Feast Norfolk Magazine Issue 45 - April 2020

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Bakers & Larners of Holt celebrates its 250th anniversary with a range of specially created food and drink products and delightful commemorative gifts. Visit the award-winning Food Hall, with its own bakery, for a wide range of locally-sourced food and drink, plus delicacies from around the world or shop online. Hampers are a speciality, starting at ÂŁ25!

SHOP ONLINE ERY FOR DELIV OR O TO YOUR D

8-12 Market Place, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 6BW Tel: 01263 712244 • sales@bakersandlarners.com Available in-store and online at www.bakersandlarners.co.uk @bakersofholt BakersandLarnersofHolt bakersandlarnersholt

What’s What’sOn On

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The Birthday Party Sheila’s Sheila’s Island Island Tue 9 16 - Sat 9 May - Sat 13 Jun 13 Jun Tue 12 -Tue Sat

Breakin’ Convention English English Youth Youth Ballet: Ballet: Lake FriSwan 29Swan &Lake Sat 30Jun May Fri 19 Fri&19Sat & Sat 20 20 Jun

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Mon 1 - Sat 6 Jun

Malory Malory Towers Towers TueTue 23 -23 Sat - Sat 27 Jun 27 Jun

01603 01603 630 630 000 000you ‘It makes norwichtheatre.org norwichtheatre.org want to cheer

CONTENTS

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Emma Outten enjoys a ladies’ lunch at 1921 Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds

Editor's Letter

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ELCOME TO our April issue and traditionally a lovely time of year, especially with Easter and the joy that spring brings. But, as we go to press, it is an unsettling period for us all and we are very aware of how worrying it is for those in high risk medical categories, the elderly, and for those in the hospitality trade - ourselves included.

We will do our best to support all and, as such, our deputy editor Emma has pulled together a piece on what the foodie industry is doing to help their own communities, with home deliveries featuring strongly.

It is difficult to see how everything will work out, hard to comprehend any time frame and things seem to change almost minute by minute. The situation has unfolded as Feast was going to press so the magazine is packed with many of our usual features. However, there are also lots of lovely recipes so we hope you enjoy devouring all our articles in preparation for more settled times.

Do look at our website for more ideas, especially recipes to tackle. And we have, as ever, a lovely competiton to enter - and you can take the prize up to the end of the year!

Congratulations to Rachel from Bedfordshire who won our February competition - a stay at Barnham Broom which she has already enjoyed.

Stay safe, support your locals and keep in touch.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN OUR APRIL ISSUE….

Features

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11.

16.

20.

Find out how the region's foodie world is helping their own communities Our regular news and gossip feature keeps you upto-date

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The Maids Head Hotel in Tombland, Norwich, shares plans for the future

Why drink raw milk

Find out more about the dynamic couple behind Hickling Campsite

45 ISSUE

April BAKER A D S L A RN NERS

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FREE special

Inside Tom Aikens’ new London

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Home Delivery Round-Up easter recipes

250

raw milk

All information correct at the time of going to press

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N Wi

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Bakers and Larners of Holt celebrates 250 exceptional years

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COVER STORY

Bury girl Pamela Farrell describes her perfect day eating in and around the town

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sarah@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

INSIDE

T AS KF R EA E BR OM D CR AN E, V D BE RO R, E G NE TH DIN AT

SARAH HARDY

what's

tuff

Stay on norfol a vineyardk

Regulars

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The Chef Q&A meets Ionut Blana from Brasted’s

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The City College feature profiles former Emirates Airlines cabin crew member Anna Giannakou

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Ainsley Harriott’s new cookbook is featured in our regular round-up of new reads

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Find out more about what Proudly Norfolk does

Recipes

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Try this risk-free cheese soufflé from Brasted’s

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The Earsham Street Fish Company offers us a zesty salmon dish

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Wells Crab House looks east for a sea bass recipe

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Rachael Parke on how the hospitality industry is adapting as life changes for all

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Nutritional therapist Catherine Jeans on weight loss

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The latest interior trends from Clare Buller and Charlotte Fawkes

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Sarah Trounce on the importance of branding in the food industry

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Charity auction winners Diana and Chris Scargill sample dinner with the editor at Victoria in Holkham!

Grow Your Own

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Samantha Mattocks stays on a Norfolk vineyard

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Roger Hickman tells us what he thinks of restaurant critics

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Sarah Hardy enjoys a taste of Menorca

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Belinda Jennings explains the importance on hops in beer production

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Emma Outten has coffee with Mark Cordell, the Chief Exec of Our Bury BID

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Our photo essay looks inside Tom Aikens’ London restaurant, Muse

Eating Out

Columnists

Nick Harris gets seasonal with wild garlic

Andy Newman tells us what to drink with chocolate

Able Community Care remembers drinks of yesteryear

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Paula Martin gives us details about her new cookery masterclasses

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Travel

Sara Matthews has a no cook fudge for us and a vegetable quiche

Drink

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Rob Mace of the Crown Hotel in Southwold has a chalk stream trout recipe

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Kevin Morris tells us about a new sunflower competition at Bawdeswell Garden Centre

Win dinner, bed and breakfast at The Grove in Cromer

Garden Room Designs tell us all about bringing the outside in

MEET THE TEAM...

Sarah Hardy, Editor sarah@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk Emma Outten, Deputy Editor emma@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk Hanneke Lambert, Designer studio@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk Rachael Young Brand Manager | 07900 823731 rachael@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

Andy Newman, Roger Hickman, Nick Harris, Sara Matthews, Kevin Morris, Catherine Jeans, Belinda Jennings, Rachael Parke, Paula Martin, Samantha Mattocks, Rob Mace, Clare Buller, Charlotte Fawkes, Rebecca and Stuart Mayhew, Paula Martin, Angela Gifford, Pamela Farrell, Sarah Trounce, Scott Dougal

PUBLISHED BY

FEAST NORFOLK MAGAZINE is published Samantha Mattocks

by Feast (Eastern) Limited - 21 Market Account Manager | 07795 023928 Place, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 2AX samantha@feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

PRINTED BY

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

Proud to support

APRIL 2020

Proud to support

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Diary Dates...

WHITSUN FAYRE - Ma INDEPENDENTS WE

y 24 and 25

EK - June 29-July 5 CELEBRITY CHEFS Sean Wilson and Pa ul Rankin will be demo nstrating their culina ry skills in the Stoves Co okery Theatre at the Bury St Edmunds Fo od & Drink Festival over the summer ba nk holiday weekend on Sunday 30 and Mond ay 31 August.

JEWEL IN THE CULINARY CROWN

Bury St Edmunds has been described as the jewel in Suffolk's foodie crown. Emma Outten meets Mark Cordell to find out why www.ourburystedmunds.com

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aving served in Bury St Edmunds as Chief Superintendent for Suffolk Police, and having lived in or near the town for nearly 25 years, it would be fair to say that Mark Cordell knows Bury rather well!

Since 2011, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District, a not-for-profit organization which represents the interests of more than 400 businesses, around half of which are independents and many of which are related to food and drink.

Since taking up the role, he’s observed: ‘Over the last seven or eight years we’ve talked about food and drink more and more. The biggest thing has been the increase in independent eateries.’ Casa, 1921 and Ben’s Restaurant all immediately spring to mind and have increased the food and drink offering.’ Then, a couple of years ago, Greek family-run businesses, Papakis Deli and Café Kottani, opened on the Buttermarket. ‘They are right in the

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FOODIE TRAIL

Bury St Edmunds

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APRIL 2020

Campaign for Real Ale Pub of the Year 2019 for Suffolk). Then there’s The Old Cannon Brewery, an independent freehouse and the only one where you can see the beer in the making.

The thriving market town is also famous for its markets (of course!). ‘We have a twice weekly provisions market, every Wednesday and Saturday (the two busiest days of the week) with a mixture of products on offer, including food.’

If that wasn’t enough, Bury St Edmunds Farmers’ Market takes place on the second Sunday of each month, at The Traverse.

This year is set to be a big year for Bury, as it’s the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the Abbey of St Edmund in Bury St Edmunds, which will hopefully attract visitors to stay at independent hotels such as The Angel or The Northgate - a striking Victorian townhouse which has been transformed into a restaurant and cocktail bar with bedrooms.

And by November of this year, Our Bury St Edmunds will have spent the past five years investing more than £2million into the town centre to make Bury St Edmunds a better place to do business.

It can’t be too hard a place to promote - last year the Sunday Times declared it to be one of the best places to live in the UK. Mark says: ‘The food and drink offering plays a vital role in that.’

MARK CORDELL

town centre and are, again, thriving.’

Sitting in the relatively new No5 Angel Hill Wine and Coffee House, Mark would agree that Bury is the jewel in the foodie county’s crown. ‘We have an array of fabulous independent restaurants ranging from fine dining (with very good value lunchtime menus), to locally sourced, meat-focussed restaurants, to a variety of ethnic restaurants, Mediterranean tapas and traditional pub food etc.’

As well as supporting and promoting the town centre, Our Bury is behind a number of events in the town, not least the Food and Drink Festival on August Bank Holiday weekend. This is the ninth year it has taken place and local chefs – Zack from 1921, Maria from Casa and Scott from The Angel Hotel - will be appearing at The Stoves Cookery Theatre. There will also be a couple of celebrity chefs, as Mark explains: ‘We have a mix. The purpose of Paul Rankin and Sean Wilson is to give it a bit of a headline.’

It is also behind The Bury St Edmunds Ale Trail, an initiative which has been going for a good couple of years and is a way of discovering where to enjoy real ale and craft beer in the town. Bury boasts a couple of specialist shops, Adnams and Beautiful Beers, and a rather big brewery, Greene King, which has its own Beer Café and has a strong presence in the town (Greene King-owned the Rose and Crown in Whiting Street was named the

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THE TASTE TRAIL ON MARK CORDELL’S SUGGESTION, EMMA OUTTEN GOES WALKABOUT AROUND BURY ST EDMUNDS’ HISTORIC HEART AND DISCOVERS THE FOLLOWING FABULOUS FOOD AND DRINK PLACES STARTING ON ANGEL HILL, 1921 (www.nineteentwentyone.co.uk) is an award-winning restaurant and canapé bar. Previously Graze Kitchen and Bar, the new restaurant has been completely refurbished, although it is still run by the same owner, Zack Deakins. At lunchtime there’s a set menu or à la carte menu, followed by a sumptuous evening menu. Read our review in this issue!

Next door is The One Bull (www.theonebull.co.uk), offering fresh, seasonal, regional food, an award-winning wine list and Brewshed beers from its own craft brewery down the road in nearby Ingham. Further along still is Francela’s Mediterranean Grill and Meze (find it on Facebook), a smart-looking family-run restaurant serving some of the finest Mediterranean Greek and Turkish Cuisine.

Round the corner and across from the Abbey Gate, where Scandinavia Café used to be, is No5 (find on Instagram), which has been going for just over a year and is run by husband and wife, Charlie and Tanya Athorne.

It offers casual dining with an European flavour, serving breakfast, light lunches (I have it on good authority that

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the Scotch egg signature dish is very tasty), and evening grazing boards. It boasts stylish interiors from Dapper Aviation, which makes furniture from aircraft parts, and look out for some interesting chef collaborations on the last Thursday evening of each month.

And then you simply cannot fail to miss the iconic The Angel Hotel (www.theangel.co.uk), with its ‘Charles Dickens stayed here’ Blue Plaque. Full of history, the hotel has had a major modern revamp and offers a touch of luxury in the heart of the town. It does a great set menu at lunchtime, or you could enjoy afternoon tea on one of the plush sofas.

Turn right into Churchgate Street and you soon come across Maison Bleue (www.maisonbleue.co.uk) which offers French fine dining, and features the finest local seasonal delicacies, lovingly crafted into artistic dishes by ownerchef Pascal Canevet and his team. Last year Pascal won the Restaurant Chef Award at the Craft Guild of Chefs awards.

