Matlock

Mansfield

Nottingham

Lincs

Notts

10

23 16 49 60

44

33

Derby

Sleaford

Grantham

13

38

37

Michelin starred establishments

Have been featured in Great Food magazine

Newark

Derbyshire

Lincoln

48 3 54

15

22

11

59

52

6

40

Rutland

Melton

Leics

Leicester 17

Oakham

42 26

2

25 7 14 5 9 50

Stamford

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55

29

58

19

Coventry Leamington 36

Warwick

8

41

24

18

Market Harborough

12

Corby

43

Oundle

34

Rugby 47

Northants Northampton

Stilton 4

30

Kettering 53

Peterboro’

39

28 31

57

32 35

Warwicks

27

Cambs 45

Beds Great Food Magazine 57

Langar Hall, Langar This special restaurant and boutique hotel has a charm all of its own, says Emma Ansell

G

WHERE TO EAT AT FOOD RE

Restaurant TO

P R AT E

D

Sample dinner menu Starters Flatleaf parsley velouté, lemon spaetzle, creamed goats cheese, £7 Poached octopus, violet artichokes, Jersey royals, salsa verde, £10.50

Mains Indian tapas: Bombay potatoes, lentil dhal, spiced chick peas etc., £14 Fillet of Blackberry Farm beef, sauté potatoes, Lyonnaise onions, slow roast tomatoes, sauce Béarnaise, £24

Desserts Vanilla pannacotta, Riesling marinated summer berries, £6.50 Belvoir Stilton, Colston Bassett, Cropwell Bishop & Clawson, £9.50

The dining room at Langar Hall

SPECIALITIES Seasonal food; game; creative dishes with a ‘Langar Hall quirk’ FOOD TIMES: Restaurant: 12-2pm and 7-9.30pm, seven days. Garden room: 11am-7pm except at weekends

‘The food is cooked in a style that matches Langar’s ambience’

T

he word ‘Langar’, as well as being the name of a Nottinghamshire village, is also Sanskrit for, ‘a place where pilgrims receive nourishment’. Fitting, because Langar Hall is a jewel in the Midlands’ gastronomic crown. Sitting in the Vale of Belvoir, this apricot coloured Georgian country house nestles in parkland next to a beautiful church.

Langar Hall was built in 1837 and over the past 28 years has evolved into a boutique hotel and restaurant without losing the cosy feel of a family home. Proprietor Imogen Skirving (her book The Reluctant Restaurateur is a must-read), diminutive in size yet statuesque in charisma, has – with

THE LANGAR CHEFS

Head chef Gary Booth (left) has been with Langar Hall for almost 12 years. He says the kitchen team are a “big family” with great passion for the food they create and the Langar Hall philosophy. Sous Chef Ross Jeffery (right) started as kitchen assistant when he was 14. An enthusiastic innovator, Ross has worked at three-star Michelin establishments Per Se in New York under Jonathan Benno, sister restaurant French Laundry in California with Thomas Keller, and Hambleton Hall, bringing new ideas back to Langar.

58 Great Food Magazine

Pig’s cheek croquettes with sauce gribiche (left), homegrown courgettes for sale, and a Langar pud

her loyal and talented team – created a Pandora’s box of charm and hospitality.

Having been lucky enough to dine here on several occasions and also stay on the eve of my wedding, Langar has a special place in my affections. I recall arriving in the frost of a December evening and hearing carols come from the adjoining 12th century church. I felt wrapped in the goodwill and sparkle that Langar does so well – it was a truly magical moment.

The décor and artefacts arranged throughout the Hall are a mix of new and old: sculpture, art and furnishings gathered over the years, and each of the 12 rooms are unique. Enjoy the light of the Garden Room for afternoon tea, or spill on to the terrace and soak up the gardens during light lunches.

The Library offers privacy and I am in no doubt that the Indian Room has seen many a good party. The romantic pillared dining room is the heart of Langar, where locally sourced or home-grown seasonal food is served, such as twice baked cheese soufflé, and lamb from the estate. Simple food cooked to perfection in an English style that matches the ambience, not without Langar’s customary quirk. During the season their game dishes are sublime and the wine cellar is extensive.

If you are looking for a slice of nirvana in this busy, modern society then Langar Hall is worth the pilgrimage on your special occasion.

CONTACT Langar Hall, Langar, Notts NG13 9HG, 01949 860559 langarhall.com

Habibi, Coventry CUISINE: Arabic PRICE PER HEAD: £17-£25 (for three courses). BYO wine – corkage £2.50 KIDS WELCOME: Yes DOGS: No CUSTOMER CAR PARKING: On street FOOD TIMES: Mon-Thurs: noon-midnight; Fri: noon-1am; Sat: 2pm-1am; Sun: 2pm-11pm

A

round 20 of us on a night out from work went to Habibi’s Arabic restaurant in Coventry. There is no alcohol licence, but you can take your own, so being journalists we arrived weighed down with bags of booze.

Habibi is tucked away in the city’s historic Far Gosford Street behind an unimposing shop front. Inside, it is like taking a magic carpet ride to the Middle East. We ate in the Bedouin tent in the garden, with its Arabian furnishings, woven rugs, low level seating (best to wear trousers), brass-top tables, Arabic music and rows of fruit sheesha pipes.

Sometimes there are belly-dancers!

A couple of us were driving so started with Hibiscus tea, served iced with sugar to taste.

The selection of dishes we had ordered to share, mezze style, soon started to arrive.

There was warek enab (vine leaves stuffed

MEZZE

Mosakhan Jajj (traditional Palestinian dish) – boneless chicken marinated in Arabic spices, wrapped in Arab bread and grilled on charcoal £10

STARTER

Hommous Arabi £3.90

MAINS

Bamia Biziet – okra, onions and fresh garlic cooked in tomato sauce, served with rice £10.50 Tagine Khoudar Belahmeh £12.50

DESSERT

Unremarkable from the outside.

Full of Eastern promise within

with rice and herbs), hommous with khobez (Arab bread), falafel with yoghurt dip and a variety of other spicy vegetables and salads.

I did not always know what I was eating and was in too much of a hurry to find out, but all were tasty and flavoursome, and while some had an unexpected kick, they were never too hot to taste the different spices.

We finished our meal with a sticky and scrumptious selection of baklawa (sweet pastries) and mint and cinnamon teas served in spectacular brass Arabian tea kettles from which you expect a genie to appear!

I had my first smoke of a shared sheesha pipe (mixed fruits), while the party next to us

The Olive Branch, Clipsham CUISINE: British gastro pub PRICE PER HEAD: £35-£45 (for three courses and drinks) KIDS WELCOME: Yes DOGS: Yes, in the bar CUSTOMER CAR PARKING: Yes FOOD TIMES: Mon-Sat: 12-2pm and 7-9.30pm; Sun: 12-3pm and 7-9pm

Baklawa £4.50

were having a go with the Arabian drums.

All the food served at Habibi is freshly prepared on the premises and inspired by the recipes that owner Manal Timraz grew up with in Palestine. Eating here is a cultural, fun experience. On the Saturday night we visited, there was a great atmosphere and, in the Bedouin tent, it was more like joining a big, boisterous party than simply dining out at a restaurant.

