Feast Norfolk Magazine December 16 Issue 12

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ST ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

FOOD & DRINK

DECE M BE R 2016

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Jamie ' s r ve li O festive favo urites

xMAS s A family Christma e at T he White Hors in Neatishead

Cracking Cocktails

Meet the new head chef at Titch well Mano r

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19 fes tive recipes to try

Editor's Letter -

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ELCOME TO OUR Christmas issue which we hope will get you in the mood for the festive season. As usual, it is jam packed with recipes, interviews with local producers, features on events and activities and articles on some of the region’s new faces!

I enjoyed meeting Felicity and Rick Malt from The White Horse at Neatishead in The Broads who are working hard to create a welcoming community pub, as well as brewing their own ales and creating a gin.

What a pair of whirlwinds! And everyone at the magazine wishes Chris Mann all the best as he takes over as head chef at Titchwell Manor in North Norfolk.

Emma enjoyed interviewing one of our turkey farmers, Rob Morton, at Skeyton, near North Walsham, at his busiest time of year, and Andy Newman had a very pleasant trip to meet Michelle Steele at the Earsham Street Deli in Bungay - one of my favourite towns. I suspect he did a little bit of shopping while he was there.

Speaking of which, I’ve started my Christmas shopping and I have to admit that many people will be getting food and drink treats as a present this year. And what delights there are locally, from sloe gin, to handmade chocolates, from spicy chutneys to delicious jams. And I really like those ‘experiences’ such a wine course or a seat at a chef’s table - so much more interesting than yet another vase or bottle of hand cream! Do have a look at our gift guide which might provide a bit of inspiration if you’re getting stuck.

Add in a few festive gadgets and gizmos, Sara Matthews’ gluten free Christmas ideas, Yuletide recipes from Jamie Oliver and a few cocktail ideas and Christmas is pretty much all wrapped up!

All that remains is to wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year from everyone here at Feast Norfolk. Thank you for your support and kindness this year, our launch year, and a special thank you to our key advertisers. We’re taking a much needed rest in January, and will be back in February - raring to go.

Season's greetings.

Sara h Hard y

FEASTNORFOLKMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SARAH HARDY, Editor sarah@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

SEARCH FOR FEAST NORFOLK ON

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Jamie 's Oliver festive favourites

xMAS s A family Christma e at The White Hors in Neatishead

Crackin Cocktailsg

Meet the new head chef at Titchwell Manor

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19 festive recipes to try

30 Jaime Garbutt at Figbar in Norwich offers us mince pies and more

C O N T E N T S

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ABOUT US

03 Editor’s letter 68 How to subscribe

WHAT’S ON

16 Discover the best food and drink events coming up in our part of the region 18 Christmas time at the Cathedral – where could be better to go for a Christmas lunch?

20 The news and gossip round-up – we’ve got it covered!

FEATURES

06 As we approach the end of our first year, our foodie friends gather round to offer their kind words!

08 The husband and wife team behind The White Horse at Neatishead in the Broads share the joy of Christmas with us 22 Want to know what to buy for the foodie in your life? We come up with some lovely, local suggestions 28 We look back on a great year for Norfolk on the food front 34 Emma Outten profiles the Barefoot brand in North Norfolk 36 Nutritional therapist Catherine Jeans offers a survival guide on how to get through Christmas without putting on a dress size!

REVIEWS

39 Sarah Hardy tries out the new Giggling Squid Thai restaurant in Tombland, Norwich 42 Emma Outten takes daughter and dog along to the Earlham Arms in Norwich for a family friendly (and four-legged friendly) meal

INTERVIEWS

54 Singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, due in Norwich in February, answers the questions in our foodie Q&A

REGULARS

27 Gadgets and gizmos is all about festive tableware as the big day approaches 51 For our Anglia Farmers feature, Emma Outten chats to free range turkey farmer Rob Morton of Morton’s Traditional Taste 56 As Debut Restaurant at City College Norwich prepares for the busy festive season, Emma Outten meets Head Chef James Phillippo 58 Andy Newman heads to the Earsham Street Deli in Bungay for our shop front feature 64 Jarrold’s suggests more cookbooks including one all about street food in Italy

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74 66 Chris Mann, the new Head Chef at Titchwell Manor, serves up his life on a plate for us 74 For our Artisan Producer feature, Sarah Hardy finds out all about Bullards Norwich Dry Gin 94 Lakenham Creamery has the last word, in the Last Bite

RECIPES

45 Sara Matthews offers us gluten free Christmas Lebkuchen Biscuits and more 61 Jamie Oliver shares three recipes from his Christmas cookbook, including roast goose 69 Chris Mann dishes up steamed cod with pig trotter sauce, poached salsify and pork quaver 91 Ellen Mary serves up sprouts with garlic, lemon and parmesan to go with Christmas lunch 93 Reader Aunt Jessie offers Clootie Dumpling, a traditional Scottish family favourite at Christmas and Hogmanay

DRINK

76 Don’t miss our selection of festive cocktails, including our very own Wild Feast 78 Emma Outten taste tests the new Norfolk Wine School’s Introduction to Wine Course in Norwich 80 Our wine writer Andy Newman urges us all to pass the Port this Christmas

COLUMNISTS

48 Artisan baker Steve Winter can’t get enough of Christmas baking - he just loves those smells 49 Charlotte Gurney shines a light on the butcher at White House Farm 70 Charlie Hodson thinks Christmas is the perfect time of year to think about social enterprises Norwich Leap and The Feed 71 Justin Wright of Lovewell Blake discusses Marmite-gate 73 Our wine expert Steve Hearnden takes a look at Christmas in his food and wine pairing feature 82 Sarah Ruffhead offers us another five of her best eats for the month

TRAVEL

83 Mark Nicholls savours the flavours of Spain when he spends 48 hours in Madrid 88 The Edwardian Sea Marge in Overstrand, which is steeped in history, is our featured hotel

GROW YOUR OWN

90 Ellen Mary has been growing sprouts (what else?) in time for Christmas

COMPETITIONS

92 Win a Smeg stand mixer from John Lewis worth £299.95

THE TEAM

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Ellen Mary, Andy Newman, Mark Nicholls, Justin Wright, Charlotte Gurney, Steve Hearnden, Chris Coughlan, Steve Winter, Sarah Ruffhead, Charlie Hodson, Catherine Jeans

PUBLISHED BY

FEAST NORFOLK MAGAZINE is published

by Feast (Eastern) Limited - 21 Market Place, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 2AX

PRINTED BY

MICROPRESS, Fountain Way, Reydon Business Park, Reydon, Suffolk, 1P18 6DH

Feast`s First Birthday F E A T U R E

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GROWING UP

As Feast

Norfolk approaches its first anniversary,

editor Sarah Hardy takes stock

every month and has a huge amount of knowledge and common sense; and Ellen Mary, our kitchen gardener just quietly and efficiently filing her lovely copy every month.

Finally, I'd like to thank the whole team, including Rachael Young who heads up the sales team and founding fathers designer Scott Nicholson and deputy editor Emma Outten. I would never have started the magazine without them and we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today without them. I hope they know they are valued and appreciated; Scott’s designs are always more than beautiful and Emma simply chases every story down and then writes the socks off it. A great journalist.

reactions from people, our growing number of readers and the realisation that we are not the same as other magazines in the region. And the low points? Well, who knew that you spent so much time chasing late payers? Not me!

Special mention must go to some of those who have supported us from the start - our master baker Steve Winter provides us with a few grey hairs as he loves to be the last to deliver his copy; Charlotte Gurney is a real force of nature who is driving on with the family business as well as having a baby; Charlie Hodson, the county’s foodie guru, is always on the end of the phone to chat and advise; Andy Newman provides us with so much great content

WELL, WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT? And my, hasn’t the time flown by! We are now almost a year old so I wanted to say a big thank you to all our readers, writers and advertisers.

The last 12 months have been quite a journey, as all good reality TV stars say, and we have learnt a lot - whilst having plenty of fun along the way.

We hope we have stayed true to our original intentions: to provide entertaining and educational copy about the region’s thriving food and drink, to promote the artisan producer, to reflect the concerns of those in the food industry and to always maintain our integrity.

What have been our highlights? There have been plenty - mainly the lovely

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What our kind reade rs and adver tisers have to say: MARK RICHMOND, NELSON AND NORFOLK TEA

‘Feast Norfolk magazine is a joy to open and read each month. It’s full of mouth watering food and drink recipes, informative articles by Norfolk producers and industry experts, and even the paper it’s printed on is a joy to touch! It’s a feast for the all the senses!’

SARAH DE CHAIR, CHAIR, NORFOLK FOOD AND DRINK

‘Feast magazine sits permanently on my kitchen table and embodies everything that we should be shouting about in Norfolk. From a Norfolk Food & Drink perspective it is just the sort of publication we love to support; it gives us seasonal recipes from some of our county's best chefs, highlights restaurants - many of which I have never heard of and really want to try; tells us of events going on around the county on a monthly basis, and lets us all know about producers, new products and people behind the scenes who give us so much foodie joy. Congratulations Feast on your first anniversary – I can’t wait to read more in 2017.’

ALEX FIRMAN, CHEF

'Feast is such a fresh and exciting magazine. Finally, a foodie monthly which Norfolk can be proud of!'

MELANIE COOK, PR MANAGER, VISITNORWICH

HARRY MITCHELL, HEAD OF GROUP MARKETING, ANGLIA FARMERS LIMITED

ERIC SNAITH, TITCHWELL MANOR HOTEL

‘Feast Norfolk is now a regular on our monthly reading list. We enjoy raising the profiles of our farmer members in the Producer Pages each month.

Norfolk is home to many fine food producers and Feast Norfolk is an excellent platform for fellow ‘foodies’ to read about the people who grow, rear or brew first class food and drink in the county.’

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‘How any of us foodies ever survived before the launch of Feast Norfolk magazine is beyond me. As a reader, I eagerly await the launch of the next issue, which is always packed with recipes, interesting interviews and cookery ideas.

As a local business, it’s a joy to advertise in such a high-quality and inspirational publication – it’s an all-round ‘feast’ for the eyes, tummy and mind.’

‘Congratulations to Feast on your 12th issue. It’s an innovative and interesting magazine which Jarrold’s is pleased to support, and is a great way for our book department to showcase our latest cookery and food titles.’

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‘I was delighted to be featured in the first issue of Feast Norfolk magazine and have enjoyed reading every publication since, I love the style of the magazine and appreciate the support that it gives to the food and drink industry in Norfolk. Thanks from all at Titchwell Manor and Happy Birthday!‘

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‘Huge congratulations to Feast magazine for an incredible year about celebrating local food! I look forward each month to see what Feast has to say. The magazine is top quality and full of really great photography, well designed and an absolutely pleasure to dive into, much like the food it writes about. All my friends love it and I have to watch my copy doesn’t walk out of the door when I have visitors!'

‘12 months on and the amazing photography and features keep coming and coming. Over the past year, I've really loved having the magazine land on my desk, the news and gossip page is my favourite source for finding out the new places to go!

Well done to Sarah, Emma and the team for the first 12 amazing issues, here's to the next 12!’

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The White Horse Neatishead -

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The family-run The White Horse at Neatishead in the Broads shares the joy of Christmas with us all. Sarah Hardy reports

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visit www.keirontovell.com KEIRON TOVELL PICTURES BY

TAKE A WONDERFUL COUNTRY PUB, a happy family, an on-site brewery, an in-house gin and a passionate chef - and you have all the right ingredients for the ultimate Christmas celebration.

The White Horse, which dates back to the 1730s, is the hub of pretty Neatishead and has been home to Rick, Felicity and two-year-old Etty Malt for just over two years.

RICK, ORIGINALLY FROM RUGBY, has a background in pub management and what sounds like lots of experience and always wanted to run his own place, whereas Felicity is from nearby Barton Turf.

‘When we heard that The White Horse was available, it sounded too good an opportunity to miss,’ says Rick. ‘But we knew what we wanted - a pub for the village.’

They set about putting their own stamp on the place, extending it considerably, and creating different areas for different types of people and different moods. So there’s the top bar, with a dart board; the main bar; and a more formal restaurant area, complete with its own gallery and lovely snug, where sofas and armchairs just call your name.

Many original features remain, including exposed brick walls, pamment floorings and welcoming fireplaces. Add in lovely old photos of local scenes, beer mats from around the country on display, and all manner of carefully chosen little touches (especially numerous horseshoes, used as coat hooks as well as simply decoration).

Felicity’s father, Mark, is a farrier and his horse, Bertie, was the model for the new pub sign so be sure to greet him as you enter.

Rick is keen to emphasise that The White Horse is not a gastropub - which is not a term he likes. Rather, head chef Jamie Moore has created a menu which should appeal to all -

PICTURES BY

KEIRON TOVELL

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visit www.keirontovell.com

The White Horse C H R I S T M A S

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FELICITY AND RICK MALT WITH DAUGHTER ETTY

locals wanting to pop in for a quick supper or sandwich lunch, and those coming for something a bit more ambitious. Thus there are your regulars, such as fish and chips, burgers, and steaks, plus a weekly changing specials menu with, say, pan fried red snapper or roasted poussin.

Jamie, from Norwich, has worked at several pubs in the area and is delighted to be in charge of his own kitchen. ‘We support local suppliers such as Swannington Farm to Fork, who provide our meats, and DF McCarthy’s, who provide us with our fruit and veg,’ he says, adding: ‘And we use local producers such as Mrs Temple cheeses, Ronaldo’s Ice Creams and we have our own chutney made by Jubberwacky.’

He is particularly keen on fish, likes to experiment, and is aiming for an AA Rosette award for his food next year. He is also keen to make as many dishes gluten free as possible, saying: ‘Around 60 per cent of the dishes are gluten free or can be made gluten free, including our chips and batter!’

Beer is an important part of what the bar offers, with Redwell and Woodeforde’s beers on offer plus the pub’s own brews and those of other local micro breweries. Rick says: 'We have 7 cask lines, 9 keg lines and not a Fosters or Carling in sight. Our focus is on variety and British independent breweries.'

There are also around 20 gins on offer, plus the couple’s own gin, Pell&Co Hopton Gin. Future plans, and yes it appears Rick simply cannot sleep, include developing the courtyard to feature a pizza oven and smoker becoming more self sufficient by growing fruit and veg.

www.thewhitehorseinnneatishead.com

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THE BREWERY

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RICK, WHO IS SELF TAUGHT, runs an on-site brewery called the Neatishead Brewing Co, which he reckons might be the smallest in Norfolk. ‘We’re a nano brewery as we produce about 144 pints per brew,’ he laughs. ‘We’re not even a micro brewery!’

The brewery is located behind a glass panel in the restaurant so people can look in and see what is being produced.

He makes just about enough beer for the pub and the occasional festival, and likes to work with other breweries such as the Fat Cat Brewery and Redwell Brewery in Norwich to produce yet more ales.

‘We always try to have one of our own beers on in the pub, and I like to experiment - we are always testing and tasting,’ he says.

PICTURES BY

KEIRON TOVELL

visit www.keirontovell.com

THE GIN

EXTRA BITE

RICK AND FELICITY clearly like to be busy as they have just produced their own gin, Pell&Co Hopton Gin. It takes Felicity’s maiden name of Pell, is made with East Kent Golding hops and Cascade hops and is distilled, using a Norfolk sugar beet vodka base, by the English Spirits Distillery in Cambridgeshire.

The first batch, in July, created 1300 bottles, and there are not too many left so don’t delay if you fancy one!

As it is made with hops, it is earthy, with a touch of bitterness. I felt you could certainly taste macadamia nuts, plus lavender, Seville orange and coriander. The couple like to serve it with Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic, ice and a slice of lemon and I wouldn’t argue - my glass slipped down very quickly!

There are plans to produce another batch of gin in January and work on a new flavour, too.

And there could even be a vodka on offer before long.

The gin is priced at £29 and, for Christmas, a gift set is available at £39 which includes a bottle of gin and two glasses in a gift box.

It is on sale at Jarrold’s, Bakers and Larners in Holt and many other places - see online for stockists. Regular tasting sessions are held and the couple are taking the gin to Woodeforde’s Open Weekend on December 3 and 4, and also to Jarrold’s in Norwich on December 17. More details at www.pellandcospirits.com.

A CHRISTMAS MENU is on offer from December 1 to 24. Two courses are £19.95 and three courses are £23.95. A New Year’s Eve menu is also on offer. The couple also run a mobile bar and outside catering company specialising in gin and beer bars. Sunday lunches are very popular and run from noon to 4pm. Folk evenings are held on the first Sunday of every month. Many areas are dog friendly. Call 01692 630828

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RECIPE

GIN and TONIC GLAZED DUO of QUAIL with LEMON RISOTTO INGREDIENTS

2 shallots; 200g of butter; ½ stick of celery; 1 clove of garlic; 250g of Arborio rice; 2tsp of Parmesan cheese; 1 lemon, juice and zest; 200ml of Fever-Tree; Mediterranean Tonic Water; 500ml of chicken stock; 2 quails; 25ml of Pell&Co Hopton Gin; 500ml of rapeseed oil

JAMIE MO0RE

METHOD Risotto For the risotto, heat the stock in the pan. Meanwhile peel and finely chop the shallots, garlic and celery. In a separate pan, heat 100g of butter and gently fry off the shallots, garlic and celery for about 10 minutes, trying not to over-colour the mixture. Add the rice and stir. Add the tonic. Once cooked, add 1 ladle of warmed stock and good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat and keep stirring the mixture, adding more stock as needed until fully cooked. Finally, add the lemon zest and juice, remaining butter and Parmesan cheese, and stir

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Quail As the risotto is cooking, remove the breasts and legs of quail or ask your butcher to do this for you. Heat the rapeseed oil to 100°C and cook the legs on a low heat for around 30 minutes.

Set aside. Drizzle a little more rapeseed oil into the pan and sear the quail breast (skin side down) for two minutes. Flip over and cook for a further minute. Add the leg to colour and then add gin to glaze both.

To assemble Arrange on a plate, with the risotto, and garnish with pea shoots

TURN OVER FOR MORE RECIPES!

RECIPE

TURKEY BALLONTINE INGREDIENTS

4 x 200g turkey breast steaks; 200g of sausage meat; 2 tbsp of red onion marmalade; 2 tbsp of cranberry sauce; 8 slices of streaky bacon; sea salt; cracked pepper; 1 tbsp of chopped sage

Serves Four

Gravy 400ml of chicken stock; ½ pint of Neatishead brew, Etty Ann Malt Parsnip Purée 500g of parsnips, peeled and diced; 2 cloves of garlic; 125ml of double cream; 125ml of milk; 2 tbsp of butter

METHOD For the filling Mix together the sausage meat, red onion marmalade and cranberry sauce. Season and divide into 4 portions For the Ballontine Turkey Preheat the oven to 180°C. Batter out the steaks until they are about 1.5cm thick. On double-layered Cling Film, layer the bacon, then the turkey and finally the sausagemeat. Roll in a cylinder shape and tie both ends.

Repeat with remaining 3 breasts.

Place turkeys in deep tray of stock and cover with foil. Cook for about 35-45 minutes

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For the Gravy Use this remaining stock, plus the chicken stock and the beer, and boil until it thickens. Gently coat the ballontines in this gravy For the Purée Bring all ingredients to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until soft.

Uncover and reduce the liquid by half.