Slightly further up, on the other side of the street, is Ben’s Restaurant (www.bensrestaurant.co.uk), which focuses on sourcing the highest quality ingredients from independent Suffolk suppliers - spot the Taste of Suffolk map on the wall

FOODIE TRAIL

Bury St Edmunds

| ©ARC SHOPPING CENTRE

THE ANGEL HOTEL APRIL 2020

©MAISON BLEUE CHEF PATRON PASCAL CANEVET AND KARINE CANEVET ZACK DEAKINS FROM 1921

as you go in - and believes it is important to understand where food comes from and the journey it takes from ‘Farm to Fork.’ They even raise their own Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, and Jacob sheep, on the family’s very own smallholding.

Turn right into Hatter Street, and Abbeygate Cinema (www.abbeygatecinema.co.uk) has a popular restaurant/ café: No4 Restaurant and Bar. Just before that, however, if you turn left into Langton Place, you will see that the small shopping arcade has had something of a revival thanks to the opening of the award-winning Wooster’s Bakery, a couple of years ago. Since then, for example, Milly’s Tea Room has arrived on the scene.

Turn left into Whiting Street and a new Espresso and Coffee Bar has just opened, called Moriarty’s (find on Facebook), which offers a plant based menu along with delicious coffees and cocktails (on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening).

A quick right and a left and you’re in Buttermarket itself. Greek Café Kotani and nearby Papaki’s Deli (find both on Facebook) are quite unusual in that they are small independents, run by the same family, slap bang in the middle of the town centre, offering healthy Mediterranean food. Turn left onto Cornhill and then right and St John’s Street is straight ahead of you, a traditional local street full of local independent shops and businesses, including The Tavern on St John’s (www.tavernbse.co.uk) which used to be The Snug, until last May. It has a friendly classic pub atmosphere with a relaxed and informal food offering and an extensive range of beers and ales. Head back to the Cornhill and go down one of the side streets and you’ll soon reach the arc Shopping Centre (www.arc-burystedmunds. com), complete with well-known dining options such as Carluccio’s. Back at the Cornhill again, if you walk down The Traverse this time, parallel to the Buttermarket, you’ll find The Nutshell (www.thenutshellpub.co.uk), the smallest pub in Britain – blink and you’ll miss it!

Finally, head down Abbeygate Street and there’s plenty of choice when it comes to places to eat and drink, from

national chains to independents, including tea and coffee house, Really Rather Good (www.rrgood.co.uk) at the bottom. By which time you’re almost back to where you started and all the delights that Angel Hill has to offer!

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Serving plant based light bites and snacks throughout the day and speciality coffee and teas, with a variety of plant based milks.

Moriarty's opens up the basement bar for cocktails, wines and bottled beer 3 evenings a week.

We use local suppliers, our coffee is supplied by local roasters Crude and our cocktails are premium selection.

3 Whiting Street, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1NX Mobile 07588 106507

A S PEC IA LI ST I N F OOD PHOTOG R A PHY

FOODIE TRAIL

Bury St Edmunds

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My Bury

PAMELA FARRELL

BURY ST EDMUNDS GIRL PAMELA FARRELL DESCRIBES HER PERFECT DAY, EATING IN AND AROUND HER HOME TOWN!

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ORN AND BRED in Bury St Edmunds, I feel I have a good sense of what’s good in the area and I love the town! And where food is concerned, it’s got to be local and independent.

When I go to the market early on a Wednesday or Saturday morning I find the new Street Food Avenue in the centre of the main market irresistible for an early morning bite. You can get anything from crepes, Greek bites, plantbased treats, Thai, pizza, Japanese and more. There’s lots of seating, and it’s a very vibrant scene - and growing.

As I work from home a lot, it’s great to have the wonderful The Coffee House at Fornham All Saints nearby to slope off to with my laptop (they have good WiFi), and enjoy a delicious home-made lunch with amazing coffee or a good cup of tea. Established 10 years ago in the community of Moreton Hall, The Coffee House has opened its second branch at Moseley’s Farm, Fornham All Saints.

The Coffee House showcases the best of local producers in its modest farm shop area and boasts the very best sausage rolls in East Anglia, along with their own blend of delicious Crude Coffee, speciality coffee roasters based only three miles from the café. With a large bike shelter, The Coffee House is a hit with cyclists and families alike, who can tuck into treats such as ‘Avo Smash’ from the varied menu whilst soaking up the sun in the large outside

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JUSTIN SHARP, HEAD CHEF-PROPRIETOR PEA PORRIDGE

APRIL 2020

seating area. Doggies are also welcome inside or out. With lots of parking, this friendly, buzzing coffee house offers something for everyone.

I’d choose to have dinner at Pea Porridge restaurant in Cannon Street, just a couple of streets from the main centre. It is well established, for more than 10 years, is very reliable, and fabulous for a special occasion or celebration - a real treat. It’s an independent which I love and is owned by a lovely couple: Justin, head chef, and Jurga, his lovely and very efficient wife, front of house. Justin’s menu is created with passion from local and seasonal produce, of course, and the tastes are incredible. The restaurant is small but very cosy and relaxed. It was a bakery in a previous life and the bread oven is still in evidence.

Or, if you’re off to the lovely Abbeygate Cinema, the No 4 Restaurant and Bar is a dream to catch a bite, before or after the film. Big bowls, the best burgers, plant-based salads and more are out of this world, specialising in Canadian West Coast cuisine - in Bury St Edmunds!

PAMELA FARRELL looks after the PR and Marketing for Anglian Country Inns (www.acinns.co.uk), which has nine award-winning hospitality establishments in the region.

No5 Angel Hill wine and coffee house

Casual dining serving breakfast, light lunches and evening grazing boards |All wines available by the glass, even Champagne |Pop up chef event last Thursday of every month - see social media for details Open 7 days a week: Sun to Thurs 9am - 5pm | Fri to Sat 9am to 11pm

Instagram no.5angelhill | FB No 5 Angel Hill, Wine & Coffee House | Website coming soon | 01284 700853 | 07775 598658

STAYI NG I N? G ET O UR CEL EB RATE D & AWARD -WI NNI NG CHO CO L ATE S DEL IVERED STRA I G HT TO YO UR DOOR F I ND O UT M O RE AT WWW.THEPO DCHO CO L ATES .CO.U K

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Here to Help

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HERE TO HELP

IN THE LIGHT OF THE ONGOING CORONAVIRUS ISSUES AND IN THE ABSENCE OF WHAT’S ON THIS MONTH, EMMA OUTTEN PROVIDES A ROUND-UP OF WHAT THE FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY IS DOING TO HELP PEOPLE EASTERS OF NORWICH Visit www.eastersofnorwich.com Fruit and veg wholesaler Easters will continue to trade as normal and offer a new delivery service during this difficult time to help those during their selfisolation period. Peter Easter says: ‘I’ve got a warehouse full of fruit and vegetables and daily deliveries. People out there need to know there are people like us prepared to deliver. They can have bespoke boxes and there are two or three ways they can pay - cash, card or bank transfer - and we deliver all over Norfolk. We have so many products, not just fruit and vegetables - I’ve got 35 staff and I want to keep them busy.’ To place an order please email orders@eastersofnorwich.com or phone 01603 760565 leaving the full delivery address and contact name and number.

CRUSH FOODS www.crush-foods.com Crush Foods offers next day shipping APRIL 2020

on its rapeseed oil, infused oils and granola cereals, as well as Candi’s Chutney and Candi’s Sauce. Stephen Newham says: ‘What we are looking to do is add more local products to it. We are talking to a number of local brands and have already got five or six brands on there, including everyday items such as Norfolk Tea and The Norfolk Cookie Company. We are also launching a new muesli called Real Raspberry.’

ERIC’S FISH AND CHIPS AND TITCHWELL MANOR www.ericsfishandchips.com and www.titchwellmanor.co.uk Eric’s Fish and Chips at Thornham and Holt are offering free local delivery and click and collect. Eric Snaith says: ‘We are trying to keep all of our staff employed - they are essentially part of the family. We are looking into click and collect and at delivery services, as well as teaming up with social care organisations in Holt to help break up self-isolation for the elderly.

At the hotel we are trying to adapt we’ve got 15 rooms with access from outside and are offering meals in the bedrooms.’

BACE FOODS www.bacefoods.co.uk Suzy Smith says: ‘My online shop is open, with free local delivery in the Norwich area. I can leave items at the door for people who are self-isolating.

Also, I’ll be featuring some healthy vegan recipe ideas on social media using fresh veg. Veg is available in the shops and it’s a great way to boost your immune system.’

WALSINGHAM FARMS SHOP Order via Facebook, phone 01328 821877 visit www.walsingham.co or email info@walsingham.co Walsingham Farms Shop is launching a free local delivery service for customers or anyone who would rather not venture out. General manager Sam Bagge says: ‘We are

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SAM BAGGE, WALSINGHAM FARMS SHOP

also looking to support our wholesale pub customers by buying ready meals, prepared by them, and selling in the shop and delivering. We are also in contact with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, to provide a van run to supply nurses who can’t get to the supermarkets on time after their evening shifts.’

BRAYS COTTAGE, HOLT www.perfectpie.co.uk Sarah Pettigree says: ‘I’ve offered for people to either come to HQ in Glandford, near Holt, if they are out and about, and collect a stash of uncooked frozen pies to have in their freezer - or we’ll deliver locally. They bake very simply from frozen, and are even tastier eaten hot, so hopefully will be a nutritious treat.’ She adds: ‘I’m also talking to other small producers and we are coming up with ideas for pooling delivery resources.’

AMARETTO DELI, NORWICH www.amarettodeli.co.uk Amaretto Deli is offering a collection service, or delivery in the city - so that people can still have nutritious, warm food throughout this period. Fabrizio Fiaschi says: ‘It's especially hard for older people at this time, and a number of our regulars are already phoning through; it's great to stay in contact and to have a bit of a chat. Food really is about community. We can also offer pastries, cakes, pasta, fruit, cheese and lots of grocery items too, and more.’

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THE NORFOLK DELI, HUNSTANTON www.norfolk-deli.co.uk The Norfolk Deli in Hunstanton is continuing to provide customers with the opportunity to buy Norfolk produce online. Owner Mark Kacary says: ‘We are also completing changes to our Lazy Catering options which are about to be called Norfolk Deli Crisis Catering. All of this will be available online, too, and we will provide free delivery to a range of postcodes in and around the Hunstanton/Ringstead/ Thornham area.’

FLINT VINEYARD, EARSHAM, NEAR BUNGAY www.flintvineyard.com Flint, at Earsham, near Bungay, is starting a drive through collection service at the vineyard on Friday and Saturday morning. Not only will there be wine for sale, there will also be 15 Mile Meal Deals to take away featuring some favourite local producers.

GOODIES FOOD HALL, LONG STRATTON www.goodiesfoodhall.co.uk Goodies Food Hall near Long Stratton, is offering free delivery to customers within five miles of them, with a modest charge beyond that to cover fuel. In addition, they are launching Goodies-To-Go, a new range of hearty and healthy meals for heating up at home - also available for delivery.

MR FRUITY WHOLESALE, NORWICH Tel 01603 488999, email orders@mrfruity.co.uk or visit www.mr-fruity.co.uk Mr Fruity Wholesale is launching a new home delivery service in Norwich.

Get fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, milk, eggs, yoghurts, cheese and much more, delivered to your door.

Contactless deliveries are an option you can pay by card over the phone or BACS bank transfer in advance.

L’HEXAGONE BISTRO FRANCAIS, NORWICH Find them on Facebook The new French bistro on Norwich Lanes is offering a take away service - soupe à l’oignon, croque monsieur, and bœuf bourguignon - as well as contactless payment.

KATERING4U, FAKENHAM Call 07990 743766 Kate Howlett of KATERING4U based in Fakenham is providing cakes/scones/ bakes from her five star rated kitchen.

She relies on social media and word of mouth for her small catering business.

OLD HALL FARM Call 01508 333110, email moo@ oldhallfarm.co.uk or visit www.oldhallfarm.co.uk Old Hall Farm in Woodton near Bungay, has started deliveries to anyone in selfisolation. As well as a local service they also offer nationwide delivery for meat and milk.

LOVE HOLT Visit www.loveholt.com Love Holt is setting up a communication hub for the Holt community. Leaflets will be delivered door to door; there will be a designated page of information on the website; information on social media, plus a community support line, hopefully between 8am and 8pm, manned by volunteers and located at The Venue, led by Community Cafe leader Carolyn Burn.

