aboutsuffolk magazine - summer 22

about suffolk

Summer 22 Issue Sixteen Look no further than aboutsuffolk, the local magazine that packs a Suffolk punch!

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welcome to our summer issue of aboutsuffolk

about us

Welcome to our summer issue of aboutsuffolk magazine, a fabulous edition showcasing the very best that Suffolk has to offer. It is bursting with ideas of where to go this summer, whether it be a trip to the seaside, Shakespeare under the stars at Sutton Hoo or exploring the new wetland reserve at Carlton Marshes, where you might just hear the booming bittern.

We have rails of stylish outfits, top tips for looking after your skin, and some great additions for your home and garden. We get to admire impressive sculptures, sample delicious pastries, get soggy bottoms in Beccles, and even take a trip to the hospital in Southwold – don’t worry, nobody was hurt in the making of this magazine!

So, pour yourself a glass of something cold, pop on your sunnies and enjoy.

Sarah & Kathy

Editorial Kathy Churchill Sales Sarah Clarke

aboutmedia info@aboutmedia.co.uk 01728 666352 www.aboutmedia.co.uk

Designer Lucy Hart

lucy@silverlacecreative.co.uk www.silverlacecreative.co.uk

Images Big Fish Photography: www.bigfishphotgraphy.com E: bigfishphotography@googlemail.com

0 WIaN £10

nd Win to spe in r che nchor u o v he A rswick T t a be Wal ge 63 Pa

If you would like to sign up to the weekly aboutfram e-newsletter, please subscribe at www.aboutmedia/aboutfram

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who’s about

contents

out & about about style about you about interiors

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about town 44

about time about the land

about design about gardens

about wine

6 Cast off the chains

28 Get the look

We go behind the scenes of the upcoming open-air production of Macbeth with Jo Carrick of the Red Rose Chain Theatre Company.

Stylish ideas for restyling your home.

12 Out & About A round up of local events.

16 Fashion fix Summer florals and cool vibes that are hot to trot!

about food

18 Summer proof

about taste

22 Ward winning space

round & about

Summer essentials for looking fabulous from sun-up to sundown!

How the old hospital at Southwold has been transformed into a stylish multi-functional community space.

32 about town Breaking stories of new events, opportunities and destinations from around Suffolk.

34 about time We take time out in Aldeburgh and explore all it has to offer.

40 A living landscape We explore Carlton Marshes, a landscape that has been reinvented and rejuvenated to become a thriving wetland reserve.

who’s about out & about about style about you

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about interiors

about town 74

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44 Figuratively speaking

64 At a pinch

Tobias Ford’s sculptures have a wonderful sense of poise and balance. We visit his studio at Butley Creek to meet them in person.

Chatting to Alice Norman over coffee and crullers at her fabulous new café, Pinch.

54 Outdoor living Setting the scene for lazy afternoons in the garden.

57 Glad tidings The gorgeous gladiolus is having a revival, so fall back in love with these showy spires.

63 Competition Time Your chance to win a £100 voucher for The Anchor in Walberswick.

70 about taste East meets West!

72 Loobyeh A summer dish of green beans, tomatoes and garlic.

74 A paddle to the pub We take a flotilla up the Waveney from Beccles to the Locks Inn at Geldeston for a paddle and a pint.

70 Stockists Where to buy all the lovely stuff!

about time about the land

about design about gardens

about wine about food about taste round & about 3

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who’s about

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Cast off the chains

who’s about

After a two-year absence, Theatre in the Forest is returning to thrill audiences with an open-air production of ‘Macbeth’ at its new home, the wonderfully atmospheric Sutton Hoo. We go behind the scenes with the director, and founder of the Red Rose Chain Theatre Company, Jo Carrick, to find out more.

Jo’s Theatre Company has its creative hub at the Avenue Theatre in Ipswich and on the day we visit, rehearsals are in full swing for the up-coming production of Macbeth, performed

by Red Rose Chain at Theatre in the Forest.

Jo first brought the delights of Shakespeare to the Suffolk countryside in 2000 and over the years, productions have taken place against the brooding backdrop of Rendlesham Forest and deep in the woods at Jimmy’s Farm, but this year she is excited to be bringing the magic of live theatre to the mystical AngloSaxon burial site at Sutton Hoo. “The National Trust has been so enthusiastic and supportive

of the move, and the brand-new auditorium is being designed by the brilliant team at 59 Productions, who were behind the video design of the opening ceremony of the Olympics. It is a great collaboration as we are all passionate about making this experience accessible for everyone and can’t wait to welcome audiences to this amazing new space.”

Inclusion is at the core of everything that the Red Rose Chain stands for, and the theatre company was originally founded to provide an artistic platform for marginalised and disabled people. “For over twenty years we have put 7

who’s about

inclusion and accessibility at the centre of our work here, working alongside disadvantaged young people, life sentence prisoners, and giving a voice to young learning-disabled actors and adults with disabilities and mental health issues.” Jo is never afraid to tackle sensitive issues head-on and in the aftermath of the Suffolk murders in 2013, encouraged a group of young women living on the streets of Ipswich to write a play about their shared experiences. “The power of self-expression should not be underestimated. Writing about their fears, drug addictions and troubled lives gave those women back the control they felt they had lost, and for some that was the motivation they needed to get off the streets and get clean.”

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As well as various outreach programmes, at the theatre Jo and her team run three different programmes. ACT is a company for adults with learning difficulties or for those struggling with mental illness or addition and produces powerful performances that challenge the audience’s preconceptions of their abilities.

The youth theatre group is called The Chainers, and Jo runs a ‘no fees, no audition’ policy to ensure everyone feels welcome. “We want to provide a safe space where these young people can develop their social skills and through performance boost confidence and self-esteem.

We also offer them the opportunity to volunteer at our professional productions which is great fun and brilliant for building their belief in themselves.”

who’s about

The third group is called The Gold Chainers, a remarkable bunch of young people with learning difficulties who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is expected of them.

As Jo and I chat in the garden at Avenue Theatre, the cast of Macbeth is having lunch and their hubbub of excited discussions, laughter and creativity drifts across the lawn.

Jo smiles, as for her this is a very special sound, and one much missed through lockdown. “The pandemic was tough, but we were determined to maintain the support we offer our groups.

It was vital that our members knew we were here for them during that time, so we quickly readjusted the way we worked by holding drama workshops online, creating zoom performances and writing together digitally.”

Jo has been impressed by the quality of work that has emerged and is looking forward to tackling the issues raised in a series of powerful new plays.

Having the rehearsal room full again is a testament to the joy that everyone - of all ages and all abilities - finds in creative performance.

That feeling of letting go and not being judged is a wonderful thing, one that is often hard to accomplish in the real world, but here, under Jo’s careful direction, it would seem all things are possible.

Macbeth 27th July-20th August.

If you are interested in finding out more about any of the groups, please visit the website for details of how to get involved. www.redrosechain.com 9

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out & about

July 1st-31st Aug: Theatre in the Woods

Exhibition

Music, comedy and drama in the woodland setting of Thorington Theatre.

Full programme www.thoringtontheatre.co.uk

Wingfield Barns www.wingfieldbarns.com

16th: Framlingham Horse Show

Daily concerts to enjoy at the world famous Snape Concert Hall. www.brittenpearsarts.org

A traditional horse show in the grounds of Framlingham Castle.

20th-6th Aug: A Unique Sense of Place An exhibition of work to celebrate artist, Graham Giles’ eighty years behind the easel. The Old Theatre, Framlingham.

23rd: The Armada Reaches Rendham Riotous fun from the Rendham Mummers. The Park, Rendham. 7.30pm

31st-31st Aug: Summer at Snape

August 2nd: The Three Musketeers An incredible mix of adventure, magical music, comedy and swashbuckling sword fights. Aldeburgh Summer Theatre. www.cambridgetouringproductions.co.uk

7th: The Festival of Classic & Sports Cars Feel the need for speed at Helmingham Hall.

