NNFood by Zee_H

nnfood.wordpress.com Issue #10 March ‘15 £1.50

Northampton Market Vintage

A look at one of the oldest and largest market squares in the UK

Retro is back and it looks like it’s here to stay

Check out our features on two local cafes for a blast from the past

Thinking about going organic? Just how easy is it being green?

of the finest local food and drink locations inside

including the home of Northamptonshire’s first blue cheese!

Editor's Letter I

f you’re still not over our chocolate-filled February issue of NNFood, don’t worry! We’ve got an amazing line-up of local eateries we’ve visited to bring you the best of Northamptonshire. Mother’s Day is coming up (get your diaries out, it’s March 15th) and we’ve got a wonderful little tea room in Wellingborough for a perfect way to spend the day. Ria’s Rosy Lee Tea Room, winner of last year’s Carlsberg Northamptonshire Food & Drink Award for Independent Cafe/Tea Room of the Year, is a throwback to the 60s with its vintage decor right down to the china teapots. I used to think that afternoon teas were too posh and proper and often too expensive, and this is the complete opposite. It’s down to earth, homely, the homemade cakes and sandwiches still taste fantastic - and it’s all very reasonably priced too. Those New Year’s resolutions about losing weight have well and truly gone straight out the window now, although if you’re still insisting on eating healthily, check out our big feature on page 16 on organic food - there’s a lot more to it than fancy labels and food buzzwords.

In this issue we’ll also be looking at the Food & Drink Awards themselves and everything that goes into the search for the best produce and drink that Northamptonshire has to offer. There are so many great local places to choose from, whether you’re after comfort food in the form of pub grub and a drink, or something a bit more fancy, or even just a slice of cake. It really does make you reconsider going to the same chain restaurant you’ve been to a million times before. Among other things, local restaurants have that energy and tenacity you just can’t duplicate. The passion that goes into that food can’t be matched, and it’s something that definitely should be celebrated.

Zahrah Haider

G 2

Zahrah Haider Editor-in-Chief

We’re on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us on @NNFoodMag for regular updates

Contents

Pg 5 News NN Favourites Pg 7 Ria’s Rosy Lee Tea Room

Pg 22 Daily Bread Co-operative Pg 24 Hamm Tun Fine foods Pg 26 Nanna’s Kitchen Pg 28 The Olde England

B Head over to pg 24 to find out what makes this cheese so special

Pg 31 What’s On

Northampton Market has a lovely bunch of coconuts...

Features

Pg 10 Northampton Market This month’s photo feature is on the iconic market square in Northampton Town Centre

Pg 13 The Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards These prestigious awards have had quite an impact on the food industry here in the county It’s becoming increasingly popular, but is organic farming definitely the way forward?

Pg 16 Organic Food

It’s not surprising there were only two left by the end of the day

News Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards gains major sponsor

Food bank usage doubles despite funding beginning to dry out

The office of the Police and Crime Commissioner at Northamptonshire Police has become the latest sponsors of the awards, which kick off this month. This partnership will see the category ‘Community Pub of the Year’ merge with the ‘Best Bar None’ scheme

Northamptonshire County Council pledged two years of funding in 2013, but The Northampton Food Bank fears the money will dry up soon and the funding will not be renewed. The Food Bank has until next month to find finding, otherwise it

which has been operating in the county. This will mean that pubs from across the county will not only be competing to secure the prestigious title, but they will also get the opportunity to show that they have been promoting responsible drinking and take crime prevention seriously.

will have to give notice of closure. Last year the charity donated food to 8,500 people, with a large percentage being children. The Food Bank are applying to other sources to find the funding it needs to run.

Pop-up cafe selling “rescued” food opens in Northampton

£6.5 million cultural business hub project set to begin in spring

Elsie’s Cafe is part of an existing group called the Real Junk Food Project, which originated in Leeds. The aim is to sell food produced from ingredients that are in damaged packages, and “rescued” from landfills. Customers can decide how much

The project will provide a hub for 100 businesses. The paperwork for this venture, which will be going to Northampton Borough Council this month, includes works to renovate several buildings in Northampton town centre. It’s anticipated

they want to pay after eating the food. The project is run by Fruitful abundance, a volunteer group dedicated to reducing the amount of food that goes to waste, especially if the food itself is fine and it’s just the packaging that’s damaged.

that it will create 400 new jobs and will provide a workspace for up to 100 cultural businesses. NEP and the borough council have both contributed money towards this project, which is set to take eighteen months to complete.

Towcester Food Festival announces bursary scheme for Northamptonshire Businesses Towcester Food Festival is calling for food startups in the county to apply for its bursary scheme. The scheme allows them to exhibit their goods at the festival for a fraction of the price, as well as being promoted in the festival guide.