Jane Stirland HABIBI 142 Far Gosford Street, Coventry CV1 5DY 024 76220669

Menu samples STARTERS/SNACKS Campanelli pasta with butternut squash and sage butter £7.95 White onion soup, Colston Bassett Stilton Rarebit £5.50

MAINS Honey roast duck breast, confit duck pasty, glazed beetroot £23 Roast lamb chump, Mediterranean vegetable tumbet £18.50

A

lmost every inch of Rutland is rural, so pointing out that the Olive Branch occupies a nice spot surrounded by wonderful countryside is to state an unremarkable fact.

However, everything else about this country pub is quite remarkable.

Much has been written about The Olive Branch over the years, so I was determined to approach it with an open mind. The beautifully tended front garden was a good start and inside the atmosphere was relaxed, convivial, yet somehow charged with a sense of occasion. Maybe it was the front of house team, who were warm and friendly but stylishly professional, or it could have been the alchemy of smart yet unpretentious fixtures and fittings. There’s an art to creating a great pub or restaurant interior and an eye for detail is crucial. Someone here has a great eye – you’re made to feel at home, yet also that you’re somewhere special.

Menu samples

DESSERT Chocolate and honeycomb parfait, white chocolate and banana mousse £6.95 “Sit at the bar, have a pint of Olive Ale (brewed specially by the Grainstore Brewery of Oakham), absorb the menu and relax,” was the message imparted without actually being said. “Your table is ready, but no rush. Enjoy a Melton Sloe Gin cocktail or a Lavender Lemonade.” I don’t think anyone said that last bit either, but it was certainly implied.

After taking our seats, an amuse-bouche of full English breakfast terrine arrived – a surprising treat, tasty and fun. I can still remember the superb herb butter served with the homemade bread, and my main of Lincolnshire sausages in red wine gravy was rich and comforting, getting me in the mood for chilly autumn nights. My wife’s fish and chips (we clearly weren’t feeling sophisticated

that night) were first class and enhanced by a zingy handmade tartar sauce that offered a burst of acidic, lemony freshness.

The Olive Branch is remarkable because it’s a pub that transcends a pub. It offers a sense of occasion, creative and interesting menus (despite our choices), and exceptional food in a homely setting. I headed home through that Rutland countryside feeling cosseted, satisfied and happy. Matt Wright THE OLIVE BRANCH Main Street, Clipsham, Rutland LE15 7SH, 01780 410355, theolivebranchpub.com

Great Food Magazine 59

RECIPE

Rachel Green’s Lincolnshire Sausages with Flageolet Bean Cassoulet and Garlic Crostini Serves 4

* 8 Lincolnshire sausages * 1 tbsp olive oil * 8 shallots, peeled and left whole * 1 carrot, peeled and diced * 1 stick celery, diced * 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed * 1 sprig rosemary * 1 bay leaf * 100ml white wine * 150ml chicken stock * 250g fresh flageolet beans * 2 tins chopped tomatoes * 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly * 50g pitted olives * 1tbsp parsley, finely chopped For the garlic crostini * 8 slices baguette * 60g butter, softened * 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the sausages all over. Remove from the pan and reserve. Add the shallots, carrots and celery to the pan and sauté for five minutes, then add the garlic, rosemary and bay leaf and cook for a further minute.

2 Add the wine and stock, bring to the boil, then add the flageolet beans, tomatoes and redcurrant jelly. Return the sausages to the pan and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the beans are soft and cooked through. Add the olives and cook for a further five minutes. Check the seasoning,

remembering that the olives are salty, and adjust as necessary.

3 For the crostini, mix together the crushed garlic and softened butter, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Spread the garlic butter onto both sides of the baguette slices, and grill each side until golden.

4 Sprinkle the parsley over the cassoulet and serve with the garlic crostini.

RACHEL GREEN For more information on Lincolnshire chef Rachel, or to browse her cookbooks, visit rachel-green.co.uk

‘Sprinkle with parsley and serve with the garlic crostini ’

CHEEKY RED

DUNCAN MURRAY’S WINE TIP Chateau du Donjon Cuvee Prestige 2008 Grapes: Syrah, Grenache Crafted in the heart of cassoulet country, this full, rich wine offers aromas and flavours of plum, vanilla, spice and aniseed. It would enhance this dish as well as improve a good book. Price: £15.99

Afternoon Tea? Stapleford Park is the Perfect Venue

Sit back, relax and enjoy afternoon tea.

Cream Tea - £8.50 - Warm fruit & plain scones, served with clotted cream & homemade strawberry compote & a pot of tea.

Full Afternoon Tea - £15.50 - Freshly made open sandwiches, followed by a selection of warm scones served with clotted cream & homemade strawberry compote, accompanied with a selection of cakes & sweet pastries & a pot of tea.

If you would like further information contact us on 01572 787000 or visit www.staplefordpark.com 60 Great Food Magazine

Furniture & kitchens made from reclaimed timber Introducing our Chefs With each of their individual styles, all three Head Chefs at The Crown Hotel, The Exeter Arms and The White Hart enthuse at using local, seasonal produce, much of which is from the Tallington farm.

Whichever venue you choose a patio menu is available for Al fresco dining on warmer days.

We look forward to welcoming you soon.

t. 01780 763136

t. 01780 756321

t. 01780 740250

All Saint’s Hotels Ltd. All Saint's Place, Stamford, PE9 2AG t. 01780 763136

p61_GF_SeptOct11.indd Sec1:61

Contact us 07815 119660/0845 805 6025 E-mail: ncmcarpentry@gmail.com

www.ncmcarpentry.co.uk

19/8/11 09:34:52

Delis, cheese &

Havens of delicious food in the Heart of England. Updated every issue according to feedback. Explore and enjoy...

Stumbling across a unique little deli or wine shop and discovering a previously unknown cheese, coffee or wine variety is one of life’s pleasures.

On this map we’ve tried to list some of the best places in the region for you to check out.

To tell us about a great deli, cheese shop, wine outlet or bakery that you feel should be included, email editorial@greatfoodmag.co.uk or tweet @greatfoodmag on Twitter.