24th: India Electric Co.

10th: Cinderella

“A veritable musical magpie’s nest” - BBC Radio 3. Supper and live music at Folk at the Froize. 6pm.

Be enchanted at the open-air theatre at Framlingham Castle. 7.30pm. www.chapterhouse.org

27th-20th Aug: Theatre in the Forest

11th-13th: Vintage Poster Pop-up

The Red Rose Chain brings Macbeth to the magical setting of Sutton Hoo. www.redrosechain.com

Hosted by Projekt 26 at East of Eden. 9-5pm.

29th-31st: Primadonna Festival A weekend of talks, books, music and inspirational women at The Food Museum, Stowmarket.

30th: The Tempest 12

30th-4th Sept: International Mini Print

A short Shakespeare play by Circle 67 at Sibton White Horse. 7.30pm. Free admission.

11th-14th: Framlingham Art Society Exhibition Wonderful display of local artist’s work. The Old Theatre, Framlingham.

13th-14th: Art on the Rails Local artists display their work on the promenade at Gun Hill, Southwold. 10am-4pm.

out & about

14th: Horse & Dog Show

September

Family fun at the Suffolk Punch Trust. Entries can be taken on the day.

1st-7th: Lyz Gardner & Anna Osborne

14th: King Arthur

An exhibition of paintings and textiles. Quay Gallery, Snape Maltings.

Fun and farcical re-telling of the Arthurian Legend with tap dancing horses, baguette fights & mediocre magic. www.cambridgetouringproductions.co.uk

16th-21st: Summer pop-up Vintage Kanthas, pouffes, textiles, handcrafted jewellery and antique treasures. The Corner Room, Framlingham.

19th-21st: FolkEast Folk-filled fun festival for all the family. Glemham Hall. www.folkeast.co.uk

20th: Free and Company Classic rock sounds from the late 60's and early 70's. Fisher Theatre, Bungay. 7.30pm.

21st: Beccles Antique Market 100 stalls of retro, antiques and collectibles. Beccles Quay from 8am.

24th: Pride and Prejudice Meet Mr Darcy at the open-air theatre at Framlingham Castle.

7.30pm. www.chapterhouse.org

3rd: A Band Called Malice The definitive tribute act to The Jam. Fisher Theatre, Bungay.

7.30pm.

10th-11th: Art on the Rails Local artists display their work on the promenade at Gun Hill, Southwold. 10am-4pm.

17th: Songbird The Music of Fleetwood Mac - an homage to their incredible music. The Cut, Halesworth. 7.30pm.

17th: Flipside This arts festival returns with the theme ‘World in Motion: journeys, exile, migration and flight’. www.flipside.org

18th: Autumn Plant Fair with Artisan Market The perfect day out at Helmingham Hall Gardens.

24th-25th: Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival Demonstrations, talks, stalls, markets - the best produce East Anglia has to offer. Snape Maltings.

25th-31st: Two Views Patricia Lomaz and Wendy Barlow: Two local artists with differing views of the world. The Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings.

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Fashion fix

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1. Giraffe dress Dream On £45

4. Natural world sneakers Joli £62

2. GM Frida Dress collated £65

5. Coral summer dress Dream @ Collen and Clare £85

3. Barts Amurat Hat Part Two sunnies Fleur £26.99 / £29.95

6. Orla necklace Alba Jewellery £80

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7. Pretty dressing down Ruby Tyger £55 8. Beach ready No.10 Market Hill 9. Ditsy dress & cardy O & C Butcher £95 / £165 10. Birkenstocks John Ives From £65 11. Kool kaftan Wandering Bee From £45

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12. Barbour Maddi shorts Out and About £49.95

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13. Indi and cold floral blouse Phoebe and Flo £45 14. Larimar necklace Silver Sun Jewellery £75

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Lock lustre about you

Whether you are staying in sunny Suffolk or heading abroad this summer, make sure you remember to look after your hair. Aveda’s Sun Care range has been specially formulated to protect your hair from the sun’s harmful UV rays as well as the effects of chlorine and sea salt. The range includes a Sun Care Hair and Body Cleanser (£21.50), Sun Care After-sun Hair Masque (£27.50) and a Sun Care Protective Hair Veil (£23).

Brilliant used together, with this trio you can wave goodbye to split ends once the sun goes down.

Available from Carley Hill Hair

Turning tides Caudalie Vinosun Ocean Protect SPF50 (£19) offers maximum UVA/UVB protection for your face and neck with a formula enriched with antioxidants for a non-sticky, super lightweight texture that soothes even sensitive skin. Made from grape seed polyphenols - powerful antioxidants that help reduce antiageing - epicea to strengthen the skin’s defence system and Vitamin E, it is water resistant and fragrance free, and is also reef-safe as it is free from oxybenzone, octinoxate and nanoparticles. Definitely one to add to the packing list this summer.

Available from Collen and Clare

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This is Essential After a day in the sun, your skin will thank you for a slathering of Neal’s Yard delicious Rejuvenating Frankincense Hydrating Cream (£24). Beautifully light, this best-selling organic moisturiser is packed with rejuvenating frankincense and myrrh essential oils that will keep your skin soft and hydrated for 24 hours.

about you

If you love this, then also try the Rejuvenating Frankincense Facial Mist (£13), perfect for popping in your handbag for when you need a spray of cooling mist of aloe vera and essential oils to refresh and instantly hydrate your skin.

Time out If you need some time out, why not book a Spa Day at Retreat East. Set amongst 35 acres of grounds, with exquisite facilities, your day is all about relaxation and includes a 60-min treatment, one-hour private use of the spa facilities – sauna, steam room, cold plunge experience and rain forest showers – one-hour use of the hot tub, and a delicious two-course lunch.

With treatments such as Muscle Melt Massage, Radiance & Vitality Facial, Moisture Replenish Facial, and a Gel Manicure or Pedicure, the hardest part of your day will be choosing!

Spa Day 10am-5pm Monday – Saturday £119 Sunday £129 www.retreateast.co.uk

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about interiors

Ward winning space

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about interiors

Tucked away on a quiet backstreet in Southwold, a Victorian hospital has been transformed into a thriving community space known as the Old Hospital Hub. We take a tour of this enterprising new space, which includes a library, stylish co-working rooms, a vibrant café, affordable housing and a day nursery.

On the sunny terrace at the front of the Old Hub, we meet Jessica de Grazia Jeans, one of the driving forces behind the rescue and revitalisation of this historic old building. It has been beautifully restored, the red brick elevations freshly repointed, the sash windows brought back to life, and sharply pitched eaves given a lick of bright green paint. The hospital was originally opened in the early 1900s, being transferred over to the NHS after its creation in 1948, and it served the town of Southwold for more than sixty years. The wards eventually closed and in 2015 the NHS made the decision to sell, which meant that the hospital was under

threat of demolition and the site redeveloped as luxury flats. The local community quickly sprung to its defence and an action group, originally called Save our Southwold but now known as SouthGen, was formed.

It was an ambitious project and there were two fraught years of negotiations, public consultations and fund-raising campaigns.

The group formed a partnership with Hastoe Housing Association, which allowed them to buy the hospital, and raised over a million pounds through grants and a hugely successful community share offer. “We set up a pop-up on the high street to make sure we 23

about interiors

communicated with the whole of the local community with the aim of raising £125K over four weeks. We hit our target in four days and by the end had secured over £400K. The support was overwhelming.” It was important for everyone to keep the fabric of the old hospital intact, but a modern extension has been cleverly integrated by Modece Architects, pioneers in environmentally sustainable architecture, who have sensitively redeveloped the site, transforming it into a community hub and affordable housing.