The Festival will take place at Towcester Racecourse in June. Early bird tickets for The Festival are currently available online at www. towcesterfoodfestival. co.uk

#ifyourehappy

Ria’s

Rosy Lee Tea Room Winner of last year’s Carlsberg Food & Drink Award for Independent Tea Room of the Year, Ria Chambers has brought back old-school afternoon teas in a cosy yet charming little tearoom tucked away on Cambridge Street, Wellingborough.

he allure of homemade cake with a cup of tea is enough to brighten up any day, let alone a gloomy March morning. This, along with the guaranteed charisma that a chain coffee shop simply cannot offer, is what drew us towards Ria’s Rosy Lee Tea Room. Stepping into the tea room was like being transported back about six decades. Instead of modern chart songs, there was jazz music from the 50s playing in the background, from an equally retro record player. A trail of bunting led you from the streets, into the tea room and up the stairs where there was additional seating. The walls were adorned with old movie posters and relics donated by members of the Northamptonshire Home Guard. “Their whole thing is about keeping alive the memory of the work that the Home Guard did in Northamptonshire,” says Ria Chambers, owner of Rosy Lee Tea Room. “Last year to drum up PR I asked them along, and they go out to a lot of vintage events, who obviously are my core target audience. I thought if they come here, they can then go out and spread the word.” We struck up a conversation with Dave Sibley, from Earls Barton, who is a regular at the tea room. He reiterated the fact that it’s local and independent places like this one where you get the best service. “You’re treated as an individual, not just another customer to deal with. There’s a lot of charm and personality in these place.”

“You’re treated as an individual, not just another customer to deal with. There’s a lot of charm in these places”

Chambers, who originally graduated with a degree in Nursing, opened up the tea room in 2013. “I wasn’t happy with the state of the NHS” she said, adding that baking had always been her passion and she realised it was what she wanted to do instead. She recently won the Independent Tea Room of the Year award too, after participating in a bakeoff where she presented her signature rose cake, a recipe she made up herself. The cake features on her menu, which she changes according to seasons and special occasions - January had a Scottish theme and last month’s one was ‘the food of love’, featuring chocolates and strawberries. She also does ‘historical bakes’, following old family recipes. “I inherited all of my grandparents’ recipe books so I try to do traditional things like seed cakes which are local to the area.”

The tea room’s window display

Ria’s homemade Victoria sponge cake

One of Ria’s vintage tea sets

Ria Chambers, owner

Chambers is a firm believer in supporting local businesses and promoting the local scene, a sentiment which her menu clearly echoes but is also seen in the decor. “Things that I’m selling in the shop that aren’t mine all come from local independent businesses, and they’re there for people to buy. It’s a way of helping one another.” To go from being a nurse to opening up and running a tea room is a drastic change, and Chambers says she would do things differently if she could. “In hindsight, it was quite difficult. At the time when I got the idea for the tea room, I steamed ahead and just went for it. If I could do things differently I wouldn’t have given up the job I had at the time so soon. I would’ve asked for more part-time hours; I thought the tea room would be open in 2-3 months, when it was actually six months. Renting a shop was the hardest part and there were a lot of hurdles, and if I had known that I would’ve been a lot more prepared with dealing with things like that.” The tea room has seen a lot of success in the last two years, but Chambers is hesitant about expanding it. “A lot of people have suggested that to me but I think there would have to be a lot of conditions and variables. I wouldn’t want to lose the core values of the shop that it’s independent, and it’s unique. You wouldn’t be able to replicate this exactly in another shop. I’d also have to have someone who I trust manning the other shop, to keep those values.” Chambers took a calculated risk when opening up a tea room, despite the popularity of chain cafes all around over the UK. She explains that she did a lot of research before she went to the bank to apply for all the necessary paperwork, and found figures that showed that the popularity of tea rooms are increasing again, by up to 25% a year. “The Lyons tea houses began to die out in the 50s and 60s, and teenagers began popularising coffee shops. In the past sort of five years or so, vintage has become more popular, and handmade too. You’ve got people like Kirstie Allsopp making things like that popular again.” Vintage certainly has made a comeback, with everything from fashion to food being labelled as such nowadays. However, this rise in popularity has translated to a rise in prices. “When you speak to other vintage traders,” Chambers says, “you’ll find that because it’s all gone more mainstream now, it’s also pushing up

“You wouldn’t be able to replicate the core values of the shop - it’s independent and it’s unique” prices of a lot of vintage items and artefacts. At the minute, everything is very popular and on the rise, and for me, it was the right time to open up [the tea room].”