The Garden Barn Cotesbach LE17 4HS gardenbarn.co.uk

Northfield Farm Bakery Cold Overton LE15 7QF northfieldfarm.com

Garden Deli & Coffee Shop Costock LE12 6XB sixacres.co.uk

North’s Rothley LE7 7LD dominic-davidnorth.co.uk

Gourmet Delis Oundle PE8 4EF gourmetdelis.co.uk

Old Theatre Deli Southwell NG25 0HE theoldtheatredeli.co.uk

Hallam’s Grantham NG31 6LH 01476 591911

Otters Deli Oakham LE15 6EA ottersdeli.co.uk

Hambleton Bakery Exton LE15 8AN hambletonbakery.co.uk

The Malt House Deli Bottesford NG13 0AH 01949 843699

28

29

30

31

Amphora Wines 1 Cold Overton LE15 7QF amphora-wines.co.uk Amp’s Fine Wine Oundle PE8 4BQ ampsfinewines.co.uk

2

The Cheese Shop 14 Nottingham NG1 2HN cheeseshop-nottingham.co.uk Chocolate Alchemy 15 Loughborough LE11 1TZ chocolate-alchemy.co.uk

32

Hambleton Bakery Oundle PE8 4AU

Barrowby Cakehole Barrowby NG32 1BZ barrowbycakehole.co.uk

Colston Bassett Store Colston Bassett NG12 3FE colstonbassettstore.com

35

Hambleton Bakery Stamford PE9 1PL

Beckworth Emporium 5 Mears Ashby NN6 0DL beckworthemporium.com

Country Bumpkins Deli 18 Leamington Spa CV32 5JR countrybumpkinsdeli.co.uk

Ben’s Wine Shop 6 Oakham LE15 6QS benswineshop.co.uk

The Deli 19 Kibworth Beauchamp LE8 0HS 0116 2790077

Bitter Sweet Chocolates Breedon DE73 8AN bittersweetchocolates.co.uk

17

Deli at Black & Blossom Ashby LE65 2FH blackandblossom.co.uk

21

Boutique Aromatique Welbeck S80 3LW boutiquearomatique.com

8

Brown & Green Derby Garden Centre DE21 5DB brown-and-green.co.uk

9

Buntings Thrapston NN14 4JH buntingsfinefoods.co.uk

10

Deli Italia 11 Melton Mowbray LE13 0PN caffedeli-italia.co.uk Cana at Bank Chambers Harbury CV33 9HW canaimport.co.uk

12

Cheese on the Green 13 Bilton CV22 7LZ cheeseonthegreen.com

62 Great Food Magazine

Deli Flavour Leicester LE2 2DA deliflavour.net

22

Delilah Fine Foods Nottingham NG1 7DX delilahfinefoods.co.uk

23

Dickinson & Morris Melton Mowbray LE13 1NW porkpie.co.uk

24

Kendall’s of Earlsdon Coventry CV5 6EJ kendallsofearlsdon.com

36

Kibworth Wines Kibworth Beauchamp LE8 0HQ kibworthwines.co.uk

37

Kitchen Garden Café Kings Heath B14 7SA kitchengardencafe.co.uk

38

Landins Kimbolton PE28 0HB landins.co.uk

39

Local Not Global Deli Nottingham NG9 1EN localnotglobal-deli.co.uk

40

Lucy’s Food Leicester LE2 2BD lucysfood.co.uk

41

Maiyango Deli Kitchen Leicester LE1 4LD maiyango.com

42

Duncan Murray Wines 25 Market Harborough LE16 7LT duncanmurraywines.co.uk

49

50

51

Relish Deli Tamworth B79 7DF relishdeli.co.uk

52

Lichfield

Salvadore Deli Leicester LE2 1TU thesalvadordeli.co.uk

54

52

Simply Simon’s 55 Market Harbo’ LE16 7LT simplysimons.co.uk Squisito Deli Monks Kirby CV23 0RA squisito-deli.co.uk

56

Stamford Cheese Cellar Stamford PE9 2DG 01780 489269

57

St Giles Cheese Northampton NN1 1JF stgilescheese.com

58

The Tall Frog Deli Nottingham NG2 6ET thetallfrog.co.uk

59

Three Horseshoes Deli (within pub) Breedon DE73 8AN thehorseshoes.com

The Garage Deli Uppingham LE15 9UD 01572 823247

No 8 Deli 44 Nottingham NG2 5LN no8deli.co.uk

The Waltham Deli Waltham on the Wolds LE14 4AH walthamdeli.co.uk

27

Staffs

Rutland & Derby Deli (within pub) Leicester LE1 5JN everards.co.uk

The Melton Cheeseboard Melton Mowbray LE13 1BU meltoncheeseboard.co.uk

43

Burton

53

The Fine Food Store Stamford PE9 2DF thefinefoodstore.com

26

Ashbourne

48

The Pickled Village Bulwick NN17 3DY thepickledvillage.co.uk

34

7

47

Paxton & Whitfield Stratford CV37 6JF paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

16

Deli 53 20 Ashby LE65 1AG 01530 415706

46

Hambleton Bakery Oakham LE15 6AL

Christopher James Deli Leicester LE2 1TU christopherjamesdeli.co.uk

4

45

33

Anderson & Hill Birmingham B2 5HU andersonandhill.co.uk

3

Bakewell

3 38

Birmingham Solihull

60

61

Always check opening hours before setting off

50

wine shops

Delis and more

Key

8

Welbeck

Cheese shop

Baker

Choccy maker

Lincoln

Outlets where you can buy Great Food Magazine

Mansfield

47

Derbyshire Nottingham 9

14 40

Derby

Newark

23 44 59

Sleaford 49 4

11

43 24

Melton Mowbray

Leics

1 45

46

Oakham

37

Leamington 18

12

Stamford

35 26

Peterboro’ 51

19

Corby

25

Market Harborough 28

Kettering

Coventry Rugby

57

27

36

13

32

Rutland

55

56

48

6 33

53 Leicester 42 22 41 16 54

Warwicks

Grantham

61

15

20

31

17

29 60

Lincs

Notts

7

Warwick

Wine shop

Ollerton

Matlock

21

Deli

Stilton 2 30 34

Oundle 10

Northants Northampton 58

Cambs 39

5

Beds Map painted by Graham Wright

Great Food Magazine 63

WHERE TO EAT

D

AT FOO RE G

The Cakehole, Barrowby Delicious food in lovely surroundings, says Rachel Quine SPECIALITIES Red Velvet cake, carrot cake, Scrimshaw’s pork pies OPENING TIMES: Mon-Sat 8.30am4.30pm; Sun closed

Sandwiches (£3.50) Grasmere baked ham with mustard Local cheese with Barrowby chutney

Homemade cake (£2.20) Red Velvet Triple-Layer Carrot Cake

Wine (glass from £3.30)

Bishops Leap Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)

Before trading commenced, the couple spent 12 months visiting local suppliers to find the best produce. The philosophy is simple, Niki says. “Good, fresh, local food, and, like our motto says, ‘Made With Love and Care’.

Produce is everything and we won’t compromise on quality”.

She talks of a steep learning curve but says the venture has exceeded expectations.

The Cakehole’s website describes a familyfriendly atmosphere. When I visited, the café was bustling with young families, yummy mummies and retired couples. Children are

Tastefully Charlotte decorated, Falkingham and there’s witha holiday Sarah apartment Lyon and Janet upstairs, ?????? too

64 Great Food Magazine

Menu examples

Deli boards (£6.50)

‘It’s called the Cakehole for a reason: the cakes are sublime’

It’s called the Cakehole for a reason – you are welcomed by a table groaning with deep frosted layer cakes, swirly cupcakes and brownies. Triple-layered carrot cake, packed with pecans and sandwiched with a light cream cheese frosting, is moist and moreish. The Red Velvet cake is sublime.

P R AT E D

Ploughman’s: pork pie, ham etc.