When I visit it is still a hive of activity, as although the Old Hub is officially open, the Canteen is still a work in progress, and under the supervision of award-winning local chef, Nicola Hordern, dishes are being tested and menus decided. It is a lovely light-filled space 24

with French doors that open to the terrace, where raised beds have cleverly been planted with a mix of flowers and herbs so Nicola can nip out for a sprig of rosemary or a snip of chives to finish her dishes. “I am creating a simple Mediterranean style menu using only seasonal produce from local suppliers such as Maple Farm, Fen Farm and sustainably caught fish from Mike Warner at a Passion for Seafood.” Along with her sous chef, Danni Jorden, and café manager, Michelle Dean, their challenge is to create dishes using the best quality ingredients but at the best possible price.

Leading off from the café, which is now open, you go through double doors to the library.

Again, this is a welcoming space which has been thoughtfully designed so that the bookcases can be freewheeled to the edge of

about interiors

the room, allowing it to be used for book clubs, and in a magical corner, a colourful reading booth is lit up with fairy lights and giant Nemo floor cushions can be pulled together so little ones can pour over their favourite book. Down a corridor you discover the contemporary and stylish co-working rooms. Called Southwold Works, there is one large communal space and two smaller meeting rooms separated by a partition that can be pulled back if required. The design is fresh, with simple lines and uncluttered eyelines, creating a calm working environment run on a membership-based system, allowing members use of the meeting rooms, Wi-Fi, printing facilities and 24/7 access.

out to young families, and I meet one of the mothers as she waits to collect her daughter from the nursery next door. “My daughter has settled in so well and we feel part of the community already. I work locally so can manage drop-off and collection myself and we love having the library and café on the doorstep.” SouthGen has given this historic building a new lease of life and the Old Hub is a model for how future developments should be build, especially in rural communities. The synergy between the shared spaces is inspirational as it allows the community to come together to work, play and eat as one, offering support, friendship and opportunity – the perfect blueprint for how modern societies should co-exist.

Above these community spaces are four affordable flats that have already been rented

The Canteen is open Wed-Sat: 9am-4pm www.oldhospitalhub.co.uk 25

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Get the look 1. Summer towels Barretts of Woodbridge £24

4. Funky artwork Hanna Buck £220

2. London Brick vases collated £36

5. Gorgeous cushions Happiness at Home

3. Valewood Studio boards East of Eden From £38

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6. Keraben ceramic tiles Just Tiles

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7. Bathroom indulgence Lark Interiors 8. Gluggle jugs Narwhal Interiors £10/£28/£36

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9. Interior inspiration ORLANDO’S 10. Polish pottery Traditional Pottery From £16 11. Dottir ceramics Vanil 12. Bathroom blues Woodbridge Interiors 13. Bunny lolly moulds Woodbridge Kitchen Company £5

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Life’s a beach about town

Beach Street Felixstowe is a unique dining and shopping community that is fast becoming one of Suffolk’s ‘hot-spots’.

Inspired by the ‘boxpark’ trend, Beach Street is created from Felixstowe’s own upcycled shipping containers that have been converted in fabulously funky independent boutiques, artisan shops, street-food eateries, cafes, and even a yoga studio. Launched in 2021, it has definitely found its vibe and has an exciting programme of events lined up this summer, including The Beach Street Spirit Festival, a charity Harley Davidson Ride Out, Artisan Markets, and DJ Sets every Saturday afternoon where you can relax in the sun listening to a mix-up of Funk, Soul, Disco, Rare Groove, Latin, House and Reggae whilst enjoying a cocktail and delicious street food.

Get on down! www.beachstreetfelixstowe.co.uk

Makes sense

Do you love to shop locally and support small businesses? Well, did you know that you can now find a great selection of beautiful, handmade Suffolk products at suffolksense, a new gift and craft shop situated in the heart of Wickham Market? It was set up by schoolfriends, Becki and Susie, who wanted to provide a welcoming space to showcase the talent of a diverse range of small creative businesses. Loving local, Becki and Susie are passionate about supporting mostly womenled businesses providing artisan, eco-friendly 32

products for sustainable living and well-being.

Individuals or creative collectives will also be able to highlight their work at The Studio adjoining the shop - which is available for hire.

With plenty of space for wall hangings and shelving for display, this airy, light room provides an excellent space to exhibit work or hold a workshop.

Pop in and see for yourself! www.suffolksense.co.uk

Cabin in the woods

about about interiors town

A unique sense of place Freedom Palette is a wonderful new business set up by Ruth Elliott offering luxury craft workshops for children aged 6-14. Based just outside Stowmarket, the workshops take place in a beautiful cabin set in idyllic surroundings which allow the children to take inspiration from nature and help them to express their innate talents for art and crafts - with a few fun challenges thrown in!

The cabin is equipped with exciting resources to encourage each child’s creativity and freedom of expression. Each session offers a range of activities including weaving, marbling, tie-dying, painting, drawing, sculpting, designing, decorating, art tutorials, pyrography, decoupage and much more, and at the end of the session, they can take home their own bespoke masterpieces to cherish. The sessions run for 2-4 hours and are available to book during school holidays, at weekends, and throughout term-time for home educated children. Prices start from £25 and spaces are limited to 6 children per session - all abilities welcome.

To book, please contact Ruth on 07710 779801, email freedompalette@outlook.com or message via Instagram @freedompalette22.

Acclaimed Suffolk landscape artist, Graham Giles turns eighty this year, and in celebration is holding a retrospective exhibition of his life’s work at the Old Theatre in Framlingham. He fell in love with Suffolk in 1962, after discovering it on his pushbike as a young art student with a landscape scholarship from the Royal Academy of Art. Graham finally returned in 1971 with his wife and fellow artist, Julie Giles, “We bought the disused village school of Monk Soham in remotest mid Suffolk and converted it into our home and studios. Fifty years later we are still here and never plan to move! This retrospective show is the biggest I have ever put on, filling the beautiful old theatre in Framlingham with work going back sixty years.”

‘A Unique Sense of Place | Graham Giles at 80’ is on from 20th July to 6th August.

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about time in…

Aldeburgh

about time

Its hinterland is dominated by the River Alde, which threads its way through the reed beds almost to the coast, and it is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, making it a great base for walking.

The shingle beach is dotted with a number of traditional fishing boats, their huts selling the daily catch, and with plentiful watering holes and options for overnighting, Aldeburgh is a wonderful place to pass the time of day, or night.

time for

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Home to the composer Benjamin Britten and now the centre of the international Aldeburgh Festival of arts at nearby Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh draws visitors from far and wide.

Aldeburgh has some fabulous independent shops, most of which are along its High Street. For highquality fashion, a good starting point is O & C Butcher - a beautiful family-run men’s and ladies’ wear store stocking top brands such as Barbour, Dubarry and Scotch & Soda. Joli is an independent lifestyle boutique, which has some rare and exclusive brands, including ELK, Humility and La Fee Maraboutee.

Almost next door, Fleur is a contemporary women’s boutique, full of the season’s must-haves. If you’re looking to top up your summer wardrobe, pop into ORLANDO’S, which has a great range of floaty dresses, hats and bags. Step into the Aladdin’s Den that is Wag & Bone, where you’ll discover a shop bursting with all things canine, and for an Aldeburgh keepsake, the Pug and the Pussycat has some fabulous Aldeburgh branded accessories. If it’s a one-off you’re after, make time to visit Riley & Riley, run by expert jeweller and gemmologist Mark Riley, and home to the Aldeburgh Pebble®.

time for food!

It is hard to resist the fish and chips in Aldeburgh, but here are some worthy alternatives!