GOLD LEAF CATERING, MATTISHALL www.goldleafcatering.co.uk Gold Leaf Catering is organising menus for home delivery in Mattishall, near Dereham, and surrounding villages. Katie Johnson is offering ‘Drop Off’ buffet menus and is compiling a menu where she will be delivering home cooked food to your door which would only need to be heated in the microwave or oven.

THE CHESTNUT GROUP www.chestnutgroup.co.uk This leading East Anglian hotel and restaurant chain, which includes the Globe Inn at Wells, the Ship at Dunwich, and the Northgate in Bury St Edmunds, is keeping all its 11 properties open and also offering a take away service. Many other activities are in the planning

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Here to Help

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such as community dog walks with complimentary hot drinks, live Q&As with chefs and online bread making demos. Watch this space.

available for postcodes NR1-NR7.

The team will call you back to collect payment by debit or credit card and then allocate you an approximate delivery time.

NORFOLK VEG BOX, GREAT ELLINGHAM, ATTLEBOROUGH www.norfolkvegbox.com A well established delivery company, with a great choice of seasonal locally grown fruit, veg and salad. You can either make up your own box or select a specific one. Deliveries are across Norfolk.

THE FEATHERS HOTEL, HOLT www.thefeathershotel.com The Feather’s Hotel in Holt is offering a takeaway menu. Ordering can be done via telephone or in person. A waiting time will be given when the order is placed, and payment can be done via the phone or on collection.

KINGS HEAD BAWBURGH www.kingsheadbawburgh.co.uk The Kings Head Bawburgh, near Norwich, is looking into working with another local business to provide a delivery service to local residents who are self isolating or are vulnerable.

CUPCAKE & CO, NORWICH www.cupcakeand.co Online shopping is a new route for Cupcake & Co and more and more products are being added to the website.

JIVE KITCHEN, NORWICH www.jivekitchen.co.uk Jive Kitchen in Norwich is delivering Emergency Taco Kits - roasted butternut squash and roast chicken.

THE GREEN GROCERS, NORWICH www.thegreengrocers.co.uk The Green Grocers in Norwich is now offering a home delivery service,

BYFORDS, HOLT www.byfords.org.uk The Byfords store is open for takeaway items between 7am-7pm everyday.

There are lots of takeaway sweet and savoury food and drink options, as well as their famous handmade 'take and bake' frozen pastries.

LORD ROSEBERY, NORWICH Call 01603 414284 Choose what you would like to eat from the bistro burger and grill menu from Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm to 9pm and Sunday roasts on Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. Place your order then it will be delivered and left at your door.

Payment can be made over the phone.

NO 5 ANGEL HILL, BURY ST EDMUNDS Call 01284 700853 Charlie Athorne and the team at No 5 Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds have been offering a full takeaway, and delivery options, for local guests, and are planning to offer as much as they can from the menu, including sandwiches, soup and specials, cake, cream scones, soft drinks and, most importantly, wine. As long as they are able to do so, and it’s not too far away, they can also deliver to you, free of charge. They are looking at a delivery distance of approximately four miles.

BARSHAM BREWERY Call Barsham Brewery Sales Manager, Jules, on 01328 864459 or email jules@barshambrewery.co.uk Barsham Brewery is offering a weekly home delivery service throughout the region. A range of six of their award winning beers will be delivered directly

to your door by their friendly team to make sure nobody goes thirsty.

BENEDICTS, NORWICH www.benedicts.com This top end restaurant in Norwich Lanes, with Richard Bainbridge at stove, has launched a new delivery and pick up service for ready meals - and it remains opens for diners, too.

TELES PATISSERIE Call 01508 538892, email info@ telespatisserie.co.uk or visit www.telespatisserie.co.uk Teles Patisserie is willing and able to do deliveries to all of those interested.

There is a special delivery menu.

LAST BUT N OT LE AST…

• Earsham Street Deli, Giddens an d Thompson, Earsh am Street Fish Company and Lit tle Green Wholefo od Shop are combini ng to do a delive ry together, twice a week.

• Check out Acce nt Fresh (www. accentfresh.co.uk ), for fresh fruit an d veg; Marsh Pig (w ww.marshpig.co.uk ), for salamis and me ats, Bullards Gin (www.bullardsspirit s.co.uk); Norfolk Wagyu Beef (www .norfolkwagyubeef. co.uk); The Tiny Tip ple Company (www.thetinytipple company.co.uk), for next day delivery.

• Moss and Co (w ww.moss-co.com) is about to launc h its Moss & Go campaign - offeri ng a take out me nu.

Remember to ch eck relevant webs ites and social media for updates.

HAVE AN EGG-STRA SPECIAL EASTER… A typical Norfolk brick and flint character cottage, Peony Cottage is a contemporary home-fromhome, sleeping 4 in 2 comfortable bedrooms. Nestled in the delightful village of Helhoughton, this lovely country cottage is just 25 minutes in the car to Holkham Hall, home of the annual Easter Food Fair. Enjoy a wide array of concession vans, artisan producers and great music, before retiring to this stylish, relaxing bolthole for the evening.

Prices from £458 for 3 nights.

Visit www.norfolkhideaways.co.uk Call 01328 887658 Email enquiries@norfolkhideaways.co.uk

APRIL 2020

15

STAY FOR VICTORY www.theswanatlavenham.co.uk www.brudenellhotel.co.uk or www.whitelion.co.uk This is a nice idea from the Hotel Folk: mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe with a celebratory Stay for Victory dinner B&B package and a 15 per cent saving at the 15th century Swan at Lavenham Hotel and Spa, Brudenell or White Lion Hotel, both in Aldeburgh, during April and May. At each, you will be welcomed with freshly brewed tea and a 1940s VE Day inspired cake, and will receive a VE Day themed recipe card as a parting gift. And in Lavenham you could enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail in the atmospheric Airmen’s Bar.

ARTISAN FOOD COLLECTION

THAT NEW CHESTNUT

www.britannialiving.co.uk Nominations are being sought from producers in Norfolk for a new artisan food award: the ‘Britannia Artisan Food Collection’. The Collection is being curated by food and drink journalist and broadcaster Nigel Barden and will map the UK’s best produce and producers. Britannia will be seeking nominations from the public for their favourite food and drink from where they live throughout this month.

www.chestnutgroup.co.uk Chestnut, the East Anglian collection of inns, pubs and restaurants, has just announced the acquisition of their first Norfolk property, The Globe Inn, at Wells-next-theSea. Chestnut was set up by founder Philip Turner in 2012 with a vision to champion hospitality in East Anglia.

Stephen and Antonia Bournes, previous owners of The Globe Inn, say: ‘We look forward to working closely with them in the transition period to ensure the best outcome for our loyal team, visitors and guests.’ And in other Chestnut news, The Three Blackbirds in Woodditton, Suffolk, which was devastated by fire in 2018, has just reopened following an extensive refurbishment - with the addition of nine bedrooms.

MAKING HIS MARK www.chequersinnthornham.com Congratulations to the Chequers Inn at Thornham, for being awarded two AA rosettes for ‘Culinary Excellence, following an incognito overnight stay. Their critique of The Chequers’ food, which has undergone a transformation since Head Chef Jordan Bayes took the helm in November, says: ‘Great to see Jordan really stamping his own mark on the dining.’

OPEN ARMS

THE NUMBERS GAME Find No.Thirty3 Bakery on Facebook and Instagram NoTHIRTY3 The Bakery has just opened in Burnham Market, and comes from the same stable as NoTWENTY9 restaurant. The artisan bakery will sell a selection of breads, savoury and sweet pastries, and niche products such as New York style pudding pots inspired by Magnolia bakery, and will initially open five days a week from 8am - when it’s gone, it’s gone!

HOUSE EXPANSION www.erpinghamhouse.com Erpingham House, the plant-based restaurant in Tombland, Norwich, has branched out and now has a new establishment in Brighton, which opened last month. Not that managing director Loui Blake and the team have been resting on their laurels - back in Norwich, the café has been recently refurbished, too.

The long term goal is to be the first plant-based restaurant in the UK to develop as a national brand – how’s that for ambition?

16

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

www.guinnessarms.com We really like the look of the new Guinness Arms on the Elveden Estate. The stunning 16th century coaching inn can be found in the Suffolk village of Icklingham, by the River Lark, and all the produce is sourced from the estate farm and wild countryside wherever possible.

SAUCY! www.rocketshipsauces.co.uk Graham Heard of RocketShip Sauces, based in Horstead, near Norwich, is planning to release a limited edition of the Original Hot Sauce, called Hurricane, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day on May 8. The plan is for it to be officially released at his local village celebrations (also on that day).

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY www.saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk Best wishes to Tim and Janie Elwes at the Saracen’s Head in Wolterton, near Erpingham, who celebrate 10 years of taking the Georgian Inn under their wing, on April Fools’ Day - a lot has happened in that time! Do keep an eye out for special events to celebrate their first decade.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY www.strattonshotel.com Happy 30th birthday to Strattons! The award winning boutique hotel in the heart of Swaffham is celebrating its big birthday throughout April with a traditional afternoon tea - including some Strattons classics. Very best wishes to Les and Vanessa Scott for totally transforming what was an ever so slightly run down villa all those years ago, and to daughter Hannah Hughes, and her husband Dominic.

ANCHORS AWAY

NEW BAR IN BURY www.moriartys.online Have you been to Moriarty’s in Bury St Edmunds yet? It’s a new espresso and coffee bar on Whiting Street which started life out on the road, in an old Citroen horsebox called Cecil, back in 2015. Fast forward to 2020 and there’s a plant based menu on offer along with delicious coffees, as well as a basement bar with a speakeasy vibe, serving cocktails on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.

Find @theanchorinnmorston on Instagram Best wishes to Tony Webster and Elsie Temple, for recently taking over the reins from Harry Farrow and Rowan Glennie at the Anchor in Morston after nine years.

The pub itself is owned by Jane and Jim Temple, Elsie’s parents, and they run their wonderful seal trip business from a ticket office inside. Tony has worked in hospitality for many years and was manager at the Anchor In the past, and Elsie has worked in pretty much every pub in Norfolk!

News & Gossip We have another packed edition of news stories for you to digest over your morning coffee, says Emma Outten

WINNING WHISKY www.englishwhisky.co.uk England’s founding whisky firm, The English Whisky Co, is celebrating after picking up a host of awards in two top whisky competitions. The Roudhambased firm picked up five coveted gold awards in the prestigious Wizards of Whisky World Whisky Awards, and continued its success in The Icons of Whisky 2020 Competition.

LIMITED EDITION

BREWERY COLLABORATION

www.candischutney.com Candi Robertson of Candi’s Chutney based near Reepham is poised to launch her first limited edition chutney of the year: a very unique Norfolk Asparagus Chutney, and it’s all dependent on the weather.

She tells Feast: ‘As far as we’re aware we’re the only company that is stupid enough to make this flavour, but it’s always worth waiting for, with a strong following of customers and stockists already asking for it. But the best things come to those who wait.’

www.adnams.co.uk How’s this for a collaboration? Adnams has joined forces with Camden Hells to create Camden-on-Sea, a mash-up of Camden Hells Lager and Adnams Ghost Ship. The result is an India Pale Lager, which is a first for Adnams. With light and crisp lager notes reminiscent of Camden Hells, the beer will finish with the renowned citra hoppy bite of Ghost Ship.

GOLDEN EGGS www.whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk This is a nice idea for this time of year: ‘golden eggs’, with a prize inside every one, will be hidden along the Norfolk coastal path, either way from the bottom of the garden at The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe, leading up to Easter weekend. Try and find them!

APRIL 2020

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Garden & Leisure

News & Gossip

| AVIATOR FLIES IN www.sculthorpeaviator.co.uk New restaurant and bar near Fakenham, the Sculthorpe Aviator, launched last month. Formerly known as The Hourglass, it is now under new ownership and has been refurbished inside and out. The menu includes Steak and Aviator Ale Pie – slow braised steak in their very own Aviator Ale.