Season with sea salt and white pepper and purée in blender until smooth To Serve Arrange the ballontines, roasted sprouts, chestnuts and bacon, roast potatoes and honey glazed carrots on a plate with a smear of purée. Drizzle with the rich gravy

The White Horse -

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RECIPE

KEIRON TOVELL

BANANAS and CUSTARD INGREDIENTS

visit www.keirontovell.com

For the Banana Bread 70g of caster sugar; 70g of butter, softened; 70g of self-raising flour; 1 large egg; ½ tsp of baking powder; 1 ripe banana, mashed; 1 fresh banana For the Crème Anglaise 120ml of double cream; 1 vanilla pod, halved and scraped out; 2 egg yolks; 35g of caster sugar

METHOD Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 1lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, slowly add egg and a little flour, then fold in the rest of flour, baking powder and mashed banana. Pour into tin and bake for around 30 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and then slice into 4 For Crème Anglaise Heat the cream and vanilla pod until bubbles form around edge.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until

smooth, add in half the hot cream to egg mixture and whisk, then add the egg mixture back into rest of cream and whisk. Continue to cook on low heat until it covers back of spoon For Decoration Cut the other banana into 8 pieces, sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a blow torch until golden To Assemble Place a slice of banana bread on a plate with 2 pieces of banana. Drizzle with the Crème Anglaise and a scoop of Ronaldo’s banana choc chip ice cream

Serves Four

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

15

r e b m e Dec What's On

PARTY NIGHTS

Saturdays mean Festive Party Nights with ‘Agent Orange’ live band at Barnham Broom on December 3, December 10 and December 17.

Held in the Winter Wonderland marquee, enjoy an arrival drink, three course festive menu with coffee and mince pies; plus disco entertainment in the Barford suite; and bacon rolls at midnight.

Visit www.barnham-broom.co.uk

MEET THE CHEF

Jarrold’s Wymondham Furniture Store will be welcoming chef Nathan Marley for a cooking demonstration on December 3. Having taught culinary workshops and classes, Nathan decided to set up his own successful company, The Cocoa Box Ltd in 2009. Along with his wife, Lisa Marley, the company has seen more than 100,000 people passing through its doors to date.

Visit www.jarrold.co.uk

BURNS NIGHT SUPPER

The Maids Head Hotel in Norwich is staging a Burns Night Supper on January 28, with a Scottish themed four-course meal; a wee dram of whisky and a bagpiper to bless the haggis. The menu features Cullen skink for starter; chicken breast stuffed with Haggis for main; and Cranachan for dessert.

Visit www.maidsheadhotel.co.uk

ON THE BALL

Even if you haven’t won our November competition, you can still go the New Year’s Eve Ball at Carrow Road with the Joe Ringer Band on December 31. Try your luck on the Casino Tables or see the New Year in dancing to the band until the countdown arrives.

Visit www.canarycatering.co.uk

SWEET TRAIL

Still planning your foodie festivities?

Look no further than here, says Emma Outten HOSTE WITH THE MOST (Pictured right)

Bring your Christmas party to Burnham Market and celebrate with colleagues, friends and family at The Hoste Christmas Party on December 16. The evening includes a drink on arrival, a delicious three course dinner in the stylish Garden Room Restaurant, followed by a disco and dancing.

Visit www.thehoste.com

FIELD TO FORK

New for this year, Holkham Hall will be staying open until December 20 with a great chance to visit the Field to Fork experience, take a walk in the park, enjoy a warming cuppa or lunch in the courtyard café or shop for that perfect Christmas present from the selection of gift ideas.

Visit www.holkham.co.uk

Look out for giant sweets in shop windows on the Cathedral Quarter Sweet Trail in Norwich until December 31. Each sweet will have a letter - collect them all to find the secret word! Return your answers to one of the Gingerbread Houses for a chance to win some festive prizes. Pick up a map from Norwich Puppet Theatre, The Maids Head Hotel, Tombland Book Shop or The Forum.

Visit www.visitnorwich.co.uk

Brewery nd Open Weeke ry Open

Woodforde’s Brewe s Weekend and Christma Market takes place on free December 3 and 4. The the annual event provides to rs ito vis for ity opportun orde's sample some of Woodf luding Christmas products inc s and Toe sel Tin w bre tive fes its In gs. din pud s ma NOG Christ s market ma rist Ch the n, itio add some stalls will also showcase duce. of the region's finest pro .uk .co des for ood Visit www.w

VICTORIAN MARKET (Pictured above) The Victorian Themed Christmas Market is returning to Open Norwich on December 17 and 18. After the success of last year’s event, this year will see even more festive entertainment and a whole mixture of Victorian attired stall holders offering an abundance of quality handcrafted gifts, speciality food and festive produce that you won't find on the high street.

Visit www.norwichchristmasmarket.co.uk THORPENESS COUNTRY CLUB

COUNTRY CLUB CHRISTMAS

Get in the festive spirit and book your Christmas party with friends, family or business colleagues at Thorpeness Country Club, in Suffolk. The fun starts on December 2 with a two course festive dinner and disco. On December 10 the Phil Jackson Rock ‘n Roll Band take the stage; December 16 sees Vicky Jackson perform as Pink and Lady Gaga, while on December 17 it’s the turn of Austin Beats.

Visit www.thorpenesscountryclub.co.uk

AFTERNOON TEA

Enjoy festive Afternoon Tea with music on Sundays in December at the Assembly House Norwich. On December 4 enjoy jazz from a talented local trio in the Music Room; on December 11 it’s the turn of The Norwich Ukulele Orchestra; and on December 18 it’s the turn of piano player Anthony Isaacs.

Visit www.assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk

CHRISTMAS MARKET

The eighth annual Deepdale Christmas Market takes place from December 2 to 4 in Burnham Deepdale. Visitors to the market can enjoy ‘not on the high street’ presents, decorations, food and drink in three large marquees around the Dalegate Market site, and amongst the pews in St Mary’s Church. And this year there will be lots more food!

Visit www.dalegatemarket.co.uk

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

HAVE A BUTCHERS

The annual Butchers Christmas Window Dressing Competition takes place from December 8 to 10. The idea of the competition is for butchers to create a festive meat display, and for the public to photograph their favourite and send to Norfolk Food and Drink’s Facebook or Twitter. The best photograph will be judged by sponsors H G Blake (Costessey) Ltd and win a Christmas joint of pork.

Visit www.norfolkfoodanddrink.com

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P R O F I L E

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PICTURES BY

PAUL HURST

www.cathedral.org.uk

Norwich Cathedral -

P R O M O T I O N

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Norwich Cathedral has many seasonal events lined up this month as well as tasty Christmas lunches. Sarah Hardy previews what’s on offer

NORWICH CATHEDRAL is the focal point of city life as we enter a month of celebration. The Romanesque cathedral, with it charming cloisters and The Hostry, is beautifully decorated for the festive period with Christmas trees and stunning floral arrangements, including a towering 20ft tree in the Nave. There are further 10ft trees in the Cathedral Transepts, one inside the Hostry and one outside.

Advent begins on December 1 when the Cathedral opens to all for an evening’s joyous celebration. Activities include a short service to bless the outdoor crib (featuring live farm animals), carols with the Cathedral Chamber Choir and the lighting of the Christmas Trees.

Everyone is welcome to gather at the West Front from 6.30pm for the service at 7pm, before exploring inside.

There’ll be something for everyone with guided taster tours, Christmas stalls, and activities for children. Meanwhile, The Refectory Café will open for warming drinks, while the Gift Shop offers the perfect opportunity for a spot of Christmas shopping.

As the month progresses, there are further services and concerts to enjoy, including the ever popular Christingle,

Christmas lunches

start on December 1 and run until December 23. They are available from noon until 2.30pm every day. They are very reasonably priced at £12.95 for one course, £16.95 for two courses and £20.95 for all three courses.This includes tea and coffee to round off your meal.

Booking is required

Tree of Remembrance:

If you are missing someone this Christmas, visit the Tree of Remembrance, situated next to the outdoor crib, where you will be able to write a message on a star and place it on one of the tree’s branches as an act of remembrance

19

Christmas Processions with Carols, a Crib Service and a splendid performance of the Messiah. Look out for a new service, traditional carols and Christmas readings, on December 18.

Another firm favourite is the Cathedral’s traditional Christmas lunch where local turkey has pride of place on the menu. The lunches, served in The Refectory Cafe where contemporary and medieval architecture create a very special atmosphere, champion local produce and are available until December 23.

There are two starters: a smoked salmon, dill and crayfish mousse or a polenta and goats’ cheese vegetable stack, while for mains the roasted Norfolk turkey comes with all the trimmings, including plenty of roasties, and there’s also a vegetarian option of choux pastry buns filled with sautéed mushrooms, celery and onions. And to finish, there are three options: a delicious Christmas pudding, Black Forest trifle or a natural yogurt and ginger wine pannacotta.

After enjoying this seasonal fare, there’s the chance explore the Cathedral, do a spot of shopping, and also stroll through the Cathedral grounds to the river, where Pull’s Ferry is always a lovely sight.

News and Gossip THERE’S THE RUB

THE BELL RINGS THE CHANGES

We’ve been watching the renovations at The Bell at Brisley with interest. There will be two new small restaurants alongside a refurbished bar and snug. Plus there’s a new head chef, Herve Strouvenel, who is Michelin trained and ready to bring his signature style to ‘the proper pub’. Look out for a big announcement by the end of this month on the The Bell’s blog – exciting!

Visit www.thebrisleybell.com A DE PIFF SPICE RUB

Thanks to Rai Bukulu for getting in touch about his A De Piff spice rub blends to marinate chicken, fish, beef or lamb. ‘My recipes in blending come from my East African Heritage which includes a diversity of cultures (Arab, Indian, Chinese, Turkish, European, African and Bush Tribes)’, says the Norwich-based spice man. Stockists include City Farm Shop.

Follow @adepiff on Twitter

NEWS

ROUND-UP We have plenty of food and drink news for you, to round off the year nicely, says Emma Outten

FUNDING SUCCESS

Here are two good news stories of rural businesses continuing to benefit from a £9m European funding initiative managed by Norfolk County Council’s Rural Programmes Team: the Buxton Potato Company has been awarded £13,866 to add value to the potato crop by introducing a new potato processing facility on the farm. And Branthill Farm Micro-brewery, Wells, has been awarded £22,347 to set up a new brewery using a redundant barn.

Visit www.norfolklags.co.uk

DOWN AT THE MILL

AN APPLE A DAY

City College Norwich students, Katie Carruth and Robyn Jackson, won the recent Great Norfolk Bake Off, celebrating Apple Day, at the Maids Head Hotel in Tombland, Norwich.

Working in pairs, three Maids Head teams, drawn from departments across the hotel, battled it out against three teams of City College first year catering students. Their task was to bake an apple cake using the same recipe.

Visit www.maidsheadhotel.co.uk

Tuddenham Mill boutique hotel and restaurant in Suffolk, has announced the arrival of five new external bedrooms called ‘Nooks’ overlooking the picturesque meadow. It’s already highly acclaimed for its award winning restaurant and 15 contemporary bedrooms, and the five Nooks (plus new mini-treatment room) will be rolled out up until Christmas. When can we book?

Visit www.tuddenhammill.co.uk

TRIPLE TIPPLE CELEBRATIONS

CUPCAKES AND BUBBLES

The Coach & Horses on Thorpe Road, Norwich, has three reasons to celebrate: the pub is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide; its brewery, Chalk Hill, brings back Flintknappers Mild due to popular seasonal demand; and its CHB beer wins second place at Norwich Beer Festival. Well done!

Visit www.thecoachthorpe road.co.uk and www. chalk-hillbrewery.co.uk

We’ve been hearing great things about the new Cupcakes and Bubbles café/bar in Timberhill, Norwich. Offering home baked rustic cupcakes, brownies and scones supplied by Dust with Cocoa, tea supplied by Nelson & Norfolk Tea Co, as well as Champagne, Prosecco and local sparkling wine, what is not to like? Oh, and there’s a gift shop as well!

Visit www.cupcakesandbubbles.co.uk

HITTING THE MARQUE Congratulations to the Old Ram Coaching Inn at Tivetshall St Mary which has just received a new accolade: the Cask Marque award. Recognised as a badge of quality among beer drinkers, the Cask Marque is only awarded after stringent assessment (on an unannounced visit) of beer temperature, appearance, aroma and taste.

Visit www.theoldramnorfolk.co.uk

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The Humble Pie Deli in the Burnham Market is relocating – from December 1 – to a new home above Gurneys Fish Shop. And best wishes to Sue, who is retiring after 36 years at the helm. Sue, a Cordon Bleu trained cook, originally opened the home-cooked food shop on The Green in 1980.

Visit www.humble-pie.com

RICHARD’S TV DINNER

Richard Bainbridge has added something unique to his award winning Benedicts restaurant in Norwich: a TV system which connects the kitchen to a private dining room on the first floor enabling the leading chef and his team to communicate with guests. And it looks just like an ornate Victorian mirror when not in use! Richard spotted this latest technology at the Hughes Home Tech Show.

Visit www.restaurantbenedicts.com

BOUTIQUE BEDROOMS

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

We’re looking forward to trying out the new boutique bedrooms at The White Hart Hotel in Hingham. All five luxury en suite bedrooms have been designed to display and enhance the wonderful natural features of the building which dates back to 1473. And they should be available for bookings from the first of this month.

Visit www.whitehartnorfolk.co.uk

Best B ar

Norwich Cocktail Week’s Best Bar has been announced and congratulations go to the new Hawthorn Bar in Norwich.

Amazingly, it only opened its doors a week beforehand!

Hawthorn is tucked away up a flight of stairs behind Lust & Liquor, and, once inside, you’ll get attentive table service and an imaginative cocktail list created by Richard O’Brien.

Visit www.barhawthorn.com

Editor Sarah Hardy enjoyed The Hughes Home Tech Show at the Norfolk Showground where TV favourite Brian Turner entertained the crowds with several cookery demos - and plenty of banter! Mary Kemp hosted the cookery theatre which also saw Andy Snowling, head chef at the Recruiting Sergeant in Horstead, take part. Dishes included a tasty mackerel treat, plus just one or two puds!

THE OLD RAM COACHING INN, PICTURE BY ANDREW KITT

SHOW SUCCESS

ASPALL’S MULLED SUFFOLK CYDER, £2.99, East of England Coop, branches across the region, www.eastofengland.coop

Edible presents are the perfect gift for those with a love of great food and drink. Here’s our round up of just a few goodies on the market

The Essential

FOODIE GIFT GUIDE MARSH PIG CURING & SMOKING COURSE GIFT CERTIFICATE, £175, www.marshpig.co.uk

RATION BOOK STYLE GIFT VOUCHERS from the Control Tower vegetarian B&B at Egmere, near Walsingham, where local produce is really championed, visit www.controltowerstays.co.uk

(pictured far left)

THE STOKES CHEESE GIFT TUBE, containing Chilli Jam, Fig Relish and Red Onion Marmalade, £14, www.stokessauces. co.uk

(pictured left)

HILLFARM AND ASPALL DRESS AND DIP SET, £6.99 (special offer price), www.hillfarmoils.com

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ENGLISH WHISKY CHAPTER 14 & HIP FLASK, £19.99, www.englishwhisky.co.uk

(pictured above)

A NORFOLK TABLE: One County, Twenty Chefs - A Cookbook and Food Lovers’ Guide, £19.95, visit www.suffolkfeast.co.uk for stockists Wilkin & Sons Tiptree Christmas Pudding (454g), £10.49, www.bakersandlarners.com

(pictured left)

BOOJA-BOOJA GOURMET SELECTION BOX, £16.99, www.boojabooja.com

(pictured right)

ADNAMS GINDULGENCE GIFT PACK, containing a 20cl bottle each of Rising Sun Rye Malt Gin, First Rate Gin and the award-winning Copper House Dry Gin, £29.99, www.adnams.co.uk

And don't forget

the self selection hampers you can put together at Scrummy Pig, the county’s first Proudly Norfolk shop which you can find at Wroxham Barns

OUR WINE WRITER STEVE HEARNDEN, who runs Tastebuds Wines, at Strumpshaw, has put together four different cases of French wines, with six bottles in each, from £48 to £68. Cases can be delivered, visit www.tastebudswines.co.uk

THE NORMAL FOR NORFOLK HAMPER, priced at £110, is one of a range of hampers which also includes the ultimate in hamper luxury, The Sandringham, at £1000.

All are jam-packed with Norfolk goodies from The Norfolk Deli, Hunstanton, visit www.norfolk-deli.co.uk

01 C 37 A 9 LL 65 U 0 S 80 0

Find the finest local foods, including cheese, craft beers and gorgeous hampers at The Apiary Delicatessen.

We have perfect gifts for food lovers and for making your Christmas celebration taste wonderful.

25 THE THOROUGHFARE

HARLESTON

Looking for a special gift for someone following a gluten free diet?

Hampers start from just £10, to be filled with a delicious range of gluten free goodies!

Select the contents yourself, or let us choose for you, Filled Crate Hampers from £30 Filled Wicker Hampers from £65

IP20 9AS

01379 853173 | bees@apiaryharleston.com | www.apiaryharleston.com

www.glutenfreefoodstore.co.uk 7 Cobbs Yard, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4LB | info@glutenfreefoodstore.co.uk

7 K N EE PE W O SA Y DA

Uniquely Magazine 1/2 Page Ad 128mm x 190mm

100c 100m 100y 100k 50c

Bakery

Café

50m 50y 50k

We have a range of delicious organic breads, which we make in our very own artisan bakery, including sourdoughs, potato & rosemary loaf and perhaps most impressively our ciabatta which is widely regarded as the best in Norwich.

Our café serves some fantastic dishes – our Norfolk Breakfast is not be missed and is available in vegetarian and vegan options.

Valentines Christmas

Pizza

We sell sell a We a range range of of fine foods, foods, so fine so you’ll you’ll find everything everything you find you need need for thisValentine’s Christmas including gorgeous including Norfolk chocolates!

Black TurkeysAdd for in our great range your Christmas of cheeses, of dinner, a greatlots range local ales, anti pasti of local cheeses for and cakes and you your cheese board, can really a selection of treat over yourself 60 local alesand andyour our loved one on this Christmas hampers – special day. the perfect present for your loved ones!

Sourdough pizza nights every Friday between 5-9pm.

Our artisan pizzas come with a range of tasty toppings, side dishes, drinks and desserts.

Special offer between 5-6pm – pizza and a glass of organic beer or wine for just £10.

...the place for great Norfolk gifts this Christmas!

2-4 EARLHAM HOUSE SHOPS, EARLHAM ROAD, NORWICH NR2 3PD www.thegreengrocers.co.uk | 01603 250000 | eat@thegreengrocers.co.uk Monday to Saturday 8am–7pm | Sunday 9am–4pm | Free Parking

We’ve got the perfect gift for a wide range of tastes from some of Norfolk’s finest producers, including Norfolk Gin, Booja Booja, handmade Norfolk Soaps, Marsh Pig charcuterie and much, much, more So whether you’re looking for a hamper crammed full of Norfolk goodies for a loved one or a bottle of Winbirri wine for your Christmas dinner we’ve got you covered

The Green Grocers 2-4 Earlham House Shops, Norwich, NR2 3PD eat@thegreengrocers.co.uk | www.thegreengrocers.co.uk | 01603 250000

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TEAS THE Christmas isn’t complete without a warming cup of tea

SEASON

please visit our website to see the UK’s largest range of festive teas

nelsonandnorfolktea.co.uk

15%

discou nt instore wit

h advert in Januthis ary & Febru a 2017 ry

Looking for that original Christmas Gift from Norfolk?

Call in or visit us online at ScrummyPig.co.uk for gourmet delights with a uniquely Norfolk provenance and flavour

ARTISAN PRODUCER TASTING BAR Taste Norfolk delicacies like Jubberwacky Bandersnatch Mustard or Norfolk’s Legendary Spirit Black Shuck Gin

CHRISTMAS GIFTS & HAMPERS

We’ll help you to assemble sumptious Christmas hampers, and you can taste many of the items helping you to create the perfect selection

FIND US AT

Scrummy Pig, Wroxham Barns, Tunstead Road, Hoveton, Norfolk NR12 8QU Telephone: 01603 783211 Website: Scrummypig.co.uk

m k .u te co sit si l.