Enjoy lunch at The Aldeburgh Market and The Lighthouse - both Aldeburgh institutions that have been in the same very safe hands for decades, serving up delicious and seasonal specials.

about time

If you fancy a pub lunch, stroll along the front to The Mill Inn, a 16th-century seaside inn, for some of their BBQ brisket or ribs, cooked long and slow in their American smoking oven.

If you’d rather a picnic, the counter at the Two Magpies will never fail to tempt you into buying far more than you could possibly eat in one sitting, whether you be a meat-eater or a vegetarian. For a seasonal salad or local cheese, head over to Slate, an award-winning specialist cheese retailer and for something a little different in the evening, put in an order with Eliza at the Thai Takeaway.

Heading home for dinner? Then, be sure to call into Swiss Farm Butchers. Newly opened this year, you’ll find it a two-minute drive from the High Street on Hall Lane. With an impressive meat counter and shelves stacked high with sauces and condiments, make sure to leave plenty of room in your boot! And if you fancy a rare and delicious treat, head to Gerard & King butchers on the High Street, or bag yourself a freshly caught cod from the fish huts.

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time for: Afternoon Tea at The Chocolate Teapot For a real treat, you can’t beat Afternoon Tea at The Chocolate Teapot. Indulge in a gourmet selection of finger sandwiches, savoury pastries, sweet scones, macarons and cake, accompanied by a fine cup of tea or a glass of crémant de Bourgogne. Vegan options also available. Booking required.

about time

The Red House A visit to Aldeburgh is not complete unless you’ve visited The Red House, where Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears once lived together. The farmhouse, nestled in a beautiful five-acre garden, is home to their collections and archive, alongside a gallery space, museum shop and outdoor café.

Aldeburgh Bookshop Over 70 years old and nationally recognised as a fantastic, truly independent bookshop, you’ll be hard-pushed to come away empty-handed, whatever your age.

The walk to Thorpeness If you are visiting Aldeburgh, it’s worth making time for this walk which takes you along the beach, past Maggie Hambling’s Scallop, to Thorpeness, a wonderfully quirky village complete with its own boating lake and The House in the Clouds. You can either return along the coastal path or back along the former railway line that linked Aldeburgh and Thorpeness up until 1966.

Be sure to pop into the Moot Hall, which houses Aldeburgh’s Museum, en route.

A Distillery tour and tasting at Fishers Gin Tucked just off the beach alongside the Brudenell Hotel, this unique Gin Distillery is the closest to the sea in the UK. Tours and tastings operate yearround.

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time out in Aldeburgh about time

Food & Drink

30th July Mill Inn, Market Cross Place

Tapas night with Spanish guitar music by the fabulously talented Mike Hynes.

To book, visit www.millinnaldeburgh.co.uk

9th August The Suffolk opens its doors after a complete restoration of 152 High St. Expect the most deliciously fresh seafood focused menu and a wonderful team, ready to welcome you. www.the-suffolk.co.uk

24th & 25th September Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival A jam-packed family-friendly weekend of fabulous food adventures, held at Snape Maltings. Over 100 food and drink producers from Suffolk plus two cookery demonstration stages hosting chefs including Thomasina Miers and Joe Trevelli, co-head chef at London’s legendary River Café.

New additions this year include The Larder, celebrating fresh fruit and vegetables grown in Suffolk, and a Seafood Stage free children’s activities and hands on cooking workshops. £10 in advance, £12 on the day (children under 15 go free) For information and to book tickets and masterclasses, visit www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk Photos © Charlotte Bond Photography

Don’t miss

The Aldeburgh Carnival 13th, 14th & 15th August After a two-year break, the Aldeburgh Carnival is back, with live music, sports events and much more besides, visit www.aldeburghcarnival.com for this year’s programme.

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Art

Ballroom Arts & Courtyard Gallery 152A High St 18th – 31st July FLOW, a major exhibition by David ForestierWalker and Tom Young. www.ballroomarts.org

Aldeburgh Gallery, 143 High St 11th – 24th August Summer Show, with several artists including Barbara Peirson and Arabella Shand. www.aldeburghgallery.co.uk

Theatre & Film

Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall 25th July - 3rd September

Book in for a hugely entertaining summer season of highquality live theatre. With a different show every week – be it Farce, Adventure-RomCom, Hollywood Comedy or Thriller - you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Weekly open-air family theatre shows based on well-known and loved stories including Much Ado about Nothing, Three Musketeers and The Reluctant Dragon.

For full details and to book tickets visit www.actco.uk or call 01728 343344.

Aldeburgh Cinema 15th July - 28th July The Railway Children Return For the full summer programme, visit www.aldeburghcinema.co.uk

Music

The Red House 15th – 19th August Step back in the footsteps of Suffolk’s most famous musician this summer with a week of magnificent music and art activities for teenagers at The Red House.

Whether it be for just one day or more, 14 – 15yr olds will have the chance to explore the site where musical masterpieces were created and through fun games, music and art activities will achieve an Arts Award qualification..

On until 30th October Britten & Women Whilst widely known for his decades-long relationship with the tenor Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten’s significant relationships with women throughout his life have been relatively unexplored. Britten and Women celebrates the powerful role of women in Britten’s life and how they navigated their careers in a man’s world.

For more information and to book, visit www.brittenpearsarts.org/visit-us/the-red-house

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about time

Boys about town

Martyn and Luke are the owners of three businesses in Aldeburgh: The Pug and the Pussycat, ORLANDO’S and Ives Ice Cream Parlour.

We find out why they chose to ‘set up shop’ in this iconic seaside town.

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vestibulum.

Martyn, when did your love affair with Aldeburgh start and why?

My love affair has been lifelong. I was always taken to Aldeburgh and Thorpeness as a child by parents and grandparents, and then my parents bought a caravan on Church Farm where we spent every minute we could.

I’ve worked in Aldeburgh for most of my life and bought my first house here. I can’t get it out of my system, it’s such a special place!

Luke was raised in Kuala Lumpur and I first met him when he came to Aldeburgh for a Summer Season and like me, Aldeburgh got under his skin. Now, we can’t imagine ever being anywhere else.

How long have you worked in retail together?

Ten years all told. Our first business together, which we’ve since sold on, was Chopping’s Hill Café and Bakery, and it opened in Aldeburgh in 2012.

This was followed by The Pug and the Pussycat Aldeburgh in 2015. ORLANDO’S was opened in March this year, followed swiftly by Ives a few days later!

What is so special about the High Street?

Look at it, it speaks for itself!

Aldeburgh has a wonderful selection of independent shops, restaurants, cafes and, of course, ice cream parlours, all in the most beautiful architectural buildings.

It also has the perfect mix of ‘big

Advertorial

about about interiors time

boys’ who complement the High Street, but don’t overpower it.

Why is The Pug and the Pussycat so named?

We thought about the name long and hard. We thought the Owl and the Pussycat was a good seaside name that would be remembered but then thought, well, we don’t have an owl but we do have a pug …and a pussycat!

The rest is history although we now have four pugs, a pussycat and a dachshund! Nancy, Sybil, Audrey, Suki, Dolly and Anubis.

Tell us why you decided to include a clothes range in ORLANDO’S, your newest venture.

We have always had accessory brands in The Pug and the Pussycat but no room for a changing room. When Chesterfield House – now home to ORLANDO’S - became available earlier this year, and with it, ready-made changing rooms, we decided that this presented the perfect opportunity to expand on our clothing range - we haven’t looked back.

Where do you source your ice cream for Ives and what are the most popular flavours?

We are very proud to source our ice cream from some wonderful local suppliers who use milk from one Suffolk Jersey herd. We have nearly 40 flavours of scoop ice cream and a soft serve Mr Whippy style offering, but the favourites are still the old classics: Mint Choc Chip and Rum and Raisin, although Salted Caramel isn’t far behind along with the most amazing Champagne and Elderflower Sorbet!