Providing an affordable vintage tea experience is part of Chambers’ ethos, but it’s also about increasing the recognition and support for local and independent businesses, and the local area in general. “I get all my tea and coffee from Irvin’s on the High Street, and I went to them and I said that I was opening up this tea room and asked if they would be my providers, to which they said yes. They said that the majority of their customers would come in, buy tea and coffee, but then wouldn’t stay in Wellingborough to eat or drink because of the quality of the tea and coffee in chain cafes and other coffee shops that were independent but bought their supplies in bulk from big brands rather than buying decent products. That’s how I knew there was a customer base already there looking for a good independent tea room.”

Ria’s Rosy Lee Tea Room 7 Cambridge Street, Wellingborough For more information, visit www.riasrosylee.com

Feature

Northampton Market

The history behind one of the oldest and largest markets in the UK.

n 1189, Northampton was granted its first market charter, allowing it to hold markets and fairs near where All Saints church is. However, in 1235, Henry III forbade the selling of goods in the churchyard, so the market moved to its present-day location where it is held from Tuesday to Saturday. The market square was paved in 1530 following a fire that destroyed the town sixteen years earlier. 1675 saw The Great Fire of Northampton destroy the town centre yet again, and the locals raised over £20,000 to rebuild everything around the market square. There were strict rules governing the market place in the 16th & 17th Centuries, and foreign traders weren’t allowed on the square. Fines were imposed against any women that fell out as discord was prevalent among traders’ wives.

Eamonn Fitzpatrick has been a market trader for over 53 years. He says it’s a hard game for markets like this to hold up against ever-expanding supermarkets. “You’re only as good as what you’ve got and we make sure our stocks are better, cheaper, fresher and better value. It keeps customers coming back. When I started there were about fifty fruiterers; now there are four. It’s just a sign of the times.”

The market also served as backdrop for several historic events in Northampton. In 1874, it was where the Bradlaugh Riots took place when supporters of Charles Bradlaugh, a political activist, believed an election was rigged.

Mickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fruit Stall is a family-run business, and it is one of the oldest stalls on the market

Northamptonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market is rumoured to be the largest fully-enclosed open-air market, home to a wide variety of stalls manned by around 80 traders. There are still traditional fruit and vegetable stalls, along with butchers and fishmongers, but despite modern stores surrounding it, the market still holds on to that old-fashioned charm that makes it such an iconic location in Northampton.

Feature Carlsberg UK

Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards

The annual awards celebrate the best food and drink that Northamptonshire has to offer, from pubs to bakeries to breweries and is currently launching its seventh year on March 3rd.

he Food & Drink Awards offer recognition to those working in the food industry in Northamptonshire, and celebrates the finest in local and independent produce in the county. The awards were devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP), who are responsible for the growth in businesses in the county, after they recognised the food sector as being one of the key sectors for growth in the area. The Mallows Company, headed by Rachel Mallows, was then employed by NEP to co-ordinate The Awards on their behalf, and the resulting competition was launched six years ago. Anna Murby, project director at The Mallows Company, says that after a lot of research into ways in which the food and drink sector could best be supported, NEP realised a competition would be the best way of raising the profile of the sector, as well as raising standards and encouraging spending within. “The food and drink sector in Northamptonshire is worth £1.5 billion to the local economy and employs around 46,000 people. The sector also has more than twice the national average of producers and numerous manufacturers delivering high-end, award-winning specialist products for local, UK and international audiences.” In terms of their contribution to the local area, it seems The Awards have had quite a big impact, Murby says. “The Awards have certainly had an impact on the bottom line of businesses which, over the last six years, have been named as finalists and ultimately winners or

runners-up. “We consistently hear of those who have been successful recording up to a 20 per cent increase in their turnover.” Despite being a new venture spanning across an entire county, the project got off to a running start. “We knew we would have to work hard [in the initial months], but thanks to the support of the local media, our own marketing and promotion, and using our existing business contacts, we got our head start.” “ Prospective participants who were part of preAwards research were extremely receptive to getting involved as they could see the potential benefits that success in the competition could bring. The resulting coverage of the competition then created the ‘snowball effect’ and so from four categories in the first year of the competition, we have eighteen.”