Antipasti: olives, ham, chorizo etc.

he Cakehole is the brainchild of bright young couple Andrew and Niki Flitcroft.

Located in Barrowby, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, it is also within easy reach of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The store, deli and café has quickly become a magnet for food lovers since it opened last year and is well supported by local people.

Andrew used to work in the City and Niki is a former fashion designer with a passion for cakes. Having made a lifestyle choice to quit the rat-race, they decided to use two of their key skills – people and cake-baking – to launch a business. They were delighted to find their run-down village shop on the market. A sale was agreed, then came the painstaking job of repair, rebuilding and refurbishment. Niki’s

LET THEM EAT CAKE

TO

In the Cakehole with Andrew and Niki Flitcroft

T

design flair is shown in the stylish interior she has created, with contemporary and tasteful décor. Andrew came up with the witty name and the business plan.

Delicatessen

Niki’s amazing Red Velvet cake

imaginatively catered for with half sandwiches or Petit Platters of home-baked ham, cheddar, fresh bread, carrot sticks and fruit (£2.90). There is even a book and toycorner especially for younger visitors.

Niki and Andrew are quietly on the look-out for another location where they can work their magic. With cakes as good as theirs, I am praying that the village they choose is mine.

Greedy? Me? Shut your cakehole. Q CONTACT The Cakehole, 1 Main Street, Barrowby, Linconshire NG32 1BZ, 01476 564250, barrowbycakehole.co.uk

Sarah Lyon and Janet ??????

Where to eat

Queen’s Rd,

One of the best roads to explore in Leicester.

Nice plants too

Leicester

From tapas to local beef to beer, this is one of the city’s tastiest stretches. By Tim Burke

I

n the shadow of Leicester University, Queen’s Road links lively, bohemian Clarendon Park to the wealthy professional areas of Knighton and Stoneygate. Given a boost since the relaxation of licensing laws, it punches above its weight with an intriguing collection of independent restaurants, bars, delis, butchers and grocers. It’s refreshingly free of pretension but with a dash of style and character.

Salvador Deli

W Archer & Son

T

T

SPECIALITIES Local meat, biltong OPENING TIMES: Monday-Friday 7am-5.30pm; Sat 7am-4.30pm

SPECIALITIES Cheese, anti-pasti OPENING TIMES: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm (café to 4.30pm) his puntastic deli is another Husain brothers venture (see Barceloneta), combining café with deli. The café has pavement space ideal for watching the world go by and is introducing a bistro menu from 4.30pm-7.30pm on Fridays. Since launching, the café’s success has led to a switch of emphasis but the deli selection remains strong with well-informed staff able to advise on cheeses and point you in the direction of excellent antipasti hams, wines and breads.

50 Queens Road, thesalvadordeli.co.uk

Bar Dos Hermanos & Barceloneta

SPECIALITIES Mojitos, sherry, tapas OPENING TIMES: BDH – Mon-Fri 5pm-11pm; Sat-Sun 11am-11pm; Barc – Mon-Sun 7pm on linked venues are run by Leicester T hese bar and restaurant legends John and

Andy Husain. One side is a lively 1940s Cuban-themed bar. It does a roaring trade in cocktails and is packed at weekends for its celebrated Full Monty breakfasts and hangover-busting brunch dishes such as corn beef hash and huevos rancheros. The other side is a traditional-style tapas bar now established for over 20 years. Try dishes such as Asturian cod and chorizo pie while you sip your choice of seven different sherries.

54 Queens Road, www.barceloneta.co.uk

here’s been an Archer’s on Queens Road since 1918. Current owner Sean Jeynes has run the shop for 12 years. “To succeed as a local butcher you’ve got to offer something different,” says Sean. Hence his recent trip to the Lake District to source Herdwick lamb. In the main, though, it’s great local meat that keeps people coming back – and one regular has been coming back for 60 years.

South Devon beef from Leicester Tiger’s star Julian White’s farm in Stoke Albany flies off the shelves, as does pork from Packington, near Ashby. Shop-made sausages, a hog roast on match days and South African specialities also give that crucial element of difference.

99 Queens Road, 0116 2707876

Babelas

Jones’

SPECIALITIES Real ale, wine OPENING TIMES: Mon–Thur 5-11pm; Fri 4-11pm, Sat 1-11pm, Sun 4-10.30pm

SPECIALITIES Mussels and risottos OPENING TIMES: Mon-Sat 10-2pm, 6-10pm; Sun 10-2pm

T

he area’s most laidback bar. The feel is slightly downat-heel living room, but it all gives rise to a friendly, intimate atmosphere. Licensee Geoff Elwell was a wine merchant for 12 years and the wine selection is excellent, backed up with cheese boards. Award winning ales (Landlord, Harvest Pale) and plenty of whiskies are available too.

77 Queens Road, 0116 2707744

T

his bijou café/bistro is the definitive neighbourhood restaurant, varying its menus over the day as it morphs from the place for breakfast with the papers into the venue for casual lunch with the girls and later dinner with the family. You could kick the day off with Eggs Benedict, enjoy a lunchtime sandwich and in the evening eat bistro classics. It’s well-known for mussels and risottos but there’s a full restaurant menu with dishes such as roasted Gressingham duck.

Cosy restaurant, generous portions, happy days.

93 Queens Road, 0116 2708830

Great Food Magazine 65

Farm shop & Some of the region’s best farm shops and butchers. If we’ve missed someone off who you think should be included, please let us know The aim of this map is to show you some of the best independent places to buy high quality, locally produced food. We can’t include every farm shop and butcher in the region, so we’re featuring outlets that you have recommended or that we’ve visited and like. If you’ve visited a great place, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you and together we can improve the map.

Email editorial@greatfoodmag.co.uk or Tweet @greatfoodmag on Twitter.

Saxon Farm Shop Clifton-U-Dunsmore CV23 0BB, saxonfields.co.uk

David Cox Butchers Stathern LE14 4HW www.butchercox.co.uk

Scaddows Farm Shop Ticknall DE73 7JP scaddowsfarm.co.uk

Derek Jones Butchers 51 King St, Melton LE13 1XB, 01664 565328

Scotch Lodge Farm Shop Earls Barton NN6 OHQ http://tinyurl.com/3eccbho

GW Dundas Breaston DE72 3DX gwdundas.co.uk

Spring Lane Farm Shop Mapperley NG3 5RQ springlanefarmshop.co.uk

Jason’s Organic Butcher Cotesbach LE17 4HX jasonsorganicbutchers.co.uk

Ashley Farm Shop 1 Ashley LE16 8HG ashleyherbfarm.co.uk

Smiths Farm Shop 30 Chapel Brampton NN6 8AA, smithsfarmshop.co.uk

Gamble & Hollis Syston LE7 2JT 0116 2603300

Stamford Farm Shop Stamford PE9 4BB stamfordgardencentre.co.uk

Grasmere Butchers Market Deeping PE6 8DL, grasmere-farm.co.uk

Stonehurst Farm Shop Mountsorrel LE12 7AR stonehurstfarm.co.uk

Hambletons Fine Foods Oakham LE15 8AQ hambletonfarms.co.uk

Attfields Farm Shop 2 Whetstone LE8 6LD attfieldsfarmshop.co.uk

Doddington Hall Doddington LN6 4RU doddingtonhall.com

14

Farndon Field Market Harboro’ LE16 9NP farndonfieldsfarmshop.co.uk

15

Glebe Farm Shop Near Kettering NN16 8XF glebefarmshop.co.uk

Berry’s Farm Shop at The Cholmeley Arms Burton-le-Coggles NG33 4JP, theeastonestate.co.uk