What are your top-selling items in the Pug and the Pussycat?

It has always been known for its fabulous range of greetings cards and these are, without doubt, our top-selling items. We love choosing them and seeing our customers’ reactions when they find just the right one!

With an impressive choice of independent cafes and fine food shops in town, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to grabbing a bite to eat. What are your favourite guilty pleasures?

Slate’s Waldorf salad is always a favourite for lunch. We can’t wait for The Suffolk to open this summer, but it’s got to be Aldeburgh’s famous fish and chips followed by an ice cream from Ives of course!

Where do you head for if you ever manage a day-off?

Day off?! We love the Suffolk Countryside so a walk with the dogs over the fields is a real stress reliever. If we fancy lunch out it’s hard to choose, as there are so many fantastic places to eat! We love visiting market towns and nothing gives us greater pleasure than popping into other small independent retailers and having a spend!

The Pug and the Pussycat

ORLANDO’S

Ives Ice Cream Parlour

179 High St

120 High St

160 High St

Mon - Sat: 10am – 4pm

Mon - Fri: 10am – 4pm

Summer Opening Times

Sun: 11am – 4pm

Sun: 11am – 4pm

Mon – Sun: 11am – 5pm 43

about the land

A living landscape 44

about the land

Owned by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Carlton Marshes has recently been transformed into a thriving wetland where bitterns, lapwings, water voles and marsh harriers are slowly returning to take up their natural place amongst this jigsaw of pools, scrapes and dykes – a landscape reinvented and rejuvenated.

We meet the North East Sites Manager, Matt Gooch, at the new visitor centre and cafe, a wonderful light-filled space where huge picture windows offer expansive views out across the marshes and a sunny deck gives a bird’s-eye view of a family of swans happily dibbling in the dyke below. Often described as the southern gateway to the Broads National Park, Carlton Marshes has been a reserve since the late seventies and originally covered 120 acres. Over the years, Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) has managed to acquire small pockets of adjoining farmland with the aim of creating a wetland habitat that will allow

many of our endangered and struggling native species to return and flourish, as well as providing an important stopping-off point for migrating birds as they make their way along the coast.

In 2016, this vision became a reality when the opportunity arose to purchase a large swath of arable land to the west of the existing reserve. Two years later, after numerous public consultations, soil and nature surveys, typological and hydrological reports, SWT was granted a £4.1 million grant by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Carlton 45

about the land

Marshes was expanded to cover a total of 1000 acres. As Matt explains, then the hard work really began. “As soon as the land was ours, the diggers moved in and we spent months digging out dykes and scrapes, putting in footpaths, walkways, viewpoints and hides, and also planning and building the visitor centre and play area.” Habitat creation was key and Matt visited other established reserves around the country including RSPB Frampton Marshes, Great Fen Project and RSPB Lakenheath Fen, to survey their species populations in order to understand what was needed at Carlton Marshes for the newly created wetlands to flourish.

Now, only a few years on, the landscape has indeed been transformed and is an incredible thriving wetland. “As the water flowed back to regain the marshes, we were amazed at 46

how quickly nature arrived to make it their home. It was so rewarding to see wading birds such as avocet, redshank, little and great egret stalking the edge of the scrapes, lapwings raising their chicks on the water meadows, and barn owls taking up roost in the boxes.” We set off with Broads Warden, Lewis, to explore the reserve and learn more about the plants and animals that have set up residence. “We have recorded 28 species of dragonfly and have seen the population of the rare Fen Raft Spider and the timid water vole increase every year. We have also been thrilled with the number of winter migrants who have discovered this as a stopping-off point, with spoonbills, golden plover and ruff making regular appearances, and we have even had a rare sighting of a white-tailed eagle, believed to have flown in from the Netherlands.”

about the land

We follow a path that loops out from the visitor centre in ever-increasing circles allowing you to choose just a short stroll down to the Round Water Platform - where we soon spot a little grebe ducking in and out of the reeds and a moorhen leading her bald-headed chicks to the shallows - or follow the longer 2.5mile Peto’s Marsh trail. We opt for the latter and pause at The Octagon, where, in the dyke below, Lewis points out the botanicals that are also thriving here: water violets, water soldiers – large spikey plants that bob along the bottom - waterlilies and common bladderwort, a carnivorous free-floating plant that traps and consumes unsuspecting water fleas. Out on the water meadows, a herd of Belted Galloway is enjoying the morning sunshine, and on the horizon a marsh harrier is skirting the top of the reed beds. It really is quite spectacular.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is incredibly proud of what it has achieved at Carlton Marshes, and rightly so. It is a wonderful reserve that is open to all and free to visit, whether you take the kids to enjoy some dyke dipping, an ice-cream and a go on the adventure playground, or visit armed with camera and binoculars in the hope of catching a rare glimpse of the elusive bittern. It is a landscape that is still evolving, the balance of nature constantly being monitored by its team of dedicated wardens and tireless volunteers, and I can’t wait to return as there is talk of Exmoor ponies, and even the possibility of a pair of nesting cranes. www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/carlton

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about design

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Figuratively speaking

about design

Tobias Ford is a sculptor known for his commanding Pakefield Man who greeted the dawn of the summer solstice on the beach at Lowestoft for the First Light Festival. We visit him in his studio at Butley Mills to strip back the layers and get to the heart of his technique and inspiration.

Tobias’ workshop is tucked away at the back of the studios in what was originally an old chicken shed. Outside, I am greeted by the impressive steel sculpture of a woman standing proud, her head tilted slightly skyward, an arm outstretched, whilst inside, a diving figure is gripped in a vice, its free fall suspended in time whilst Tobias works on the lines of the arms and legs. He is getting ready for Open Studios and on the work bench, metal figures jostle for space like ancient Olympians warming up before the games, each one depicting a specific movement or action, their torsos twisted,

calf muscles taut as they take the strain of the pose. On a plinth opposite sits a sculpted head of a man called Nafiz that Tobias created from memory and is so lively and full of expression that the force of his character is tangible, even to strangers.

With mugs of hot tea, we take a path through the long grass to a table nestled amongst the reed beds of Butley Creek. It is a peaceful spot with just the sound of the reeds whispering in the wind and the occasional oystercatcher whistling overhead and I can see why it is a favoured spot 51

about design

amongst the artists who have studios here.

Tobias explains that he has always felt drawn to the countryside, even though he grew up in Coventry and moved to Ipswich when he was nine. “Any excuse and I would jump on my bike and head out of town. My grandad was an artist and I used to spend hours rummaging through his shed and pouring over sketchbooks full of his drawings of birds of prey. This is what triggered my deep fascination with nature, particularly movement, and I have always tried to capture the essence of this in my sculptures.”

Tobias first came to Butley Mills Studio to be under the watchful eye of renowned sculptor Laurence Edwards, whose magnificent 26ft bronze Yoxman is now firmly rooted in the 52

Suffolk landscape. “I had just finished my art foundation at Suffolk New and he offered me work experience. I think I swept the floors for the first three weeks before he decided I was genuinely interested, but then I was allowed to help him make his amazing bronze casts of the Elgin marbles.” Three years later, after graduating from Hereford College of Arts, Tobias returned to Butley to forge his own path amongst this artistic community. “I knew I wanted to sculpt with metal rather than work with bronze casting and an important element of my work is understanding how the pull of gravity works on the body and how this affects posture and the lines of tension in my sculptures.”

