Food & Drink

Obituary ‘Basil’ stood tall to win his dream job

By Karen Bate

A policeman who served in Gillingham, Blandford and Shaftesbury for 36 years has died, aged 70. Alan Refson, affectionately known as Basil Butcher to his friends and colleagues, died suddenly in the garden of his Gillingham home in August. His widow Fiona said: “Alan loved his job with the police force and he touched the hearts and lives of so many people. “He will be sorely missed. This photograph is my Alan on Gold Hill whilst he was serving in Shaftesbury. Alan was often seen on his bicycle while talking to his community, which he felt was such an The Filling Station on page 23 last edition is in Gillingham, not Mere! The café is now offering takeaways, including a host of tasty lunches and dinners, including gourmet steak burgers, lasagne, jacket potatoes and freshly-baked pasties and turnovers all served with fries or salad. Owner Carole Jennings said: “We took over from the Cure Coffee Works in August 2020, totally revamped the place and put in a commercial kitchen.

AWARDS: Alan Refson honour and his great pleasure.” Born in Aldershot in 1950, Alan grew up wanting to be a policeman. He joined Hampshire Police as a cadet at 16, and went on to join Dorset Police in 1967. Fiona said: “Alan sailed through his interview with Dorset Police, but they said he was unable to serve because he was too short. Alan was bereft and sat on “We sell every kind of fresh bread and patisserie you can think of, handmade pasties, turnovers and such like. Preordering is essential for the bread. We have a fully loaded sandwich bar, breakfast bar, the most inviting sit in area when allowed and a full takeaway menu, we also have milkshakes and smoothies.” The Filling Station is open Mon-Thurs 5.45am-3pm and 5.45am-8pm Fri-Sat. For information or to order, ring 01747 826289. the wooden bench outside the interview room and wept. A kind gentleman ushered Alan into the medical room, and, after much shuffling through drawers, handed Alan something. ‘Put these in your shoes, stand tall and I will call you in again to be measured.’ “Alan passed!” Alan met Fiona when she was nursing at Blandford Hospital. Fiona fell for this dark-haired police officer with his dry sense of humour and charm. Alan proposed outside the Bastard Pump in Blandford in 1992 and the pair married at Blandford Church a year later. Fiona said: “My memories of Alan are of a funny, loving and caring husband. I was a very lucky girl that he chose me to marry.” Over the years of policing, Alan received many commendations for bravery and courage. He was involved in policing the Miners’ Strike for 14 weeks and attended many notorious football matches, most notably the Bournemouth v Leeds match in 1990, which saw 104 arrests and 12 police officers suffering serious injuries. Alan served in Blandford Forum as a community beat officer and taught school pupils Stranger Danger before being posted to Gillingham, which he loved. He retired from the force in 2004. Alan is buried at St Mary’s

Food & Drink

Great way to refuel offered

We are open for takeaway or Dial & Deliver! Fresh bread locally baked each morning, with your choice of flavoursome fillings, including home-cooked roast meats and vegetarian options, made to order every time. Some examples:

Breakfast Box Jacket Potatos Toasties/Paninis

2 bacon, 2 sausages, Cheese & beans Cheese & red onion 2 eggs, beans/tomato, Coronation Chicken Tuna melt mushrooms & toast Chicken mayo & bacon Bacon Brie Cranberry Tomato Mozzarella & Pesto

Church in Motcombe.