“Our goal is simple; for Northamptonshire to have a national and international reputation for an aspect of food excellence”

“We celebrate everything from our finest chefs to producers, spice restaurants to healthy-eating workplaces. 6 years on, while we continue to promote the competition to our ever-expanding database of businesses, we’re delighted that we are now proactively contacted by those wanting to enter and benefit from potential success.” It’s the kind of success that attracts big names, and such is the case of sponsors of The Awards - considerable heavyweights in the industry like Carlsberg, Booker, British Pepper & Spice and Weetabix to name a few. “The prestige of The Awards is also reflected in the calibre of businesses - national and international which are now sponsors, and the majority of them have been long-standing supporters of this venture and of what The Awards have and are achieving.” The future of The Awards looks bright, with more growth for the industry on the horizon according to Murby. “We launch the 2015/16 Awards on March 3rd with eighteen categories. Our aim over the coming months is to ensure that we continue to attract the highest quality businesses and individuals to engage with The Awards. We continually strive to further raise the profile of those businesses deserving of recognition for their efforts and encourage Northamptonshire’s food-lovers to invest in the sector.” This investment can be anything from dining in a certain venue or purchasing a locally-made beer or cheese or bakery item - the options are endless. There is a lot of growing emphasis in Northamptonshire about supporting the local area and taking pride in the county, which definitely has a lot to offer and has something for everyone. With regeneration projects being carried out throughout Northampton and the expanding business links to the rest of the country, Murby hopes that with the growing prestige that the competition secures every year, Northamptonshire will be considered a destination county for food and drink tourism. There is always more that can be done to support local businesses. The Mallows Company also operates Made In Northamptonshire (MIN), a networking group which offers free support to those in the sector. “We also produce an annual MIN directory of producers and stockists, which is distributed at food events and key food outlets around the county to promote the excellence of the sector. “ “From the producers’ point of view, it is our continuing aim to help them grow their businesses if that is what they wish, and to ensure that Northamptonshire is viewed as a centre of excellence for quality and local produce. From a consumer’s

“The food and drink sector in Northamptonshire is worth £1.5 billion” perspective, we would like to ensure that there is a broader knowledge and availability of the wide variety and array of local food and produce so that shoppers might make an informed choice on sourcing locally rather than automatically heading for the supermarket.” “Our goal is simple; for Northamptonshire to have a national and international reputation for an aspect of food excellence - whether that is in manufacturing, artisan producers, drinks, or our restaurants, cafes or pubs.”

You can find the food and drink directory at www.lovenorthamptonshire.com For more information, visit www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk

2014/15 Food & Drinks awards ceremony at Royal & Derngate Image courtesy of Northampton Enterprise Partnership

Ria Chambers, winner of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Independent Tea Room of the Year Image courtesy of East Midlands Business News

Feature

Is organic food making a comeback? Much like ‘gluten-free’ and ‘all-natural’, ‘organic’ has become a buzzword in the world of food and nutrition. Studies have shown that actually, there isn’t much nutritional difference between non-organic and organic food - yet sales for the latter have increased over the last few years. Despite the contradicting evidence, is organic farming the better option?

rganic food seems to be very much in vogue right now and most, if not all, supermarkets boast aisles full of food claiming to have more antioxidants and nutrients. According to the Soil Association, in order for food to be labelled as organic , “at least 95% of the ingredients must come from organically produced plants and animals.” One of the main selling points of organic agriculture in general is that it avoids pesticides, which works out to be healthier in the long run, and it has less impact on the environment. A study led by scientists at Newcastle University has shown that organic food can improve the intake of antioxidants, which block chemicals in the body that have the potential to cause damage to cells. This research has revealed that organic food is higher in antioxidants and lower in toxic metals and pesticides compared to its non-organic counterpart. However, critics of this study, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, say that antioxidants are not essential nutrients and the study provides misleading evidence in favour of organic food. Despite this ongoing debate, according to figures from the Soil Association last year, sales of organic food and drink rose by 2.8% in 2013, with growth being particularly strong in the dairy sector. Goodness Direct is a Northamptonshire-based health food wholesaler which caters to a variety of different diets and lifestyles, providing both fresh and frozen foods to customers. Naomi Haynes, customer care manager, believes that although there aren’t any significant health benefits, there are plenty of studies that show the harm of consuming pesticides found

“The benefits of organic farming completely outweigh the cons”

on non-organic products. “In small amounts, these substances aren’t likely to affect humans, but they might build up in the body to a toxic level. There are several chronic health problems which may be linked to pesticides found in our food like infertility, cancer and birth defects.”

“The benefits of organic farming completely outweigh the cons. Organic farming has very strict rules which increase the welfare of the livestock, but also increases the quality and ‘health’ of the soil in the area. It’s also known to increase the biodiversity of wildlife around organic farms due to the lack of chemicals used.”

People seem to think that health foods in general are overpriced. It’s a common misconception, claims Haynes. “Often the cost difference is not that significant. For example, we sell 250g bags of Brazil nuts that are both organic and non-organic, and the price difference is just 58p.” As more costeffective methods of organic farming are

being developed, the price gap is gradually narrowing down. Soon, organic products may be as inexpensive or even cheaper than conventionally produced foods – but will that be enough for people to make the switch?