Tobias sculpts a mix of animal and figurative artworks and in all of them there is a great

about design

sense of proportion and balance. You can really feel the stretch of the polar bear’s head as it turns to look over its shoulder, the flex of the dancer’s shoulder and the power of the huge silverback as he leans into his pose thanks to his skill in creating sculptures that are anatomically correct. “I love to observe the subtleties of movement and what they communicate and will often put myself into a particular pose before sculpting so that I get an instinctive feel for the correct proportion and balance.” Working with lengths of steel, he applies heat to mould the strips, cutting them down and welding them together in layers to give his sculptures solidity and form.

Having exhibited successfully at numerous outdoor sculpture shows all across the UK, Tobias was delighted to be asked by

WildEast to be a contributing artist at the CoExistence environmental campaign that saw a herd of over a hundred wooden Asian elephants migrate through the parks of London last summer. His sculptures of egrets and curlews rode their backs to draw attention to the plight of some of Britain’s fastest vanishing native birds. His first solo exhibition takes place this September at the Sculpt Gallery. “I want to explore the subtle communications of our bodies via a series of life-size figures that will capture that instinct for movement inherent in all of us.” And at that, with a subtle nod of my head, I leave him to work on the figure of a child that will accompany the mother, waiting patiently outside. www.tobiasfordsculpture.com Instagram @tobiasfordsculpture 53

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about gardens

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Outdoor living 1. Bowling Bees Picnic Bag Barretts of Woodbridge £37.40

4. Fabulous fire bowl Fire Pit Company £549

2. Wooden star Black Dog Antiques £30

5. Big Green Egg Friday Street Farm Shop From £795

3. Pretty pots collated From £9

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about gardens

6 10 6. Kadai pizza oven Snape Maltings £285 7. Stripey cushion Max Southwold £30

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8. Kettler garden set Notcutts £2,099

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9. Summer baskets Woodbridge Kitchen Company From £37.50 10. Garden planter Narwhal Interiors £29

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11. Floral bench cushions Ruby Tyger £28 12. Vintage Buddha Green Door Antiques £120

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Stockists on page 80 57

about gardens

Glad tidings 58

about gardens

Release your inner Dame Edna with a gorgeous bunch of showy gladioli! These retro flowers are making a comeback and their towering spires will certainly add high drama to your borders.

Gladioli are very easy to grow, and although it is too late to plant the corms this season, I urge you to seek out a nursery that stocks the plants so that you can find your favourite variety and plan your colour schemes for next year. Long gone are the gauche reds, oranges and yellows, now you can enjoy hues of gentle apricot and subtle peach, buttery creams, soft mauves and even tri-coloured flowers. Their orchid-like blooms are quite beautiful and once in full flower nothing beats them for a bit of razzmatazz.

The joy of gladioli is that they are not divas! They don’t require pinching out or pruning, they don’t need staking and they don’t need deadheading.

Just pop them in a sunny border and by late summer you will have an abundance of these

nostalgic blooms that will continue to delight until the end of September.

Here are a few to look out for: Flevo Cool: Spikes of incredible purple flowers with a delicate yellow centre.

Expresso: Jet black buds that open into velvety burgundy-red flowers – pure sophistication.

Evergreen: Zesty lime-green spires that act as a wonderful backdrop for colourful borders.

Sapporo: Towering blooms of peaches and cream with a raspberry heart – good enough to eat!

Also known as ‘sword lilies’, when planted in swathes, gladioli are real showstoppers and make for spectacular cut flowers too. Look out for corms in the autumn catalogues so you are ready for the spring bulb planting frenzy and start planning a new border that will thrill with its dramatic colours and towering spires of blooms.

You’ll be glad you did!

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about gardens

Summer lovin’ Summer has arrived and with it comes warm days and late nights, catching up with friends over wine and a BBQ and enjoying the garden to the full. Keep beds and borders looking fresh by popping on the sprinkler in the early evening and taking time to deadhead roses, sweetpeas and bedding plants. A neatly mown lawn and trimmed edges will always up the ante and nothings beats a salad of home-grown leaves and sweet tomatoes followed by bowls of sun-warmed strawberries and a dollop of ice-cream.

As we amble lazily into August, the late summer entertainment arrives. Welcome to the stage the dazzling dahlias, the evercheerful sunflowers, the hot pinks of the zinnia and the big show-offs – the outrageous gladioli. Brighten outdoor spaces by filling

Tales from the potting shed 60

July Get deadheading Pinch out tomatoes Cut back hardy geraniums

pots with vibrant annuals such as geraniums, marigolds, daisy-like coreopsis, jasmine tobacco - which is wonderfully fragrant in the evening – and coleus whose vivid foliage of purple, green, bronze and orange is a real showstopper.

September rolls in with misty mornings, mellow afternoons, and the scent of autumn on the cooling evening air. The garden slows and attentions turn to cutting back fading perennials, trimming the lavenders, collecting seed heads, and planting the first of the spring bulbs. It is also time to gather the glut of your vegetable harvest: green beans, tomatoes, onions and garlic – the perfect ingredients for a delicious loobyeh. Adorn the table with the last of the roses and feast well.

August Top up bird baths Prune summer flowering shrubs Lift and dry onions

September Divide herbaceous perennials Prune climbing roses Net your brassicas

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Competition!

Win a £100 voucher to spend at The Anchor in Walberswick

Win £10 0 vouch er Dinner b y the se aside Beer & O yster Fe stival Craft Al es

For your chance of winning this fabulous prize, please answer the following question correctly:

The Anchor in Walberswick is one of Suffolk’s most beautiful pubs with a traditional bar, excellent restaurant, lovely accommodation and beautiful outdoor space with views out over the marshes to the sea. This year, their wonderful Chef, Jules, who has worked with Rick Stein, will be creating some delicious, seasonal seafood dishes using the very best local ingredients and fresh fish sourced from top UK suppliers. On the 6th & 7th August, founder of the Beer Academy and owner of The Anchor, Mark Dorber, is putting on a selection of characterful cask ales and craft keg beers for its 15th annual Beer & Oyster Festival, serving up West Mersea Oysters to accompany them. With live music too, what more could you want on a summer’s evening?

We’ve teamed up with the Anchor to offer one lucky reader a £100 voucher to spend in the restaurant. www.anchoratwalberswick.com

Q: What are this year’s dates for the Beer & Oyster Festival?

Send your answer to prize@aboutfram.com quoting Anchor in the subject header.

The competition closes at 23.59 hours on 30th September 2022.

Terms and conditions Entrants must be aged 18 or over. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative.

The gift will be supplied directly to the winner and is to be used by 30th March 2023. By entering this competition, you give your consent for your email address to be added to our aboutfram database.

Your email address will not be shared with any other companies apart from aboutmedia and The Anchor. Please indicate in your email if you do not wish to give your consent to be contacted by either aboutmedia or The Anchor and we will delete your email address from our records. The winner will be randomly selected from all entries submitted.

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about food

At a pinch

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about food

Over the last few months, rumours have been circulating about some amazing pastries being served from a tiny café called Pinch on the outskirts of Kelsale. I decide to take a spin through the lanes to find out for myself what all the hyperbole is about – and oh, am I glad I did!

Run by Alice Norman, Pinch is located next to Maple Farm Shop, a wonderful oasis stocked with fresh, local organic produce grown on the farm - giving you twice as many reasons to visit this little corner of Suffolk. Outside Alice’s café, a retro, bright yellow table and chairs welcomes you to sit and linger over your coffee and cruller, the most amazing Dutch pastries that have people flocking here on a regular basis.

Made from choux pastry, which Alice prepares using eggs and flour from Maple Farm, they are piped into rings and then deep fried. They are rather like a doughnut, but fluffier and with a wonderfully light

texture, and Alice drizzles them in flavoured icing, such as rhubarb crumble, apple cider and candied walnut, blackcurrant or rich chocolate – who could resist!