These are not just breakfasts, rolls and sandwiches. These are The Filling Station, made-to-order, breakfasts, rolls, baps, subs, sandwiches, French sticks, toasties, 100% steak burgers, southern fried chicken, homemade lasagne, plus cakes, drinks... The Filling Station 2 Lower Station Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4QA Orderline: 01747 826289 Line 1: 07767844824 Line 2: 07875711772

Farming in a natural and enriching environment and shopping locally is the ethos of the Happy Meat Co in Shaftesbury. First generation farmers Dan and Bethan, together with their two little helpers Arlo and Mila and grandad Ken, put a lifelong passion into reality just two years ago, when the couple bought two 12-week-old pigs (gilts) for their newly-acquired 1.5 acres. The gilts grew up and gave the family lots of lovely piglets and the little farm grew. The family now farm Dexter cattle, lamb, poultry and pigs along with Christmas turkeys in 10 acres in the Old Valley, south of Goldhill. Dan said: “The dream started for us about two years ago. “We were living regular lives, had stressful jobs and we just wanted a better way of life for our family and our future. “We have grown a bit since then and now farm 10 acres of beautiful pasture and woodland scrub in Shaftesbury. Our animals include grass-fed Dexter cattle and various breeds of pigs. We also rear free-range turkeys for Christmas. Our lamb and poultry is sourced from like-minded local farming friends. “We are passionate about farming in a way that enables our animals and nature to work together to create a natural and enriching environment. Our animals are housed outdoors all year round, which enables them to forage for different food that is available through the seasons. “We rotate the areas to enable them to grow back naturally and regenerate. Our animals are grown slowly to enrich the flavour and quality of the meat and also to give them a better, longer life.” The Happy Meat Co uses a 40

Be Happy, and keep it local

local abattoir to reduce the stress to the animals and keep the food miles to a minimum. Dan said: “We freeze our meat as soon as possible to ensure we lock in all that delicious flavour. Our sausages are handmade and flavoured with natural ingredients.” Customers wanting to taste this ethical, local and delicious meat can buy it locally and The Happy Meat Company offers a delivery service. And this spring, the couple are planning to convert an old racehorse trailer into a mobile farm shop to attend local markets and serve a delicious takeaway hog roast. Dan added: “The pandemic has bought a range of new challenges to growing the food people depend on. We very much appreciate our customers and have enjoyed providing them with regular, reliable, quality meat during this difficult time.” Indeed, the company’s Facebook page is full of wonderful reviews, including: l “That was truly the best piece of steak I have eaten –it just melted in my mouth, in fact it was handsome and delicious.” l“Your bacon is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS and has a taste all of its own. It is not a forced false taste that we get with shop-bought bacon.” Before the pandemic struck last year, the Happy Meat Co attended several small events, serving meat, sausage rolls, hog roast, burgers, cheese and eggs. Dan added: “We cater for events such as weddings, birthdays and social parties. “We are looking forward to a time when this will all be possible again. “Stay safe and support local.” n Facebook: thehappymeat company nEmail: thehappymeatco @outlook.com

Feed a cold with this simple, tasty cure

We love to write about food! If you’d like your business featured in our Food & Drink pages, email newsdesk@blackmorevale.net

FARM FRESH MILK

Cold Cure Soup

This comforting, soothing and appetising soup might be just what you fancy if you are feeling cold and miserable and generally under the weather. Hot drinks and soups are recommended for easing cold and flu symptoms as are onions and garlic. And for those of you in the pink of condition, why not make it anyway? It tastes delicious and is economical and easy on the budget.

Serves 2-4 500g onions, diced or thinly sliced 6-8 spring onions, sliced, including some of the more tender green leaves, optional 25g butter 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped (or a squeeze of garlic puree) 900ml semi-skimmed milk Freshly ground black pepper, ground white and cayenne pepper 25g plain flour Salt to taste