Vi eb ote r w dh ou e a h ds ai

THE FINEST CHRISTMAS GIFT Make it a historic Christmas with Maids Head Hotel Gift Vouchers. Choose from an Afternoon Tea or a 5 Course Taster Experience Voucher or a Monetary Voucher to spend as you wish

To purchase call The Maids Head on 01603 209955

TOWN DELI SHERINGHAM

DELI

SANDWICHES

COFFEE

TEA

SALADS

CAKES

SNACKS

RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE TOWN, ON THE HIGH STREET

Christmas is made easy at Sheringham Town Deli where Norfolk produce is stocked.

Find cheeses, breads, chutneys, home made sandwiches, preserves, cakes everything you need for a traditional celebration. Make time for coffee too!

25 High Street, Sheringham NR26 8JP Tel 01263 821543 | Email wood_mj@hotmail.co.uk

01.

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G A D G E T S

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G I Z M O S

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02.

the

xmtaablse

Christmas lunch looms so treat yourself to a few new pieces for the table to make your celebrations complete

04.

03.

05.

Where to buy

01.Christmas oven gloves, £15, Debenhams 02. Kitchencraft gravy separator, £10.50, The Kitchenary, Taverham Craft Centre, Norwich 03. Merry and Bright serving dish, £10, John Lewis 04. Tabletop Christmas tree in stainless steel and beech wood, £139.50, www.alessi. com 05. Emma Bridgewater Mince Pie plate, £17.95 06. Kitchencraft carving tray, £16.50, The Kitchenary, Taverham Craft Centre, Norwich 07. Linea Lustre martini glasses, set of 4, £50, House of Fraser, Intu Chapelfield

06.

07.

The Kitchenary PROBABLY NORFOLK’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT COOKSHOP

The Kitchenary PROBABLY NORFOLK’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT COOKSHOP

Foodie fans in Norfolk and beyond were able to feast their eyes on a brand new food and drink magazine for this part of the region: Feast Norfolk! And the rest, as they say, is history.

FEBRUARY Blackfriars Hall in Norwich was named as the new venue for the Campaign For Real Ale's high profile National Winter Ale Festival for the next three years. Gillian Hough, festival organiser, said: ‘The National Winter Ales Festival has been an honour for Derby to host and we wish Norwich well with the unique roller coaster which comes with organising a National Festival.’

(L TO R) OUR VERY OWN DEPUTY EDITOR EMMA OUTTEN & EDITOR SARAH HARDY

JANUARY

APRIL Master Butcher based in Wellsnext-the-Sea, Arthur Howell, was named 2016’s 'Farm Shop & Deli Retailer of the Year'. Now in its fourth year, the Farm Shop & Deli Awards recognise the very best standards in the UK’s independent, speciality retail market. In his Big Interview with Feast Norfolk, Arthur recalled: ‘I had tears in my eyes when I picked it up. I was speechless.’

MARCH Congratulations were in order to Feast Norfolk columnist Charlotte Gurney and White House Farm, for winning the Newcomer of the Year Award in the national farm retail awards (FARMA). One of the judges said: ‘Lovely shop and café; so much has been achieved in a short period of time. The ethos of the business and branding is very strong. This is a business to watch closely in the future.’

A GOOD YEAR

Well, what a year 2016 has been on the foodie front, says Emma Outten, who applauds the movers and shakers in the Norfolk food and drink industry who have really helped put the county on the map

28

Review of the Year

2016 AUGUST

MAY Brooke-based Booja-Booja won The Nation’s Favourite Organic Award at the Soil Association’s Best Of Organic Market (Boom) Awards.

The award-winning manufacturer of chocolate truffles and dairy free ice cream was crowned winner at a glittering awards ceremony at Borough Market Hall in London.

JUNE

JULY Leading website and restaurant guide Squaremeal.co.uk, announced the UK’s top 100 restaurants, voted for by thousands of readers, bloggers and local foodies, allowing the UK’s regional dining scene to truly shine. So take a bow Roger Hickman’s Restaurant (at number 55); Benedict’s (63) and Morston Hall (83).

SEPTEMBER Chef Patron Daniel Smith, of The Ingham Swan, appeared on the brand new series of The Great British Menu on BBC2. Daniel represented the Central region and did a fine job of flying the flag for Norfolk. As he said in our Big Interview: ‘The competition was very tough – there were some big guns to compete with.’

Porkstock, a food and music festival, attracted thousands to White House Farm, near Norwich, and raised more than £10,000 for Nelson’s Journey (pictured below)

OCTOBER The Good Hotel Guide 2017 announced this year’s César awards, the Oscars of the hotel industry, with The Blakeney Hotel winning Family Hotel of the Year. The picturesque quayside hotel on the North Norfolk coast was described as ‘popular with multigenerational families, there is crabbing and mud sliding on the quay for children, an indoor swimming pool and topnotch food.’

NOVEMBER It was a Swiss chocolate product which made headlines across the world: Toblerone had got lighter and fans were, quite frankly, livid! Due to rising costs in making the chocolate, Toblerone announced a weight reduction in two of the bars: the 400g bar was reduced to 360g and the 170g bar, sold in the UK, is now 150g. Whatever next, post-Brexit?

PORKSTOCK DANIEL SMITH

We wished a happy retirement to Kettle Chips’ Chief Executive Chris Barnard, who was behind pretty much every single seasoning you'll have tasted and loved since the brand launched in the UK back in the 80s. Chris could be said to be the Godfather of the posh crisps revolution in the UK, and was the face of the new Chef's Signature range. He also brought us big bags! Indeed, as he said in our Big Interview: ‘People had never seen big bags before in the UK and probably thought we were mad!’

Congratulations went to the talented Lee Dyer of Winbirri Vineyards, who put Norfolk on the map by winning the 'Wine of the Year' trophy at the English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition, for his Bacchus 2015. As he said in our Farming feature: ‘I certainly didn’t think we’d be winning it this quickly. To achieve what we’ve done in such a short space of time is unprecedented.’

VISIT

www.figbarnorwich.com

Husband and wife Jaime and Stephanie Garbutt are looking forward to their first Christmas in Figbar in Norwich, where desserts are top of the menu. Sarah Hardy can’t believe her luck as she pays a visit

Diary Date: February 8 - An evening with Strangers Coffee House

JUST DESSERTS

IMAGINE,

just imagine, a place that just sells the most glorious home-made puddings, cakes and biscuits. Nothing else. Just somewhere you indulge.

Well, Norwich now has such a place, with the family-run Figbar having opened its doors in July. Run by Jaime and Stephanie Garbutt, it offers everything from chocolate brownies to elaborate creme brûlées - with plenty in between. Sure, there are lots of drinks, including a good choice of wines and beers, but the emphasis is most firmly on sweet treats.

Jaime, a pastry chef by training, has worked with Marcus Wareing at Petrus, which has two Michelin stars; was Yotam Ottolenghi’s pastry chef at his flagship restaurant; opened Playboy Mayfair, where he served stars from Snoop Dogg to Stevie Wonder; co-founded Jinjuu, the Korean restaurant, in both London and Hong Kong; and has appeared on Iron Chef USA. But, with one daughter Ella, and another baby on the way, he and Stephanie decided the time had come to leave their London base and set up their own business in Norwich.

They opted for Norwich as they both know the city well: Jaime lived here as a teenager and studied at the Hotel School at City College, Norwich, and worked at the Waffle House in the city, before heading to London to further his career. He still has family members here. He met Stephanie, originally from New Jersey in America, when she was studying for her MA in creative writing at the UEA. Stephanie, who gave birth to baby Ariele in August, takes up the tale, saying: ‘Yes, moving house, opening our first restaurant and having a baby all at the same time is not something we might recommend!’

They found their charming building, set in The Lanes, on Gumtree and were immediately convinced of its potential. ‘It had been a cafe but we set about transforming it,’ says Jaime.

‘We spent about six weeks doing it up and installing all my specialist equipment.’

Indeed, the open plan kitchen is designed just how Jaime wants it, and the impressive kit includes a chocolate tempering machine, an ice cream maker and a pastry breaker.

Inside Figbar is effortless trendy: there’s one big room, painted in grey and plum hues, with statement lights and a long counter which groans under the weight of all Jaime’s creations.

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F A C E S

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Figba r, St John Madd ermar ket, Norw ich, opens Tuesd ay to Satur day, from 10am to 6pm on Tuesd ays and Wedn esday s, and until 10pm on Thur sdays, Frida ys and Satur days

31

RECIPE OVERLEAF

There’s a long pine table, originally from Jaime’s mum’s kitchen, in the centre of the room, a selection of evocative black and white scenes of the area decorates the walls, and there are stripped wooden floors. Stephanie has enjoyed finding beautiful pieces for the place: ‘The tin tiles are American, and my mum came over and helped me fix them,’ she says.

They wanted to offer something a little different and, given Jaime’s skills and interests, set upon the idea of Figbar. Doors open at 10am, and there’s everything from cinnamon rolls to chocolate bundt cake, egg tarts and pecan pie. The selection, which includes a couple of savoury options each day, too, changes regularly, but you’ll always find a few favourites such as Jaime’s version of Jaffa cakes on offer.

From noon, a selection of glorious plated desserts is available. How does Raisin D’Etre sound - star anise poached pear, rice pudding, Pedro Ximinez and raisin ice cream, arlettes, maple pecan granola and pear caramel grab you?

Or Snickers, Jaime’s signature dessert, perfected in his 12 years in the industry - salted butter caramel, peanut parfait, and decadent chocolate mousse. Stephanie suggests pairing it with a 10-year-old Tawny Port which complements it beautifully.

Everything is made on the premises, with Jaime arriving about 8am to start creating. He favours local producers, using Easters for fruit and veg and coffee from Strangers. Several of his desserts and cakes are also gluten free.

The couple, who are helped by two front of house staff, Poppy and Cleo, offer outside catering options and also hold private functions in the cafe. They are also working on a range of goods, including chocolate bon bons, which are a real Christmas treat. And look out for wine pairing dishes, and their branded t-towels!

Jaime adds: ‘We love being a member of the Norwich Lanes community. Everyone is so happy to share their skills, and we have some great ideas in the pipeline, including pairings and our own moveable feast.’

JAIME & STEPHANIE GARBUTT

PICTURES BY

CHRIS RIDLEY,

www.chrisridley.co.uk

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Figbar

01328 738334

one And why not stay inoms? of our luxurious ro

H

ca IR te E rf U or S ev ! en ts

THE HERO, Burnham Overy Staithe, King’s Lynn, Norfolk | burnhamhero@gmail.com

BOOK NOW

W e

01263 741392

Award-winning food visit our websit e www.morstonanchor.co.uk to see our menu

OPENING TIMES 9am til late everyday FOOD SERVED 9am–11am, 12pm–3pm, 6pm–9pm (8.30pm Sunday)

THE ANCHOR INN, The Street, Morston, Norfolk NR25 7AA | morstonanchor@gmail.com

A simple addition to Figbar’s delicious shortbread recipe turns this biscuit into a winter warmer!

INGREDIENTS 100g of brown sugar; 230g of unsalted butter; zest of 2 oranges; 2tsp of cinnamon; 2tsp of mixed spice; 330g of plain flour; caster sugar, for dusting METHOD 1. Preheat fan assisted oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Set aside 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk sugar and butter with zest and spices at a high speed for about 15 minutes until very light, fluffy, and aerated. Add the flour and mix just to bring together 3. Wrap the ball of dough in Cling Film and refrigerate for at least one hour 4. Remove from fridge and bring the dough back to room temperature. On a clean, flat, flour dusted surface, roll the dough to about 5mm thickness 5. Place rolled slab of dough onto lined baking tray. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown 6. Remove from oven.

Using cookie cutters of your choosing, immediately cut into shapes and dust with caster sugar

The num ber you make depen ds upon the siz e of your coo kie cut ter

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Figbar R E C I P E S

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Squashed Fly Mince Pie A fun and simple take on mince pies that are perfect for gifts! You can visit Figbar this December to purchase jars of their homemade vegetarian mincemeat

JAIME GARBUTT

Winter Spiced Shortbread

INGREDIENTS 200g of your favourite mincemeat; 150g of cold unsalted butter, cubed; 550g of plain flour; 100g of caster sugar; pinch of salt; zest of 1 orange; 150g of whole milk; 3tbsp of demerara sugar; 1tsp of cinnamon; 1 egg yolk, slightly whisked METHOD 1. Preheat fan assisted oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Set aside 2. Pulse mincemeat in a food processor until coarse, about 15 seconds. Set aside 3. In a large bowl, rub butter, flour, sugar, salt, and zest together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs 4. Add milk to crumb and form into a smooth dough. Split dough in half (2 x 440g balls) 5. On a clean, flat, floured dusted surface, use a rolling pin to roll each ball of dough into a rectangle about 25cm x 30cm and about 2mm thick 6. Gently spoon the coarse mincemeat onto one of the rectangles and spread evenly to the edges. Carefully place the 2nd rectangle of dough of top of the spread mincemeat. Using your rolling pin, sandwich together, rolling into a square about 35cm x 35cm 7. Using a 6cm round cookie cutter, cut out

Makes ab out 22-25

circles in the dough (around 22-25 biscuits) 8. Combine demerara sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl 9. Lightly brush whisked egg yolk onto the top of each biscuit with a pastry brush, and immediately sprinkle an even coating of sugar mixture 10. Place biscuits onto lined baking tray and cook for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before serving

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Barefoot

B U S I N E S S

P R O F I L E

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BAREFOOT in NORFOLK

The Barefoot brand in North Norfolk has been growing ever since luxury holiday cottage rental agency Barefoot Retreats was established in 2014.

EMMA OUTTEN reports

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www.barefootretreats.co.uk, www.barefootestates.co.uk, www.barefoot-living.co.uk

attention to detail with local expertise.

Barefoot Estates was established in March this year and that’s where Director Kirsty Wainwright, who has lived in Norfolk for more than 18 years and also used to work at The Hoste, takes up the story: ‘I started off as a waitress, when I was at college, working for Emma and then went on to become the reception manager. I then left and trained to be an estate agent.’

However, having previously worked for a corporate estate agent, Kirsty, who is a member of the UK’s leading professional body of estate agency, the National Association of Estate Agents, felt limited in the service she could offer her clients.

Joining Barefoot Estates seemed like a perfect opportunity. She explains the thinking behind it: ‘Emma was finding that a lot of people were looking for property in the area, and she knew me from working together at The Hoste.

‘We decided to launch at the Burnham Market International Horse Trials, which we sponsored, and since then we’ve branched out to cover from Snettisham to Wells and inland. We are just doing North Norfolk as we want to offer a personal service to our clients.’

For example, Barefoot Estates arrange and pay the cost of professional photography, with Kirsty explaining: ‘Because people are buying second homes it’s really important that the photos are amazing, so I go round with the photographer and provide a home staging service - we put in fresh fruit and flowers and white bed linen.’

This summer saw the opening of Barefoot Living, a lifestyle and home accessories shop in Burnham Market, with the aim that people can recreate that Barefoot Retreats look within their own home. ‘It’s going really, really well,’

VISIT

IN 2014 WHEN EMMA TAGG established Barefoot Retreats, a fine collection of laid-back luxury holiday cottages and coastal retreats in North Norfolk, she might not have envisaged that two other Barefoot brands would have emerged by the end of this year.

All three – Barefoot Retreats, Barefoot Estates and Barefoot Living – encapsulate the North Norfolk lifestyle, where food, of course, plays a big part.

As owner and director at Barefoot HQ, Emma brings a wealth of experience, having spent more than 20 years at one of the county’s foremost independent hotels, The Hoste Arms – in fact, her profile in East Anglian hospitality gives her a tremendous insight into the luxury market.

Barefoot’s luxury holiday cottages are located along the North Norfolk coast in places such as Hunstanton, Brancaster, Burnham Market, Burnham Overy Staithe, Holkham and Wells-next-theSea. Guests enjoy luxury bed linens, fluffy towels, bathrobes, slippers and L’Occitane toiletries in all of the luxury properties. Their welcome packs contain Prosecco and local produce such as Sandringham Apple Juice and bread from Redgate bakery in Hunstanton; plus chocolate brownies made by Sabrina Thorpe, who works on the reservations team, and lemon drizzle cake, made by her mum!

Plus guests have exclusive access to a concierge service; so if they require a restaurant booking, private chef, or babysitting service, all they have to do is ask.

Having established Barefoot Retreats, it soon became apparent that there was also a demand for an estate agency offering a fresh and innovative approach to selling homes, combining flair and

says Emma. ‘We’ve got beautiful mugs, great copper cafetieres, lovely serving dishes, big salad servers which look like a garden shovel and fork, and beautiful fish shaped dishes – all sorts of things.’

It sounds as though there’s a real team spirit spanning the three Barefoot businesses. Kirsty agrees: ‘What Emma’s done is kept in contact with a lot of key members of her staff she worked with at The Hoste, which means it’s a really strong, reliable team.’

The Barefoot brand taps into the fact that North Norfolk is a real foodie district within the county. Kirsty, who lives in Brancaster, says: ‘I love living by the coast because you can get Brancaster mussels I had my first of the season yesterday.’

She adds: ‘We love the Jolly Sailors and the White Horse at Brancaster - the White Horse does a really great gin and tonic which is Emma’s favourite drink!’

So how would Kirsty sum up the Barefoot brand? ‘It’s like a family run business because we are a really close team and are almost like a family. Each business has got its ‘wow’ factor and one of Emma’s strongest traits is customer care and making sure everyone is happy.’

Emma concludes: ‘Over this past 12 months Barefoot has expanded and developed in many ways and I am so very proud of the team and the company itself. I could not be more excited about what the future holds for us and I look forward to another successful year ahead. We are sponsoring Burnham Market International Horse Trials again at Easter, so do come along for cake and glass of fizz! Our concierge service is fantastic and guests can now pre-order personalised hampers from The Norfolk Deli in Hunstanton and have it delivered and put in the fridge, all before their arrival – what more could they want!’

, T EA

DrINK,

Wondering how to get through Christmas without putting on a dress size?

Nutritional Therapist Catherine Jeans has some very timely tips

Y H T L A E H E &B

VISIT

OR MANY OF US, Christmas can be one of the best but also one of the worst times. It’s the season when we want to let our hair down and have fun, but very often we worry about our waistline and having to buy a whole new wardrobe in the New Year that fits those extra pounds. Here are my top tips on making the right food choices this festive season – tips that mean you can enjoy all the wonderful Christmas grub, without piling on too many pounds.

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DON’T OVERDO THE CARBS

Christmas dinner is actually pretty healthy: lean meat, lots of veggies.

But it’s the carbs that come at Christmas that we really need to keep an eye on. Do you need that extra roast potato, and to keep going back for more? Focus on plenty of lean protein (tuck into the turkey breast!) to keep you feeling fuller for longer, and plenty of non-starchy veg such as broccoli, cabbage, sprouts and other greens.

ve a I hope you all ha and as wonderful Christm do find you New Year, and if you might yourself indulging, 30 Day new want to try my rogramme, P Sugar Detox lable online which will be avai th from this mon

PICK A FEW DAYS TO INDULGE

CATHERINE JEANS

C H R I S T M A S

www.thefamilynutritionexpert.com

F

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Nutrition

Christmas can feel like one party after another, with temptation at every corner.

Instead of trying to be good every day, and then falling off the wagon and having a binge, pick two or three key dates when you have whatever you want, and don’t worry about it. Then aim to eat as well as you can the rest of the time.

