14 minute read
Food & Drink
The BV magazine, January ‘23
FOOD AND DRINK
Oatally delicious breakfasts
It’s that time of year again, when we feel driven to make a healthy new start after an indulgent Christmas break. These two recipes take a handful of simple ingredients to make a delicious breakfast that is still full of flavour. I often choose to use gluten-free oats and dairy-free milks too, really stripping them back to let the beauty of the fresh (or frozen) fruits shine through. Heather x
Coconut Granola
(makes enough for six to eight breakfasts)
This recipe makes the perfect addition to some yoghurt and fresh fruit. It is simple to make and uses basic ingredients, but packs a flavour punch! You can add to/change the coconut for any nuts of choice and you can easily add any dried fruit once the granola has been baked.
• 450g bag of oats (I use gluten-free but any kind works. Oats that are milled so the flakes are still quite large tend to make better granola than the small flakes). • 2 heaped tablespoons (ish) of coconut oil (in its solid state) • 100g (ish) maple syrup • 1 bag of desiccated coconut
1. Preheat the oven to about 180 º (gas 6). 2. Line a pan with baking parchment. I use a 9” x 13” cake pan which is about 1” deep. 3. Melt the coconut oil so that it is liquid. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and desiccated coconut to the oats and stir together until well-combined. Use your hands to really make sure the oil and syrup have coated the oats. You can add more oil and/or syrup if you don’t think you have quite enough to coat the whole mixture. 4. Pour into the tray and place in the oven. 5. Check the oats every 10 minutes, stirring thoroughly each time, until the oats have all gone a pale golden colour. It will take around 30 minutes. 6. Leave to cool. If you store in an air-tight container, it should keep for a good couple of weeks. 7. Simply serve the granola scattered on top of yoghurt and your choice of fresh or cooked fruit for a delicious breakfast, snack or dessert.
Heather Brown is on the committee of the Guild of Food Writers; she is a home economist with a passion for Dorset’s brilliant foodie scene, as well as a dab hand at fixing websites, and with a penchant for taking a good foodie photo. Heather runs Dorset Foodie Feed, championing Dorset’s food and drink businesses, as well as working one-to-one with clients.
Almond & Cherry Overnight Oats
(makes enough for four)
This recipe is the ultimate one-size fits all. It doesn’t need to be exactly measured; I simply use half as many oats to the amount of milk, but I also use frozen fruits which tend to add some extra liquid as they thaw. Be confident and adjust as you like, playing with the quantities – especially if you prefer a softer finished product (just add more milk). You can also change the fruit to your own favourite, of course, and this recipe works just as well with fresh fruit (just add a little more milk). I have opted to use almond milk as I think it complements the flavours, but the recipe works just as well with any kind of milk - oat, nut or cow’s! Previously I have also used hazelnut milk, exchanged the cherries for chocolate chips and finished with some Nutella for a rather more indulgent overnight oats! • 250g rolled oats • 500ml almond milk • a couple of handfuls of frozen cherries • glug of maple syrup to taste • 1tsp almond extract • flaked almonds
1. In a large bowl or tupperware tub, add the rolled oats, almond milk, maple syrup, cherries and almond extract.
Stir until well combined and all the oats are fully covered with the liquid. 2. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top, cover the mixture with cling film (or a lid) and place in the fridge overnight.
Your oats will be ready for your breakfast in the morning. Just take from the fridge and serve (lovers of hot porridge may prefer to heat it gently first, the choice is, again, yours).
January - chocolate, marmalade ...and kale?
Caz Richards of Dorset Food & Drink rounds up some of her January favourites to brighten up your plates in the glummest month of the year
After the holly jolly frolics of December, January can be a welcome respite. Kick back, slow down, and get back to planning those comforting dishes. Whether you’re tightening your purse strings, embracing Veganuary or simply trying to eat more nutritious, seasonal veg this month, there’s plenty of great food and drink to enjoy. Plus, you can dive into new cookery books that Father Christmas might have tucked into your stocking! It’s defintely the time for warming stews and casseroles so make the most of your local butchers and farm shops for locally-reared meats, game, and some delicious deli. If you’re looking to replace red meat with a healthier alternative, try something different this winter; venison is lean, nutritious and currently in season. Tere’s a couple of cracking venison recipes on Dorset Food & Drink - venison con carne and venison taco bowls.