Method Cook the onions in butter over a low heat for 30 minutes in a large pan, stirring occasionally, until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic for the last five minutes of cooking. Season with the pepper selection. Make a paste with the flour and 3-4 tablespoons of cold milk from the measured amount in a cup. Heat the remaining milk almost to boiling in a heavy bottomed milk saucepan. Produced from our award winning herd. Pour over the onions. Freshly pasteurised and Take a little of the hot milk from the soup pan and stir gradually into the cold milk non-homogenised, and flour paste, until smooth. Whisk or Whole Milk available in our stir gradually into the soup pan. Cook for another 30 minutes over a low Milk Vending Machine heat or until the soup is thickened and Direct from our cows to you! smooth. Stir frequently and make sure it doesn’t boil or catch on the bottom. No Food Miles – No Plastic A soup boiled is a soup spoiled as they Castle Farm, Oborne Road, say! Blitz or blend it with a stick blender, Sherborne. DT9 3RY liquidiser, or food processor, until smooth: if using a blender or food processor, return facebook@castlefarmdairy to the pan, to bring it back up to temperature: it should be piping hot. Test for seasoning before serving, adding salt to taste if ENFORD FARM SHOP required. Home reared Lamb, along with locally produced

meat, veg, fruit, deli & game

Tip For a plainer version make Follow us on Facebook for all of our latest deals & offers including weekly meat pack deals with half milk and half Half lamb £65 vegetable or chicken stock. Open All day, everyday outside shop n Check out Mrs Simkins’ Fri, Sat Farm Shop Open 8.30am-5pm website for more winter also Arts & display recipes: Durweston, near Blandford MrsSimkins.co.uk twitter.com/mrssimkinscooks 01258 450050 41

By Katharine Wright thehungrygiraffe2020@gmail.com

With the rise of takeaways, convenience and fad diets it’s easy for the plastic and packaging to mount up. It is quite scary how much we all accumulate over a week or two. When you read figures like ‘the equivalent of 15 million plastic bottles a day are thrown away’ it is quite alarming. So, if we all do our bit we can make a make the planet a better place. The New Year is always an opportunity to start new habits and that is what this is. It is not for people like me telling what you should and should not be doing but a mindset change and adapting what you already do to and to make it part of our daily routine. Many infographics can assist us with the hierarchy of waste, starting with the ‘do I need it at all’ option, to the worst, where something can As we move into our third lockdown, the North Dorset Group, Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) chairman Rupert Hardy is urging villagers to “spare a thought” for all our artisan food and drink producers in the county. Mr Hardy is asking us to visit our local village or farm shop, most of which stock delicious food such as artisan cheese and mouth-watering meat straight from the farm, along with craft beers and wines, and if we don’t feel like cooking, take advantage

How we can eat & drink sustainably

only go to landfill. Today food and drink make up a large amount of single-use plastic and waste but with a few slight alterations, we can reduce this dramatically. You may have already made some changes, but I just wanted to pass on a selection of changes that I have made over the past year or so. Straws – We all know that these are now all paper which is great news, but do you need a straw at all? Having no straw with your drink means no waste. Water bottles –Millions of these are thrown away every day but remember to have your water bottle with you at all times as many venues now have a free refill service available. of the takeaway services many of our rural pubs are offering people during lockdown. He said: “You may think that with the supermarkets in overdrive supplying us with food and booze that local food and drink producers are doing well. If they are supplying the supermarkets that may be true, but many small-scale specialist producers in Dorset do not, and they are being hit hard by the renewed closure of pubs and restaurants. “You can visit your local Home baking – shop-bought cakes are some of the worst offenders of single-use plastic. Simply bake your own and significantly reduce your waste. Travel cups – What was once a real treat, takeaway coffee and tea has become standard for many of us. So if like me you enjoy a coffee on the go then remember to have your travel cup. Cling film – A bugbear of mine! as I always got in a pickle with it so when I came across wax wraps as an alternative to cover my food I was over the moon. No more messing with the sticky stuff. Takeaways – Over the past year takeaways have seen a rise as cafes and restaurants have adapted to the pandemic. Always make sure village or farm shop who usually stock a good range of delicious local food, or you can find a good list of most artisanal food producers, who can deliver, on the Dorset AONB website: dorsetfoodanddrink.org. “We would also encourage you to take advantage of the takeaway services now being run by many of the local pubs, whose doors are otherwise closed. “Please help Dorset’s food and drink entrepreneurs survive these difficult times!” that the venue you are ordering from is serving it up in either compostable or recyclable dishes. Tea bags – Some tea bags contain plastic. The seal used is a manmade seal containing plastic which does not break down in your food waste. Check before you buy. Buy fresh – Shop at your local butcher, fishmonger, or greengrocer and your meat and fish is not served in polystyrene dishes which can only be sent to landfill, and visit a greengrocer and you’ll be able to pop your fruit and vegetables in a good old fashioned paper bag. Milk bottles – Going back to the old days. Look out for the many milk stations and farm shops which have milk refills. Simply reuse your washed container and refill it with fresh, locally sourced wholesome milk. Zero waste shops – Most towns now have one of these within the high street. Take your containers, select your dried goods that you need, go home and use them and repeat when required. Go greener this year and together we can all make a