DON’T DRINK ON THE POUNDS

So we all like to have a drink at Christmas, but avoid drinking hundreds of calories at one party by choosing the wrong drinks. All alcohol contains sugar, but it’s the mixers and beer which really ramp up the sugar content. Avoid sugary mixers such as colas and tonic, and instead go for longer drinks such as vodka and soda or a white wine spritzer. Also have a drink of water for every glass of alcohol, as this will help you to slow down and also help your liver to detoxify the alcohol. Red wine is lower in sugar than white and sparkling - unless you can find the new Skinny Prosecco that’s recently been released!

KEEP MOVING

When you’ve had a big meal, most us want to lounge on the sofa and watch a Christmas movie. But if you can go for a walk or help with the washing up, that activity not only supports digestion but also prevents your metabolism from stagnating - the faster your metabolism, the better you’ll burn calories from food. www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

DON’T PUT TEMPTATION IN FRONT OF YOU

If you struggle to avoid temptation, put sweets, crisps and biscuits away in a cupboard out of sight. Never have the whole box or packet with you when watching Christmas TV; instead just put a small amount on a plate and leave the rest safely away in the cupboard.

A portfolio of more than 440 hand-picked holiday cottages in special locations throughout Norfolk.

01263 715779 holidays@norfolkcottages.co.uk norfolkcottages.co.uk Feast Norfolk NCC Jan Ad 2015 195w x130hmm AW.indd 4

25/08/2016 13:49

WINTEG R IS COMIN

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www.lakenhamcreamery.co.uk

Lakenham Creamery

Gig gle

Giggl ing Squid -

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One of Norwich’s best known buildings is now a Thai restaurant so, as festive fare takes over, Sarah Hardy tries something a bit different

&

www.gigglingsquid.com

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M

ANY OF US KNOW the wonderful building where Giggling Squid, a new Thai restaurant, is based in Norwich. Officially called St Ethelberts, the building in Tombland dates back to 1888 and is Grade II listed. But to generations of clubbers, it was better known as the home of Boswell’s bar and Hy’s nightclub, complete with its flashing dance floor, which opened in 1983. Boswell’s and Hy’s closed in February 2002 and La Tasca, a tapas restaurant, opened later that year.

La Tasca closed its doors last year, and, after a complete refurb, the building is buzzing again, as the latest branch of Giggling Squid opened this autumn.

Founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Pranee and Andy Laurillard, the chain promises customers: ‘Thai cuisine in a stylish yet relaxed environment’.

The Norwich branch is the 17th restaurant under the company’s belt and marks the beginning of a large expansion plan, which has seen the restaurant group acquire venues in Brentwood, Wokingham, Windsor, Berkhamsted, Warwick, Farnham, and Bath following an investment from the Business Growth Fund and a healthy bank facility from Barclays.

Their evening menu features staples such as Thai green curry; Massaman chicken curry or for the more adventurous, the spicy tropical jungle curry, combined with showstoppers like the ‘Crying Beef’, a North East Thailand

special of grilled sirloin accompanied with spicy dipping sauce.

Unsurprisingly, a selection of squid dishes are on offer, including the company’s signature salt and pepper squid, and a range of dishes are available to takeaway. The Thai tapas lunch menu is another firm favourite.

So, what to expect? Well, it is a laid back place and there’s plenty of room as the restaurant stretches over two floors. Don’t expect Thai-style memorabilia; rather there’s that classic contemporary look, with polished wooden floors, neutral coloured walls and, as a centre point, a rather wonderful pergola, dripping with greenery.

It was nice and busy on the Monday we visited, and we bagged a great little corner table where Himself sat in a high backed leather armchair where he could survey the whole restaurant.

We selected from the Christmas menu which runs until December 26. There are two different set meals available, one priced at £24.95

"Unsurprisingly, a selection of squid dishes are on offer, including the company’s signatu re salt and pepper squid, and a range of dishes are available to takeaway"

and the other at £29.95 - the pricer one includes a welcome cocktail - always welcome, I find! And each has about three or four choices per course so there should hopefully be something for everyone, as they say.

As it included a glass of something sparkling, we went for the slightly more expensive option and, as I sipped on the fizz and chomped away on our prawn crackers, we consulted the options. Starters, across both menus, include favourites such as pork dumplings and corn fritters and mains feature the ever popular chicken Thai red curry, a vegetable cashew nut stir fry and salt and pepper prawns.

I started with the signature salt and pepper squid dish, with the squid gently rolled in a seasonal flour and deep fried.

It fluffed up beautifully and was much enjoyed. Sir tried the prawn Tom Kha, a creamy soup, made with coconut milk, mushrooms and chilli and plenty of herbs, too. This was particularly enjoyed as, no matter how hard you try, you never seem to manage to recreate these tastes at home!

For mains, I went for a grilled sirloin steak, with plenty of garlic, basil and chilli.

Served with rice, it was hot to

trot and I had to leave some of those chillis - I know, I’m a wimp!

My husband had the crispy Chu Chi sea bass, which came with a red curry and also got his eyes watering and he’s a bit more daring than me - so do ask about the chillis when you order! It was served with rice and, as you’d expect, looked as good as it tasted.

Finally, I tackled a caramelised mango cake, served warm, which was good and buttery and came with a dollop of ice cream. It was an indulgent end to my meal and a lovely sweet treat.

He went for a selection of sorbets, including lemongrass and basil which was as refreshing as mine was guilt inducing. And we rounded the whole lot of with plenty of mint tea, served in glass teapots.

Service is relaxed and these fresh, colourful dishes are a very welcome change to mince pies and the usual Christmas fodder. Indeed, as we do our Christmas shopping, well, more likely when I do a spot of Christmas shopping as he is your typical Christmas Eve dash sort of person, I fancy the lunchtime tapas dishes. The pictures look so pretty!

Pedigree A

There’s something for everyone at

The Earlham Arms in Norwich.

And that’s even true if you’ve got a little person with a little appetite or a little dog with a big appetite, says Emma Outten!

Pub With

WHERE DOES ONE go for an early evening meal on a rainy Saturday night in the Golden Triangle area of Norwich with three children and a cocker spaniel in tow?

The Earlham Arms Bar and Restaurant in Norwich was perfectly placed to welcome us with open arms. Run by Katie, Matthew and a very friendly team, it is one of those places which successfully manages to be all things to all people (and their dogs!). The family friendly restaurant has an impressive à la carte menu, a little menu (for children) and a tapas menu, for a light bite. The décor

www.theearlhamarms.co.uk

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is tastefully done, and, yes, I’m even including the illuminated ‘moose head’ on the wall!

The drinks offering is pretty extensive: real ales, world beers, cocktails, wines and soft drinks. We kicked off proceedings with a glass of Prosecco (surprise, surprise) for me (£4.75) and a gin and tonic for my friend and colleague, Rachael. We went on to have a large glass of wine each with our meal: I had the Cintila White, from Portugal, for a bit of spice and zest, whereas Rachael had the El Camino Malbec, from Argentina, with notes of blackcurrant and damson.

At one point in the proceedings it looked as though Rachael and I were about to have an unexpected candlelit dinner, albeit with our three children and dog, as there was a temporary power cut - the lights came back on to much applause.

Onto the food: my daughter is a big fan of crispy duck (no Chinese takeaway would be complete without it), so for starters we decided to share the very same with plum sauce and a Chinese salad (£6.50). Now this isn’t your regular self-assembly affair but instead the duck came pre-smothered in a rich plum sauce on a bed of salad. This was quickly devoured, mostly by my daughter. We also shared crispy hot wings with a blue cheese sauce (£5.95) – the wings were suitably hot and spicy.

The menu nods to Norfolk produce and changes fortnightly. For mains, I went for the Norfolk chicken autumn stew served with herb dumplings (£14.50). This hearty stew would suit someone with a really big appetite and by the end there was nothing else for it other than to raise the white flag - the dog would not so much be taking a doggy bag

The Earlham Arms -

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home as being served with a makeshift bowl under the table, much to his delight.

The Earlham Arms is a truly dog friendly pub - our waitress was particularly attentive to my fairly food obsessed cocker spaniel.

Nearly every time she approached our table another treat would miraculously appear from her apron pocket.

Rachael, meanwhile, had the medium rare flat iron steak, with Pommes Anna (which got a big thumbs up), peppercorn sauce and chef’s salad. She doesn’t normally have medium rare steak, she informed me, but was on a mission to up her iron count in fine style.

Our daughters have started high school, and have long since eschewed the idea of choosing from a ‘little’ menu – however, you’re never too old for colouring pencils and doing a word search, it appears!

My daughter fancied the ale battered fish of the day (haddock) with minted crushed peas, rustic chips, and homemade tartare

"The fam ily frien dly restau ran t has an imp ressiv e à la car te me nu, a lit tle me nu (fo r chi ldr en) an d a tap as me nu, for a light bit e"

THE EARLHAM ARMS, 41 EARLHAM ROAD, NORWICH. TEL 01603 622993

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

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sauce (£12.95), but wasn’t overly hungry so our waitress offered to swap the fish for fish goujons (also haddock) from the little menu. It was the perfect solution.

Rachael’s daughter had the Earlham Arms’ beef steak burger, with aioli, tomato, pickle, onion and those rustic chips (£10.95). The bun, spread with aioli, was swiftly passed on, however – leaving her with a skinny burger, as my daughter pointed out.

The youngest of our children went for the pepperoni pizza (£4.95), one of the four choices from the little menu. We were impressed with the portion size, although the pizza dough defeated him, but he was pleased to announce that he’d picked off all the pepperoni first.

The children retired to the sofa at the opposite end of the bar when they’d finished their food, which gave us a chance to catch up and talk shop!

We didn’t have time for dessert as a sleepover beckoned. And with that we were home in time to watch Ed Balls provide the evening’s entertainment, Gangnam Style!

Your Gluten Freedo m -

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Our free from cook Sara Matthews has a few treats in store for us this Christmas

get in touch Sara Matthews runs Your Gluten Freedom, visit www.yourglutenfreedom.co.uk

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CHESTNUT & BEAN ROLLS For those who do not eat meat, these tasty rolls are a great alternative to a traditional Christmas lunch. They are also great served cold as part of a buffet with pickles. The recipe is not only gluten free but also dairy free and vegan. It can be made in advance and frozen

Filling 2 400g of mushrooms, finely chopped; 200g of spinach 2tbsp of gluten free soya sauce; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, grated or crushed; juice of 1 lemon and zest; 1 heaped tsp of onion seeds (optional)

Recipe makes 6 small individual rolls or 1 large roll

Filling 1 50g of sundried tomatoes chopped; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 200g of cooked chestnuts, mashed (you can buy packets of ready cooked chestnut purĂŠe which works well); 400g tin of butter beans, drained and mashed; 50g of dried cranberries, soaked overnight in the juice of one orange and 20ml of hot water; 2tsp of fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped; 1tsp of garam masala powder or curry powder; 100g of puy lentils, drained; 1 finely grated carrot; salt and pepper to taste

METHOD Place the cranberries in the orange juice and water and leave to soak overnight. To make the pastry, mix together the rice flour, corn flour, salt, xanthan gum and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add the fresh herbs. Add the mashed potato and mix until just combined. Knead the dough for 2 minutes. This can be quite sticky so lightly dust the work surface with rice flour. Shape into a ball and chill in the fridge, wrapped in Cling Film, for 30 minutes.

Remove it from the fridge and knead again for two minutes until smooth. Chill again, uncovered, for at least an hour. While chilling make the filling.

Filling 1: heat a little oil from the sundried tomatoes in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and cook on a low heat for 8-10 minutes.

Season to taste and set aside to cool. Filling 2: use a little oil from the sundried tomatoes and gently fry the mushrooms and garlic for 5 minutes, Add the soya sauce, spinach, lemon juice and zest.

Cook down until the liquid has evaporated. Allow to cool

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TO ASSEMBLE To make 6 small rolls: Take filling 1 and divide into 6 equal portion sizes. Roll into a squat sausage shape. Take a small piece of Cling Film and cover with a sixth of the spinach mixture, enough to wrap around 'sausage'. Place the 'sausage' on top and, using Cling Film, wrap the spinach mixture so it encases the 'sausage'. Wrap the covered 'spinach sausage' in Cling Film and place in the fridge to chill.

Repeat with remaining 5 portions.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and cut into 6 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion until large enough to encase the 'sausage' portions.

Remove the 'sausage' from the Cling Film. Place on dough, encase 'sausage' with potato dough so it is completely covered. Place on lightly floured baking sheet covered in baking parchment.

Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have 6 rolls. Chill for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4. Brush the rolls with soya milk and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot or cold. They can be baked in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month

TURN OVER FOR MORE RECIPES!

INGREDIENTS

Pastry 170g of rice flour; 120g of cornflour; 1tsp of salt; 2tsp of baking powder; 220g of Stork block diced and chilled; 400g of chilled mashed potato; 1tsp of xanthan gum; 1tbsp of fresh finely chopped coriander

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tuscan farm shop

Your Gluten Freedo m -

R E C I P E S

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Makes 18-24 biscuits, depending on cutter size

CHRISTMAS LEBKUCHEN BISCUITS Lebkuchen are a traditional soft German Christmas biscuit. You can use cookie cutters and make them into any shape you like, then pop a hole in the top, thread with cotton and hang on your Christmas tree. They are easy to make and delicious

BRANDY SNAPS Light and crunchy, these elegant retro biscuits are a great base for dairy free ice cream, buttercream, whipped cream, fruit and chocolate. Fill just before serving METHOD Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Take two wooden spoons and, with an elastic band secure them together, grease the handles with a little Stork. Melt the stork, sugar, and syrup over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, ginger, brandy and lemon zest. Line two baking trays with baking parchment. Dollop four level dessert spoons of mixture onto the baking sheets. Be sure to leave plenty of room around each as they spread quite a bit. Bake in the centre of the oven for 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to burn - depending on your oven you may need to slightly adjust the timing. While these are in the oven, place four more dollops on the next sheet, ready to go in when the first batch comes out. When cooked, take the first batch out of the oven, allow to rest for 60 seconds, then peel off the baking parchment and wrap around the handles of the wooden spoons. The biscuit will set after 30 seconds, gently pull off the handles of the spoons then repeat with the other biscuits.

Continue baking biscuits and rolling on the spoons until all the mixture has been used. If any of the biscuits become too hard to roll, place back in the oven for a few seconds to soften. Once cooled, you can keep the brandy snaps unfilled in an airtight container for 24 hours before they start to go soft. Just before serving, remove the prepared whipped icecream from freezer. Allow to stand for 3-5 mins to soften slightly, then carefully whip then fill tuiles and serve drizzled with melted chocolate.

Alternatively use one of the other fillings

Makes 16-20 depending on size of tuiles

INGREDIENTS 75g of Stork block; 75g of caster sugar; 3tbsp of golden syrup; 75g of gluten free plain flour; 1tsp of ground ginger; 2 tbsp of brandy; finely grated zest of 1 lemon

FILLING 300g of dairy free ice cream mixed with 50ml of almond milk, 3 balls of finely chopped stem ginger and the zest of 1 orange. Whip everything together and place in a freezer until ready to fill the brandy snaps.

Alternatively, use frosting in place of ice-cream which is 100g of dairy free spread creamed with 150g of icing sugar, 3 balls of finely chopped stem ginger and the zest of 1 orange, whipped and piped into tubes before serving. If dairy is not an issue, use 300g of whipped cream in place of dairy free frosting.

And use 100g of melted chocolate to drizzle over the brandy snaps

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INGREDIENTS 75g of Stork block/dairy free spread (or butter if dairy is not an issue); 150ml of agave syrup (you can use honey, which does make the biscuits sweeter); 50g of soft dark brown sugar; zest of 1 unwaxed lemon; zest of 1 unwaxed orange; 225g of gluten free plain flour; 75g of ground almonds; 2tsp of ground ginger; 1tsp of ground allspice; 1 heaped tsp of ground cinnamon; ½ tsp of ground nutmeg; 1 tsp of baking powder; ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda Decorations - optional 100g of melted chocolate; 100g of icing sugar mixed with a little water made into a paste; edible glitter METHOD Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Put the agave, stork and brown sugar, lemon and orange zest in a saucepan and gently melt until the butter is dissolved. In a mixing bowl, add all the other dry ingredients, pour in the agave mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine and make a stiff dough. Cover the work surface in flour and turn out the dough. Flatten out the dough.

Although stiff, it is very soft to roll and using your hands to flatten it works well. You want the dough quite thick, around 5-8mm. Use your cookie cutters and cut your biscuit shapes and place on a baking tray covered in baking parchment. Alternatively, roll out 24 small balls and flatten with your hands then place on the prepared baking tray if you have no cutters. Bake for 8-10 mins until the biscuits are firm to touch and slightly browned. You may need a couple of minutes longer depending on your oven. The longer the biscuits bake, the crispier they will be.

To add a hole if you are hanging as decorations, a minute before they are done take from oven, use a skewer to punch a hole and return to the oven for the last minute or so. When cooked, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Either leave plain or decorate with melted chocolate or icing. Store the biscuits in an airtight container or hang as decorations. These biscuits are best eaten within five days, if they last that long!

STEVEN WINTER

Artisan Baker -

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RCE is available for events throughout the year wit h our large p ortable woo d fired oven and can ca ter for events and food festiv als

SUGAR & SPICE & ALL THINGS NICE Artisan baker Steve Winter loves the warming spicy aromas associated with this time of year

THE SMELL of warming spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, booze and plenty of sweet, dried fruits are all signs that Christmas is fast approaching. As bakers we are always reminded of these special times of the year by what we are making and feel a real sense of duty to keep these traditions alive. We love to bake these special pieces, ingrained into our heritage, that have been part of our lives for centuries and whose aromas evoke wonderful memories with just their smell.

Christmas isn't Christmas without tucking into a mince pie or 10, and we are making thousands of them over the festive period. If you are not brave

enough to go for the traditionally made mince 'meat' containing plenty of beef, mutton or venison, then go for the modern meat free version encased in beautifully crumbly, all-butter shortcrust pastry. And we do plenty of them!

We have a fellow local producer, Kate Lyons from pudd’Eng based in Broadland, making Christmas puddings with our loaves. She has been using our sourdough breadcrumbs to help produce her traditional steamed Christmas puddings which are all hand made and packed full with fruits and spices, and a little bit of brandy. Catch her at many of the county’s farmers’ markets this month.

And, of course, you can't have turkey without making our name sake, bread sauce. It is a mixture of old bread, milk, onion, bay, mace and nutmeg and is perfect served warm with your Christmas bird, and just as good the next day, served cold with the leftover meats.

BREAD SOURCE, Red Lion Street, Aylsham and Upper St Giles, Norwich, visit www.bread-source.com

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A BUTCHER IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS!

Charlotte Gurney is excited that December is finally upon us, as it gives the butcher at White House Farm a chance to shine!

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to do their shopping in one fell swoop, there's the meaty hamper with turkey, pork, chipolatas, pigs in blankets, streaky bacon, stuffing and - last but not least - cranberry jelly. Order before December 7 and it's yours for £55. It’s Christmas in one basket. Have a word with Steve and he will talk through all your personal requirements.

For the rest of the plate we have Brussels still on the stalk and all sorts of fabulous veg from the Brett family at Aylsham, so you can be sure of a truly local and loving Christmas MPER THE MEAT HA roll put together by people st who are passionate about 2kg Tu rkey brea produce and the Norfolk 2kg Pork jo int farming community.

454g Chipolatas Make it a great one, con 454g Streaky ba ng only at White House uffi Farm.