The Soil Association have higher standards than the regular EU guidelines. Their logo can be found on many organic items.

Organic Food in Northamptonshire

• Chevelswarde • Cotesbach Organic Gardens • • • • • • • •

CC Image courtesy of London Permaculture on Flickr

Daily Bread Co-Operative Goodness Direct Jason’s Organic Butchers Leafcycles Naturally Good Food OliveOrganic Save the Bacon Wymesworld Organic Beef The chart below shows a 4% increase in organic sales in the UK, and the large jump from sales in 2012 to sales last year.

Image and latest figures courtesy of Soil Association

According to statistics from a 2013 survey on food and non-alcoholic drink expenditure in the UK from the Office for National Statistics, the average weekly spend of a household is £46.50. This includes everything from bread, to meat, to things like chocolate and sweets. Here are a few shopping list essentials and the difference in prices across three major supermarkets, as well as prices from an organic brand.

Organic

£1.55

£0.97 (6 bananas)

Bananas (5)

£1.52

£1.00

(Wholemeal)

Sliced white bread (800g)

£2.20

£0.97

(Mixed sizes)

Medium eggs (6)

£2.00

£1.69

(2kg)

White potatoes (2.5kg)

*Organic brand prices taken from Ocado.com

£1.00

£0.99

£0.75

£1.35

£1.60

£1.75

Just from a few cupboard essentials, it’s apparent that organic brands cost more. That being said, certified organic products would be higher in quality than supermarket brand products, and it’s also worth noting that these prices aren’t set in stone and if cheaper methods of organic farming are identified, organic products in general will be more affordable. Ultimately it depends on whether the health benefits are worth the price or not, and if it’s worth paying an extra pound or two to guarantee good quality.

Daily Bread Co-operative Not a bakery, as their name suggests, but a supplier of wholefoods, based in Northampton. Daily Bread Co-Op doesn’t just promote healthy living, but also supports community projects both locally and overseas.

n this day and age, food is no longer just about taste and price. People are not only interested, but concerned about how their food is produced and if it’s ethical or not, more than ever before. Daily Bread Co-operative is an organisation that caters to this in Northampton, although there is a sister company in Cambridge. It’s been over thirty years and, rooted in the founders’ Christian beliefs, Daily Bread’s ethos still remains the same - all individuals deserve respect, regardless of colour or creed, and deserve equal pay. John Clarke, manager at Daily Bread, has been with the company for about 28 years, having joined a few years after it started up in 1980. He said the company started off on a much smaller scale; buying in bulk, packing down into smaller quantities, and then selling in the shop. “Over the years the range of wholefoods and the products available has increased enormously, so we’ve gone from a dozen products to about 5000 products.” “Back in the late 70s and 80s there were a lot of co-ops coming in and there was a need for people

to look at what they were eating, so there was a gap in the market and it’s been developing over the years. Also, the range of foods has increased since the Second World War in the UK so it’s just about tapping into that market.” Their product growth can be attributed to conditions like coeliac disease becoming an increasing issue. Last year, research showed a fourfold increase in the rate of diagnosed cases of coeliac disease in the UK in the last twenty years. As a result of this, gluten-free food has become more available across the country and can be found in supermarkets, not just health food shops. “A lot of our products are customer-led. We get customers saying ‘I think you should stock this product’ and we’ll think if it’s genuinely good for you, and if it is we’ll stock it. Other strands have come along. There’s things like fair trade, organic, and foods for people with dietary needs, like diabetics and coeliacs. People want to cut out wheatbased products and so forth, so they’re looking for a specific range of products which can be from glutenfree pasta to flours to bread, and this has been difficult

“We’ve gone from a dozen products to about 5000”

in the past. [Stocking gluten-free products] is an example of us trying to service that need. The food itself is very important; it has to have some value nutrition-wise, or value to the consumer. We won’t sell food that’s loaded with sugar or food that’s low in quality.” Food isn’t the only service Daily Bread provides. By offering part-time work to people with mental illnesses, they also provide support for the more vulnerable members of society. “We do recognise that there is a need to help people with mental health issues,” says Clarke. “Over the years we’ve employed or have had as volunteers people with mental health issues and they’ve worked here for a few hours a week, some have stayed after many years, so we’re very much concerned about trying to help people with these issues.” To provide employment to people who need to build up their self-esteem is at the core of their principles. By working in a worker co-operative they are allowed to live their lives as equals to their fellow workers. It is an environment where everyone is treated the same, and everyone gets paid the same, and being democratic is essential. “We all treat each other equally. If there are jobs to be done, they’re shared out between us all. Everybody will get the same wage, so there’s no hierarchy in place.” Clarke believes that co-operatives are the way forward. “For a lot of people, it’s having a voice. In a traditional organisation, often you’re a small voice and you can’t really have control over what you do or what direction your job is taking. There is a term, ‘capital hires labour’ in traditional business, and labour is seen as a commodity that can be bought and sold. We’ve turned that on its head - labour controls the capital, and we are putting people first. You can have that voice in the business and you can steer it in any direction necessary.” There are no immediate plans to expand the co-operative, although Clarke has expressed his desire to see Daily Bread Co-operative grow in the future, adding that the only stipulation is that each one has to be thirty miles away from the existing location. “We like the concept ‘small is beautiful’ so we try to stick to that. You can expand from that though.