While I unashamedly enjoy my cruller – I am now officially converted! – Alice explains how she came to find herself running a café, deep in the Suffolk countryside. “After graduating from Leeds University, I wasn’t sure which path to pursue. I had always been interested in food and cooking, so I decided to enrol at the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland. It was a twelveweek intensive course, but I loved it. It made 65

about food

me realise I wasn’t going to be happy settling for an office-based job but wanted to explore my love of cooking further.” That summer, Alice took a job working as a chef in Amsterdam, which is where she first discovered crullers, and then returned to take up a position at Kricket, a restaurant in Brixton specialising in small plates of modern Indian dishes, before moving to Clipstone, a modern bistro in upmarket Fitzrovia. “Working across these different kitchens allowed me to learn on the job; understanding the subtleties of spice, the skill of balancing flavour and working on new menu ideas.”

Working holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand followed, and in 2016 Alice spent a month at Bo.Lan, a Michelin star restaurant in Bangkok that, at the time, was pushing the boundaries in terms of working towards 66

cooking more sustainably and raising awareness of using ingredients that were environmentally robust. In 2017, she returned to the London restaurant scene as the sous chef at Emilia, Mayfair, which was fast becoming the epicentre for modern Italian cooking in the UK. “It was an exciting place to work and in 2019 I was appointed head chef, but then Covid struck. We couldn’t believe that we had to shut, and it was so sad to watch all the other restaurants close their doors too.” Alice came back to Suffolk to live with her parents in Aldeburgh and spent lockdown studying for a Masters in Food Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

“The pandemic made me think about what I really wanted. For a while I toyed with the idea of setting up a fish hut on Aldeburgh beach but with the takeaway market

about food

booming, I decided to set up a service offering restaurant calibre meals which you could collect and then finish at home.”

Luckily, William Kendall, who owns Maple Farm, kindly offered Alice some kitchen space and her exciting menu soon started attracting orders. “It was a menu based on showcasing the organic produce from the farm and using the best quality fresh ingredients from Suffolk’s top producers.

With suppliers such as Fen Farm, Salter & King, Hodmedods, Pinney’s of Orford and Pump Street on my doorstep I felt blessed.”

The boxes were a great success but in September last year, Alice decided to concentrate on producing a range of her favourite products that could be sold at Maple Farm Shop, such as soups, fresh pasta, ragu sauces, whipped cods roe and her amazing tiramisu, whilst opening up the kitchen as a takeaway café serving coffee

and crullers – the perfect combination – and a range of ice cream made from fruit picked on the farm.

Pinch has continued to go from strength to strength, with some Saturdays having more than fifty customers waiting in line for their little fix of choux, and Alice hopes to build on her reputation, with plans to expand the site to make space for a restaurant where she can host guest chefs and hold events. As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, and I have no doubt that whatever Alice turns her hand to, there will be a loyal following eager to see what she serves up next.

Pinch is open Thurs-Sat: 9am-3pm www.eatpinch.com Instagram @pinch.suffolk 67

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about taste

Get to the point After several years of lying almost dormant, East Point Pavilion on Lowestoft’s seafront has been transformed and repurposed into an exciting, vibrant community space which reopened its doors for the weekend of the First Light Festival in June. The team behind the festival continues to manage the site which is now a stunning food destination with a fantastic mix of independent food traders: Black Dog Pizza Co, Oishii Kitchen,Tres Hermanas alongside Sir Toby’s Beers at the bar, and Door to the Cosmos running the outdoor kiosk and serving hot drinks, ice cream and on-the-go eats.

With plans to run a year-long schedule of live music, DJs and performances, as well as a varied calendar of artisan markets and more besides, there has never been a better time to head to Lowestoft for the day, or even just for lunch… www.eastpointpavilion.com

Chop, chop!

Formerly Five Winds Farm, Fodder is the new Butcher and Deli at Melton train station where traditional butchery meets fresh thinking, award-winning deli produce and a showcase for independent small producers of all things wild and wonderful. Owner, Harry Wolff-Evans, bought the business after successes with his scotch egg company, supplying the likes of Fortnum and Mason, Harrods and Selfridges. “I’ve always wanted to come home to Suffolk but I knew I’d miss the London food. So, I’ve bought a shop and I’m going to fill it with all the amazing things I’ve found on my travels and pair them up with the best meat and dairy produce Suffolk has to offer.”

Later this summer expect to see more hot food options through their hot hatch and when the weather cools, Harry will be launching his Sunday Club with a range of Sunday roast kits. For now, he’s well underway with transforming the building, with his new freezers stocking some big names from Harry’s London list. www.fodderuk.com

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Just to clarify…

Following growing global popularity for their Baron Bigod cheese and Bungay Raw Butter, Fen Farm Dairy has released its own ghee. Like Fen Farm’s other products, this new ghee is made from the raw milk of the farm’s own free-ranging and grass-fed Montbéliarde cows. Made by clarifying their Bungay Raw Butter, Bun Ghee has incredible deep and buttery flavours and can be used in place of almost any other cooking oil. Being made from raw cultured butter, it is packed with good prebiotic and probiotic bacteria and has a high smoke point, making it ideal for high-temperature cooking.

about taste

Purchase online or pop along to the self-serve Farm Shop on the farm, just outside Bungay, which is open 24/7.

Take a large cool bag, as you might want to bag some butter, cheese, mascarpone, skyr and a few pints of their delicious milk too… www.fenfarmdairy.co.uk

All the elements aligned For the last 150 years the Mobbs family has lived and farmed in Cratfield, producing the ‘Mobbs Free Range Turkey’, and Chris and Judith Mobbs are the fourth generation running the business.

Inspired by the past success of farm and butterfly meadows open days, the family has decided to make the farm more accessible and thus, Fire and Feast Suffolk was conceived.

Fire and Feast is based around the things that they love: local food, cooking on wood and being outdoors.

The main focus is a giant dining tipi, set in the potager garden, and the venue for Saturday night rustic suppers and also a Sunday Brunch Café, serving coffee, homemade cakes, brunch plates and more besides.

The menu features as much local produce as possible, with beef coming from the neighbouring farm, and bacon, cured meats, rapeseed oil and bread from the surrounding villages. They’ll be serving up rustic suppers every Saturday evening through the summer months and camping is also available.

For more details and to book, visit www.fireandfeastsuffolk.co.uk 71

about taste

Loobyeh: braised green beans with tomatoes and garlic.

Picked fresh from the vegetable patch, this simple but delicious dish is a staple in Lebanon and is perfect for serving as a side to meat or fish grilled on the BBQ this summer.

Method Melt the butter in a heavybased saucepan over medium heat and add the sliced onion.

Cook for approx. 8 mins until soft and translucent. Stir in the chopped garlic, cayenne pepper and sweet paprika 72

and heat through for another 2 mins. Top and tail your green beans and add them to the pan along with the 4 whole cloves and toss to coat the beans. Roughly chop the tomatoes, making sure to save all the juices, and add to pan.

Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until the beans are cooked through but still have a gentle bite and the sauce has thickened – if it is still too liquid, remove the lid and cook until the excess liquid has evaporated and the sauce is the correct consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat, stir in a slug of olive oil and leave to rest. This is a dish best served warm or at room temperature so is ideal for summer entertaining as you can make it in advance and then cover until you are ready. Perfect with grilled meats or fish or just a hunk of Lebanese bread to mop up all the juices.

Ingredients 50g butter 2 onions – thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves – chopped 4 garlic cloves - whole 500g green beans 6 fresh ripe tomatoes 1 ½ tsp sweet paprika ¼ tsp cayenne pepper Olive oil

round & about

A paddle to the pub We take to the water in this issue, hiring a double kayak from The Canoe Man at Beccles to enjoy a trip to the pub and back. Sarah and I meet at the Lido, where we are kitted out with life vests and paddles and pointed in the direction of our boat. The first challenge is to get in without falling in. Luckily, I have watched the video, so under the amused eye of the Black Dog ferryman, we sit on the pontoon, gracefully shuffle to the edge and hoist ourselves in – kayaks away!