Sage and onion st

Last farmers' market of the year – Decem ber 17

THAT GREAT MONTH is finally here and it is the count down to the sumptuous, chaotic meal that takes over December, with its hours of planning, shopping and discussion, only to be over in a flash for my favourite moment - the left overs! At White House Farm we hope to be able to cater for your every need. It may only be our second ever year selling turkeys, but fortunately we have one important man who has spent many a year prepping to ensure hundreds of Norfolk families have a truly magnificent feast on December 25, and some of you discerning customers know him well: Stevie Wonder (aka Steve Taylor). He's had a long career on the high street and in farm shops, most recently Groveland Farm Shop so knows his turkey crown from his breast roll. This year we have our traditional woodland reared turkeys from Great Grove Poultry, a local family who have been rearing turkeys on their farm in Norfolk for a very long time. We have gammon, guinea fowls, geese and even pheasant if turkey isn't your thing or if there's more than one special meal this Christmas! And we have beautiful pieces of award winning local beef and lamb off the farm. Then, for the savvy that want

Cranber ry jelly

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

White House Farm

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G U R N IN Y O IN S TR D-W GE AR SA AW AU

COXFORDS Coxfords Butchers BUTCHERS

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PROUDLY FOLKuce NORChops Pork prod

ORDER YOUR only £5.95kg CHRISTMAS Proudly MEATS NOW N orfolk 11 MARKET PLACE All of our locally is sourced

AYLSHAM 01263 732280

Free local delivery available

Our is all free All ourpoultry produce is sourced range and we offer locally free local delivery

11, Market Place, Aylsham | 01263 732280

Butchers

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XMAS Hav e a crac king Chri stma s with the help of your local butc her IT'S FINALLY HERE! The festive season has arrived so it is time to place your orders with your local butcher.

Whether it's a traditional turkey, a goose or simply a tasty chicken, it is always best to get your orders in!

Don't forget sausages and bacon, and maybe some game for Christmas Eve? Butchers really know their stuff, can gurantee quality and animal welfare and also support our local farmers, too. Many are offering hampers which represent great value for money, and be sure to ask when you visit.

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Morton’s Traditional Taste will once again be offering award winning free range Norfolk Black and Bronze Christmas turkeys from the family farm based in North Norfolk, right up to Christmas Eve. Emma Outten chats to third generation farmer Rob Morton www.freer anget urkey s.co.uk

Truly Traditional PICTURES BY

PHIL BARNES,

www.philbarnesphotography-portraits.co.uk

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N

O PRIZES FOR GUESSING whether or not the Morton family sit down to a traditional roast turkey dinner on December 25.

Rob Morton has been rearing Christmas turkeys for the past 20 years, and his Norfolk Bronze Turkeys have won Gold Great Taste Awards for two years running.

He is a third generation farmer - his family arrived in Norfolk in 1941, when ‘Papa’ Morton came down from Scotland to establish a dairy herd. On leaving school,

Rob had initially started training to be an agricultural engineer, but it wasn’t too long before he decided he wanted to stay on the farm at Skeyton, near North Walsham – and by 1998, the company had begun specialising in the production of free range and organic poultry.

‘We started with a few geese and it went from there. We are now doing chickens all year round and 1200 to 1500 turkeys at Christmas,’ says Rob. These days there’s also a website up and running, so, Rob says, ‘we can do next day delivery and send the turkeys out in special insulated boxes - we send them all over: to London, Edinburgh, and

Saving time and money for farmers across East Anglia

"Trad itiona lly the first order s tend to be for the Norfo lk Blac ks becau se they are in relati vely short supply"

01603 881 881 @AngliaFarmers

www.angliafarmers.co.uk

Morton`s Traditional Taste -

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Twice Smoked Chicken Crown.

‘We could do smoked turkey,’ hints Rob, who uses a traditional smoking process, combining molasses and whisky infused oak chippings to create sensational flavours.

‘The other thing we’re doing this year is trialing a Himalayan Salt Chamber.’ Once the salt is built into an enclosed chamber it dry-ages the meat in a new and distinctive way; and when the salt’s negative ions combine with the right temperature, humidity and UV light, those negative ions counteract with the positive ions in the turkey, which in turn results in more moisture content.

Rob says: ‘We’ve done some trials so far with the chickens and we thought it made a lot of difference, improving the flavour and the texture of the meat, so we’re quite excited about that this year.’

He adds: ‘We’re probably going to have around 50 turkeys in there this year and we will be offering them at a small premium as they’ve been salt-aged.’

The Christmas turkeys can be bought online, by phone, email, or at the farm gate, with Rob saying: ‘Customers can come on Christmas Eve up to 1pm but they do need to pre order.

‘Traditionally the first orders tend to be for the Norfolk Blacks because they are in relatively short supply.’ Plus, Rob adds: ‘We are offering free range geese again this year and obviously our chickens.’

So can we take it as read that Rob and his family will enjoy the traditional taste of roast turkey this Christmas? ‘We’ll always have turkey but it’s whether we have a Norfolk Bronze or a Norfolk Black - I quite like the Norfolk Black but they’ve got a longer, narrower breast and I would say they’ve got a gamier flavour to them.’

He adds: ‘I don’t tend to get too involved in the cooking – I’ll just stick my fork in and prod it to check I’m happy with it!’

Wales. It’s opened the market up from our little corner of the world.’

The 44-year-old is helped by wife Becca, plus their three little helpers: George, 13, Sam, 10 and Emily, eight. Rob says: ‘They are always on the farm. It’s not a bad life to be honest.’

The aim is to offer customers a truly free range turkey that is produced in the time honoured tradition. What is it that appeals about being a turkey farmer? ‘I suppose with the turkeys you are supplying a quality product to the end customer. We enjoy knowing that we’re doing a good job.’

The turkeys are reared to the highest welfare standards, and Rob follows an 11-point quality code. ‘It’s a slow, steady way – there are no growth promoters pumped into them, and that’s why we can’t be exact about the weight – they are what they are.’

It goes without saying this is a busy time of year for Rob. ‘We’re busy right up to the end of December, then in January it’s all bookwork and starting to plan ahead for the next year - it does soon come around.’ The festive process actually starts in February when the slow growing strains of turkeys are ordered. The day old chicks arrive at the farm in June. ‘We grow them until about 24 weeks of age - what we are trying to do is give them time.’

All the birds are dry plucked on the farm. ‘We’ll start plucking the first week of December,’ adds Rob. They are then allowed to mature for a minimum of 10 days in the cold stores for that true ‘traditional taste.’

Morton’s is also home to The Smokehouse nowadays, offering award winning smoked meats.

‘We started that a couple of years ago.’ And they have since won Gold Great Taste Awards for both their twice smoked Gressingham Duck Breast and

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Sophie Ellis-Bextor -

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TAKE ME HOME - TO EAT IN

Singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor kicks off her 2017 tour at the Waterfront Norwich. She tells Feast Norfolk that nothing beats a Sunday roast with husband Richard Jones (bassist in The Feeling) and their four sons Where do you like to eat and drink when you're in the area?

Anywhere local. We usually try and find something fairly light as if we eat heavy food before the show then the band and I just want to go to sleep and we've got some disco dancing to do!

spicy food, I love beer but wine is my drink of choice.

Do you eat and drink before or after a show?

I eat before (I have to be done at least an hour and a half before show time) and I don't drink booze until after. I like to feel super clear headed.

What's been your best meal out and where was it?

We had a lovely anniversary supper at Marcus Wareing's restaurant at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge. Also Locanda Locatelli, one of the finest Michelin-starred restaurants in London, was really special. Oh and I love J Sheeky, the fish and seafood restaurant in Covent Garden, for a bit of glamour and oysters.

Do you find much time to cook at home?

Yes my husband and I both love to cook. We find it relaxing and we love food so it's fun to create stuff.

Do you have a signature dish?

Anything with fish in. Richard and I love fish so a Tuscan stew or seared tuna with lovely vegetables and salad. That makes me happy.

What's your favourite junk food or comfort food?

Fish and chips. It's my favourite meal. Hands down.

Wine or beer?

I can drink both and, if we're eating

Do you have a favourite TV chef?

Nigel Slater. I love reading his cookbooks as he talks the same language as me when he writes about food.

Eating in or eating out?

Eating in usually wins out at the moment as I'm working a fair bit so I look forward to evenings at home. Also nothing beats a Sunday roast at home with all our kids.

What would be your Last Supper and where?

Fish and chips and gherkins at home with my family in front of the fire while we watch something daft and entertaining on telly.

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Sophi e Ellis-Bext or plays The Wate rfron t in Norw ich on Febru ary 16, 2017.

Visit thewa terfro nt.tick etabc. com.

Her new album, Famil ia, is out now

Cit y Colle ge Norwich -

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MAKING FOOD FUN

As the internationally renowned Hotel School at City College Norwich prepares for the busy festive season, Emma Outten meets Debut Restaurant Head Chef James Phillippo

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excellent chefs and I wouldn’t hesitate in employing them.

‘I’ve been here four years now and every day is different. It’s so rewarding when we get to the Norfolk Show at the end of the year and the students are doing the dinner.

It’s nice to see how much they’ve come on in that year. It’s a case of ‘I’ve taught you enough – away you go’.’

In the meantime there’s December to get through, which means ‘three weeks of hard work and then January will be here.’

Although, James adds: ‘We’re normally busy in January as well!’

Head of Hotel School, Steve Thorpe, has this update:

‘The first week after half term break we did some masterclasses around developing other skills; for example we’ve had front of house students learning about how to make the perfect cup of tea with Alan George. James has been teaching some fantastic craft skills as well as getting some or our entry level students to pre prepare our Christmas decorations - so the Christmas tree in Debut Restaurant will be decorated with gingerbread biscuits, salt dough stars and angels, plus dried orange and cinnamon.

In the second week of November we had our 125th anniversary gala dinner and we welcomed back seven colleagues from our alumni, including Richard Bainbridge of Benedicts; Richard Hughes; Tom Aikens (who contributed with a menu); Chris Mann of Titchwell Manor; and James himself, as he is also one of our alumni. Then Nick Mills from Brasted’s supported Alan so the two of them looked after front of house. It was a fantastic dinner with some great food, including Norfolk quail, local fish from Lowestoft, local shellfish from Brancaster, Norfolk whisky and Broadland Wines. It was an unbelievable event and everybody had a great time.

We’ve also had a number of master class sessions with chefs coming in and talking to students so Scott Taylor from infusions4chefs spent an afternoon talking about culinary techniques and gizmos.

We’re all set up for offering Christmas menus three nights a week plus five lunchtimes a week.

We go all the way up to December 19 so it will be a busy few weeks - I’m sure by the time we get to Christmas Eve we’ll be tired!’

JAMES PHILLIPPO (RIGHT)

j

UST NINE YEARS after leaving City College Norwich with a Level 3 in Culinary Skills, James Phillippo is back where it all began - but this time he is the Head Chef of Debut Restaurant and teaching Level 3 students himself.

His return came via a stint at Debut Café, with the 29-year-old saying: ‘I naturally progressed to here and have tried to put my own style into the restaurant and kitchen.’

James runs the kitchen every lunch shift and every Tuesday night. And in the run-up to Christmas he certainly has his work cut out. ‘It’s more about getting the students ready for that influx of customers and getting them used to the speed of the kitchen because it will all of a sudden speed up. ‘We jump from about 40 covers to 80/90 a day so we’re very busy.’

There will be the usual roast turkey and fish options on offer, plus, as James says: ‘We’ve got our own smoker in the kitchen so there will be hot smoked duck for Christmas lunch and hot smoked salmon for Christmas dinner.

‘And I try to make a traditional trifle but put a twist in it to make it a bit more modern. Plus we’ve just finished making our Christmas puddings. And we do a local cheeseboard – I like to keep it all nice and simple.’

His style is modern British, and he is also very budget conscious: ‘We have a lot of elderly clients, who used to like their roast dinners with ‘half a ton’ of veg on the side!

But in the last two years I’ve tried to scale that back and now they get everything on the plate.’

This means students are learning about budgeting as well: ‘It’s getting the students to realise about costs, as we are only charging £12 for three courses for lunch.’

He adds: ‘The other day I said to a group of students, who were cutting leeks but leaving the green tops, ‘if you were running a business over the course of a year that would be equivalent to cutting £60 to £80 worth of profit!’’

And James is on another mission, ‘to make our job fun at the end of the day. I hate being serious; I love my job and I don’t think there’s any point getting stressed.’

He is preparing students for an industry where 12-14 hour shifts are the norm so, as he continues: ‘If the students leave with a smile on their faces then that’s my job done for the day, really.

James works with would-be chefs, from the very young Junior Chefs to the Level 3 students. Of the latter he says: ‘You can see how they grow over three years and it’s great – most of them will make

The Earsham Street Delicatessen -

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COMFORT & JOY

Andy Newman heads to Bungay to explore The Earsham Street Delicatessen which celebrates its 10th anniversary after Christmas VISIT

IN AN ERA when supermarkets have dominated the food retailing business, the renaissance of independent food shops is something to be welcomed.

In the attractive town of Bungay, one deli has really put itself on the map, winning multiple awards, celebrating ten years in business next spring, and even being the focus of a new ‘cluster’ of foodie shops on the same street.

The Earsham Street Delicatessen’s success is down to the infectious enthusiasm of Michelle Steele, a young and dynamic business woman who understands that the experience of buying food in an independent shop is every bit as important as the quality of the produce on display.

Although she grew up in a pub in Suffolk, working in the food business was not on Michelle’s mind when she headed to York University to read philosophy. But perhaps something subconscious was steering her towards forging a career in food, because even as a student she found herself working in a deli.

As if it was meant to be, on her return to East Anglia she met her future husband Graham, who had already set up his own wholesale food business. In 2007 – when Michelle was still only 22 – one of Graham’s clients offered him an existing but coasting deli business in Bungay.

With no food qualifications, but bags of enthusiasm, Michelle decided to take it on, and the Earsham Street Deli was born.

Anyone who has set up their own business will know that you have to be

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

www.earshamstreetdeli.co.uk

dedicated to make it work. In those early days, in a tiny shop (the business moved to much bigger premises four doors up 18 months ago), Michelle was largely on her own, learning on the job, and working all hours to make the business a success.

Although the deli is a bigger and more established concern nowadays, Michelle is still very much hands-on, and her philosophy is shared with the half dozen staff who now work alongside her.

‘I developed that philosophy without realising it,’ says Michelle.

‘Instinctively I knew that customer service is everything. You go to so many shops and don’t get that good experience; it should be almost like theatre.’

Perhaps this is why the deli has shied away from selling online, which Michelle believes is a rather more impersonal way of shopping. ‘People want to come in and talk to us, to hear us enthuse about what we are selling, to receive advice, and to experience the whole social aspect of shopping.

You can’t get that online.’

Of course, the quality of what is on the shelves is equally important, and Michelle and the team have taken the time to build really close working relationships with producers and suppliers, both locally and further afield.

‘We are so lucky to be situated in this part of the country, and the past 10 years has seen a huge increase in the local produce which is available.

But if a product is great quality,

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we won’t dismiss it just because it doesn’t come from down the road.’

One area for which the deli has built a fine reputation is its range of British cheese, including many from Norfolk and Suffolk. A quick glance across the extensive cheese counter makes you realise how Britain has overtaken many of the countries we might traditionally have thought of as leading the world in cheesemaking.

Friday is ‘Tart Day’ at the deli, when their local pie and tart supplier brings in a selection of beautiful tarts. Such is its reputation that many customers plan their visits to coincide with Friday, and Michelle even has examples of holidaymakers planning their itineraries around the day so they can stock up as well.

The success of the deli has also drawn other food businesses to the street, which is now something of a foodie paradise. With a fishmongers, a greengrocers, a whole food shop, a cafe, two pubs and a wine bar all within a stone’s throw of the deli, this is one street where the dedicated foodie can find everything they need.

Despite the passage of almost 10 years, Michelle’s enthusiasm for the deli is undimmed, which is brought home by the fact that although she and Graham married two years ago, they have yet to find the time to take a honeymoon.

n Earsham Street Delicatesse is at 51 Earsham Street in Bungay. It opens Monday to Saturday 9am-5.30pm

Jamie Oliver -

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It's time to get ready for

s a m t Chris ie Oliver shares some Top celebrity chef Jam tmas recipes with us is hr C e it ur vo fa s hi of JAMIE OLIVER'S Christmas Cookbook is packed with all the classics you need for the big day and beyond, as well as loads of delicious recipes for edible gifts, party food and new ways to love those leftovers.

Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook

by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House Š Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2016 Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook) Photographer: David Loftus

RED CABBAGE, CRISPY SMOKED BACON & ROSEMARY, APPLE, FENNEL SEEDS & BALSAMIC Celebrating one of the most affordable veg out there – the humble red cabbage – this is a really delicious, classic veg dish.

Wonderful as it is hot, I also love it cold, almost like a salad, with meat and cheese, so embrace those leftovers

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' get AHEAD

CALORIES

FAT

CARBS

SUGARS

96

2.6g

16.2g

15.6g

SAT FAT

PROTEIN

SALT

FIBRE

0.4g

2.4g

0.4g

3.0g

KCAL

Serve s 8-10 as a side Total time: 35 minutes www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

METHOD Click away any tatty outer leaves from your cabbage, trim off the base, cut the cabbage into wedges, then finely slice it and put aside. Finely slice the bacon and place in a large casserole pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Leave it to crisp up while you peel, core and dice the apples. When the bacon is crispy, strip the rosemary leaves into the pan, stir for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and rosemary to a plate, leaving the smoky bacon fat behind. Add

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the fennel seeds and diced apples to the pan, then tear in the prunes, removing any stones. Stir and fry for 2 minutes, then finely grate in the clementine zest and squeeze in the juice. Add the vinegar, cabbage and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.

Cook with a lid ajar on a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through and a pleasure to eat, stirring well every 5 minutes to help intensify and mix up the flavours.

Serve sprinkled with the crispy bacon and rosemary leaves.

TURN OVER FOR MORE OF JAMIE'S RECIPES!

INGREDIENTS 1 red cabbage (1kg); 4 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon; olive oil; 2 eating apples; 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary; 1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds; 100g dried prunes; 1 clementine; 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Make this the day before and simply reheat it in a pan – it’ll taste great, but if you do this I’d recommend stirring the bacon and rosemary through it rather than serving them on top as a garnish

CLASSIC MINCE PIES flaky pastry, mincemeat, sweet squash, almonds & maple syrup I love all mince pies at Christmas.

This is my nod to the more traditional variety, but I think these are just a bit more interesting than usual, as the addition of delicious, sweet squash really lightens the classic mix.

FILLING 1 butternut squash (1.2kg); 1 x 820g jar of quality mincemeat; 4 tablespoons maple syrup; 100g blanched almonds PASTRY 500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting; 100g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting; 250g unsalted butter (cold), plus extra for greasing; 3 large eggs; 1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk METHOD Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Roast the whole squash for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Once cool enough to handle, halve and deseed, then scoop half the soft flesh into a bowl to cool. Meanwhile, to make the pastry, sieve the flour and icing sugar on to a clean work surface.

Cube the cold butter, then use your thumbs and fingertips to rub it into the flour and sugar until you end up with a fine, crumbly mixture. Beat 2 eggs and the milk and add to the mixture, then gently work it together until you have a ball of dough – don’t work it too much at this stage as you want to keep it crumbly and short. Flour your clean work surface, pat the dough into a flat round, flour it lightly, wrap in Cling Film and pop it into the fridge for at least half an hour. Lightly grease two 12-hole muffin tins with butter. Add the mincemeat and maple syrup to the bowl of cooled squash, then chop and add the almonds and mix together. Roll out the pastry on a clean flour-dusted surface to 3mm thick. Use a 10cm pastry cutter to cut out 24 circles of dough, then ease and press them into your prepared tins. Equally divide up the filling, then cut out 8cm circles from your leftover pastry to top the pies, crimping the edges together as you go. You can also add pastry shapes to decorate, depending on how many offcuts you have. Brush the tops of the pies with beaten egg, also using it to help you stick on any pastry decorations you’ve cut out. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the middle of the oven, or until golden. Leave to cool and firm up for 10 minutes in the tins, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack. Dust lightly from a height with icing sugar and serve. Lovely hot with a drizzle of custard, or warm or cold with a cup of tea. You can also box them up for another day, and they’re great as a gift, too.