Seek the colour
With winter in full swing, you might think the season is lacking in colour, but visit your local market or greengrocers, and you’ll be delighted by the array of beautiful winter fruit and veg. From juicy immunity-boosting grapefruit, clementines, pomegranates, English apples and pears, to beautiful green superfood spinach, kale, and cabbage. How could you not be inspired to eat fresh and seasonal? Our top picks for your January larder: • Washingpool Farm Shop • Jurassic Coast Farm Shop • Bridget’s Market, Bridport Talking of a seasonal colour- here’s a winter treat that’s worth seeking out. Baboo Gelato’s Orange, Lemon, or Blackcurrant sorbet. Sounds bonkers in the middle of winter, but it’s a crowd-pleaser, especially if you need a lift and something vitamin packed fruity to ease a sore throat. The West Bay or Lyme Regis kiosks are a great way to get your hands on these jewel-like scoops of icy loveliness on a brisk day out, but check out the opening times online and for stockists.
Hola! Its Seville Orange time
January can only mean marmalade magic! Bittersweet, three fruit, or classic. You’re sure to find a jar of something yummy to spread on your toast! Browse the range of DF&D members’ preserves, honey, and jams. Or have a go at making some yourself!
Sláinte Mhath
Have a great Burns Night if you celebrate - Sláinte Mhath (good health!) Enjoy traditional Burns night tipples from Morrish & Banham.
Hot, hot hot, hot chocolate!
It’s ‘National Hot Chocolate’ day on January 31. Our picks for the divine drink are Chococo’s 72% Ecuador origin Hot Chocolate Flakes Tin and Deluxe Hot Chocolate Callets from Grounded Coffee. Mmmm ... Here’s to a gurt lush hug in a mug, and a happy, healthy 2023, filled with love, kindness, and all the good vibes. Warm wishes from all at Dorset Food & Drink
The White Horse at Hinton St Mary
A Welsh chef with a passion for brewing beer is building a reputation for his food at the White Horse in Hinton St Mary. Rachael Rowe reports
It’s a Saturday lunchtime, and there’s a cosy atmosphere in the bar at the White Horse in Hinton St Mary, just outside Sturminster Newton. In the adjacent Inglenook Restaurant area, a family is discussing a forthcoming wedding, and the seats are filling up fast in anticipation of good food. The walls are full of old equestrian prints and some eclectic local history about the Pitt Rivers family in the building that dates back to the 1700s. So what’s the story behind the White Horse? I spoke to Barney Hibbert, the landlord, to find out a bit more about the pub.
How did you get started?
‘I wanted to be closer to family in Dorset (he was based in Wales), and I saw this as an opportunity to be closer to them. In 2021 I came to a couple of functions here at the Tithe Barn to see how the weddings work and then I moved in May. We opened the White Horse with a soft opening that month and then opened properly from 1st June. I realised the pub had special potential, so I was really attracted to the project.’
Tell me about the team.
‘We employ all local people. There are three in the kitchen and ten front-ofhouse staff from the village. I’m the chef.’ But not just any chef. Among his several awards, Barney won the the Welsh Sustainable Restaurant of the Year Award three years running with his Barry restaurant, The Gallery. He also won Best Restaurant at the
South Wales Echo Food and Drink Awards.
What about local suppliers?
And what’s really popular at the moment?
‘Well, we change the menu He won the Welsh Sustainable quite a lot as we use seasonal ingredients. For example, Jerusalem artichokes are in Restaurant of the season right now. We have wild Year Award three mushroom gnocchi and a lot years in a row of game at the moment. The orange and almond cake on the menu smells very festive.’ (the Thai green chicken curry was delicious, by the way).
What’s been the biggest challenge?
we had to build up a trade here. But we are gaining momentum. There are not many people in the village itself, so we are aware we need to attract people from further away.’
And what are you most proud of so far?
Barney laughs and says: ‘Sarah! She manages the whole front of house.’ I noticed that Sarah has an incredible way of making everyone welcome. There is even more to be proud of. Barney says: ‘We have our own beers on tap. So our range is a bit different to the usual ones you find in a tied pub. Our beer is from the Well Drawn Brewing Company in Wales, including a Bedwas Bitter. I also own the Vale of Glamorgan Brewery, and the beers are on tap. There are other beers as well but we always have something a little different here.’ It transpires that Barney’s list of accolades also include awards for brewing real ale at his two breweries.
What’s next?
‘Firstly, consolidation of the work so far and taking time to review things. We will be having pop-up pizza nights and pub quizzes. We’re also trying to be consistent with
The White Horse has a lovely private dining area The Inglenook restaurant at the White Horse
the opening times, so people get used to our hours. And of course, we want to engage more with the local community. We want people to know they can just drop in here for a drink.’