“We are putting people first”

Recently we’ve invested a lot of money in our online presence so we can deliver goods all over the country. We can also foster or advise other co-ops looking to set up all over the UK, and they don’t necessarily have to be in our field, because we are part of a wider coop movement and we believe you can apply the same principles to any industry.” Daily Bread are not only supporting their local community, but also projects abroad. “We have a ‘developing world fund’ which is directly linked to how well we do. A percentage of our turnover goes to developing countries like Uganda, which goes towards training needs such as schools. We also have a local community fund which goes towards local charities and community groups in Northampton.”

“We all treat each other equally - there’s no hierarchy in place”

Using cotton bags reduces amount of plastic ones

Daily Bread Co-operative The Old Laundry, Bedford Road, Northampton For more information, visit www.dailybread.co.uk

Hamm Tun Fine Foods The makers of Northampton’s first home-grown cheese, which won the 2014/15 Food & Drink Award for New Local Product of the Year has now produced the county’s first ever blue cheese - all made from ingredients sourced locally.

(L-R) Cobbler’s Nibble, Cobbler’s Nibble Gold, and Northamptonshire Blue

orthamptonshire is known for its shoemaking, as well as being home to sports teams like the Saints and the Cobblers, however the absence of any local cheese is what inspired Gary Bradshaw to create his own. Bradshaw, who started up Hamm Tun Fine Foods with his wife in 2013, said making cheese has always been one of his hobbies and the fact that there weren’t any truly local cheeses gave him the idea to turn his hobby into something bigger. “I only used to work three days a week and I needed something to do while I wasn’t at work, so I just started making it at home. And then when I found out there wasn’t a cheese in Northampton and there never had been, I took this Cobbler’s Nibble down to St Giles Cheese, and they loved it and wanted to buy it.” Despite the raving reviews, Bradshaw wasn’t able to sell the cheese immediately, as he didn’t have the license for it. “Unfortunately I couldn’t sell it because I was just making it at home, in my kitchen.

It’s against the law to do it like that. I then went on a cheese-making course, came back and rented this unit and that was it. That was eighteen months ago. My first delivery of Cobbler’s Nibble was in November 2013.” Bradshaw’s latest venture, Northamptonshire Blue, only started last December. In a mere few months he has made several batches of the cheese, although he has only sold one batch so far. It was the only logical next step considering blue cheese is Bradshaw’s favourite. “I love blue cheese, it’s my favourite. I’ve always wanted to make one, but it’s quite difficult to make because it’s not as easy as the Cobbler’s Nibble. With that one you can be quite consistent with it all the time, whereas with this you have to know what you’re doing to be able to make a consistent blue cheese, because it’s a slightly different process. You don’t have as much control over it.” “The blue cheese is lovely with fruit, like apples or pears. Cobbler’s Nibble is great on pizzas, especially a beetroot pizza. Cobbler’s Nibble Gold is one I’d just

“Blue cheese is difficult to make, you don’t have as much control over it”