CALORIES

FAT

CARBS

SUGARS

317

13.6g

47.4g

29.4g

SAT FAT

PROTEIN

SALT

FIBRE

5.6g

4.6g

0.1g

1.4g

KCAL

get AHEAD I love making these in advance. Stack them in the freezer and you can cook the directly from frozen, with a light egg wash, for 35 minutes

Jamie Oliver -

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ROAST GOOSE, SLOWCOOKED WITH CHRISTMAS SPICES If you’ve never had roast goose before, it’s an absolute must.

This method is reliable and will give you an experience you definitely won’t forget, whether it’s the first meal from it, or using up the lovely leftovers it gives you (if there are any!)

INGREDIENTS 1 large goose (4–5kg), halved lengthways by your butcher; 6cm piece of ginger; 6 large sticks of cinnamon; 6 star anise; 2 teaspoons whole cloves; olive oil; 2 oranges; red wine vinegar CALORIES

FAT

487

34.4g

SAT FAT

PROTEIN

10.5g

43.5g

CARBS

SUGARS

1.8g

1.8g

SALT

FIBRE

0.6g

0.5g

KCAL

Makes 24 Total time: 2 ho urs 15 m in utes, plus co ol in g

METHOD Get your meat out of the fridge and up to room temperature before you cook it. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Peel and finely slice the ginger, then, keeping everything quite coarse, lightly crush it in a pestle and mortar with the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Rub into the skin of the goose halves, then put both halves skin side up in your biggest deepsided roasting tray and drizzle with a little oil. Roast for 3 hours (depending on the size of your goose), basting every hour. After the goose has been in for 2 hours, slice the oranges and carefully add to the tray. The goose is cooked when the leg meat falls easily off the bone. Now you’ve got two choices. Leave it to rest, covered, for 30 minutes, then serve up while it’s hot and crispy-skinned, in which

case simply remove the meat to a board, shred the leg meat and slice the breast. Pour all the fat into a jar, cool, and place in the fridge for tasty cooking another day, such roast potatoes. Stir a good swig of vinegar into the tray to pick up all the sticky goodness from the base, then drizzle over your meat. Serve with spuds, veg and all the usual trimmings. Your second choice is to let everything cool in the tray, then place it in the fridge for up to 2 days, with the goose submerged and protected in its own fat, ready to reheat when you need it, getting you ahead of the game and saving you time and oven space another day. To reheat, put the whole tray back in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and let the goose crisp up for around 30 minutes, or until hot through, then shred, slice and serve as above.

Love your leftovers

Se rve s 8 Total time: 3 hours 30 minute s

They’ll be delicious shredded into a salad or stew, or used in place of leftover turkey meat for recipes in the Leftovers chapter. Blitz any leftover skin with breadcrumbs, then toast, and use as an epic sprinkle

books

cooking the books

This month’s selection of new titles for book lovers has one dedicated to fans of Italian food and another for those who are having a dry January!

SPOON: Simple Granolas,

Muesli and Porridge Recipes for Breakfast Everyday

by Annie Morris & Jonny Shimmin £15

So the saying goes, the prudent breakfast like kings, lunch like princes and dine like paupers. Woven throughout are interviews with chefs and owners of independent coffee shops all over the world who provide their own tips for the perfect start to any day. Utilizing simple, good-quality ingredients, this book has an array of recipes with rich, luxurious flavour and packed full of antioxidants. From the Cinnamon and Pecan Granola, to more interesting flavour combinations such as the delicious Black Forest Granola with Cherry Compote to a savoury Avocado Porridge with a sticky Sweet Chilli Jam, this is a modern and fresh approach to breakfast. You'll also find exciting recipes for toppings, butters and smoothies, as well as more indulgent breakfasts bowls, for those slower weekend mornings.

Diary date...

KEITH SKIPPER is signing copies of his latest book in the Cromer branch of Jarrold’s on December 10, from 11am-1pm. A Rum Ole Norfolk Year is his 40th book with that distinctive Norfolk flavour. He’s been keeping a comprehensive daily diary since 1984 and this latest volume, from a prolific pen, features month-by-month selections of smaller items ‘underlying Norfolk’s well deserved reputation for dewin’ diffrunt.’

ON THE MENU: THE WORLD'S FAVOURITE PIECE OF PAPER

by Paola Bacchia £25

Filled with over 100 full-colour menus, this book from restaurant critic and author, Nicholas Lander showcases the history, design and evolution of the menu with surprising finds such as a Christmas menu served during the siege of Paris in 1870, featuring rats and zoo animals. World-renowned chefs such as Heston Blumenthal (The Fat Duck), Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana), Rene Redzepi (Noma), Michel Roux Jr (Le Gavroche), April Bloomfield (The Spotted Pig), Daniel Boulud (Bar Boulud), Ruth Rogers (The River Cafe) share how they decide what food to serve and what inspires them to write their menus.

Hidden behind the town squares, away from the touristy restaurants and down alleyways, are little-known gems offering up some of Italy's tastiest and best-kept secret dishes. Learn how to make authentic polpettine, arancini, stuffed cuttlefish, cannolis and fritters, and perfect your gelati-making skills with authentic Italian flavours such as lemon and basil, affogato and aperol and orange. With beautiful stories and photography throughout, Italian Street Food brings an old and muchloved cuisine into a whole new light.

TEETOTAL TIPPLES FOR JANUARY AND BEYOND

THE BACON JAM COOKBOOK

by Nicholas Lander £30

ITALIAN STREET FOOD

by Helen McGinn £9.99

by Eat 17 £14.99

Whatever the reason, whether health-induced or the consequence of a new year's resolution, have you ever decided to go booze-free only to find the alternatives a little, well ...boring? If you're embarking on a dry spell, this book is just the tonic (so to speak). Drinks expert Helen McGinn shows you how to make the most of your time off the sauce with plenty of recipes for simple homemade mocktails, infusions and cordials, along with a guide to non-alcoholic wines, beers and spirits worth adding to your drinks cupboard. Think of this book as a friend, with a (dry) sense of humour, to keep you company in style through your booze-free spell.

Eat 17 is a small, independently-owned group of eateries and convenience stores based in east London. It was started by two young brothers, James Brundle and Chris O'Connor, who transformed a run-down off-licence in Walthamstow into a multimillion-pound business and brand with only £5,000. As well as providing many recipes from Eat 17 and their suppliers, The Bacon Jam Cookbook also describes what the brothers have achieved. And bacon jam does exist, along with chorizo jam, chilli bacon jam and onion jam.

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

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Chris Mann

MY LIFE ON A PLATE

This month Chris Mann, the new head chef at Titchwell Manor in North Norfolk, talks about how both City College, Norwich and Marcus Wareing gave him such valuable experience. Oh, and his mum and nanny!

Who are you and where do you work?

My name is Chris Mann and I am head chef at 3 AA Rosette Titchwell Manor on the North Norfolk coast

Where did you train?

I did a two year course at City College, Norwich, gaining valuable experience on the hospitality industry as a whole

How long have you been there?

I've been at Titchwell Manor for eight years

Who has inspired you?

I suppose the people who actually inspired me to start cooking from a very young age would be my mum and nanny - they would always be baking and cooking at home, and I would always be trying to get involved one way or another.

Whether I was actually helping or just getting in the way is another matter. Other than that I always

Where were you before?

Before Titchwell I spent two years living in London and working at restaurant Petrus under acclaimed chef Marcus Wareing. There I learnt the high standards and fundamentals of being a chef

watched a lot of Jamie Oliver on TV, so he probably made me take that step from hobby to profession What is your favourite ingredient?

My favourite ingredient would have to be celeriac, as I find it very versatile to use. It’s great on its own as a soup or, for something a little different, roast it whole with plenty of butter and it makes a great vegetarian alternative to meat Got a favourite gadget?

My favourite gadget would have to be a Thermomix, as it’s basically a super powerful blender that also

heats. It’s great for making silky smooth purées and soups, and is easily the most used gadget in the kitchen. It’s like having an extra chef

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

I spend as much time as possible at home with my family; we have a little one due in March so at the minute everything is very baby orientated. I also love to eat out as much as possible and often go on holidays just to eat at some of the best restaurants in the world Where do you like to eat out in the region?

If it’s a special occasion I enjoy an evening at The Neptune inn in Old Hunstanton. However, my wife has a sweet tooth so we do both enjoy a dessert or two at the Figbar in Norwich What would you be doing if you were not a chef?

If I wasn’t a chef I’ve always fancied myself as an aeroplane pilot, as I love flying and visiting new countries What's your foodie prediction for 2017?

I think food will become less complicated with fewer items on the plate. This should allow the taste of the ingredients to really shine through and take centre stage.

Therefore, the chef’s technique and skill will really have to showcase themselves

RECIPE OVERLEAF

CHRIS MANN

What is your signature dish?

My signature dish would have to be my dessert that I won EDP Norfolk Food and Drink Chef of the Year with in 2015. It’s an apple curd cake made using local apple juice from Drove Orchard, served with wild blackberries and a blackberry sorbet. I really enjoy the fact that this dish is made using ingredients that only come from a few miles away and tastes delicious

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Jamie ' s r ve li O festive favo urites

xMAS s A family Christma e at T he White Hors in Neatishead

Cracking Cocktails

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19 fes tive recipes to try

DECE M BE R 2016

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Chris Mann -

R E C I P E

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METHOD To make the pork quaver: Place the pork skin in a pan of boiling water and cook for a couple of hours until the skin begins to fall apart when picked up. Gently remove the skin from the water and lay flat on a tray and refrigerate. Once cold, turn the skin upside down and scrape all the fat off - it will need to be literally just skin left. Once this is done place into a really low oven for 3-4 hours until it is completely dry - it should snap clean in half when done.

To make the trotter sauce: Blowtorch off any excess hairs from the trotter and then colour all over in a pan with a little veg oil, add the carrots and onions and continue to colour. When everything has caramelised nicely, chuck in the Port, wine, stock, peppercorns, thyme and garlic. Bring to the boil, then allow to simmer for around 4 hours, until the skin easily comes apart from the bone. Allow the trotters to cool in the liquid, when cool enough to handle carefully remove the skin and any meat from the trotters and lay flat on a tray and refrigerate. Pass the liquid, that the trotters were cooked in, into a new pan and reduce until sticky and dark in colour. At this stage finely slice the trotter skin and meat and fold back through the reduced liquid, season with salt and sherry vinegar to taste, reserve.

To prep and cook the salsify: Wash the salsify well before peeling.

As soon as you have peeled, place into cold water with a good squeeze of lemon juice which will prevent them from turning brown in colour.

Cut the salsify into 8cm sticks when ready and poach in a pan of milk with a pinch of salt. To test if they are cooked, stick a knife in as if it were a potato, if the knife goes in easily then they’re done. Allow to cool in the milk until ready to use.

St ea m ed co d w ith pig tr ot te r sauc e, po ac he d sa lsify an d po rk qu av er www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

Serves Four INGREDIENTS 1 large cod fillet; 4 sticks of salsify; 200g of prepared green kale; 2 pig trotters; 1 carrot diced; 1 onion diced; 100ml of Port; 200ml of red wine; 500ml of chicken stock; 5 black peppercorns; 4 sprigs of thyme; 1 garlic clove; Sherry vinegar; 200g of pork rind, no fat

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To finish: Puff the dried pork cracker in hot veg oil around 180°C, you'll only require a small piece as it will treble in size; once puffed drain and season with salt. Portion the cod into 4 portions, bring a pan of water to the boil. Place the cod portions onto some baking parchment and then place into a steamer basket on top of the boiling water, these should take around 10 minutes to cook. While these are cooking, gently reheat the salsify in a pan with some butter along with the kale; the kale will begin to wilt slightly like spinach when it is done. Reheat the sauce and plate.

Charlie Hodson

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As Christmas approaches, Norfolk d ambassador Ch arl ie Ho dson urges us to think of those lesfoo s fortunate than ourselves

Helping Hand

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VISIT

ANDREW BAKER & CHARLIE HODSON

Lo o k o ut f o r Th e Fe e d ’s lat e st fu n d r a is in g in it iat iv e, t h e Min c e P ie Wit h Me a n in g Ca m p a ig n Th e Flo u r . is h te am are b a k in g b ox e of s ix m in s ce p ie s, p r ic e d at £2.50, w h ic h w il l g o n s a le f r o om De c e m b e r 1 u n t il Ch r ist m as.

Ap a r t f r o m b e in g t ast y , t h e y a im t o r a is e c as h a n d aw a r e n e ss .

Ke e p a n eye o n Th e Fe e d ’s w e b s it e fo r m o r e in fo r m at io n.

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C O L U M N

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AS THE FESTIVE PERIOD takes hold, we start to ponder what we will have to eat for Christmas lunch?

Will it be turkey, could it be beef or would duck suffice? Or how about all three!

But what about those around us, families in the same street, village or town, who are dreading the very thought of Christmas, whilst others around them celebrate with plenty of Yuletide cheer.

Everyone who struggles financially at Christmas has a story to tell. And it could so easily be any one of us in that position.

A separation, redundancy or illness can have drastic consequences, with people finding themselves on their own or, as a family, without the financial ability to afford to eat as others do or buy the gifts that we take for granted.

Four years ago I wouldn’t have given any thought to those less fortunate than the majority. But that was before a chance meeting with Barry Allard, the founder and visionary of the Norfolk-based social enterprise, the Leap, and its catering division, The Feed CIC. Norwich Leap empowers people who face disadvantages to live a fulfilling life of their choice, whereas The Feed is all about serving fresh, seasonal and delicious food as a catalyst to inspire people to live that more fulfilling life. But what both organisations essentially offer is learning support, help with employment, training, and so much more to those that society has given up on. They quietly reinstate confidence and self-worth, and offer those words of praise that we all love to hear when we feel we have done a good job.

The Feed has run an amazing food operation for three years, offering training courses at the Flourish Employment Academy, where head chef and trainer Andrew Baker opens the eyes of many through his passion and dedication. He empowers people, through a love of cooking, to learn a skill that should help them get a job and ultimately put food back on their own table.

I am honoured to be Patron of both Norwich Leap and The Feed CIC, and at this time of year I would like to thank personally those who support us, to the staff who, at the grassroots, are really changing lives. And I would say that everyone needs to meet someone like Barry.

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C O L U M N

JUSTIN WRIGHT

Lovewell Blake -

LOVE IT O R H ATE IT

Justin Wright, who heads up Lovewell Blake’s specialist food and drink team, welcomes a new realism in the price consumers will pay for their food VISIT

www.lovewell-blake.co.uk

MARMITE IS FAMOUSLY a ‘love it or hate it’ food – but the controversy stoked up by the press recently when Unilever and Tesco came to blows over raising the price of the yeasty spread may have an outcome which is universally palatable to the county’s food producers, if less so to its consumers.

You may recall that Unilever was seeking to raise the price of Marmite by 10 per cent; the supermarket said that it had to protect the interests of its customers, and that such a price hike was unacceptable. In the end, Unilever backed down, although the on-the-shelf price has since risen more modestly, which may have been the intention all along.

Tesco is seen to have acted in the interests of its customers, and the producer has achieved the price rise it needed in order to balance the books.

There is a wider issue at play here.

The input costs to agriculture and food producers have been on an upward trend (albeit with some ups and downs) for some years, while the prices that consumers pay for their food have not. That means that producers, and to a much lesser extent retailers, have had to absorb the extra expense at the cost of profits.

Clearly this is not a sustainable situation, and whilst no-one wants

to pay more at the till, ultimately the only way we can ensure that our hard-pressed producers can survive is to pay a fair price for what we eat.

We all moan about rising prices, but in fact our food has been underpriced for a long time. According to DEFRA, on average we spend just over 10 per cent of our income on food; that is way less than even 20 years ago, and one of the lowest figures in Europe. We have got used to paying unrealistically low prices for what we eat – and this has to change.

Of course, for some people feeding their families remains a struggle, and rising prices will exacerbate that situation – but that is more a reflection of the high cost of housing than anything else, leaving little left for putting food on the table. For most of us, however, food remains a small proportion of our living expenses.

Brexit and the plummeting pound have brought things to a head, and forced bigger producers, and especially those which rely on imported goods, to act decisively.

Consumers are going to have to get used to paying a more realistic price for what they eat.

For local producers, especially those which

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

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

source their ingredients in the UK, this can only be good news. If massmarket foods command a higher price, then artisan foods will not seem so expensive; and even for local producers making more mainstream products, the pressure that rising input costs have been putting on viability could be about to be eased.

For our farmers too, the weak pound could be good news. Not only will our exports be more competitive, but UK producers are much more likely to start sourcing domestically rather than in overseas markets.

‘Marmite-gate’ may have given newspaper sub-editors some good headlines for a week or two; the outcome could be good news for every part of Norfolk’s food and drink sector.

THE GIN TRAP INN is a traditional and cosy 17th century coaching inn.

Serving delicious homemade fare and offering luxurious rooms. Open from 11:30am to late daily

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38-40 Freeman street WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA CALL US ON 01328 710456 WWW.WELLSCRABHOUSE.CO.UK

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Food & Wi ne Pairing -

S T E V E

H E A R N D E N

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A RIGHT PAIRING 02.

MY WIFE used to make a super seafood platter as a starter – guests could pick what they wanted and have as much or as little as they wished. So with smoked salmon, smoked trout, prawns and much else, all decorated with the compulsory salad, it made for a great start to the Christmas meal. Wine would be white and to support all the fish - I decided a Pinot Gris d-Alsace 2011 would be the best.

Sufficient spicy aromas with sound fruit will compliment all the fishy smells from the platter. The Pinot Gris is a complex wine starting with a mild spicy taste and a little residual sugar on the tongue. Moving onto a nice dry medium finish wine with soft spice undertones. Michel Fonne rates this as 2 on the sweetness scale, meaning, of course, it is dry! Serve nicely chilled, and the Pinot Gris will match all the different food flavours perfectly.

The Vosges mountains protect the vineyards from the west ensuring the summers are long, hot and dry. The winters can be very cold but basically quite dry. The sugar content of the grapes can be quite high in Alsace.

Michel Fonne makes a full range of wines including the Pinot Noir and the Gewürztraminer Vendange Tardive.

Plus the Pinot Gris has a ‘screw top’ and so is easy to open!

Pinot Gris d-Alsace, £14.50

WHENEVER I think about Gewürztraminer Vendange Tardive, I always think about rich fruit cake, as it is a perfect wine to go with cake! (It could be Simnel cake, I guess, for Easter). Anyway, Michel Fonne produces a fantastic wine; it has strong, spicy and sugary aromas, which linger in the nose for some while. The grapes are hand and late picked, the latter ensuring the grapes are full of sugar. A little frost does them no harm and increases the intensity for all the senses. A deep yellow colour, almost edging towards a pale brown, gives the game away as far as the taste is concerned. A rich sweetness hits the front of the tongue, the flavours gliding over the rest of the tongue: spicy with honey overtones, sweet but not cloying, smooth with an aftertaste of spiced fruit. This 2008 vintage has proved to last a long time, and remember when you drink this chilled, only have a small glass and sip rather than drink it in one gulp! It will remain very good opened for a few days and it is worth making it last. It’s not cheap but something that special is worth every penny. Spoil yourself! Or we can send a bottle as a gift if you wish.