Gonalston Farm Shop 17 Gonalston NG14 7DR gonalstonfarmshop.co.uk

Bluebells Farm Shop Derby DE21 7BU bluebelldairy.co.uk

5

Bouverie Lodge 6 Nether Broughton LE14 3EX, bisons.org Chantry Farm Shop Melbourne DE73 8DD chantryfarm.com

7

Chase Farm Shop Roughley B75 5RL chasefarmshop.co.uk

16

Chatsworth Farm Shop Bakewell DE45 1PP chatsworth.org

Harker’s Farm Shop Clipston NG12 5PB harkersfarmshop.co.uk Highfield House Farm Stonedge S45 0LW highfieldhousefarm.co.uk

19

Malt Kiln Farm Shop 20 Stretton-Under-Fosse CV23 0PE, maltkilnfarmshop.co.uk Manor Farm Shop 21 Catthorpe LE17 6DB manorfarmcatthorpe.co.uk Mellors Farm Shop Milton NG22 0PP mellorsfarmshop.co.uk

Crossroads Farm Shop Eastwell LE14 4EF http://tinyurl.com/5rodb4a

Northfield Farm Shop Cold Overton LE15 7QF northfieldfarm.com

11

Dentstone Hall 12 Dentstone ST14 5HF denstonehall.co.uk Dovecote Farm Shop 13 Newton NN14 1BW dovecotefarm.co.uk

66 Great Food Magazine

29

31

Waterloo Cottage Farm Great Oxendon LE16 8NA waterloocottagefarm.co.uk Welbeck Farm Shop Welbeck S80 3LW thewelbeckfarmshop.co.uk

34

18

Croots Farm Shop Duffield DE56 4AQ croots.co.uk

10

28

33

8

9

27

32

Becketts Farm Shop 3 Wythall B47 6AJ beckettsfarm.co.uk

4

26

22

23

12

13

Clive Lancaster Bingham NG13 8BD clivelancasterbutchers.co.uk

14

JT Beedham & Sons Sherwood, Nottingham NG5 2FS, jtbeedham.co.uk

4

Roots at Thorpe Farm Barkby Thorpe LE7 3QE rootsthorpefarm.co.uk

Clarke’s of Queniborough Queniborough LE7 3DB clarkesqueniborough.co.uk

5

6

Burton

Staffs

Joseph Morris South Kilworth LE17 6EG joseph-morris.co.uk

Lichfield

15

Mark Patrick Birstall LE4 4NB markpatrickbutchers.co.uk

Bates Butchers 3 4 Church Sq, Market Harboro’ LE16 7NB, 01858 462400

12

11

BUTCHERS W Archer & Son 1 99 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1TT, 0116 2707876 F Bailey & Son 2 Station Rd, Upper Broughton LE14 3BQ, 01664 822216

Ashbourne

10

Frank Parker Nuneaton CV11 5DT frankparkerbutchers.co.uk

Chellaston Butchers 11 Derby Road, Chellaston DE73 5SA, 01332 701131

25

9

Wistow Farm Shop Wistow LE8 0QF wistow.com/rural.asp

Packington Moor Lichfield WS14 9QB packingtonmoorfarm.co.uk

24

8

Nelsons Stamford PE9 1PB nelsonsbutchers.co.uk

36

Bakewell

7

Wing Hall Farm Shop Wing LE15 8RY winghall.co.uk

35

9

24

16

17

8

18

Trendall’s Oundle PE8 4BQ trendalls.com

19

WF Chapman Lutterworth LE17 4AT wfchapman.co.uk

20

Key

Birmingham 3

Farm shops Butchers Outlets where you can buy Great Food magazine

Always check opening hours before setting off

Solihull

butchers map

Farm shops and butchers

34

Welbeck

22

14

19

Lincoln

Ollerton

Matlock

Mansfield

Newark

Derbyshire

17

29 10

Notts

4 5

Derby

Sleaford

14

Nottingham

Grantham

18

9

7

5 2

7

27

Lincs

6

11 4 8

Melton

32

Leics

6 11 18

23 25

13

Rutland

Oakham

Leicester

12

31 Stamford 16

35

1

Peterboro’ 2

Warwicks

Market Harborough

17

Leamington Warwick

15

20

1

Corby

15 3

19

Oundle

16

Kettering

Cambs

21 26

Rugby

Stilton

13

33

10

20

Coventry

36

Northants 30

Northampton

28

Beds Map by Graham Wright

Great Food Magazine 67

WELBECK ESTATE LEFT TO RIGHT: David Wall of Welbeck Bakehouse mans the farm shop bread counter; cheeses on sale at Welbeck; Andrew Norman with his patés and terrines; inside Welbeck Farm Shop

Shelly and Jake Preston of Boutique Aromatique

F

ood paradise exists and it’s not far from Worksop. As we mentioned in the last issue, Welbeck Estate in north Nottinghamshire can justifiably claim to be the capital of Britain’s artisan food and drink movement. At its heart lies a sumptuously stocked farm shop. But that’s the icing on the cake, because around this shop orbit a cheesemaker, a bakery, several farmers producing excellent meats, a brewery and a chocolate maker plus cafe, not to mention the School of Artisan Food (see overleaf). With the exception of the farmers, who tend land nearby, all these producers and the school are located in buildings on Welbeck Estate. And all supply the farm shop.

Shop manager Michael Boyle, who has lived on Welbeck Estate for 17 years, says: “The meat we sell is raised on the estate or on its tenanted farms.

Welbeck farmer Pat Moss supplies lamb and beef; local Saddlebacks are reared outdoors by Philip Willison;and game comes from estate shoots.

Our chef Andrew Norman makes top quality ready meals such as venison stroganoff, plus patés and soups.

“We’ve just started a farm shop tasting panel. If we think there’s a gap on our shelves, we try to source the missing product from the estate; if it’s not available, we ask Welbeck’s tenanted farmers; after that, we look within a 30 mile radius; then, if necessary, beyond that.”

Welbeck Farm Shop opened in October 2006 after conversations between Michael and his friend Joe Parente, whose family own Welbeck Estate. Joe had the idea of bringing good, locally sourced food and drink to estate visitors, and Michael had an agricultural background, so it made sense for them to work together to open a farm shop. “The area was a food desert before 2006. It’s taken time but now it’s buzzing,” says Michael.

As Welbeck Farm Shop was selling its first sausage, Joe Schneider, in partnership with Randolph Hodgson from London’s Neal’s Yard Dairy, moved his Stichelton cheese-making operation to Welbeck. The synergy

Artisan capital What were once derelict buildings now bustle with bakers, butchers, brewers and farm shop customers

‘The area was a bit of a food desert before 2006 but now it’s buzzing’ Welbeck butchers Rob Limb and Mark Brown

created by farm shop and cheesemaker working side by side clearly had a contagious effect.