STAKE OUT THE STEAKHOUSE Fine @brix_and_bones on Instagram and Facebook Have you tried Brix and Bones, the new steakhouse and wine bar in Norwich, yet? It can be found in London Street, Norwich, and offers sustainable cooking (including breakfast and brunch) with an in-house butcher and incredible wines.

The team have spent months planning and carefully sourcing local small scale suppliers, complete with farm visits, to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare and quality.

FOOD SHOW CASTING Email foodshow.casting@bbc.co.uk A new BBC Studios TV cooking competition is looking for passionate cooks who dream of making their mark in the food industry to take part. Filming will take part in Tulum, Mexico this summer and the winner will get the ultimate prize in food.

The BBC wants to hear from people who have made food their lives; from street food vendors, commis chefs, food truck entrepreneurs to kitchen creatives; whether cooking in fashionable gastropubs or just starting in the food-service industry.

WILDMAN TURNED HERO www.theheroburnhamovery.co.uk and find The Wildman on Facebook It’s also the end of an era for Harry and Rowan at The Hero in Burnham Overy Staithe, but, fear not - there’s a new duo running the show: Frances Chisholm and her partner Pete Harvey, who are also behind The Wildman in Norwich Lanes, which had a major renovation and concept change back in the autumn.

NATIONAL TREASURE www.eastgatelarder.co.uk Well done to Jane Steward of Eastgate Larder, who grows medlars on her six-acre plot near Aylsham, for being awarded National Collection status by Plant Heritage, the world’s leading plant conservation and research charity.

A substantial proportion of the fruit from the orchard will go into Norfolk Medlar Gin which is being developed in collaboration with Jonathan and Alison Redding of Norfolk Gin - they are working towards a launch in early 2021.

DON'T FOR GET...

• The Harper, North Norfolk’s newest boutique hotel opens on Ap ril 1! www.theharper.c o.uk

A WILD WIN

A VINTAGE YEAR

www.wildknightdistillery.co.uk Congratulations to Matt and Steph Brown of Founding Drinks based in Beachamwell, after their Wild Knight Vodka won Gold in the Best British Varietal Category of The World Vodka Awards 2020. It follows on from awards, last year, from The International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) and Great Taste, for their Boadicea Gin and Nelson’s Gold caramelised vodka. Also, look out for a new limited edition Boadicea Gin, Debaucherry, launching soon!

www.flintvineyard.com Flint Vineyard in Earsham near Bungay has doubled its dining capacity this year in order to meet demand for its renowned 15 Mile Lunch.

It is now possible to visit the vineyard for lunch only, as well as tours and tastings, on selected weekdays and Saturdays. Flint’s summer season kicks off this Easter weekend to coincide with the launch of its new vintage.

Winemaker Ben Witchell believes 2019 has produced his best wines yet!

APRIL 2020

19

ONE OF NORFOLK’S LEADING DEPARTMENT STORES HAS A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR DISCOVERS SARAH HARDY www.bakersandlarners.co.uk

Time To

Celebrate T

HE ICONIC BAKERS AND LARNERS in Holt celebrates its 250th anniversary this year with the launch of four specially created own brand food products - with three produced in association with leading local suppliers.

The first to be unveiled was a special mature Cheddar cheese, called Morton's Vintage, which is made near Bristol.

Produced from cow’s milk, it is matured for 12 months and contains salt crystals so it has a lovely crunch!

Next up is a new gin called 250 Gin, which was created by Fakenham-based Black Shuck gin. Distilled with eight botanicals including pear, lime and ginger, it is a bright crisp gin which is best served with lime and fresh mint.

Just 500 bottles of this gin, which retails at £37.50, have been made, and £4 from each bottle sold is going to the store’s chosen

20

charity, EACH, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, so don’t dither over getting one!

These launches are followed by two more this month - a dark chocolate and salted caramel chocolate from Southwold-based Harris and James, and a new beer, a pale ale using the county’s finest malts, Maris Otter, and the heritage Chevalier malt, from Norfolk Brewhouse, based in Hindringham, near Fakenham.

The store is also selling four lovely commemorative items, again all specially produced for the celebratory year and with a percentage of the proceeds going to the store’s chosen charity. There is Baker Bear (a cuddly teddy bear), a mug, a shopping bag, and a tea-towel with designs by leading local artist, Kieron Williamson.

Marketing and communications manager Louise Cowell says: ‘Kieron is also painting a large owl for us - it is 1.6m high so is quite

DON’T FORGET...

The store is giving out a £250 gift card each month, plus 70 £25 ones.

Good luck!

spectacular. We hope to have it on show in one of the shop windows, and it will then go on display at his exhibition in the town in July. We are thinking about ways in which the owl will helps us raise lots of money for EACH. We haven't seen it yet and can’t wait.’

The store, right in the centre of Holt, is operating very much business as usual, with customers made as welcome as always. The Food Hall, which also boasts its own bakery, offers a wide selection of locally-sourced food and drink, plus a selection of international goodies. And the wine department has more than 1000 wine variations in stock so there is literally something for everyone!

Online deliveries, with deliveries to your doorstep, are also available.

Several events are in the planning stage for later this year, with wine talks and tastings looking likely. So it is a case of watch this space.

The store hopes to raise £25,000 for EACH this year, with Louise saying: ‘We raised £7000 in just January and February which was incredible.’

Jane Gurney-Read, Acting Managing Director and Chairman of CT Baker Group, says: ‘I am immensely proud to be a part of Bakers & Larners as we mark 250 years of our unique, award-winning store. It is an opportunity for the team to say thank you to our staff and customers for their enduring support and loyalty and to involve the local community that we feel a very strong part of.

‘It has been a remarkable journey and nine monarchs and four centuries later, our exceptional department store stands as one of the oldest retailers in East Anglia and one of the few in the country to remain under the ownership and control of the founding family.’

THE EARLY DAYS OF BAKERS & LARNERS

APRIL 2020

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TOURS & EXPERIENCES

PEEK BEHIND THE

SCENES

Discover how we make our award-winning beers and spirits in our energy-efficient brewery and distillery in Southwold – and enjoy a delicious tasting too.

We also offer a range of other Adnams experiences, including ‘Make Your Own Gin’ and more!

BREWERY AND DISTILLERY TOURS RUN DAILY

For more info and to book, call in to our Tours Centre behind The Swan Hotel, Southwold, visit adnams.co.uk or call 01502 727225.

NEWS

Maids Head Hotel

|

SHARED EXPERIENCES THE MAIDS HEAD HOTEL IN NORWICH MAY WELL BE THE CITY’S OLDEST HOTEL BUT IT IS VERY MUCH LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, REPORTS SARAH HARDY www.maidsheadhotel.co.uk OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS, the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich has embarked on a multi-million pound refurbishment programme, seeing improvements to all areas. This includes all 84 bedrooms, the reception area and the extensive lounges. But all the work has been highly sympathetic and in keeping with the heritage of this 800-year-old building which is Grade II* listed.

As you step inside the hotel, which is independently owned, you now enter the glass Bentley Showroom where two rather special vintage Bentleys are on show to ooh and ahh over. One is a rare 1950 convertible, which speaks for itself, while the other is a 1963 saloon and just as much a thing of beauty. They certainly provide a great talking point for this area, which can be hired out for receptions, meetings and more.

The lounges are comfortable and, just like the bedrooms, designed with lots of flair, with bold fabrics teamed with contemporary pops of colour. Add in deep sofas, open fires, and those essential old beams and you can feel all that history talking to you! And they are a great spot for afternoon tea, a firm favourite with many.

An important part of what the hotel offers is the two AA Rosette Wine Press restaurant where head chef Marcin Pomierny, commonly known as Magic, works some culinary APRIL 2020

magic. He puts local, seasonal produce centre stage, and the Easter menu is looking very tempting, with three courses for £32. Children’s menus are half price, and there are lots of extras like chocolate eggs on offer, too. The restaurant also offers 45 wines by the glass, which is a real bonus.

If you fancy escaping, the hotel has a river boat available to hire on the nearby River Wensum. Seating up to 10 passengers, it is a fabulous way of seeing the city.

Afternoon tea or drinks and canapés are served onboard, making for a very pleasant sight-seeing trip. Various sailings are also planned around Norfolk Day, on July 25, 26 and 27, so keep those dates free in your diary.

The AA four-star hotel has its own car park and is ideally situated in Norwich’s Cathedral Quarter, in Tombland.

The Norman Cathedral welcomes Dippy the Dinosaur from the National History Museum in London, from July 11 to October 31, which should be great fun for all ages!

In celebration of Dippy’s arrival, the Maids Head will be offering a Dino Mini Break which will include a Dinosaur themed afternoon tea KEEP UP-TO-DATE with all the hotel’s events and activities online. TEL: 01603 209955 EMAIL events@maidsheadhotel.co.uk

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Gastro on the coast

Visit The Chequers Inn, Thornham, this springtime for exquisite chef-led cuisine that’s full of imagination and flavour, using the best seasonal produce to create timeless classics and new springtime favourites.

01485 512 229 • chequersinnthornham.com • Thornham, Norfolk

WHAT'S ON

Norfolk Pheasant

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TAKING FLIGHT PAULA MARTIN RUNS BESPOKE TRAVEL COMPANY NORFOLK PHEASANT WHICH OFFERS COOKERY MASTERCLASSES. SHE SHARES DETAILS OF TWO NEW ONES www.norfolkpheasant.com

MIKE KEEN

SINCE LAUNCHING Norfolk Pheasant where we we offer tailor-made stays and experiences in the region, I’m loving the interesting and fascinating people I’ve met. One of these is international chef Mike Keen. Originally from East Anglia, research for his new book on fermentation has already taken him on on travels to the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland.

Fermentation has been an essential element of our diet since we took our first steps and performs vital work for our wellbeing. But it’s only recently that we’ve started to acknowledge its importance in our lives both scientifically and gastronomically. It’s a vital process in most luxury foods, including chocolate, cheese, beer, wine, and salami to name but a few, so it certainly gets my vote.

Mike is passionate about why fermentation works and the benefits we derive from it. Tapping into his expert knowledge, we are developing masterclasses to explain and demonstrate the classics such as sauerkraut and kimchi, through the essentials of tempeh, miso, soy sauce, and garums, as well as how to make your own kombucha.

It is not just fermentation that is gaining greater understanding; another preservation and flavour enhancing method from way back in history is smoking.

And it is also associated with luxury foods, so there is a

APRIL 2020

theme here! While, we are fortunate to have the wonderful Cley Smokehouse and Staithe Smokehouse on our doorstep, it is also a great technique that can be learnt for home use. A myriad of foods can be smoked using both hot and cold smoking methods, which take on different textures and flavours in the process.

Mike plans to show guests how to get a wide variety of foods ready for smoking, followed by an all-hands-on-deck session with everyone making and assembling the group’s own communal double smoker.

Everyone will then smoke their own creations, followed by a tasting and critique at the end.

By getting hands-on experience in this way, guests will have the essential knowledge to use their new-found skills back at home.

FOR DETAILS about all the stays and experiences available at Norfolk Pheasant, check out their website.

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L o Co ing p M a c

Hickling Campsite

| IF YOU WANT TO STEP OFF LIFE’S TREADMILL, HICKLING CAMPSITE COULD BE JUST THE PLACE FOR YOU, RECKONS SARAH HARDY

W

www.hicklingcampsite.co.uk

ELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE a little bit of paradise. Set in three acres of unspoilt countryside, close to the Broad, Hickling Campsite has five shepherd huts, one pod (the Pod Father) and space for 25 tents. And the rather super Hickling Hut, a little foodie hub, selling all manner of local artisan goodies from suppliers such as Swannington Farm to Fork, Norwich Porridge, Dann’s Ice Cream, Kettle Chips and more.

Run by Jo Sindall and Tom Wright, the couple have poured masses of time and passion into the site, with Tom, a farmer, and his brother Isaac making everything themselves, thus ensuring it all looks in keeping, and maintains a rustic feel.

‘We want people to just enjoy the surroundings, to really get away from everyday life. The pod is the only place to have electricity so we can see the stars, for example, and children can enjoy playing outside - we have games of cricket going, they can bike around - we are very family friendly,’ says Jo, who used to work in the media.