eat on its own,” Bradshaw says, because of the subtle flavour of ale in the rind that comes from being washed in local ales. The cheese-making process seems simple, after all, it’s just milk in a large vat, but it is a lengthy one that requires a lot of attention. Each type of cheese that’s made has a different flavour and texture. Cobbler’s Nibble is a hard cheese with a rind that has a faint tang of blue cheese. Cobbler’s Nibble Gold is a slightly softer cheese, and the rind has a subtle ale flavour. Northamptonshire Blue is a mild blue cheese, with blue lumps rather than blue veins like Stilton. “You have what is essentially a giant water bath, that’s where you heat the milk. The one I have holds 200 litres of milk, and it’s heated up to 32°C.” “Then we add our starter culture, which is the mould, which comes in little bags that are kept refrigerated. You have different starter cultures for different cheeses, that’s what gives you the flavour. You don’t really use a lot, so for 200 litres of milk you need about 9g, and that in turn makes 20kg of cheese.” “The starter culture works best between 30-35°C, that’s when they’re active. Any lower and they’re dormant, and if the temperature is too high then it kills them.” “Once the culture is added and it reaches the right temperature, it’s left to ripen for about an hour and a half, so that all the cultures are doubling, then you add rennet, which is the enzymes from a calf’s stomach.” “The rennet is what makes it set. Again, you wouldn’t have to use a lot. You’d use about 2 litres of rennet in 200 litres of milk in order to set it. Then you’d use cheese harps to break the curd up by cutting across it repeatedly. The smaller the curd gets the firmer it is, and that defines how hard your cheese will be.” “Once you’ve done that, you take all the whey off, that goes into a bucket and gets taken away for pig feed. I know a local guy who feeds his pigs with it, so nothing goes to waste.” The curds then go into small buckets, where they are salted. This is where salt is rubbed all over the outside, which not only draws moisture out but also preserves it by stopping bad cultures from growing. It’s also what adds the trademark salty flavour to cheese, and Bradshaw uses about 80g of salt for 20kg of cheese. It may sound like a lot but a lot of it comes out in the moisture that’s drawn out. The cheeses then go in what is essentially an airing cupboard, where Bradshaw monitors the temperature and humidity. The cheese stays in there, draining for 48 hours, but they’re turned over every couple of hours to make sure the shape stays fairly

uniform. Once the cheese is aged, it gets wrapped in a breathable cheese paper and stored in the fridge. The special paper prevents the cheese from sweating, which would happen if cling film was used.

“Some are a bit wonky, but that’s what gives it that handmade look. People don’t want things that are perfect”

Because Bradshaw makes the cheese himself, each wheel, or truckle, is different. No two cheeses have the same weight, hardness or flavour, although they are kept in the same conditions. “Even cheese made from the same batch won’t have the same look. Some are a bit wonky, or the mould will be different, but that’s what gives it that handmade look. People don’t want things that are perfect.”

Hamm Tun Fine Foods Kingsfield Way, Northampton For more information, visit www.hammtunfinefoods.co.uk

Nanna’s Kitchen Mismatched crockery has never looked more appealing. This quirky cafe, full of character, is just a stone’s throw away from Northampton town centre.

t’s not difficult to see why Nanna’s Kitchen is ranked one of the top cafes in Northampton. It a five-minute walk from Northampton town centre, although it’s not easy to spot at first as it’s part of A Most Marvellous Place To Shop, a vintage shop selling everything from clothes to jewellery to old records and antiques. Emma Streeter and Kayleigh Witt, longtime friends and now business partners, opened up the cafe in 2011. They went for a slightly more modern take on the retro trend that’s become popular recently, describing the place as “shabby chic”. The cafe is filled with crockery and decorations that have been collected over the years. Teapots and birdcages hang from above, and one of the walls is adorned with old tea towels. An empty golden syrup tin holds an assortment of knives and forks, with another one - albeit black treacle this time - holds spoons. Each table was different to the next, with the chairs, tablecloths and even vintage salt and pepper shakers. Although it seems very random at first, there is beauty in the madness of it all. There was a nearly-empty cookie jar and just one slice remaining of one of their cakes on the counter - definitely a testament to the popularity of this establishment. It’s the kind of thing you want to see when you go into a cafe because you know the food is good, and good food sells. We spoke to Emma about the cafe and what it means to be a local producer.

Q. What was the main idea behind Nanna’s Kitchen? A. We’ve always wanted the cafe to be about whole food, to provide a healthy lunch option for people with as much homemade food as we could possibly make.

make a big difference when the ingredients are fresh because people do comment on it.

Q. Why is there such a big emphasis on buying locally? A. I think it’s important to support your local community. Plus, if Q. What about the food that you import food you don’t really know where it’s from. It’s better isn’t made on site? A. We try and source as locally as to support local businesses and we can. A lot of places buy from boost economic growth too. wholesalers because it works out cheaper but we go for quality. Our Q. What sets Nanna’s Kitchen meat and vegetables, for example, apart from other cafes out come from Earls Barton. It does there?

A. I’d say it’s the fact that everything’s fresh and homemade. We just provide a completely different experience I think. You get your money’s worth here. Q. Do you think independent cafes are dying out? A. Well whenever I’m in town, I always see chain coffee shops popping up and they never seem to last. They all do the same thing and it’s different with independent cafes.