Next, Welbeck Bakehouse was tempted to moved to Welbeck, taking a vacant building. Then the School of Artisan Food joined the party (see over the page), making use of the estate’s old fire station.

The latest arrivals are Shelly Preston, who runs chocolate maker Boutique Aromatique, a shop within Welbeck Farm Shop that stocks sublime artisan chocolates; and Welbeck Abbey Brewery, run by Claire Monk, producing ale that you can buy in the shop.

With all these producers within a stone’s throw of a great farm shop (plus coffee shop, garden centre and art gallery), and with students flocking to the School of Artisan Food, Welbeck Estate is a slice of food paradise.

BOTTOM LEFT TO RIGHT: Shop girls (l-r) Emily Straw, Sarah Limb and Anita Dernie; Aromatique Boutique chocolates; The Limehouse Cafe is just a few yards from the farm shop

68 Great Food Magazine

WELBECK ESTATE

Artisan butchery teacher Kate Hill

LEFT TO RIGHT: Cured meats hang to mature in the School of Artisan Food; exterior view of the School; one of the well equipped short course teaching areas

The School of Artisan Food

Welbeck Bakehouse

Using the specially designed giant woodfired ovens pictured below, Welbeck Bakehouse makes hundreds of loaves per day. Its signature loaf is the Welbeck Sourdough, but award winners include the speciality Sunflower Volkornbrot and its delicious Almond Croissants. It was the setting up of the Bakehouse in 2006 that led to the creation of the School of Artisan Food.

If you want to learn how to make blue cheese, what do you do? Surf the internet, experiment with milk and mould in Tupperware boxes and hope for the best, or book yourself on to one of the Artisan School of Food’s cheese making courses? Up until October 2009, when the School opened, you would have had little choice but to take the rather alarming DIY approach.

Happily, the Artisan School – which teaches students how to make foods that ferment – is now up and running on Welbeck Estate. Around 1600 people have attended its short courses since it opened, and places are booked up well in advance. The School also runs an intensive 10 month diploma course, where students are taught for 32 hours a week. The price of this diploma is £14,000, with bursaries often available.

The idea for the school came about in 2006 when Gareth Kennedy and Alison Swan Parente set up a bakery on Welbeck Estate. They quickly discovered that there were very few skilled bakers around.

Conversations with friends in the artisan food world revealed similar skill shortages in many areas, including cheesemaking and butchery.

“Gareth and Alison had a lightbulb moment and realised that a centre of food excellence was needed to train people in the skills of artisan food production,” says Joe Piliero, Artisan School marketing officer. The East Midlands Development Agency agreed, and offered £900,000 to help set up the School.

The School now has state of the art facilities for teaching butchery, cheese making, baking, preserving, brewing and chocolate making. It has a jaw-dropping lecture theatre, superb canteen (it would have been rude not to) and seriously impressive kit. Teachers include renowned experts like baker Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, butcher Kate Hill and cheesemaker Val Bines.

“Demand is strong for all the courses,” says Joe. “Baking and butchery possibly attract the most interest but it’s pretty evenly spread. Very generally speaking, our full diploma students tend to be people looking at career changes. They might be home bakers looking to set up small-scale businesses, or food lovers with an interest in cheese who want to open a deli. Our next diploma starts on September 26 and there a handful of places left.

Having enthusiasm and passion are the most important requirements – food experience is not essential.”

‘They had a lightbulb moment – a centre of food excellence was needed’ Of those diploma students who have just graduated, one success story is Michael Thompson from Ireland, who has secured a job with Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Company (see p6).

But you don’t have to go down the diploma route.

Short courses start at around £100 and include an Introduction to Artisan Cider Making (one day), Pro Blue Cheese Making (three days), Curing and Smoking (one day) and Autumn Preserves (one day).

The School of Artisan Food is leading the way in training UK food producers, keeping that all-important knowledge alive. It’s another jewel in the crown of artisan food capital Welbeck Estate.

Being in Sherwood Forest is a great help when you need to power these

70 Great Food Magazine

CONTACT Welbeck Farm Shop & School of Artisan Food, Welbeck Estate, Worksop, Notts S80 3LW thewelbeckfarmshop.co.uk, 01909 478725

HOME& KITCHEN Where food and drink meets lifestyle

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Barrowcliffe House, Barrow Upon Soar

DREAM HOUSE FOR SALE A jaw-dropping Leicestershire property with features to make food lovers drool

G

rab a bottle from your wine cellar and relax in landscaped gardens as you scoff strawberries grown yards away. Then watch the game unfold on the tennis court before strolling to your American bar/diner, fixing another drink, and cooking the evening meal in your custom-made kitchen.

It’s like one of those National Lottery dreams we all have, but if you do have a pretty penny, then Barrowcliffe House in Barrow Upon Soar, Leicestershire, could be where the fantasy becomes reality.

“It was built in 1850 for a local family of solicitors,” says current owner Debbie Hancock, who has lived there for 13 years. “We decided to utilise the cellars properly because my husband collects wine. He fitted them out himself and added air bricks. We themed the American-style bar/diner ourselves and local carpenter Chris Keeling made the furniture.”

Debbie grows her own carrots, onions, potatoes, beans and Landscaped gardens brassica in the gardens, which fit for a king over the years have become home to all sorts of wildlife, including a whole variety of birds, plus foxes, rabbits and squirrels. There is also a large orchard producing apples, apricots, damsons and plums. A truly special house.

72 Great Food Magazine

New tennis court is adjacent to a summer house

Raised beds were put in last year to create a kitchen garden

house fact file Drawing room features full height Georgian sash windows and marble fireplace

THE PROPERTY Barrowcliffe House, Barrow Upon Soar, Leics. Detached, two-storey small country house built in 18th century.

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GARDENS & GROUNDS 5.7 acres of landscaped gardens, triple garaging, summerhouse, tennis court, workshop, raised beds, orchard producing plenty of fruit.

GUIDE PRICE £1.75m ON SALE WITH Benton’s, 47 Nottingham Street, Melton Mowbray, LE13 1NN 01664 563892, bentons.co.uk

You won’t be cramped for room while kneading dough in here

Wine cellar has air bricks to help control humidity

BESPOKE KITCHEN

Marble work surfaces and plenty of chrome give a beautifully clean look

The kitchen is by Philip Dowse Interiors of Syston

Great Food Magazine 73

2

1 CHILDREN’S BAKING KIT: From the John Lewis ‘Little Home’ range, this cute kit will set kids on the road to baking nirvana. Today Play-Doh stars, tomorrow rye sourdough. £48.50. 2 BREAD MAKER : The John Lewis CBK150JLU will bake two sizes of loaf – 450g and 750g. You can also set the crust thickness and delay the bread making process for up to 13 hours. £75. 3 CATH KIDSTON FLOUR SHAKER : John Lewis. £75.