The couple, who both admit to being keen campers, set up the campsite in 2016, and saw good showers and toilets as a top priority. ‘But we want our visitors to have a traditional camping experience - we don’t have a clubhouse,’ Jo says. ‘And we don’t do loud music or huge groups, it is all about getting back to nature.’

One feature of the campsite is the braziers or fire pits

which everyone loves for those essential barbecues, and people also appreciate the flat, grassy site.

Jo points out that Hickling Broad is a short bike ride away where there are lots of canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding and boating opportunities. ‘And there are some good pubs like The Greyhound, The Pleasure Boat Inn, and lots of beaches like Sea Palling and Waxham close by, too.’

Horse riding, country walks and boat trips are all available nearby, so there’s no chance of anyone getting bored!

The area is teeming with wildlife - do listen out for the resident barn owl, look out for butterflies, and you could well spot the odd deer. Many enjoy fruit picking as the site is bordered by mature hedgerows which offer apples and raspberries in the summer.

THE SHEPHERD HUTS AND THE POD FATHER Each is individually designed and decorated, with furnishing by Norfolk-based Buttonpearl Crafts. They all have fully-equipped kitchens, with pots, pans, crockery and cutlery, a kettle and snug throws for cosying up around the fire pit. The Pod Father is the only one with electricity.

DOGS ON LEADS are welcome and hampers are available on request. One night stays are available.

HICKLING CAMPSITE opens from May 1 to September 30. The couple also run Canal Camping at nearby Dilham.

PHOTOGRAPHY DANNY KNOTT

FEATURE

b

the berney

BOO

NOW GourKm Wine et Din 21 Mayner

ÂŁ 65

2020

pp

norfolk country pub hotel & restaurant Due to the resounding success of our inaugural Gourmet Wine Dinner, we are having our second!!

Experience our showcase of fish, on Thursday 21st May 2020, in association with Hatch Mansfield UK. A specialist agent in premium wines made by independent, family-owned wine producers. On offer will be a range of wine from the Louis Jadot range whose vineyard is in Burgundy, the very heart of winemaking in France.

Rob, our head chef, will again be on hand to introduce each dish and Matthew Allen the wine expert from Hatch Mansfield will be on hand to advise you of the wines you will be experiencing.

Arrive at 7:30pm to a flute of Tattinger Champagne, going through to the restaurant to eat at 8pm. This will be an exceptional evening and with only limited places make sure you get in touch to book your table soon.

Gourmet Wine Dinner Menu Vietnamese Tiger Prawn Skewers

Salt Cod Fritters with Saffron Aioli

(cr, df )

(g, e, f,m, mu, s)

Kim-chi, Carrot, Spring Onion, Chilli, Lime, Herb Salad

Salt Cod Fritters, Parsley, Saffron, Potato, Roasted Peppers

Lobster Salad (c, cr, m, mu, gf ) with a Fennel, Orange, Dill & Jersey Royal Potato Salad

Steamed Fillet of Seabass

Baron Bigod Cheese

(gf, cr, f, m)

(g, m, e, mu, c)

Asparagus, Broad Beans, Peas, Vermouth and Brown Shrimp Butter Sauce

Crackers, Grape Jelly, Celery, Apple Chutney

Book your room now & enjoy the complete Berney experience The Berney Country Pub, Hotel & Restaurant Church Road, Barton Bendish, King’s Lynn PE33 9GF

www.theberney.co.uk 01366 347 995

EATING OUT

1921 Angel Hill

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AWARD-WINNING RESTAURANT, 1921 ANGEL HILL IN BURY ST EDMUNDS MANAGES TO TURN A MIDWEEK LUNCH INTO QUITE THE OCCASION, SAYS EMMA OUTTEN APRIL 2020

29

W

30

ITHIN A YEAR of opening his restaurant, 1921 Angel Hill, back in 2014, chef patron Zack Deakins had already garnered 2 AA Rosettes.

Fast forward a few years and the Good Food Guide describes it as a ‘classy restaurant’, the Michelin guide says the ‘cooking displays a modern flair’, and by the end of last year 1921 had made it into Harden’s Top 100 Best UK Restaurants for 2020. Not bad, eh?

www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

The award-winning restaurant is located in a wonderful old building which backs onto Abbey Gardens, and is at one end of a short but sweet stretch of food and drink establishments on this part of Angel Hill (occupying 19-21, in fact).

As soon as you walk in you can sense that having lunch here is going to feel like a special treat. In the lounge area, a well-heeled couple were busy enjoying an aperitif and a selection of canapés, by the red-brick inglenook fireplace and under the original beams.

My friend and I decided to be shown straight to our table in the dining room, which has had a thoroughly modern facelift.

There’s grey velvet banquette seating, a library feel to the back wall – all shelving and rehomed books - and local artwork, which my friend started admiring as soon as we sat down. Our waiter, Yann, was very friendly and attentive – we heard all about how he had come to Bury from France at the age of 20 and stayed ever since (he’s now 34!). Bury clearly has that effect on people.

The wine list offers a good variety of the very best international wines, and I was intrigued to try a Turkish dry rosé wine called Kayra, from the vineyards of Anatolia with its indigenous Kalecik Karasi red grape. It was pale pink (looking not too dissimilar to a Provence rosé ) and had hints of ginger coming through. My friend had a glass of the Grillo ‘Vitese’, from Italy - and both were £4.60 for 125ml.

We ordered a couple of canapés each at £1.50 which proved to be a great accompaniment to perusing the menu.

My adventurous friend thought the tikka frog’s leg with mint yoghurt sounded interesting (we’re fairly sure the ‘cocktail stick’ was actually a frog’s leg bone, which was either genius or a bit close to the bone, depending on your point of view) and declared it as delicious. I, on the other hand, stayed close to home with a whipped Baron Bigod and grape starter.

The lunchtime set menu champions local produce and is really good value, at £18 for two courses or £21 for three. And is clearly very popular – we were surrounded

EATING OUT

1921 Angel Hill

| by couples, ladies who lunch and the like. For starters, I had the mackerel tartare, with ‘red meat’ radish and a dill emulsion. I’d never seen this variety of radish before and its watermelon hues have the wow factor. My friend, meanwhile, continued the leg theme and had the confit rabbit leg and Suffolk chorizo terrine, with heritage carrot and pumpkin seed. She said the rabbit and chorizo were a perfect combination.

Mains are reflective of the surrounding farmland. I had the potato and truffle pressing, with creamed watercress and king oyster mushroom – proof that a vegetarian dish can punch its weight on a fine dining menu. Here, the humble potato had been turned into something really quite impressive, and in the middle of my plate was what looked like a slice of processed cheese but was instead a squareshaped smearing of, possibly, sweet potato – very clever!

My more carnivorous friend had pork fillet, black pudding, cauliflower and green peppercorn jus, which came in a small gravy boat. It looked like the pork and pudding equivalent of a Scotch egg. She described the taste sensation as exquisite.

For dessert, I decided to mix things up a bit and have the sweet savoury concoction that was deep fried Baron Bigod (hey, it had been a while since my canapé), with truffle honey ice cream, and Waldorf salad. It was an interesting APRIL 2020

combination indeed - my brain was busy trying to compute that there was a quenelle of ice cream on what would have made a perfect starter! My friend had the dark chocolate fondant, with latte ice cream and praline - a favourite of hers. Thankfully she let me have a taste or two and it was melt-in-the-mouth stuff.

Afterwards, you could finish things off with Bury-based Butterworth and Son’s coffee and loose leaf teas on offer, along with handcrafted petit fours.

And, this being a fine dining restaurant, there’s an à la carte menu, as well as a seven-course tasting menu, offering a selection of the best seasonal dishes from the menu, for £75 per person. Add another £40 and you get a wine flight as well. Perfect for a very special occasion, such as a big birthday, should you have one coming up (as I do!).

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EATING OUT

The Victoria Inn, Holkham

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WINNING WAYS CHARITY AUCTION WINNERS DIANA AND CHRIS SCARGILL EAT OUT AT THE VICTORIA INN AT HOLKHAM WITH EDITOR SARAH HARDY www.holkham.co.uk

APRIL 2020

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HEN WE LAUNCHED the eastern branch of Hospitality Action, the charity for those involved with the hospitality world, we held a fabulous gala dinner at Holkham Hall.

As part of the evening’s entertainment (which included a scrumptious dinner prepared by numerous top chefs) there was an auction and one of the lots was dinner with yours truly!

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The idea was to eat and report on the meal for a future issue of Feast, and the couple with the winning bid were Diana and Chris Scargill from Blakeney - both very lovely people. I won’t say how much they paid but it was a lot and for that we are all very grateful!

So the pressure was on for us to try and make it an enjoyable and informative evening - I always talk far too much so their main challenge was to get a word in edgeways!

We were invited to eat at the Victoria Inn at Holkham, and Diana and Chris were to stay the night, too, with their rather gorgeous dogs, Pippin and Sumac.

I took along one of our regular writers, Mark Nicholls, bon viveur and fellow chatterbox, and it was a very jolly evening: Diana and Chris are real foodies, well travelled and love Norfolk. Living in the area, they know it well, and eat out a fair amount.

The Victoria is a lovely spot: relaxed and welcoming especially for our four-legged friends. It’s kitted out just as it should be, as a traditional estate pub.Think Farrow and Ball cool colours, open fires, antlers on the walls, a few shotguns in cabinets, and stripped wooden floors.

We started in one of the little bar areas, with comfy sofas, for pre-dinner drinks before moving into the main area where we had a good look through the menu.

The kitchen, run by head chef Michael Chamberlain, uses as many ingredients from the Estate as possible: game from the shoot, beef from the marshes, venison from the park, vegetables from the walled garden and lamb and potatoes from the farm. There are eight or nine choices per course, and they are clearly marked if gluten free or suitable for vegans or vegetarians.

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EATING OUT

The Victoria Inn, Holkham

| CHRIS HAS WRITTEN US THIS REVIEW ABOUT THE COUPLE’S STAY: ‘The hotel deserves its dog friendly reputation as they are allowed in the bar, restaurant and all 10 bedrooms in the main building – all of which are nicely furnished and wow, our bathroom in room six! I am told rooms one and two are bigger, but ours, with a separate shower and a bath big enough for two, was impressive! The north facing room overlooks the road and open pasture which, following recent heavy rain, is a wildlife haven of its very own (note to self: bring binoculars next time).

If you are not a dog lover, the more recently renovated Ancient House, which includes a separate sitting room, provides a further 10 individually decorated rooms, including a spacious family attic.

The historic relationship with the brewer Adnams continues with an Adnams cellar in the curtilage which is worth a browse, and many of their beers and wines are served in the bar, complemented by various guest ales and some very good wines from the Chet and Waveney Valley Vineyard. With our evening meal, the choice was a well-priced Picpoul to go with the scallops starter, which was well presented with sprinkled pomegranate seeds. Tasty as they were, the mussels starter also looked delicious. For the mains I chose a substantial pork chop with all the trimmings including a cider jus. My Duchess followed her scallops with Lady Leicester’s warm salad.

Filled with cauliflower, squash and other greens, it was

delicious and different but not at all lady- like in its portion! Her glass of Forest Estate Pinot Noir suited it to a tee.

We were too full to have one of the delicious sounding desserts, so we shared Lord Leicester’s smelly French cheese board which was definitely not as smelly as advertised! It offered Roquefort, Époisses, Brie de Meaux and Crottin de Chavignol - and I took the opportunity to taste the well balanced Malbec.

As a hotel guest, you can relax after dinner in comfy chairs in a residents’ sitting room where there is complimentary whisky, port and brandy, should you wish.

Well, it would have been rude not to, wouldn’t it?

So what to do the next day? Well, a substantial Full English called me, and the Duchess went for Lady Leicester’s avocado on toast – and wow, what a large portion! Both set you up for the day to go visiting the wonderful towns and villages nearby from cosmopolitan Burnham Market to Wells, a destination that is certainly on the up.

My choice? My four-footed friends would have had it no other way, so it was off to the wide open spaces of the beach to burn off a little energy before finding another great place for lunch. There is so much to do, so much choice, that my final note to self: let’s stay longer next time!’