Gewürztraminer Vendange Tardive, £29.50

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All wines are available from...

01.

Tastebuds Wines, based at Strumpshaw Post Office, www.tastebudswines.co.uk visit or contact Steve at steve@ tastebudswines.co.uk

In the latest of his series on food and wine pairing, wine expert Steve Hearnden takes a look at Christmas

PETER SMITH

CRAIG ALLISON

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Bullards Norwich Dry Gin -

A R T I S A N

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THAT'S THE

SPIRIT

It’s the first Norwich gin to be produced in 150 years.

Was it worth the wait? Sarah Hardy investigates GIN IS VERY IN at the moment, isn’t it?

As part of an artisan spirit revival, many craft gins are appearing, alongside gin bars and lots of lovely gin cocktails.

A newcomer this year has been Bullards Norwich Dry Gin which is distilled in the heart of the city at The Ten Bells pub on St Benedicts Street.

It is the first ever Bullards gin, although those of you who are of a certain age will remember Bullards Beer with great fondness, as it was, and is again, very much a part of the city’s brewery heritage.

The gin is lovingly produced by head distiller Peter Smith, originally from Oxford and a historian by training. A love of home brewing led him to study the art of distillery on a formal basis and late last year he joined Patrick Fisher from Redwell Brewery, Russell Evans, who co-owns the Bullards brand, and Craig Allison, the former manager of the Gin Palace in Norwich, to work on creating a smooth, aromatic Bullards dry gin.

The gin is produced, in small batches, in a copper pot still, which holds up to 120 litres, from America, and it is the only one of its type in Britain. It takes around three days to produce the gin, with the distilling process lasting up to 11 hours.

It is all done by hand and relies upon Peter’s instincts as much as anything else, with plenty of testing and tasting along the way! ‘It is the perfect combination of science and art,’ explains Peter.

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

TOURS AND TASTING SESSIONS are available with Peter and Craig at The Ten Bells, with lots of information about the distilling process and the chance to try the gin plus several others.

THIS MONTH A LIMITED EDITION gin, Bullards Norwich Hop Gin, is being produced, using seven different hop varieties from Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Peter explains: ‘We have taken out some of the botanicals and used hops instead. So it is earthier, and has a strong flavour.’ It is on sale exclusively at Jarrold's at £38, and is, of course, a perfect Christmas present!

The gin’s unique ingredient is tonka beans from Central and South America, which give it a vanilla taste and aroma. And then there are around 10 botanicals added in, including orange peel, cardamom and cinnamon. Peter is happy to admit to what goes into his gin, but not the proportions. ‘That’s the secret bit,’ he laughs, before adding: ‘There are no chemicals or preservatives - just filtered tap water. I get my fruits and vegetables from the shop over the road and my spices from Norwich Market.’

The gin is designed to be gently sipped on its own, as it is so smooth, but it is also great fun in cocktails and obviously perfect with tonic - and a slice of orange.

It has already won a major award - a gold medal in the microdistillery category of the 2016 Gin Master competition, said to be the Oscars of the drinks industry.

There are plans to develop the range of gins on offer, with a spice one in the pipeline. And as the still can also produce tequila and rum, well, it would be rude not to, wouldn’t it?!

• Bullards Norwich Dry Gin is available in numerous pubs in the region, plus several in London, and is on sale across the the region, too.

Stockists include Jarrold’s in Norwich, Scrummy Pig at Wroxham Barns, Reno Wines in Wymondham and branches of Harper Wells.

Visit www. bullar dsspir its.co.u k

Fes ti ve

C oc k t a i l s

Spirit Enjoying the Festive

It’s time to raise a glass of cheer as the party season gets underway.

Here Feast Norfolk wishes you all season’s greetings as we celebrate with a selection of festive cocktails

FROM FIGBAR, NORWICH

Milk Punch

This recipe is one of chef patron Jaime Garbutt’s favourites. He first developed it when accompanying Chef Judy Joo on Iron Chef America and has since served it to celebrities at The Playboy Club and Jinjuu. It’s the perfect addition to your New Year’s Eve toasts (or to leave out for Santa with a squashed fly mince pie)

Kir Royale Framboise

This is from Jerome Lambert of Bijou Bottles in Wroxham. It is described as simply a classic INGREDIENTS 15ml of Crème de Framboise (Raspberry); 100ml of Champagne Gruet Brut METHOD Pour the crème in to a Champagne flute and swirl around. Then simply top up the flute with Champagne

Gin Fizz

INGREDIENTS 150ml of whole milk; 150ml of double cream; 1 vanilla pod, scraped; 100ml of good quality Bourbon; 30g of icing sugar; 1tsp of vanilla extract METHOD Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl until sugar dissolves and vanilla seeds are evenly distributed. Refrigerate until required. Best served ice cold

Serves four people

This is from The White Horse at Neatishead in The Broads and uses their own gin INGREDIENTS One shot of Pell&Co Hopton Gin; 3/4 shot of freshly squeezed lemon; 1 tsp of sugar or sugar syrup; Pure Prosecco to fill METHOD Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar with ice. Strain into a Champagne flute or highball glass and top with Pure Prosecco

Ghostly Hallows

This is a new offering from John McCarthy, head distiller at Adnams in Southwold INGREDIENTS 25ml of Adnams Copper House Gin; 50ml of Adnams Ghost Ship Pale Ale; 50ml of pineapple juice; juice of half a lemon METHOD Add all ingredients to an ice filled shaker, shake for 10 seconds, then strain into a ice filled glass

All serve one person www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

WILD FEAST COCKTAIL

Wild Feast

This cocktail was especially created for us

by Wild Knight Vodka, based in Beachamwell, near Swaffham, and is the refreshing start to an evening’s entertainment!

INGREDIENTS A small handful of lemon balm muddled with ½ shot (12.5ml) of sugar syrup; pinch of mint; 50ml of Wild Knight Vodka METHOD Fill a Boston cocktail shaker with ice and add the vodka.

Stir gently. Add the remaining ingredients into the shaker and stir until frosting occurs on the outside. Double-strain into a chilled coupe martini glass. Add a grating of lemon zest to finish

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Serves one person

Norfolk Wine School

Norfolk Wine School’s Introduction to Wine is proving to be a very popular Christmas gift item and Jeremy is already taking gift voucher bookings for Saturday tastings on March 4 and May 6, 2017

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T A S T I N G

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GETTING A TASTE FOR IT In the second of our occasional series, Emma Outten gets an introduction to wine and tastes 16 of them under the tutelage of Norfolk Wine School’s Jeremy Dunn

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OUR DEPUTY EDITOR EMMA OUTTEN

at all if you’re booked onto the new Norfolk Wine School’s Introduction to Wine course. After all, there was a grand total of 16 wines to imbibe during the next five and a half hours!

I was booked into the Introduction to Wine Course organised by the Norfolk Wine School, which launched in September by wine expert and enthusiast, Jeremy Dunn. He offers a range of bespoke tastings and courses for those who are keen to learn more about wine or want to indulge an existing passion.

I very much fall into the former category, blithely ordering a glass of Pinot Grigio at every meal without giving due consideration to any nuances in acidity, sugar, alcohol and tannin levels.

Jeremy’s is the latest franchise within the rapidly expanding www. localwineschool.com family – a nationwide network of 22 independent wine schools that first opened in Newcastle 16 years ago. His passion for wine stems from his 10-year career in the industry, and, whilst representing several prestigious wine suppliers in the UK market, he visited many vineyards and wineries in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, California and Australia and was awarded the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma. Opening Norfolk Wine School has meant moving his family back to the county where he grew up.

On this particular Saturday, 10 of us were ensconced upstairs at St Andrews

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Brew House in Norwich, next to the microbrewery itself.

The aim of the day was to help people like me to navigate the sometimes confusing world of wine and encourage them to discover new wines. Let’s face it, those old world wine labels can be rather baffling.

We kicked off with a Sauvignon from the Loire Valley, France, and throughout the day, Jeremy dispenses lots of handy tips to help you get the most out of drinking wine. I particularly liked this one: There are no wrong answers when tasting wine; whatever a wine tastes or smells like to you is the right answer. So if that Chianti smells of Christmas with its spicy aromas then who’s to say it doesn’t?

Jeremy carefully selects wines from local, independent wine merchants such as Adnams, Harper Wells, the East of England Coop, and Majestic Wines.

The prices range from £8.99, for a Muriel Rioja Reserva 2012, from Spain; to £25 for a Chianti Classico Riserva La Prima 1999, Castello Vicchiomaggio.

We were taught how to go about tasting wine: everything from tilting the glass to see the wine easily; to swirling the glass to release the aromas and having a good sniff (but don’t do what I did and accidentally snort the stu�!). Then, and only then, is it time to really taste the wine, by sucking in some air as you taste to release the flavour.

Halfway through the day we took ourselves off to the room next door and had lunch, which meant, in my case, a starter of wild mushroom on

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VISIT

IS 10.30AM too early to enjoy a glass of fizz? Not

www.norfolkwineschool.com

JEREMY DUNN

sourdough toast; a huge hot smoked salmon fishcake with coconut & lemongrass, for main; and treacle tart with clotted cream ice cream for pudding.

After lunch we turned our attentions to new world wines: a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, a Chardonnay from Chile, a Malbec from Argentina and a Shiraz from Australia. And I have to say that this fun and informative day felt even more relaxed and informal, post-lunch. It’s up to you how much you drink out of the professional ISO tasting glasses, or you can always use the spittoon, as Jeremy did throughout the day. On the course were a dad and daughter; two couples who both happened to be staying with friends in Norfolk; a man who used to deliver for Majestic Wine; and another who was expert at sniffing out notes of gooseberry when the rest of us failed to detect anything more specific than ‘fruit’). Finally making up the party was Andrew who works in the Green Grocers in Norwich (the course was a birthday present from his mum).

We finished off with a blind tasting (our team at least guessed that it was an old world wine from Italy if not the grape as such) and there followed a distinct nod to the fact that Norfolk has a thriving local food and drink scene with some wine and Norfolk Dapple cheese pairing.

At the end of the day, a little wine knowledge can go a long way – as a result of my introduction to wine, I like to think I could confidently sniff out a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand as my dinner party piece!

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Port W I N E

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As we end the year,

Andy Newman

introduces the perfect Christmas warmer:

Port

PASS

THE

RT

1

2

3

'A

‘ARE YOU A FRIEND of the Bishop of Norwich?’ – not an ecclesiastical question, but dinner table code for ‘I say, old chap, you’re hogging the port’.

Buried somewhere in history is the identity of the drunken prelate whose selfishness gave rise to the widelyused expression, but it is a useful link between our county and the drink which is connected more than any other with the festive season.

The British have had a long association with the fortified wines from the Douro valley in Portugal.

Mainly because of ongoing bad relations (for which read wars) with the French, English wine merchants were forced to look elsewhere for supplies, and our old allies in Portugal proved the perfect substitute.

When those early English merchants first found the Douro, Port wines were not fortified, but rather were dark, astringent wines which earned the name ‘blackstrap’ back home, and to which was often added a measure of brandy to stabilise them for the long voyage towards Blighty.

As with so many inventions in the world of wine, the port we know today happened by accident. A rather impatient Englishman added that stabilising brandy before the fermentation had finished, killing the yeast and locking in the sweetness from the unfermented sugar. And that, more or less, is how it is still made today.

Dozens of grape varieties are permitted in Port, but it is the quintet of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cao and Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo) which are the main ingredients in the bottles we see today.

Port derives its name from the city of Oporto at the mouth of the Douro river, the country’s second city and the epicentre of the Port market. Here you will find the big-name Port lodges, many of them still English owned to this day; the connection between the sweet red nectar and the UK pre-dates the EU and, one hopes, will far outlive the controversy over Brexit.

Actually, although all Port is essentially wine which has had its fermentation stopped through the addition of grape spirit, the term encompasses a wide variety of styles, and this can confuse and deter the novice.

Essentially there are two types of Port: those which have been aged in a barrel prior to bottling, and those which have been aged in the bottle.

This may sound like a detail, but the difference is important. Those which have been aged in barrel are ready to drink, without decanting, as soon as they are bottled.

Because those destined for bottleageing are bottled without being filtered, and before the sediment has had a chance to drop out, they will continue to draw flavour from the lees in the bottle, and can take a very long time indeed to mature – and they will require decanting to draw the clear wine off the sediment in the bottle before drinking.

Three wines Andy has enjoyed this month 1 CAMEL VALLEY PINOT NOIR ROSÉ BRUT

2 LA RESERVE DE LA COMTESSE 2009

3 WARRE VINTAGE PORT 1966

(Waitrose, £28.99) English sparkling wine is giving Champagne a good run for its money, and one of the best is this pink sparkler made from 100 per cent Pinot Noir grapes from Camel Valley vineyard in Cornwall. A wild raspberry aroma promises great things, and the palate delivers, with a lovely fruit balance and a good, long finish

(www.majestic.co.uk, £44.98 as part of a mixed case of six bottles) The second wine of the wonderful second-growth Chateau Pichon Lalande in Pauillac, this is an affordable way of accessing the rich and complex flavours of chocolate, blackcurrants, black cherries, liquorice, vanilla – the list goes on. Just ready to drink now, it will be wonderful over the coming decade.

Not one you can buy anywhere in Norfolk that I know of, but I had to mention it – three very special bottles of 50 year old vintage port opened at a dinner to mark my own half-century. They were fresh, alive and wonderful – proof that the very best Port, wellcellared, can last decades. I don’t want to be smug, but I still have three bottles left, so my Christmas Stilton will be in good company

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The main styles of (red) Port are: RUBY: the simplest and cheapest style, aged for two or three years before bottling, generally blended from multiple vintages, and often pasteurised. Doesn’t need decanting, ready to drink as soon as it is bottled.

TAWNY: essentially ruby which has been aged in wooden barrels until it starts to drop its deep red colour.

Sadly, all too often the tawny effect is achieved by using lighter wines to start with, and these don’t have the freshness and fruit of a proper tawny.

Much better to go for an...

AGED TAWNY: proper tawny Port, left to age in wooden barrels for many years (at least six), not only takes on that distinctive amber hue, but develops a depth of nutty flavour and a silky smoothness. Terms such as ’10 Year-Old’, ‘20 Year-Old’, etc are only averages – these are often blended between different vintages to maintain consistency. They don’t last forever in the bottle, so look at the bottling date (which should be on the label) and avoid examples which are several years old. Aged tawny from a single vintage is called Colheita, and this is the only time you will see a year on a bottle of tawny.

CRUSTED: these are bottle-aged Ports, but blended from more than one vintage. They may have the character of a vintage Port, and certainly need decanting because of the ‘crust’ or sediment which results from the absence of filtration prior to bottling.

LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE (LBV): Port from a single vintage, but bottled after the sediment has fallen from it, usually about six years after it is made.

These can be bottled with or without filtration; those bottled without will need decanting, but the reward is a much more characterful wine.

VINTAGE: the undisputed king of Port, these are wines from a single year from the best grapes, and aged in bottle. Vintages are only ‘declared’ in the best years (the last widespread declaration was in 2011). The very best will keep for decades; your vintages of choice to drink this Christmas would be 1985 and 1977, unless you are lucky enough to have bottles from 1966, 1963 or even 1927.

In non-declared years, some houses will make a vintage Port from a single vineyard or ‘quinta’; these can be good value, but will not last as long.

Sarah Ruffhead -

FA M O U S FIVE

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

Dover Sole with St Germain Crust and Beurre Blanc

I really enjoyed this Cookery Demo at Morston Hall. Galton Blackiston at his best, cooking some inspiring dishes, which we all enjoyed for lunch afterwards. I learnt a lot. Delicate fillets of Dover Sole, coated with breadcrumbs, whizzed up with fresh parsley and cheddar, and clarified butter, then baked until the crust was bubbling and coloured, and served with a lemon beurre blanc. I love Galton's sauces, and have used this recipe – the perfect foil to fish - many times.

TWO

Berenjenas con Miel

We ate this utterly delicious starter in an amazing restaurant called Caracoles, up in the mountains near our house in

C O L U M N

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Spain. After a tortuous drive (I walked the last 500 yards, I was so scared), boy did we need lunch. Thin slices of aubergine were fried until golden in the lightest of tempura batter, then drizzled generously with Miel de Cana (sugar cane honey) or molasses, a very local speciality. They were the best ones I have eaten.

THREE

Chicken Pot Pie

And so winter is upon us - this definitely calls for warming, comfort food. I love homemade chicken pie; the meat sautéed in butter with onion, and then finished in a white sauce with petit pois, chopped parsley and tarragon, and a touch of white wine.

Adding baby carrots and celeriac gives this pie a rich, sweet flavour, and - even better - it can all be prepared a day before eating. Top with crisp golden pastry, and serve with creamy mashed potatoes. Scrummy.

known as golden chanterelles), and spinach. The girolles have a wonderful apricot-ty smell, and earthy flavours that pair well with the meat.

FIVE

Christmas Cake

Yes it's that time again. I adore Christmas cake and I adore marzipan, so this cake is heaven to me, and I have used this classic recipe from Delia Smith's Christmas book, over and over. It's rich and dark and moist - I also add a spoon of both rosewater and orange flower water as an extra touch. As with all cooking, buy the best ingredients you can. I get my (whole) fruit peel from buywholefoodsonline. co.uk, and I feed the cake with copious amounts of brandy every week, before the marzipan goes on. Swirls of Delia's Royal Icing go on next, and then my 1960s cake decorations, collected over the years, that take me straight back to many a childhood Christmas.

FOUR

Beef Tagliata

A visit to London, to the Royal Academy and Sotheby’s, for a morning of art, followed by lunch with my son at Cecconi’s; a glam, busy, buzzy Italian restaurant where everything is always good. I loved my main course of fabulous (grilled) Beef Tagliata. It`s basically flank steak tenderised with lemon juice and garlic and dressed in the cooking juices. This was served with late-picked, wild girolles (also

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Madrid -

T R A V E L

S AV O U R

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T H E

Spanish flavour How would you spend 48 hours in Madrid?

Mark Nicholls spent the best part of it savouring the flavours of the Spanish capital

Madrid

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"Just off Madrid’s grand square of Plaza Mayor is the Mercardo de San Miguel, a fabulous food market where you can find Spain’s finest cuisine"

PLAZA MAYOR

IT IS A SUMPTUOUS Aladdin’s Cave of culinary treasure. Just off Madrid’s grand square of Plaza Mayor is the Mercardo de San Miguel, a fabulous food market where you can find Spain’s finest cuisine; from tapas and paella, sausage, seafood, fresh fruit, breads, cheeses and gourmet snacks, through to wine and coffee.

Feel free to wander through mesmerising aisles, tasting olives and oysters, or sit at a bar with a glass of wine in hand as you take a break from savouring the old heart of the Spanish capital.

T R A V E L

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We had headed to Madrid for a weekend break in mid-October when the temperature was still mild and pleasant.

Having checked into the stylish Barceló Emperatriz hotel in the Salamanca district, we hopped aboard the Madrid metro at nearby Gregorio Maranon for Caello and emerged into a jewel of an autumn day.

It’s a short walk to the city’s centrepiece square, the impressive Plaza Mayor, where we ambled before sitting in the sunshine with a coffee, watching street entertainers, eaves-

BARCELÓ EMPERATRIZ

dropping the drifting tones of tour guides for a smidgeon of history and then listened to the local police brass band.

But above all, it is a place to sit, take time, people watch and absorb the atmosphere.

Streets lead off in different directions but a popular route – perhaps subconsciously lured by aromas and flavours – takes you into the temptations offered by the Mercado de San Miguel.