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4 LA CLOCHE BAKING DOME : Mimics a woodfired oven in your conventional oven. The bell-shaped lid traps steam and maintains an even baking temperature. bakerybits.co.uk. £47.99.

5 SCALES : John Lewis. £8.

6 TOASTER : Watch your bread brown in this Magimix stainless steel and glass toaster. John Lewis. £160.

7 750g CANE PROVING BASKET: Supports dough while it rises to improve structure and texture. bakerybits.co.uk. £14.99.

7 6

74 Great Food Magazine

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p75_GF_SeptOct11.indd Sec1:75

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How to create your...

VEG PATCH FROM Charlie Boyd scuffles with shifty zucchini on his self-dug Rutland veg plot

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ourgettes are sneaky.

Just when you think you’re keeping tabs on them, picking them when they’re small and full of flavour, you find a whopper hiding behind a leaf, heading towards marrow territory.

Fast-growing mutants aside, my nine courgette plants (I had 12, but gave three away) have produced lots of fruit which has been fried, roasted, barbecued, skewered – you name it.

French beans planted by my daughter in the early days of my patch went into a Niçoise salad, runner beans accompanied several roasts and cherry tomatoes were snaffled as soon as they were ripe.

But the big story of my first year with this garden has been the apricots. What we thought was a greengage tree turned out to be an apricot tree and it has produced bucketloads of fruit. For months we watched small, green, plum-like fruits slowly grow into slightly furrier small, green, plum-like fruits and then, over the course of a week, they became apricots. Ripe apricots. We were harvesting them faster than we could eat them – and eat them we did. We thought of every possible way to wolf them down, including stoning them and chucking them on the barbecue with a pork chop – now there’s an explosive taste combo.

Then, within a week of the apricots becoming ripe, our large plum tree began producing wonderfully sweet yellow plums. We had too much fruit, but wasting it was never an option.

Freezing plums, peaches and

Above: We have two varieties of apple – and a lot of both.

Right: Apricots almost ready!

76 Great Food Magazine

Delicious courgette flower - you just can’t get those in the shops

apricots is child’s play. Simply rinse, picked and froze in early August. cut in half, remove the stone, place in There’s nothing more comforting a freezer bag, seal and freeze. That’s than apple and blackberry crumble it. Those plums and apricots are now on a grey October afternoon, as rain awaiting my decision on exactly what lashes against the window and the jam, pickle or chutney they will become. More GET AN APRICOT TREE on that next time.

As you read this, we Your local garden centre should have apricot trees hope to be cooking the , ready to plant for between £25 and £50; failing that first of our Bramley time apples, accompanied by there are plenty of stores online, and now is the best the blackberries we . Our tree is planted against an

of year to plant them t. east-facing wall and has grown to around 12ft in heigh It is possible to train them to grow as a bush by removing vertical stems and encouraging side stems, which would make picking the fruit much easier.

S

SCRATCH part three PHOTOS: LAURA HARVEY

Can’t beat the smell of tomato plants!

Fruits of your labour

Green tomato chutney

If you end up with tomatoes that just won’t ripen, you can try hurrying them along by putting them in a kitchen drawer with a banana (yes, really), or you can embrace the greenness and make this tangy, no-nonsense chutney.

* 500g green tomatoes, roughly chopped

Don’t worry if your tomatoes don’t ripen, they make a great chutney – see right. Below left: pears, destined for poaching

Peas and beans grow rapidly

1 Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and chuck them into a large heavy-based pan with the rest of the ingredients.

2 Bring to the boil, then turn down to a low simmer for about an hour.

You’ll know it’s ready when it starts to look like chutney!

3 Let it cool, then spoon into sterilised jars (wash them and dry in a warm oven beforehand) and enjoy all year round.

Plum clafoutis

football scores come in on the radio.

Just add custard and forget about the rest of the world for five minutes.

TOP TIP

Feel free to improvise – last year I made a version in which the sultanas and cayenne pepper were replaced with ripe bananas and chopped red chilli

After trying a similar dish that used quince at a local restaurant, I thought I’d give this a go. It proved popular with colleagues when I took it into work as part of our ‘bake club’. I hope you’ll like it too.

So what’s next?

The remnants of my beanstalks and courgette plants are on the compost heap and there’s a big empty space in my patch.

What should I fill it with?

There are a number of options for late autumn planting. Purple sprouting broccoli is a likely contender and onions sound easy. Perhaps spring onions and cabbage. It’s also not too late to get a few packets of lettuce or other mixed salad leaf seeds and scatter them in the ground or a planter. You’ll never struggle for packed lunch inspiration with a salad growing on your doorstep.

* 500g red onions, diced and sliced * 250g sultanas * 250g soft brown sugar * 2 tbsp salt * 1 tsp cayenne pepper * 10 green cardamom pods * 500ml malt vinegar

* 500g plums, halved and stoned * 4 free-range eggs * 125ml full fat milk * 125ml double cream * A few drops vanilla essence * 180g caster sugar * 30g unsalted butter * 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar * 1 tbsp plain flour

Above: A strawberry flower, but our plants produced tiny fruits only suitable for local blackbirds. We’ll try again next year

1 Pre-heat oven to 180C (Gas 4).

2 Heat the milk, cream and vanilla in a pan until boiling.

Remove from heat after one minute and leave to cool.

3 Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy, then slowly add flour, folding in as you go. When cream mixture has cooled down, add to egg mix and whisk gently.

4 Put the butter in an oven-proof dish and put in the oven for five

minutes, until the butter begins foaming. Then add the plums (I added a few apricots, too), sprinkle with brown sugar and put back in the oven for five minutes.

5 Remove from the oven again, pour egg and cream mixture over the fruit and return to the oven for around 30-40 minutes. You want it to be golden brown on top, but still soft underneath. Serve warm with cream.

Great Food Magazine 77

Beautiful lunches, delicious dinners and delightful ambience

T HE W ILLIAM C EC IL

at Stamford

Here’s an excuse to visit…

We would be delighted to offer you 20% off all food throughout September and October.

Simply bring this magazine with you and show it to your waiter when you order.

• Good local ales • Excellent value • If you haven’t tried us do come and see us • Welcoming old customers and new

Valid from Monday - Thursday (excludes all drinks)

Robert Reid, along with Dave and Laura, welcome you to The Jackson Stops, the ideal place to meet friends and family and enjoy fabulous food which is all locally sourced!

Call and book your table on: 01780 410 237 THE J

OU

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K S O N ST AC

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The William Cecil St Martins, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2LJ Tel: 01780 750070 www.thewilliamcecil.co.uk

N N T RY I N

Rookery Lane, Stretton, Rutland, LE15 7RA

www.thejacksonstops.com

Visit our studios in Stamford & Bourne

p35_GF_SeptOct11.indd Sec1:35

18/8/11 13:53:19

How to make a

KITCHEN NOTICEBOARD

1

1

Dog-eared lists littering your life?

A noticeboard will brighten up your kitchen and keep things in order

Choose food-themed fabric if the board’s for your kitchen

2

3

2

Fold over the fabric.

Fold the corners like you would when wrapping a present.