Thanks to all at the Holkham Estate, especially Ben and the staff at The Victoria Inn, for making this all happen.

...there is complimentary whisky, port and brandy, should you wish. Well, it would have been rude not to, wouldn’t it?''

APRIL 2020

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Q&A

onMYa LIFE plate ROMANIAN-BORN IONUT BLANA MAY LOVE FISH AND CHIPS AND A G&T BUT HE STILL ENJOYS THE FOOD HE GREW UP WITH

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www.brasteds.co.uk

ho are you and where do you work?

I am Ionut Blana. I work for Brasted's restaurant plus the events and catering side of the business, Complete & Utter Brasted's.

Where did you train?

I trained in a city called Lasi in Romania, which is where I grew up and lived for the first 27 years of my life.

Who is your favourite chef?

Aside from the chefs at Brasted’s, Gordan Ramsay and Jamie Oliver – two very different chefs but I like them for two very different reasons. I like Ramsay’s temperament as he is straight to the point and knows what he wants, as well as what he is looking for in a dish. However, I like the ethos and style of Jamie’s cooking; wholesome meals at home with the family.

What three ingredients do you always have in the cupboard?

Milk, eggs and flour – I’m always ready for pancakes!

What’s your (foodie) guilty pleasure?

Fish and chips with a pint of beer by the seaside, preferably with the kids playing quietly nearby!

What’s your favourite tipple?

It has to be a classic gin and tonic; something like Tanqueray with a slice of lemon and plenty of ice and,

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www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

Brasted's

| Recipe Overleaf of course, it has to be a double! It’s very refreshing after a long shift in a hot kitchen.

Describe a perfect meal Something that is so tasty that I am wiping my plate clean with a piece of bread to make sure I don’t miss out on a single drop of the dish. This usually happens when I have a curry and am mopping up all the sauce with my naan bread.

however, in the future I definitely think that molecular dining (the blending of physics and chemistry to produce transformations of ingredients and textures - think Heston Blumenthal and say transparent ravioli) is going to be popular.

Where do you like to eat out in Norfolk and beyond?

I love to cook for my family so we rarely go out but, on the occasions we do venture out, a gastro pub is the ideal spot for us all to enjoy. However, when we go back to visit Romania, it is an absolute must that we go to a restaurant that only serves Romanian food. We get so used to eating English food, and I love living and working here, but it is bliss to go back and enjoy the food I ate growing up.

Tell us something we don’t know about yourself Back in Romania I was a semiprofessional footballer.

What are your foodie predictions for the next few months?

I’m not sure about the next few months as these things take time, APRIL 2020

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Offices in Holt, Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham 01263 715779

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HOP TO IT THIS EASTER

Plenty to get your paws stuck into with storytelling, The Velveteen Rabbit, pets cuddle corner, trails, games, crafts and not forgetting our Easter Food Fair

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Q&A

The Brasted’s Legendary Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé R E C I P E

160ml of whole milk; 50g of butter; 50g of flour; 4 egg whites; 3 egg yolks; 100g of Wells Alpine cheese; 1 bay leaf; ½ an onion; pinch of nutmeg; 50g of finely grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 180°C. Place the milk, onion, nutmeg and bay leaves into a pan. Bring to the boil then set aside to infuse for 30 minutes. Butter six ramekin dishes and dust with the Parmesan. Melt the butter in a saucepan then stir in the flour and gently cook for 1 minute - keep stirring. Take it off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Discard the onion and bay leaf. Return to the hob and stir until the sauce boils and then thickens. Once off the heat, stir in the egg yolks and ¾ of the cheese and season. Scrape the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Use another bowl to whisk the egg whites until stiff. Carefully fold the whites into the cheese mixture and fill the ramekins 2/3 full. Transfer the ramekins to a roasting tin, and pour freshly boiled water around the outside, halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen (just set and still a little wobbly), then leave to cool. To serve, heat oven to 220°C, 200°C fan, gas mark 7. Loosen the soufflés around the edges, then turn out upside down into an individual ovenproof dish and bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve while still hot.

Serve Six s

APRIL 2020

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W SCHOOL DINNERS JOE CAMPEN, EXECUTIVE HEAD CHEF AT LANGLEY SCHOOL, TELLS US ALL ABOUT MODERN DAY SCHOOL MEALS AND HOW CURRY IS POPULAR WITH HIS STUDENTS! www.langleyschool.co.uk

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ho are you and where do you work?

I am Joe Campen, the Executive Head Chef at Langley School, and I cover both of our campuses – the Prep School at Taverham Hall and our Senior School at Langley Park in Loddon.

What are the positives of working in a school?

We’re proud that we offer our staff a really good work/life balance and sociable hours - this has been a big draw for the qualified chefs we have recruited from the catering industry. We are also committed to upskilling our staff and, as a result, every chef across both our sites now holds catering qualifications. I see our role here as more than just feeding pupils – we are in the perfect position to educate them to make good choices and eat well for life.

How many pupils and staff do you have to cater for each day?

We have almost 500 pupils at the Senior School and more than 350 at the Prep School, plus around 300 staff across both sites. For our Senior School boarding community, we also cater for breakfast and dinner so, as you can imagine, we are always busy!

How do you get pupils to try different foods?

I’m passionate about encouraging pupils to eat a rainbowcoloured variety of food, to make sure they get as many

LANGLEY PREP SCHOOL

LANGLEY SENIOR SCHOOL

CHEF PROFILE

Joe Campen, Langley School

| of the vital vitamins, minerals and nutrients as possible, supporting their growth, learning and a healthy lifestyle.

Our pupils are great at trying new dishes and getting involved in our monthly pupil-led themed days, including Chinese street food, Indian, Mexican, African, American, Spanish and Scottish themes.

world. The Thai green curry made with fresh lemongrass, ginger and lots of fresh coriander is a favourite, and our Omani thareed served with flat breads has an amazing depth of flavour. A firm favourite on Friday fish day is the ‘side of salmon with herb crust’ – I tell the younger pupils it’s just a huge fish finger!

How do you keep things healthy?

We spend more each week on fruit and vegetables than we do on meat, and try to combine as many vegetables into our main dishes as possible. For example, we use more than 20kg of carrots, onions, tomatoes and garlic in our bolognese sauce, we grate apples into our sausage roll mix, and our curries contain lots of puréed vegetables. We offer sugar-free options such as our Greek style yoghurt that we make on site and our homemade muesli. We have also reduced our sugar usage by 50 per cent in all our homemade desserts.

Is food technology/home economics on the curriculum? And how important do you think it is?

We have a Food Preparation and Nutrition department, which puts on brilliant things like ‘Cooking for uni classes’ where our Sixth Form pupils learn a wide range of skills and recipes, helping to equip them for life after school, which is hugely important. We have also teamed up with the department in a competition to design the menu for a day. The winning pupils will spend a day in the kitchen as ‘Head Chef,’ helping to prepare and serve the dishes to the whole school.

Have you seen a rise in vegetarianism and veganism and how do you ensure pupils still get all the nutrients they need?

We have seen vegetarian dishes growing in popularity – we offer two vegetarian choices at each meal, including a vegan choice, and our extensive salad bars also offer vegetarian choices, including dishes like homemade quiche and stuffed peppers. From the salad bar, pupils and staff can also select two proteins, and help themselves to as many salads and raw vegetables as they like, which provides a good intake of varied nutrients.

What are your foodie predictions for the next few months?

I think we will see more flexitarians, as people eat less meat for environmental reasons. I’m also sure, as more is known about the importance of diet on the gut microbiome, that we will have more take up of the fermented foods such as Kimchi and the live yoghurt that we serve.

We have already increased the number of probiotic foods in dishes we offer to promote good gut health.

What dish is most popular with pupils?

Our homemade curries are very popular and we introduce a new one each term, so we have had them from all over the APRIL 2020

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EAST ANGLIA CHAMPION LEE BYE IS THE CHEF PATRON OF AGELLUS HOTELS, WHICH INCLUDES THE CHEQUERS INN AT THORNHAM – NEWLY AWARDED TWO AA ROSETTES. EMMA OUTTEN REPORTS www.tuddenhammill.co.uk

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THE CHEF PATRON of the Agellus hotels, Lee Bye, is proving to be a true champion of hospitality in East Anglia.

Not only does he oversee operations at Tuddenham Mill in Suffolk, The Chequers Inn and the Lifeboat Inn, both in Thornham, in North Norfolk, but he is also involved with Hospitality Action, the charity which offers a range of support services to help hospitality people back on their feet again after a setback.

‘It’s vital that we nurture our staff; times have certainly changed since I started out, there is a lot more respect,’ he says.

Born and raised in the Fens, Lee studied at Cambridge Regional College, taking Catering and Hospitality Levels 1 and 2 – he decided against Level 3 as he wanted to get into a professional kitchen, full time, as soon as possible.

He’s been leading the kitchen at Tuddenham Mill since 2014,

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PROFILE

Lee Bye

| and the awards have kept coming: three AA rosettes, The Good Food Guide Editor’s award, Suffolk’s Chef of the Year crown and Suffolk’s Restaurant of the Year title. Lee has also been recognised by industry experts nationally and awarded the prestigious Acorn Award 2016 and then Acorn Scholarship 2017.

Next Lee was appointed as Chef Patron, and nowadays looks after managing the hotels, events and restaurant teams and continues to be closely involved in food offerings and menu development. All three establishments are well-known for providing superb field-to-fork food as Lee and his fellow talented chefs use fresh local ingredients to create dishes of exceptional quality and creativity, full of hearty flavours and clever combinations.

He says: ‘The link between chefs and local produce and local producers is so important. We are developing a real connection with our suppliers and hope to develop it further. There are so many great suppliers - gin makers, vineyards, smokehouses - and I know diners now expect to see local produce on our menus.’

He continues: ‘Another key part of what we provide is our bedrooms; they allow us to offer a complete experience - and they need, of course, to be as good as our food offering!’

Lee is known for having a ‘thinking outside the box’ approach to running the select group of restaurants APRIL 2020

“THE LINK BETWEEN CHEFS AND LOCAL PRODUCE AND LOCAL PRODUCERS IS SO IMPORTANT.”

and hotels owned and managed by Agellus. He has long since held a vision to inspire and help young chefs thrive and enjoy their careers by achieving a work-life balance, and certainly knows all about the challenges this industry brings: the long, often antisocial hours, the fast-paced and high-stress environment that is the kitchen, and the layoffs that happen for some, when the high-season finishes.

He says: ‘The next generation is so important to what we do - we really enjoy bringing on new talent. It is essential to the business that we grow and develop people - both in the kitchen and front of house.’

One of his star protégés is the head chef at The Chequers, Jordan Bayes, who, since taking the helm in November of last year, has transformed the food and been instrumental in recently achieving two AA rosettes for ‘Culinary Excellence’. Lee says: ‘I am super proud of Jordan. He works his socks off and deserves the plaudits for his beautiful cooking. To get two rosettes this quickly in his first head chef role is testament to his talent and hard work.’

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COLUMN

Nick Harris

|

Let’s Go Wild SPRING MEANS ONE THING FOR JARROLD EXECUTIVE CHEF NICK HARRIS - WILD GARLIC! www.jarrold.co.uk

Nick's top tip...

c leaves Place wild garli eets of cling between two sh for about e av film. Microw d you will 30 seconds an rlic leaf have made a ga rfect as pe is crisp which . ish rn a ga

APRIL 2020

EASTER IS A TIME FOR NEW BEGINNINGS. New season fruit and vegetables come to fruition and menus take on a fresher outlook after months of earthy root vegetables. Many of you will associate this time of the year with roast lamb, chocolate eggs and maybe even the start of the asparagus season, but for me it’s the time when a maybe lesser known and even used - ingredient makes its brief appearance: wild garlic.

This amazing vegetable has a lifespan of just six weeks and April is the perfect time to enjoy it as this is the month when it starts to flower. You can eat all parts of wild garlic (flowers, leaves, stems and bulb) and the shoots are delicious, simply thrown into a salad, or the leaves wilted in a frying pan with some olive oil in much the same way as you would cook and eat spinach.