It’s a place to shop, relax, snack and enjoy; wander past stalls selling smoothies, those with olives piled high, and then be faced with the dilemma of which paella to sample.

Before me were four grand platters: paella negra, a black paella with squid, shrimp, and pepper - and given its unmistakeable pallor with squid ink; paella costra, a meat paella with chorizo, sausage, and chicken; paella de verdure, the vegetable paella with green beans, carrots, peas and pepper; and my favourite, the arroz abanda.

This is a seafood paella with squid, shrimp, red peppers, clams and peppers. It was great value and wonderfully tasty at four euro for a small plate, or seven euro for a larger plate, and customers were queueing up to take some home for lunch.

Within the Mercado de San Miguel – a relatively small market but a place where you can easily spend the afternoon - you can sample all kinds of seafood, from mini crab rolls, langoustines, whelks, sea urchins, prawns, shrimp, and oysters - with or without a glass of Cava.

The market is a place to graze, tasting food from different stalls and vendors.

Close by in central Madrid there are many small squares, often with tables laid out with people eating tapas and an accordion player or classical guitarist wandering among the diners.

Middle of nowhere, centre of everywhere!

Fresh, local and seasonal is our ethos here at the Saracen’s Head, so come and enjoy a delicious, locally sourced meal with us See us featured in the Norfolk Table Cookbook Lunch orders will be taken from 12-2pm.

Dinner from 6.30 to 8.30pm except Sundays and Mondays 6.30-8pm

For further information or to make a booking call us on 01263 768909 or email info@saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk

www.saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk

Fresh, local and seasonal is our ethos here at the Saracens. Being in the middle of nowhere is the perfect excuse to come and enjoy a meal whilst you explore this wonderful part of North Norfolk. Our full menu is available every day, lunch and dinner and in addition we have our summer lunch menu from Monday to Saturday. Sunday lunches are very special and we offer the most delicious roast rump of Blickling reared beef.

If it’s too far to travel for a meal, why not stay the night and make a quick break of it!

Summer Opening Times In July & August we will be open 7 days a week this summer Lunch orders will be taken from 12.00 to 2.30 Dinner from 6.30 to 9.00, except Sundays and Mondays 6.30 to 8.30

Madrid

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T R A V E L -

Mark and Sharon Nicholls stayed at the Barceló Emperatriz, Calle Lopez de Hoyos, 4 (Junto al Paseo de la Castellana) MADRID 28006, tel. 0034 913 42 24 90. For more information visit www. barcelo.com/ barcelohotels/ en_gb/hotels/ spain/madri

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As a city of opera, you will also see string quartets or sopranos singing on street corners and a baritone voice echoing down an alleyway.

The walk from Plaza Mayor takes you down to the immense cathedral which sits opposite the Royal Palace, while just across the park, where you will find more musicians, street performers or artists capturing a flavour of the capital, is the imposing Opera house.

But Madrid is more than its old heart with wonderful museums and galleries; enjoy the works of Spanish and other European masters in The Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, or the Reina Sofia which hosts Picasso’s Guernica.

We walked through the pedestrianised streets from the Opera House, lined with shops, back towards Sol, stopping on our way in a quiet square, enjoying a glass of wine, before dipping into the Metro and returning to Salamanca and back to the five-star Barceló Emperatriz.

The hotel opened in January 2016 in the 19th century building which blends into the chic surroundings of the small boutiques, embassies and elegant streets, and is close to the tree-lined Paseo de la Castellana promenade.

It is inspired by the life of Eugenia de Montijo, the last Spanish empress.

Note the colour scheme of violet, her favourite colour, with the hotel remodelled to match the character of

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this ‘cosmopolitan, intellectual and visionary personality’, who was the wife of Napoleon III. With 146 rooms fitted and decorated with avant-garde furniture and two suites, named after Napoleon and Eugenia, there is a bar and roof terrace with small pool and a gym.

The hotel’s Mutis restaurant – which is also popular with non-residents - offers an exquisite buffet breakfast and a select dinner menu reflective of the seasons.

We enjoyed the chargrilled octopus with creamy avocado and Pico de Gallo sauce, the foie terrine with dried fruit tiles, goat’s cheese and sun-dried tomato ravioli with a walnut cream and the veal fillet steak with courgette tagliatelle.

Whether you dine in or out, Madrid is a city to explore at your leisure and also spend time savouring its flavours as you amble through the Spanish capital.

REINA SOFIA

PICTURE BY

STEPHEN MOLE

visit www.stephenmolephotos.com

FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS The Sea Marge has lots to offer over the Christmas period, with special meals for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, and mini breaks available.

A festive menu is also being served throughout the month which is suitable for both couples and groups. Call 01263 579579

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Sea Marge S T A Y C A T I O N

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A C LI F F TO P RE TRE AT

The Edwardian Sea Marge has an intriguing history of politics, spying and neglect but now welcomes guests with a very warm embrace. Sarah Hardy steps inside VISIT

OVERSTRAND, tucked right next door to Cromer, is in a lovely little corner of Norfolk. With the likes of Northrepps and Sidestrand, it remains almost undiscovered despite having Cromer and Mundesley within just a few minutes’ easy drive.

So, and especially at this time of year, you get those wonderful beaches, the cliff walks and undulating (for Norfolk) countryside to enjoy at a gentle pace.

It’s a fabulous area for dog owners, with glorious walks along the Paston Way and, of course, the Norfolk Coast path.

There are some gems to call in at for R&R, whether you’re after a pint, quick lunch or weekend away - and our home base was Sea Marge, an evocative 25-bedroom hotel right in the heart of the village.

It has a noble history, which reflects the area’s rich heritage, and is immediately striking. It was built at the turn of the century by a wealthy London-based banker called Sir Edgar Speyer, and was his much loved home for many years. No expense was spared in its creation, with Elizabethan oaks, tiles and beams used throughout and glorious grounds, right on the cliff edge, created.

Much remains today and is celebrated by the hotel owners, Marc and Liz Mackenzie, who bought the property in 1995. They also own The Dales and The Links, two more hotels in the area.

It is a comfortable, relaxing place, with staff who ‘go the extra mile’ to help guests - so it’s no wonder many keep coming back and back, often, apparently, requesting their favourite bedroom.

And it still feels like a country house rather than a formal hotel and, as it is more than 100 years old, it has many original features, with fireplaces, sloping walls, ceiling roses, and plenty of nooks and crannies.

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www.mackenziehotels.com

There is much wood panelling and wonderful oak floors, plus leaded windows and period furniture throughout - look out for an impressive clock in reception.

There is plenty of space, with bedrooms over the top two floors and an adjoining house, and lots of different rooms for guests to enjoy - with most having wonderful sea views.

My favourite spot is the Clement Scott bar and well, it is easy to see why.

It looks like a baronial hall, complete with a minstrels’ gallery and huge fireplace where a woodburner pumps out some heat. It is said that Sir Edgar liked to hold private musical recitals as his wife was a musician and it must have been wonderful!

HISTORY The history of Sea Marge is fascinating. Built by Sir Edgar Speyer, a German banker, in the early 1900s, the half timbered building was one of several in the area created by the rich and famous as seaside retreats.

One famous early visitor was Sir Winston Churchill, who liked to stay at a nearby cottage. He used the telephone at Sea Marge as it was the only one in the village - and is said to have mobilised the country’s fleet as the First World War broke out from the house, before quickly heading back to London. The war caused problems for Sir Edgar as he was a friend of the Kaiser and hence fell under suspicion of spying - of using Sea Marge to signal to German submarines! He was stripped of his knighthood and British nationality, and deported.

Sea Marge went on to become a hotel during the Second World War, then a care home and was derelict for several years before the MacKenzies arrived

Now it’s just the spot to sip a pint of Woodforde’s and enjoy lunch - which we did after having our hound on the beach for a morning walk. The menu is packed with local produce, especially fish, and meat is provided by HV Graves from Melton Constable. I enjoyed a healthy portion of whitebait and then a great lamb dish, with a lovely herby crust, and red wine sauce. It came with a little portion of shepherd’s pie, served in an individual pan, which was a fun touch.

Himself, enjoying the stately surroundings, went for a sweet potato and cumin soup with toasted naan bread, another little touch, and then that great British classic - fish and chips!

I wanted to try the puddings, all in the name of the research of course, so tackled a toffee apple and rhubarb crumble, served with both ice cream and sauce anglaise. The diet is definitely on hold! There’s also a formal restaurant, which holds an AA Rosette, called Frazer’s, where head chef Shane Falconer produces yet more ambitious dishes such as sea trout, lobster and fillet of beef, plus, at this time of year, game from local estates. The wine list is also comprehensive.

A sitting room where you can enjoy coffee and catch up with the newspapers and a further little dining room, where you might like a private party, complete the downstairs.

Bedrooms have all the mod cons you might need plus plenty of character, and many have their own sitting rooms, including The Look Out which, along with a spa bath, has outstanding views out to sea. I loved it!

Indeed, Sea Marge is really quite beguiling - the history is tangible and you rather feel as if you are entering another world of drama, elegance and a certain something!

THE MONTH OF DECEMBER

can’t pass us by without mentioning sprouts.

There is no better time than Christmas to cook up a side dish which will undoubtedly start the love or hate them conversation.

Sprouts are part of the Brassica family which includes cabbage, kale and broccoli. There are many nutty and sweet tasting varieties now which are full of vitamins C, B and K, antioxidants and protein, are low in calories, and help to fight cancer. Forget those strong tasting sprouts you ate as a child and give them another try for their superb taste and abundance of goodness.

This month our kitchen gardener Ellen Mary tells us all about the growing and eating of love ’em or hate ’em sprouts!

sIde ordEr

Winter Vegetables G R O W

Y O U R

O W N

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, ‘BEDFORD – WINTER HARVEST’

SPROUTS date back to the 1200s, and our more modern day sprouts are rumoured to have originated in Belgium in the late 1500s, although there continue to be questions surrounding that. They are incredibly interesting vegetables to grow, as the tall stalks hold the small cabbage shaped sprouts as they grow. They look really quite stunning on the allotment, and buying a whole stalk from a local farm shop, if you don’t grow your own, is always hugely satisfying. There are many varieties available now but ‘Bedford Winter Harvest’ produces lovely large sprouts and is reliable for a good crop from early autumn to Christmas.

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

How to grow

SOW Sow your seeds under cover and transplant them to their final growing position between May and June. Even though they grow tall, they do need plenty of room so leave 60cm between each plant and 75cm between each row. They are hungry plants so make sure the soil has plenty of well-rotted manure added.

GROW Sprouts benefit from an extra feed in the summer, and mound soil up around the base in early autumn to prevent them from falling over in bad weather. Keep the birds off by netting them and if you use a finer mesh, it may stop white butterflies from laying eggs on the plants. Use cabbage root collars at the base of each stalk, which help to keep other pests and diseases away.

HARVEST Sprouts always taste better after they’ve seen the first frosts, which means it’s time to start snapping off the sprouts from the lowest part of the stalk and working your way upwards. At the end of the season the sprout tops can be harvested and eaten as well.

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ELLEN MARY

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

ROASTED SPROUTS with GARLIC, LEMON and PARMESAN

Overcooking sprouts produces a horrid smell, so avoid cooking them too much. They can be boiled, roasted, grilled or sautéed and tossed in with pancetta and walnuts, but this recipe enticed my husband to like sprouts again, so it’s worth a go if you have someone at the table who isn’t so keen. Plus it’s simple and quick, meaning you can concentrate on the festivities rather than spending ages cooking.

Serves Four

INGREDIENTS Freshly picked Brussels sprouts; 3 garlic cloves; a splash of olive oil; 1 lemon; grated Parmesan; salt and pepper to taste METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C�2. Dry the sprouts after washing them then cut them in half lengthways 3.

Mix them in a bowl with the crushed garlic, olive oil and then squeeze the lemon and toss the mix 4. Lay them onto a baking tray and add some salt and pepper 5. Put them in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown and give them a good shake half way through 6. Serve your sprouts with another squeeze of lemon juice and cover with grated Parmesan 7. Have a great Christmas!

E TO

Competition

CHANC

WIN!

IN THE MIX

Feast Norfolk has teamed up with John Lewis to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Smeg stand mixer worth £299.95!

FROM THE VIVID COLOURS inspired

by Pop Art, to the rounded retro lines, the Smeg 50s Retro Style collection is a modern interpretation of traditional appliances with a touch of typical Smeg design: a passion for innovation and for appliances as objects to be shown-off.

The Small Domestic Appliances collection includes two and four slice toasters, kettles, blender, slow juicer and stand mixer, each designed with Smeg’s iconic 50s curvaceous lines and available in up to seven colour variants.

Smeg’s SMF01 stand mixer is featured with a die-cast aluminium body, high polished stainless steel bowl with a capacity of 4.8l. The tilt head mechanism

and the anti-slip feet make it perfect, ergonomically. Plus the mixer features variable speed control (10 steps with soft start) and an 800w direct drive motor.

What’s more, Smeg’s SMF01 mixers also include a range of accessories such as a stainless steel wire whisk, aluminium flat beater, aluminium dough hook and a plastic bowl cover.

And Smeg’s SMF01 stand mixers are available in pastel pink, green, blue, cream, red, black and silver.

And the best part of all this? We’re giving one away! If you don’t win, the Smeg stand mixer is available to buy from your local John Lewis, or online, www.johnlewis.com

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HOW TO ENTER

To enter our competition, simply answer the following question:

Smeg’s SMF01 stand mixer comes in how many colours?

Send your answer, your name, address and a daytime telephone number to competitions@ feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk You can also enter by visiting our Facebook page and simply liking and sharing the competition.

Normal Feast Norfolk rules apply and the editor’s decision is final. The closing date is December 31 2016.

Reader Recipe

GIVE IT

CLOoT

CLOOTIE DUMPLING

Fiona Clark, who lives near Cromer, shares her Aunt Jessie's recipe for an alternative Christmas cake

INGREDIENTS 115g of margarine or shredded suet (Jessie thinks marge makes a lighter dumpling); 225g of self-raising flour; 115g of oatmeal; 1tsp of mixed spice; 1tsp of ground cinnamon; 1tsp of ground ginger; ¼tsp of sea salt; ¼tsp of ground mace; 175g of caster sugar, plus 1tbsp for sprinkling; 100g of sultanas; 75g of currants; 75g of chopped stoned dates (optional); 50g of raisins; 1 apple coarsely grated; 1tbsp of black treacle; 1 medium egg; 150ml of buttermilk To prepare the ‘clout’ 1tbsp of heaped plain flour and 1tbsp of caster sugar

Serves 8-10

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

SOME

METHOD Sift the flour and rub in the margarine or (suet) in a large mixing bowl. Add all the dry ingredients including the salt, spices, sugar and dried fruits and mix gently with a large wooden spoon. Create a well in the centre of the mixture and incorporate the treacle and egg. Pour in the buttermilk cautiously (you may not need it all) until the batter reaches a soft cake-like dropping consistency.

Now, the fun begins because Jessie prefers the traditional method of using a pudding cloth to hold the dumpling. Note: A clean tea towel or a piece of muslin also works just as well. Jessie dips her cloth in boiling water and then squeezes the excess water out before lightly sprinkling the heaped tablespoon of plain flour followed by the tablespoon of caster sugar, into a rough circle of about 30 cm diameter, extending from the centre of the wet cloth. Pour the batter into the centre of the cloth, gathering the cloth together as you do so. Leave some space at the top before tying the cloth off with string. The additional space allows for some expansion during cooking.

Place a saucer or plate in the bottom of a large saucepan and stand the dumpling mixture bound in the cloth (knot-side up) on top before covering with boiling water. Simmer gently for a minimum of 3 hours, regularly checking water levels and topping up, if necessary. Preheat your oven to 180 °C/350 °F/Gas 4 as the simmering time reaches 3 hours. Lift the pudding out of the pan, briefly dipping it in a bowl of cold water. This process helps to prevent the outside of the pudding sticking to the cloth and also to the oven proof serving plate you will transfer it to. Once on the serving plate carefully remove the ‘clout’ and pop the dumpling into the oven for 15 minutes. The quick bake helps to dry the dumpling off and also to form a lovely, chewy ‘skin’.

You can serve your dumpling warm in chunks laced with cream or custard or with a tot of your favourite single malt whisky. Also, don’t forget to try a slice fried off with eggs, bacon and a square slice of Lorne sausage!

Properly stored your dumpling can be kept as long as a traditional Christmas cake.

Chris Coughlan -

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P O O C S ww w.l ake nha mc rea me ry.c o.u k

CHRIS COUGHLAN OF LAKENHAM CREAMERY IN NORWICH TELLS US ALL ABOUT THE NEW CHRISTMAS FLAVOURS AND USE OF DOUBLE CREAM Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Chris Coughlan, managing director of Lakenham Creamery, and we make Norfolk County Fresh Cream Ice Cream, The Aldous range of Ice Creams and Eileen’s Diabetic Ice Cream.

Tell us about your business We’re an artisan ice cream maker based in Norwich. We supply restaurants, gastropubs, delis and food retailers throughout East Anglia. We’ve also had a stall (no 8) at the front of Norwich Market since the 1930s.

A noble history?

The business was established in 1921. The Aldous brand has been well recognised as part of Norwich history. In its heyday, our market stall would serve 3000 ice creams on a Saturday. Extraordinary when you think we only produced two flavours then: Strawberry and Vanilla. The skill of making the ice cream has passed down through a handful of makers throughout the company’s history. It is still a small tightly knit team who operate the business and make our Norfolk County Ice Cream the success it is today.

What's your USP? We use fresh cream as our base as you would if you were making it at

home. We do not use milk blends or powders as would be used by the majority of ice cream makers. We also age the custards in the same vats as when the factory opened.

Like priceless violins, the vats seem to produce a better flavour now than they have ever done.

Ice cream in December? Surely not?

December is a very busy time for us. Ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to the crumbles and hot steam puddings eaten at this time of year.

Our Norfolk County Range is a luxury brand that sits very well amongst the chocolate and desserts normally sold at Christmas which makes it something to get excited about over the holiday period. We also produce a particular range of flavours that we only release in the run up to Christmas such as Zabaglione and Apricot and Brandy.

We have also introduced a new winter flavour this year: Spiced Orange and Cranberry – which was very well received at The Restaurant Show 2016.

Any new flavours?

As well as the Spiced Orange and Cranberry, we have launched two other flavours in 2016 both of which have proved extremely popular: Mascarpone and Fig won two stars at this year’s Great Taste

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Awards - the judging panel described it as ‘the best thing they’d eaten all day!’ which we were very pleased with.

Vanilla and Pecan Crunch has also proved to be a hit.

What are your future plans?

To keep producing the highest quality ice creams for our loyal customers, and innovate with new flavours and ingredients. Keep it local as far as we possibly can. Hopefully gain a few more awards (we currently have 28 Great Taste Awards) and make our Norfolk County ice cream brand the most ‘reached for’ in the frozen section in the local delicatessens.

Are there any real no nos? Any flavour that just hasn't worked?

Luckily these normally stay amongst friends and in the tasting room.

However, as tastes change and palates develop there are some flavours whose popularity seems to wax and wane. One example would be our Christmas Pudding Ice Cream which we haven’t produced this year as we thought that had gone completely out of fashion…and then typically everyone has just started asking for it.

Will there be a spot of ice cream involved in your Christmas lunch?

It’s more an afternoon/late night treat when you can enjoy it with your favourite Christmas movie…alone…. and in peace!

L O C A L LY S O U R C E D F R E S H F O O D

D E C E M B E R M E N U £ 3 9 . 9 5 • F R E E PA R K I N G

CARROW ROAD NORWICH

01603 218705 deliascanarycatering.co.uk/delias