Call to support your local farm shop during third lockdown

42 difference to the planet.

Food & Drink Making the most of January’s seasonal produce

Rebecca Vincent is our new columnist. She is a nutritionist based in Wincanton

Through these articles I hope to show you how to make the most of the seasonal produce you can find from the wonderful suppliers on our doorstep, and to inspire you to enjoy colourful and varied produce in ways you may not have tried before. Eating seasonally has many benefits. Not only are fruits and vegetables usually cheaper in their natural growing season due to their abundance, but they typically don’t travel so far to reach us and are fresher. January, being dark and cold, can seem somewhat bleak but when it comes to produce there’s lots to look forward to. Both kale and carrots are at their best right now and they make a great combination. Kale contains a myriad of nutrients from vitamin C and

Best Ever Bolognaise

Ingredients 275g (10oz) onions 75g (3oz) each carrot and celery 125g (4oz) chestnut mushrooms 225g (8oz) smoked bacon lardons 10g packet dried porcini mushrooms (optional) 15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil 2 fat garlic cloves 450g (1lb) lean minced beef 300ml (1/2 pint dry white wine 300ml (1/2 pint) chicken stock B vitamins, to iron, calcium, and many more. Carrots are also nutritional

Mum’s Kitchen...

powerhouses with vitamins 15ml (1 level tablespoon) tomato paste 10ml (2 level teaspoons) dried oregano 90ml (6 tablespoons) double cream 30ml (2 level tablespoons) chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method Finely chop onions carrot and celery. Roughly chop the mushrooms. Soak dried mushrooms, if using, in 100ml (4fl oz) water for 30 minutes. Fry the onion, carrot and celery in the oil until soft. A, C, B6 and potassium. Fruits and vegetables are quite literally nature’s multivitamins, but with the added bonus of fibre and flavour. Sautéed kale and carrots (serves 2) 100g kale (large stems removed) 1 medium carrot (cut into half circles) ½ medium white onion (diced) 1 garlic clove (crushed or grated) 1 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Optional: dried chilli flakes or lemon zest Heat the oil in a lidded Add the fresh mushrooms and crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add beef and bacon lardons and stir until browned. Stir in the wine, stock, tomato paste and oregano. Bring to the boil; cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Uncover the meat mixture, stir in the dried mushrooms and their soaking liquor and simmer for 7-10 minutes. (If not using dried mushrooms add frying pan or wok on a medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and carrot, covering with the lid to trap the steam and cook the carrots. When the carrots are almost tender add the kale, stir in your desired seasonings, and cover again for a couple of minutes until the kale is wilted. Then enjoy! While this dish is incredibly simple it is full of flavour and a lovely accompaniment to chicken, fish or as part of a veggie-packed main. I’m not suggesting only eating seasonal produce, sometimes you have a specific craving and nothing else will do! However, little changes can have a big impact on your health, local businesses, and even the environment due to a smaller carbon footprint. Rebecca Vincent BANT Registered rebeccavincentnutrition.co.uk

with Diana Holman

Nutritionist an extra 100ml (4fl oz) stock at this stage. Add the cream and parsley and bubble for 1 minute. Serve with spaghetti or pasta of choice.