It’s perfect in dishes where you would usually use garlic, such as soups, pasta sauces, mushrooms on toast, in focaccia bread and even ice cream! This spring we will be using wild garlic in some of our dishes on the menu at Benji’s on the first floor.

Wild garlic is the sexier version of traditional garlic bulbs that you find in the supermarket and it has a more delicate flavour.

Plus it is easy to forage as it grows in woodlands, shady lanes and some hedgerows. I have some growing under one of the trees in my garden.

One of my favourite ways to cook and eat wild garlic is with roast lamb, which is the quintessential Easter Sunday lunch. I cook a saddle of new season lamb, stuffed with sautéed wild garlic leaves, spinach and mushrooms or, if you are serving your roast with mash potatoes as well as roasted, you can chop up the leaves and stems and mix into the mash.

Garnish with the wild garlic flowers and you will have a side dish that will take centre stage at your Easter feast, after all, this vegetable is only around for a short while so it is worth giving it its 15 minutes of fame!

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COLUMN

Roger Hickman

|

Ask The Expert

EACH MONTH ROGER HICKMAN, CHEF-PROPRIETOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING ROGER HICKMAN’S RESTAURANT, SHARES HIS TOP KITCHEN TIPS AND ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ON ALL THINGS CULINARY www.rogerhickmansrestaurant.com What do you think of restaurant critics?

I have been on the receiving end of both glowing and less complimentary reviews, so I know only too well what a massive effect – positive or negative – a review by a professional critic can have. The rise of sites like TripAdvisor means that critics have lost some of their influence, but in general they still count, because unlike the often anonymous comments left on reviews websites, professional critics generally know what they are talking about (well, some of them) In his one-man show, Jay Rayner admits that a bad review will always sell more papers than a positive one, so you have to bear that in mind. In the end, it’s just one person’s opinion, and it’s the opinions of your customers which really count.

Heston Blumenthal recently said he was considering banning customers from photographing their food. What is your view on this?

This has never been too much a problem at my restaurant, and in these days of Instagram, you have to accept that people want to photograph and share pictures of their dishes. We make a lot of effort to ensure our plates look good, so I suppose we should view it as a compliment.

I do understand where Heston Blumenthal is coming from though, because it can go too far. People who spend so long snapping their food that it’s cold by the time they come to eat APRIL 2020

it, and those whose photographic antics are disruptive for other diners, are out of order.

Part of me wishes that people would simply enjoy life in the moment rather than trying to document every living minute – but if someone has paid for their meal and wants to take a picture of it, as long as they are considerate to other diners, who am I to complain?

What do you do to stay on top of food trends? Can you give an example of a current food trend which is influencing the food you serve?

If you stay in your own kitchen you can get quite insular, so I try to eat out at lots of other restaurants, which helps me keep my finger on the pulse.

Undoubtedly the most important trend at the moment is that people are eating less meat, and my menus reflect this. I offer a complete vegetarian tasting menu alongside the carnivorous one, and it’s interesting that even committed meat-eaters are attracted to meatfree dishes.

I think people want simpler, fresher, uncluttered dishes, with less dairy, fewer heavy sauces, and less on the plate generally (which Recipe is why the taster menu is so On line popular).

PHOTO ALISA CONNAN

IF YOU HAVE a question for Roger, send it to sarah@ feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk

PRU NE PAR FAI T, DA TE, TO KA JI AN D MA SC AR PO NE

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COLUMN

Rachael Parke

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TESTING TIMES OUR FRONT OF HOUSE CHAMPION RACHAEL PARKE OF NoTWENTY9 IN BURNHAM MARKET GIVES HER USUAL FRANK ASSESSMENT OF LIFE IN THE HOSPITALITY WORLD www.number-29.com

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ELL - WHAT A SUDDEN CHANGE of direction and, to be honest, by the time this hits your coffee table, this column may be out of date.

But today, I stepped outside and saw blossom on the trees and daffodils in the borders. Spring is here! For the tourism and hospitality industry, this splash of colour indicates the end of the winter, a period where we have to wade through what feels like treacle but know a positive season is upon us, as beer gardens start to open, children break up for Easter, the holiday cottages are full and all attractions reopen their gates.

Sadly, this Easter, this will not be the case.

I have expressed some fairly strong opinions about Boris Johnson’s announcement to avoid restaurants and bars (we may have been asked to close by now).

Here at the restaurant, the phone immediately started to ring continuously, we took 30 cancellations in 30 minutes, and our emails went crazy with further table and room cancellations.

This year's cash projection is now totally unpredictable, so it was close or diversify. We have a very supportive employer and a very positive team, so we rallied around and opened the doors to NoTHIRTY3 the bakery early, where we can provide fresh bread, eggs, cakes and even vegetable boxes.

It's vital to maintain an income to pay the staff and so offering a service to the community to collect groceries and hot meals was the obvious answer. Our head chef Jeremy quickly created a menu that could be easily delivered to local residents self isolating, and within 24 hours the village had opened a volunteer WhatsApp group and a list

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of services which could be provided from various local businesses.

I have no advice in these unfamiliar times for businesses and I don’t know how the government will support any of us. All I do know is communities will support each other, and when this passes we will remember those who were there for us. It will make us stronger and more loyal.

Now is the time to be charitable: check on your neighbours, pick up the phone and if you are worried and in the foodie industry, take advantage of the amazing charity Hospitality Action.

Expenditure must be prioritised and redirected to employees and suppliers so they can continue, and I am afraid others may have to wait.

And those restaurants who have sent their staff home unpaid need to remember that one day they may well want to reopen.

Flying High COLUMN

City College

|

ANNA GIANNAKOU HAD A HIGH FLYING JOB FOR EMIRATES AIRLINES BEFORE SETTLING IN NORWICH. SHE SHARES HER STORY WITH EMMA OUTTEN www.ccn.ac.uk IT’S A FAR CRY from Dubai but these days Anna Giannakou is happy to call Norwich her home – and City College Norwich her workplace.

The Operations Supervisor at the Hotel School is originally from the Greek island of Evia. She then went on to study hotel management and work for top hotels in Athens for a number of years - something of a culture shock, having grown up in a small town.

A friend, who lived in Dubai, then suggested she apply for a job as cabin crew for Emirates Airlines, widely regarded as the world’s best airline. ‘I really enjoyed working in hotels but I wanted to progress and see different things.

Emirates offered the full package.’

The recruitment process involved a number of stages but Anna got through them all and ended up spending five years based in Dubai and flying all around the world. Her favourite stopover destination? Seattle in the US, swiftly followed by Rio and Buenos Aires in South America. She says: ‘It was a great experience – you get to see the world and it really opens your eyes.’

Cabin crew have to meet strict grooming guidelines.

‘There are many high standards to follow – your professional image is very important and you’re checked before the flight,’ recalls Anna. And, whether you’re working in economy, business or first class, the training is intensive. First class involves ‘even more training and attention to detail – you have to be very professional and explain everything, whether that’s what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner.’ Anna adds: ‘Even at breakfast you ask if they want Champagne! You make sure they have everything they want.’

So how did she end up in Norwich? She fell in love with a Greek man, who was visiting a friend of a friend in Dubai, and who happens to live here. That was four years ago, and three years ago, she landed the job at City College. ‘It was the first interview I had over here, so I was very happy.’

The 36-year-old works as Operations Supervisor within the Hotel School, and is responsible for ‘the operation of the café, restaurant, and external events, such as the graduation, Royal Norfolk Show and award ceremonies – everything really. I like that I’m doing different things.’ She also works on reception, and so is able to bring those high standards of customer service she has honed over the years to the front desk of the Hotel School. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, she has given talks to the travel and tourism students at City College about her experience working for the airline. ‘I try and explain to them how it is, in the industry.’

And she is passionate about installing her work ethic into the students. A smile, it seems, can go a long way. ‘If they have a difficult customer, smile and listen to them – it makes the customer feel much better.’

Anna regularly goes home to Greece to see her family, but would encourage the students to fly the nest, wherever possible: ‘I tell them to spread their wings and go and experience other places and cultures. They are young, they can do anything.’

Joe Mulhall, head of hospitality, catering, tourism and Aspire, says: ‘From the day I met Anna and saw her lovely smile I just knew she had worked in that customer service environment and that comes across very clearly at the college.'

CITY COLLEGE NORWICH, IPSWICH ROAD NORWICH, NR2 2LJ | WWW.CCN.AC.UK COME AND SAVOUR THE CULINARY DELIGHTS OF DEBUT RESTAURANT | 01603 773227 | DEBUT.CCN.AC.UK

SEA LAVENDER - MACKEREL, SESAME, DAIKON www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk © THOMAS ALEXANDER

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PHOTO ESSAY

Muse by Tom Aikens

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Finding his MUSE THIS MONTH OUR PHOTO ESSAY LOOKS AROUND TOM AIKENS’ NEW RESTAURANT, MUSE, IN LONDON’S BELGRAVIA www.musebytomaikens.co.uk

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PHOTO ESSAY

Muse by Tom Aikens

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THE ESSENCE - BEETROOT, CUCUMBER, PINE ©THOMAS ALEXANDER

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MUSE ©JAMES MCDONALD

MUSE - GROUND FLOOR ©JAMES MCDONALD

MUSE - FIRST FLOOR ©JAMES MCDONALD

SET IN A CONVERTED Georgian townhouse, Muse is a 25-cover fine dining restaurant, with dramatic open kitchens on both floors.

Menus are inspired by pivotal moments and key people from Tom’s personal life and career, with much from his childhood in Cringleford, Norwich, and his days at City College Norwich.

Through his take on experienceled dining, Muse invites guests on a culinary journey which is designed to create lasting memories. On the six-course and ten-course tasting menus, each dish harks back to something which, or someone who, has influenced Tom.

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PHOTO ESSAY

Muse by Tom Aikens

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One dish, Conquering the Beech Tree, is inspired by memories of climbing a huge beech tree with his twin brother at the end of their garden. This is mirrored at Muse in an unconventional joining of Langoustine, pork fat and burnt apple, which rings true to Tom’s belief that as a chef he should never be afraid to take risks.

Many Norfolk producers feature on the menu, including Old Hall Farm at Woodton, near Bungay, Fen Farm Dairy, near Bungay, and Bagthorpe Farm, near King’s Lynn.

Tom, a regular judge on the Great British Menu, worked with Rebecca Korner on the restaurant’s groovy interior design, and there is also a ground floor cocktail bar. Both ground floor and first floor counter seats, overlooking the kitchen, are available for a really up close and personal culinary experience!

ALWAYS PLAYING WITH FIRE - BEEF, NORFOLK GRAINS, BARSHAM STOUT ROBIN BEER ©THOMAS ALEXANDER

JUST DOWN THE ROAD - MILK, HONEY, TRUFFLE ©THOMAS ALEXANDER

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Easter Recipes

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FISHY FRIDAY FEASTING ON FISH ON GOOD FRIDAY IS A LONG-HELD TRADITION, AND IS AS MUCH A PART OF EASTER AS CHOCOLATE EGGS AND THE EASTER BUNNY. IN HONOUR OF THIS TRADITION, FEAST NORFOLK HAS ASKED A FEW FISHY FRIENDS TO COME UP WITH THEIR BEST FISH SUPPER RECIPES TO CELEBRATE THE START OF THIS COMING EASTER WEEKEND

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EASTER RECIPES

Earsham Street Fish Company

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LOOK EAST CLIFF HARRIS AND LUCY DENNY OF THE EARSHAM STREET FISH COMPANY SERVE UP THIS EASTERN EUROPEAN CENTREPIECE Find the Earsham Street Fish Company on Facebook R E C I P E

Baked Salmon with a Zing We have made this traditional Eastern European recipe on many occasions.

A whole side of salmon is ideal for parties or as an eye-catching centrepiece.

1 side of salmon; 110g of unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing; caraway seeds; 2 unwaxed lemons; salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 180°C. Rinse the salmon and dry it with a paper towel. Place it onto a shallow baking tray, lightly greased with butter. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the fish. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat until it is almost melted and then stir. Pour over the prepared fish and sprinkle over the caraway seeds.