While we wait for the others, who have their own canoes, to ‘put in’ down at the quay, 74

Sarah and I and decide to hone our kayaking skills by taking a practice trip downstream.

Perfectly in sync, we set off and promptly zig zag our way haphazardly across the Waveney – time for a re-think! Left. Right. Left. Right – still zigzagging! With already slightly damp shorts, we decide instead to spend our time gently paddling along the bank to admire the fabulous houses whose gardens back down to the river. Most have slipways or landing platforms, and one has a gorgeous boathouse with a reading room above and veranda where you could peacefully idle away the afternoon.

“SWANS!!” The peace is shattered as we spy a family of swans making a beeline for our boat. There is now some urgency to our left

round & about

and rights and as we splash out of their reach, we spot the rest of our flotilla effortlessly paddling towards us - in a remarkably straight line. We are joined by Steph and Darran and their kids Bella and James, all looking rather too stylish in their groovy shades, and Martin and his sister Lizzie – an old hand at canoeing who will hopefully give us some top tips. We are headed to The Locks at Geldeston, just an hour upstream, so set off with a clash of paddles.

The Waveney is wide and calm, flanked by rushes, alders and willows, and we soon get into our stride, waving to fellow kayakers, paddleboarders and day cruisers who are out enjoying the river. We keep an eye open for

kingfishers and pause to admire a terracotta house hidden amongst the trees, its white balustraded balcony reminiscent of the French Riviera. At a fork in the river, we rudder to the left and here the landscape opens out, with water meadows stretching down to the banks, and we say hello to a herd of nosey cattle who stand and silently watch these strange passers-by.

The pub soon comes into sight and we are grateful for the long landing bank which allows for plenty of space to manoeuvre and clamber out with ‘relative’ ease. Hauling the boats out to make space for others, we realise that at least two of us – no prizes at guessing who – have rather soggy bottoms, so we grab a table in the sunshine. The 75

round & about

Locks is used to busy Saturday lunchtimes, and we are soon tucking into bowls of pasta, and chips, and while some are smugly appreciating a dry set of clothes, some have to make do with a blast from the hand drier in the pub.

Sated and energised, we swing back into our canoes and kayaks and make the return journey. Always shorter on the way back, with practised stokes and a little less zigzagging, we enjoy the calm of the river and silently drift past fishermen who have found their perfect spot amongst the reeds.

Beccles soon appears on the horizon, and we get a wonderful sense of how the town is nestled in around the river, the church tower 76

breaking the skyline and the banks lined with moorings. The others wave a paddle and strike out for the quay – were we holding them up? – whilst we get into position alongside the pontoon back at the Lido. We are quite low down so rather than risk standing up, opt to get out using the ladder.

Not as easy as it sounds, as this slides down into the water as soon as you step on it, but after several attempts and much hilarity we drag our soggy selves to dry land. The ferryman raises an eyebrow, he has seen it all before.

To hire a kayak or canoe visit www.canoeman.com

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Home & Garden

Stockists about you

interiors emporium Dix-Se

Carley Hill Hair 29 Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9AN T: 01728 621068 www.carleyhill.co.uk

Barretts of Woodbridge 40 Thoroughfare Woodbridge IP12 1AL T: 01394 384300 www.barretts.co.uk

ORLANDO’S 120 High Street Aldeburgh IP15 5AB T: 01728 590998 www.orlandosaldeburgh.co.uk

Collen & Clare 25 Market Place Southwold IP18 6ED T: 01502 724823 www.collenandclare.com

collated 4 Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9AN www.collatedonline.com

Traditional Pottery Kajtek Saturday Market Framlingham IP13 9AN www.traditionalpottery.co.uk

East of Eden The Old Barn Fromus Square Saxmundham IP17 1DG www.east-of-eden.co.uk

Vanil 17 Church St Woodbridge IP12 1DS www.vanil.co.uk

Retreat East Brick Kiln Farm Sandy Lane Hemingstone IP6 9QE T: 01449 760480 www.retreateast.co.uk

Hanna Buck www.hannabuck.com Instagram @hannabuck Happiness at Home The Chandlery Deben Wharf Tide Mill Way Woodbridge IP12 1FP T: 01394 548815 www.happinesshome.co.uk

Woodbridge Interiors Smithfield Melton IP12 1NG T: 01394 386390 www.woodbridgeinteriors.co.uk Woodbridge Kitchen Company 7 Thoroughfare Woodbridge IP12 1AA www.woodbridgekitchencompany. co.uk

Just Tiles Smithfield Melton IP12 1NH T: 01394 382067 www.justtileswoodbridge.co.uk Lark Interiors Kingfishers Cretingham IP13 7BA M: 07876 768245 www.lark-interiors.com Narwhal Interiors 23 Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9AN T: 01728 724507 Instagram /narwhal_interiors

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Stockists fashion emporium Alba Jewellery www.alba-jewellery.co.uk Instagram /alba_jewellery dream on 13 Castle Street Eye IP23 7AN T: 01379 678483 www.dream-on.co.uk collated The Guildhall Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9BD www.collatedonline.com Collen and Clare 25 Market Place Southwold IP18 6ED T: 01502 724823 www.collenandclare.com Fleur 166 High Street Aldeburgh IP15 5AQ T: 01728 454822 www.fleuraldeburgh.co.uk John Ives 29 & 31 The Thoroughfare Woodbridge IP12 1AA T: 01394 386393 www.ivesfootwear.co.uk Joli 158 High St Aldeburgh IP15 5AQ T: 07771 623408 www.jolisuffolk.com

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Out & About Fashion 4b Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9BA T: 01728 727481 www.outandaboutclothing.com Phoebe & Flo 22a Well Close Square Framlingham IP13 9DS T: 01728 720110 Ruby Tyger No 1 The Mews Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9AN www.rubytyger.co.uk Silver Sun Jewellery 53a Thoroughfare Woodbridge IP12 1AH T: 01394 382114 www.silversunjewellery.co.uk

The Fire Pit Company T: 01440 730068 www.firepitcompany.co.uk Friday Street Farm Shop Friday Street Saxmundham IP17 1JX T: 01728 602783 www.fridaystfarm.co.uk Green Door Antiques 7A Broad St Eye IP23 7AF T: 07860 769565 www.greendoorantiques.co.uk Max Southwold 25 High Street Southwold IP18 6AD T: 01502 725769 www.maxsouthwold.co.uk

Wandering Bee www.wanderingbee.co.uk Instagram /wanderingbeeuk

Narwhal Interiors 23 Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9AN T: 01728 724507 Instagram /narwhal_interiors

Outdoor living

Notcutts Garden Centre Ipswich Rd Woodbridge IP12 4AF T: 01394 445400 www.notcutts.co.uk

Barretts of Woodbridge 40 Thoroughfare Woodbridge IP12 1AL T: 01394 384300 www.barretts.co.uk

No.10 Market Hill 10 Market Hill Woodbridge IP12 4LU Instagram /10markethill

Black Dog Antiques 12 Market Place Halesworth IP19 8BA T: 01986 948546 www.blackdogantiquesandvintage. co.uk

O&C Butcher 129 High Street Aldeburgh. IP15 5AS www.ocbutcher.co.uk

collated 4 Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9AN www.collatedonline.com

Ruby Tyger No 1 The Mews Market Hill Framlingham IP13 9AN www.rubytyger.co.uk Snape Maltings Snape Bridge Snape IP17 1SP T: 01728 688303 www.brittenpearsarts.org Woodbridge Kitchen Company 7 Thoroughfare Woodbridge IP12 1AA www.woodbridgekitchencompany. co.uk

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