It’s great to have somewhere to store the ephemera of your life, but even better if that place is an attractive addition to your house. Making your own kitchen noticeboard is simple, cheap and rewarding.

What you’ll need

* Staple gun and staples * Scissors * Wadding

Cut the wadding to exactly fit the board. Then lay the wadding centrally on top of the fabric and cut fabric to size, leaving about three inches overlap on each side.

Place the board on top.

3

Carefully staple down the fabric, corners first, then TOP TIP! down the sides.

Don’t use MDF Make sure you pull as the staples an d the fabric tight tacks won’t when doing this. stick in

4

5

4

5

6

7

6

7

(Polyester wadding is easy to find on eBay)

* Fabric * Ribbon * String * Upholstery tacks * Picture hooks * Hammer * Drawing pins Plywood or chipboard (not MDF) cut to the size * you want your noticeboard to be ABOUT THE WRITER

Turn the board over and start laying down the ribbons. It looks more interesting if the ribbons don’t match. You can also lay them however you want – lattice, criss-cross or in a Union Jack-style design as I have done.

Stick in drawing pins wherever you see fit! I have put just one right in the middle but you can insert more if you want. If your ribbons cross in more than one place then it’s a good idea to stick a drawing pin in here.

Forest Elf Emily Holt – aka Forest Elf – has a new home accessories and vintage clothing shop at the Stable Yard, Cotesbach, Leics – more at www.forestelf.co.uk

Joe the Blacksmith

Next door to Emily’s shop is Joe the Blacksmith’s forge, where he creates fantastic objects like this bronze rose.

There’s also an organic butcher and a health food shop on site, making Cotesbach’s Stable Yard worth a visit.

To help keep the ribbons taut and firmly in place, gently hammer tacks into the ribbons at the sides and corners of the noticeboard. Then trim off any excess ribbon material and discard.

You now need to hang your noticeboard. Because the board is only light, I used two screw-in hooks and attached string to them.

And there you have it – a colourful, handy noticeboard for your kitchen.

Now it’s time to write some lists!

Great Food Magazine 79

Coffee grinder

With mid-century design at the top of every interior decorator’s wish list, this original 1930s Moulux coffee grinder will sate your desire for both delicious coffee and fashionable good looks. One of a selection of vintage grinders on sale at St Martin’s Antiques Centre, Stamford.

Price: £78 Contact: 01780 481158, st-martins-antiques.co.uk

Antiques for Dining areas

Aged objects that will give your kitchen or dining room a new look.

All the antiques here are available locally and have been lovingly selected by the man behind Matthew Cox Antiques. Find out more at www.matthewcoxantiques.com

Milk churn

This rare, large and fantastic milk churn from around 1900 was made by Vipan and Headly of Leicester and used at the Wilberforce Dairy in the same city. It’s a lovely sculptural object and a great talking point – available from Rutland Antiques Centre in Uppingham.

Price: £180 Contact: 01572 824011, rutlandantiques.com

English dresser

Made in around 1900 but exhibiting classic Georgian proportions, this beautifully aged and pleasingly plain English dresser retains its original painted finish and offers a huge amount of storage space.

Price: £2200 Contact: matthewcoxantiques.com

Refectory table

This classic oak arts and crafts refectory table boasts a great colour, a practical size and a very sensible price. Available from the large and comprehensive Newark Antiques Warehouse.

Price £575.

Contact: 01636 674869, newarkantiques.co.uk

Painted drawers

This attractive set of 19th century painted drawers would originally have been used in a shop to store pigment or spices and would now look great doing the same job in your kitchen.

This item is one of many original, decorative pieces you’ll find at Claire Langley Antiques in Stamford.

Price: £475 Contact: 01780 752555, clairelangleyantiques.co.uk

80 Great Food Magazine

Butter slab

Original ceramic butter slabs are highly sought-after and although this example is probably a later copy, it has all the decorative appeal of an original at a fraction of the price.

Available from Rutland Antiques Centre in Uppingham.

Price: £95 Contact: See above

Coming up in Great Food magazine

NEXT ISSUE

Don’t miss the Christmas Special!

Get a subscription to Great Food as a gift for a friend – see p31

A celebration of the region’s finest festive food and drink

INCLUDING

* A bumper crop of Yuletide recipes from our chefs * Local brewers and their winter warmers * Must-have Heart of England produce for your Christmas table * Where to scoff and quaff

Christmas issue is out on November 3, 2011

The Pantry

From great places to eat to fantastic farm shops to cracking caterers, you’ll find an excellent selection of local foodie services here. To advertise in this section, please contact Andrea Marshall on 01780 754900 or by email a.marshall@bournepublishinggroup.co.uk

BUTCHERS

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Show us your

DREAM KITCHEN OWNER PROFILE NAME: Brian and Gail Usher OCCUPATION: Retired couple WHAT DO LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR KITCHEN?

“The new layout has opened up the whole house and means that the kitchen is now the focus of the home,” says Brian. ”When we have people round, we no longer sit in the lounge while someone cooks.

It’s much more sociable.”

ADVICE ON GETTING A NEW KITCHEN?

“Have a notion of what you want but be open to ideas, too,” says Gail. “It pays to listen to the experts because your ideas just might not be practical.”

Each issue we track down a reader’s kitchen and photograph it in all its glory PHOTOS: WILLIAM J. WALSH (WJWALSH.COM)

QUARTZ

Mirror shards in the quartz work surfaces change colour as you move around the room. “It’s like the sky at night,” says Brian.

I

t’s no exaggeration to say that Brian and Gail Usher’s new open-plan kitchen/dining room has transformed their lives at home. “It’s opened up our house,” says Brian. “We hardly spent any time in the kitchen or adjoining dining room before the work was done. Now you can’t get us out!”

The building work on their home in Greatford, Lincolnshire, plus the kitchen installation was carried out by Bakehouse Kitchen Studio of Stamford. “I can’t praise them highly enough,” says Brian. “They came up with the idea of changing the layout of the ground floor and it’s worked perfectly. But it wasn’t all one-way traffic – they were willing to have their design concepts challenged too.”

A touch that Brian and Gail particularly love is the stone flooring which continues a few centimetres up the walls, replacing a traditional wooden skirting.

Doggy heaven:

CONTACT This kitchen was designed and fitted

by Bakehouse Kitchen Studio of Stamford, bakehousekitchens.co.uk, 01780 767928

82 Great Food Magazine

15 year old Labrador Ebony and rescue terrier Molly love their new kitchen

LIGHTS

Multitude of downlighters in the ceiling provide effective illumination for food preparation without being too dazzling.

BLINDS

Tasteful floral design provides the kitchen with a softer edge and the choice of colours fits in perfectly with the rest of the room.

COLOURS

Neutral tones dominate, givin g blank canvas fo a r later additions

INSETS

Neff coffee maker and microwave are set into the cream units (below). The brushed stainless steel fascias give a clean and modern look.

FLOOR Tiles are travertine – a form of limestone – and provide a solid and classy looking covering. “I call it the Roman ruin effect,” says Brian.

“The coffee maker is a very expensive luxury!” says Brian

Great Food Magazine 83

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1/8/11 15:29:37