Part of the cafeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique shabby chic style

Homemade white chocolate and banana cake

Homemade jams and preserves Nannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen 22-26 Kettering Road, Northampton For more information, visit www.nannaskitchen.co.uk

The Olde England A pub situated by The Racecourse in Northampton, complete with real ales, fruit wines and board games - a perfect combination

he Olde England is one of those pubs that you accidentally stumble upon and then rave to your friends about. The exterior is unassuming and at first does seem like it’s too small to be a pub. Stepping in, however, you find three floors and a cosy interior where you can picture yourself spending hours just drinking and relaxing. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it already is. It’s a small little independent pub that perhaps doesn’t cater to the same crowd that your standard Wetherspoons would, which adds to the appeal. The people in there are passionate about real ales and ciders, not lagers. Toby Hepworth, son of Olde England owner Paul Hepworth, says that although the pub is new - having opened around 2011 - the interior is still a work in progress. “It took about a year after [my father] opened the pub to finish decorating the cellar. It went through a lot of changes because we wanted to have more people down here. Before, we had a few sofas and it was nice but you couldn’t really fit that many people down here.” The cellar currently has tables and chairs all set up relatively close to each other. There are candles on the tables and the cellar itself has low lighting. There are old historical pictures and artefacts hanging on the walls, all of which adds to the atmosphere that Paul Hepworth has created through his love for history. “[My father] definitely went for an older theme. There are pictures down in the cellar, and upstairs. The bar in the cellar is made out of old wooden beams and we put the beams up by the stairs ourselves. As for the decorations, he had some things, but other things were bought.” “He got a little bit addicted to buying all these

old things and we’ve still got loads of them in a storage somewhere but luckily now, with this pub, he has a place to put them all in.” “He leased a pub before in Milton Keynes but he wouldn’t have been able to do anything like this in there, so [The Olde England] is his own thing. He’s made the pub into one he’d want to go into. “

The pub sells a large variety of ales, ciders and wines, and lagers are quite obviously missing from the menu, but there is a reason behind it. “We only sell real ales, and it is a different crowd. I’ve worked in different pubs and I can tell you this is a much more laid-back atmosphere here. For example, even though the tables in the cellar are close to each other, people don’t mind. Customers will just be sitting and chatting, and a lot of people chat with each other. Plus we’ve got the board games which people like to play. And because we’ve got all these real ales and ciders, the people who are into that sort of thing come here to drink.” “It’s a little bit quirky. The bar upstairs is quite small and we get a lot of people commenting on that saying how it reminds them of when they were a kid and they used to go to the shops.” Board games are an interesting addition to a pub that’s covered from ceiling to floor in history. Something like Pictionary doesn’t feel like it should fit in those surroundings but it does, along with many other games at The Olde England. A couple of the tables have cards on them, and the pub even has old favourites like Scrabble and Jenga. “We started off with having a few board games and we’ve ended up with loads, so it must’ve gone down well. We had a few in the pub before in Milton Keynes but it was never on this scale. A lot of it is to do with feedback. I’d tell my dad if people were acknowledging the games and if it’s going well or not, and the board games seem to be doing great.”

The Olde England also has a lot of emphasis on buying and drinking local produce. Some of their drinks are sourced from beyond Northamptonshire but a great deal comes from within the county. “Throughout the week we’ll use about eight or ten breweries from Northampton, and they give us about thirty different ales, although we change it weekly because we get so many drinks. That’s what people like as well, they like trying new drinks and having different options available to them.”

“We never really looked at competing against anyone, we’ve just seen it as a way to get more people into real ale”

The pub sells traditional pub grub, all freshly made on location. Some of the meat is sourced from local butchers, which goes down really well coupled with real ales. Drinking real ales may be growing in popularity, but Hepworth believes The Olde England doesn’t face any competition. “There are some other pubs that do real ales but not as many as we do. My dad’s view of it is that it’s a good thing because then it gets more people into real ale. We never really looked at competing against anyone, we’ve just seen it as a way to get more people to drink real ales and hopefully that would make more people want to come here and we can create a bigger market for real ale drinkers.”

The Olde England 199 Kettering Road, Northampton For more information, visit www.theoldeengland.com

What's On

Have a look at some of the events coming up this month all over Northamptonshire

2nd -

Cheese & Wine Talk

3rd -

Launch of 2015/16 Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards

7th -

Wicksteed Park, Kettering 7:30 pm £10

For more information, email rachel@rachelmallows.com

International Women’s Day Guildhall, Northampton 11:00 am

Lou’s Vintage Fair 14th - Lou Guildhall, Northampton

15th 15th -

12:00 pm £2

Mother’s Day Cycle Tour Brixworth County Park, Daventry 10:00 am £50

Got Talent 19th - Wellingborough’s The Castle, Wellingborough

21st -

7:30 pm £6

Wine Tasting Evening Barby Village Hall, Daventry

Elite Duathlon Championships 29th - British Rockingham Circuit, Corby 9:00 am