The White Horse at Hinton St Mary is open from
Wednesday to Sunday, with opening times displayed on the website. thewhitehorsehinton.co.uk
Why not try the one you can’t pronounce?
This month, expert Hannah Wilkins is ready to move you away from your comfort zone wines and keen to introduce you to exciting new terroir
Happy New Year! I hope you had an enjoyable festive break, and naturally that you enjoyed a glass or two of delicious wine. We certainly made more recommendations for a variety of different foods and occasions throughout December than ever before. In the more than 20 years I’ve been in the wine trade, I have never experienced so much variation in menuplanning for the party season – it was genuinely fun to have a new challenge beyond the traditional Christmas feast. We have had so many letters of thanks to the whole team for their selections, which always makes us happy, and this change in Dorset’s buying habits has really spurred us on for 2023.
Wonderfully eclectic
The end of 2022 reassured us that the wine-drinking folk of Dorset are ready for an adventure. We are always asked which area of the wine producing regions in the world we specialise in and the answer is, quite simply, we don’t. We love wine. We know about wine. We are qualified in wine. We love talking about wine. So an open mind is our policy. Our portfolio has always been eclectic – we have an abundance of classics, but we’re proud to champion the weird and the wonderful too! As I write this, the team is very busy attending tastings and sampling lots of new products from around the globe.
Those comfortable wines
Producers really have raised the bar and are trying to show an authentic expression of terroir and grape varieties. I love the fact that we have wines made by really passionate winemakers championing indigenous grapes. Recently, I was asked to be part of a discussion panel about Portuguese wines, which was open to the wine industry. One question raised was ‘what is the hardest thing at the moment for Portuguese wines and the industry?’ My response was that most of the native grape varieties are quite hard to pronounce, so we need to break them down phonetically and explain the similarities with other wine grape styles to help customers leave their comfort zone wine choices. My advice to anyone browsing is to be brave; opt for something a little different, even if you have no idea how to say the name of the grape! It’s the only way to find new taste sensations. If you fancy trying (well, it is ‘Try–anuary’ after all ..) a Bical, Alfrocheiro or an Encruzado from Portugal, pop in and have a look at our increasing range. Plus, keep your eyes peeled for our popular wine tasting evenings – we have some special guests lined up for 2023. Cheers! Obrigada! Hannah
What a joy to seeing a Dorset Lad go all the way to the finals of Master Chef
As the Love Local, Trust Local Awards closes, founder Barbara Cossins is excited that the serious business of judging has begun
Well I don’t know about you but I was so proud of being a Dorset girl, watching a Dorset boy in the finals of Master Chef: The Professionals. In the end, Charlie Jeffreys was a runner up – what a great achievement! Seeing him showcasing wonderful crab and lobster from our shores and so amny products from his Dorset upbringing, he was clearly proud of his roots. This was why Love Local Trust Local was founded in 2018 – to help tell the wonderful stories of local businesses, new ones as well as old ones, right here in Dorset. November and December have been busy months for the sponsors and judges, as they have been out visiting the LLTL 2022 awards entries and hearing firsthand the journeys of these businesses.
In it together
At Love Local Trust Local we want to help Dorset businesses promote their produce and support them when needed. It’s very tough at the moment out there in all areas of business, and it doesn’t look as if it’s going to be any easier in 2023. There are so many wonderful businesses on our doorstep and their stories need to be shared and heard. Advertising and social media are the answers for businesses to put themselves out there and get themselves known. But it can be hard work and expensive, especially for the small independent businesses who are trying to make a living. We need a voice to stand up to the big organisations who dictate our prices and make the money whilst our producers struggle to make ends meet. We all need to stick together and feel part of something that we can grow and connect with. No matter where you are, if you need someone to help, we are all part of the ‘love local’ family.
LLTL 2022 awards
On the 9th February our awards ceremony will be held at Kingston Maurward, our very own agricultural college in Dorchester. It’s going to be a night to celebrate our wonderful producers, farmers and fishermen who are working hard, creating and working together to make some of the best produce in England. We look forward to showcasing our 2022 award winners soon! On the evening, there will be a dinner followed by the award ceremony. If you would like to come and support our evening or if you would like to get involved and be part of this growing family please contact us on 07831 184920.
Love Dorset
We are so lucky here in Dorset; we have some of the best produce of the country.So let’s all get behind our local businesses that need your support to keep them going, growing and producing for our tables. We should all be buying local whre we can – it’s better for our planet, keeps the carbon footprint down and is more sustainable. Love local trust local!
LLTL judges in action