Season with salt and pepper. Cover the tray loosely with foil and bake the salmon in the oven

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Serves 8-10

for 25 minutes until cooked, basting occasionally.

When the fish is cooked, it flakes easily when the tip of a knife is inserted into it. Transfer the fish to a wire rack, covered in foil, to cool before placing it onto a serving platter. Spoon over some of the juices from the pan. Garnish with chopped parsley, lemon zest and lemon wedges. Serve with salad and new potatoes, or crusty bread and cream cheese. It can be eaten hot, warm or cold!

THE EARSHAM STREET FISH COMPANY is in Bungay and has a wide range of fresh fish and shellfish available.

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EASTER RECIPES

Wells Crab House

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A TASTE OF THAILAND SCOTT DOUGAL OF WELLS CRAB HOUSE OFFERS THIS EXCITING THAI-INSPIRED DISH www.wellscrabhouse.co.uk

R E C I P E

TH AI SE A BA SS PA PI LL OT E WITH SPIC

Serves Four

ED SHREDDED GREENS AND JASMINE RICE

4 sea bass fillets; 2 red chillies, finel

y chopped; 1 thumb of ginger, grat ed; 10 leaves of coriander, chopped; 1 stalk of lemongrass, crushed and chopped into 4 pieces; 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped; 100ml of lime juice; 100ml of fish sauce; 200g of mangetout, sliced very finely; 200g of fine beans, slice d very finely; 200g of kale, stalks removed and sliced very finely; 2tsp of chilli flakes (or more, dependin g on taste); 1tbsp of sesame oil; 4 port ions of steamed jasmine rice; 4 shee ts of greaseproof paper, approximately 20cm square; 1tbsp of unsalted butt er; salt and pepper; extra fish sauce and lime juice for the vegetables Lay each sea bass fillet on a shee t of greaseproof paper. Sprinkle each with an even portion of the chilli, ginger, coria nder, lemongrass, garlic, lime juice and fish sauce. Fold the greaseproof pape r over, then tuck and fold the ends to seal the fish, ingredients and liquid into a parcel.

Place the four sea bass parcels on a baking tray and put in an oven at 180°C for 12 minutes. While the sea bass is cook ing, heat the sesame oil in a frying pan. Add the mangetouts, fine beans, kale, chilli flakes, butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry them gently until the vegetables are soft. Once they are, add a dash of lime juice and fish sauce for extra flavour and remo ve from heat. To assemble, take four plate s, place some jasmine rice on each one, remo ve the fish parcels from the oven but don’t open (the drama is the dine r open ing the parcel themselves and experiencing the aromas) and place beside the rice, then spoon some spiced vegetables onto the plate. Garnish with a few coria nder leaves.

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EASTER RECIPES

The Crown, Southwold

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IN SEASON ROB MACE, HEAD CHEF AT THE CROWN IN SOUTHWOLD, USES WILD GARLIC AND CIDER IN THIS FISH DISH www.adnams.co.uk

R E C I P E

Pan fried chalk stream trout fillet, pea, button mushroom and wild garlic fricassee, gem lettuce, Hill Farm English truffle oil Serves Four

4 portions of chalk stream trout (170g each, scales and pin bones removed); 2 heads of gem lettuce, washed, trimmed and halved; 1 large handful of wild garlic leaves; 250g of button mushrooms, sliced; 300g of frozen peas; 1 punnet of pea shoots; 4 heads of chive flowers; 2 shallots, finely diced; 150ml of Adnams Wild Wave Cider; 2 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced; ½ bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped; 150g of unsalted butter Season the trout with plenty of sea salt on both sides. Leave for 10 minutes, then rinse and pat dry on kitchen paper.Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add a splash of vegetable oil, then place the fish skin side down and allow to cook for 4 minutes. While the fish is cooking, start the fricassee: heat a sauté pan over a medium heat then add the shallots and mushrooms plus a good spoonful of butter and pinch of salt.

Cook for 3-4 minutes then add the cider and peas and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add ²/3 of the remaining butter, the

APRIL 2020

chopped tomatoes, wild garlic and herbs. Shake the pan to emulsify the butter and form a sauce, take off the heat, adjust the seasoning as required and leave to one side. Turn the fish over, and add the gem lettuce, cut side down to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and leave to rest. Spoon the fricassee into warmed bowls, sit the fish on top, then the charred lettuce, finish with pea shoots and a drizzle of Hill Farm truffle oil. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of chilled Wild Wave.

AT THE CROWN we like to take good ingredients and treat them in a very simple way to show them at their best. The light cure on the fish will remove excess moisture and give an evenly seasoned piece of fish with a good crisp skin.

Wild garlic is an amazing ingredient and we look forward to its short season. When we have it, we will use it fresh, pickle it and turn it into flavoured oils so we can still use it throughout the year.

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Cookbooks H

READ ALL ABOUT IT Among the selection of cookbooks recommended by Jarrold this month is one by the ever ebullient Ainsley Harriott

AINSLEY’S MEDITERRANEAN COOKBOOK

Feast Fave.

by Ainsley Harriott £20 Ainsley Harriott is on a culinary holiday through the Mediterranean, discovering the very best recipes to cook back home. Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook includes all the recipes from his 10-part ITV1 series. Journeying through Spain, Sardinia, Morocco, Corsica, Cyprus and Jordan, Ainsley shows how easy and enjoyable it can be to make fresh, healthy, delicious meals. From simple salads and dips to everyday favourites like pasta and risottos, satisfying meats, flavoursome vegetarian mains and light fish dishes, Ainsleys’s recipes are perfect for a relaxed gathering of family and friends or a hassle-free midweek meal. Recipes include: griddled chicken, peach and mint salad with feta; butternut squash and sweet potato tagine; pasta shells with Italian sausage and tomato; Sumac lamb cutlets, tabbouleh lamb steaks with balsamic and honey glaze, lemon and pistachio couscous, quick flatbreads with roasted tomato salsa, chocolate and spiced coffee mousse, orange and cinnamon hot chocolate.

THE SELF-CARE COOKBOOK

by Gemma Ogston £14.99 This attractive book is, unusually for a cookbook, pocketsized. Gemma introduces nourishing and self-care recipes to boost your energy, help you sleep and lift your mood. With more than 60 delicious recipes including fiery bean stew for the not-so tip-top days, calming miso pasta to give your gut a super boost and indulgent chocolate pud for treats, it’s for anyone who needs some extra TLC while looking fabulous on the shelf.

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THE FORAGER’S CALENDAR

by John Wright £10.99 Look out of your window, walk down a country path or go to the beach in Great Britain, and you are sure to see many wild species that you can take home and eat. From dandelions in spring to sloe berries in autumn, via wild garlic, samphire, chanterelles and even grasshoppers, our countryside is full of edible delights in any season. John Wright is the country’s foremost expert in foraging and brings decades of experience, including as forager at the River Cottage, to this seasonal guide. Month by month, he shows us what species can be found and where, how to identify them, and how to store, use and cook them. You’ll learn the stories behind the Latin names, the best way to tap a birch tree, and how to fry an ant, make rosehip syrup and cook a hop omelette, whether you want to explore the great outdoors, or are happiest foraging from your armchair.

LEAF

DIARY DATE

April 23 - Don't miss a special evening celebrating the limited edition book, Jarrold 250 Years: A History, by Pete Goodrum. Pete and Caroline Jarrold will be in conversation with former Jarrold book buyer Chris Rushby at The Pantry restaurant on the third floor at 6pm for a 6.30pm start. Tickets are £5.

Tickets are available in store or online at www.jarrold.co.uk

by Catherine Phipps £25 As salad days approach - Leaf won a slew of accolades and appeared in the best cookbooks of the year round-ups last year - we thought it worth a mention. Leaf showcases the versatility of edible leaves and how they offer such breadth of flavour. From lettuces and herbs, through brassicas and even tea, Catherine Phipps explores the world of culinary leaves through meticulous research and more than 120 foolproof recipes. With her recipes taking in soups, salads, brunches, starters, mains, puddings, baking, preserves and drinks – just leaf it to this one!

LONELY PLANET’S GLOBAL CHOCOLATE TOUR

by Lonely Planet £14.99 Chock-full (ahem) of the world’s tastiest chocolate experiences, the latest book in the Global Tour series is sure to satisfy the sweet tooth of cocoa lovers near and far. From South America to Europe to Australia, Lonely Planet’s Global Chocolate Tour includes master chocolatiers and artisan producers, exotic cocoa plantations, and must-visit shops, plus illustrated spreads on the history, production, and science of chocolate making.

Discover Jarrold BOOK DEPARTMENT Plus Chapters Coffee Bar - the perfect place to take a few moments out of your shopping or to sit and relax with friends.

With over 30,000 book titles we’re proud to be a (deliberately) old-fashioned independent bookseller and are completely focused on bringing our customers the very best range and service we can.

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UPCOMING BOOK & AUTHOR EVENTS

jarrold.co.uk/events LONDON ST. NORWICH 01603 660661

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Free From

the sweetest thing THIS MONTH OUR FREE FROM RECIPE WRITER SARA MATTHEWS HAS AN IMPRESSIVE QUICHE, PLUS NO-COOK FUDGE Find Sara on Facebook @sarabynatureskitchen

Salted Pecan and Maple Nut Butter Fudge

R E C I P E

This is a decadent melt-in-your-mouth sweet treat which needs no baking and very few ingredients. It can easily be made nut free by substituting the pecans for sultanas or chocolate chips and cashew butter for sunflower seed butter.

tr SA ai R re ner A i ci , f s a pe oo q fo dev d co ual od e n ifie w lop sul d rit er ta er a nt nd , .

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Makes 260g of cashew butter; 25 140g of maple syrup; squares Âź tsp of sea salt, plus extra to top the fudge; 50g of roughly chopped pecan nuts, plus extra, chopped, to top the fudge; 70g of coconut flour; 1tsp of vanilla extract Line a loaf tin or dish of similar size with parchment. In a large bowl, mix the cashew butter, salt and maple syrup together until combined. Stir in the coconut flour, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract. Spoon into your prepared dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle with some more sea salt and chopped pecans. Place in the freezer for at least one hour. Remove and chop into small squares. Store in the freezer until needed. This fudge can be eaten directly out of the freezer and keeps for three months.

R E C I P E

Vegetable Quiche

Quiche was the one thing I missed when going plant based. But this recipe, a perfect lunch dish, hits the spot.

Serves

PASTRY 6-8 250g of plain gluten free flour; 120g of vegan butter or margarine, cut into small cubes; a pinch of salt; 1tbsp of milled flax seeds; 2tsp of apple cider vinegar; 2-4tbsp of very cold water Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a flan tin In a small bowl, mix the flax seed with 3 tbsp of warm water, stir and leave for at least 15 minutes. This is your egg substitute. Add the flour to a bowl with the cold cubed vegan butter and rub together until it looks like breadcrumbs (wash your hands in cold water beforehand to keep them cold). Once it resembles breadcrumbs, add the apple cider vinegar, flax egg and 1 tbsp of water. With a fork, combine the dough.

It will start coming together, but it may need more water, so add a tablespoon at a time until it starts to bind together - be careful not to make it too wet.

With your fingers, bring it to a ball. Place on a floured surface and very lightly knead for no more than 30-60 seconds, to just combine the dough. Any longer and the pastry will become tough. Wrap in cling film or place in a sealed tub and then rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

QUICHE FILLING 2 x 300g of carton silken firm tofu, drained APRIL 2020

2tsp of nutritional yeast; ½ tsp of turmeric; ½ tsp of onion powder; ½ tsp of garlic powder; ½ tsp of Kala Namak (black salt, which gives an egg flavour); 4tbsp of gluten free plain flour; 6tbsp of cold water; a pinch of smoked paprika VEGETABLES 3 small mushrooms, sliced; 8 small tomatoes, halved; 2 spring onions, chopped Place all the filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. In a small shallow pan, over a medium to high heat, add a splash of water and cook your mushrooms until they are brown. Set aside. Chop all the other vegetables. Roll out your pastry between two sheets of either parchment or cling film. This stops the pastry from drying out, crumbling and sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out your pastry between the two sheets (rolling between two sheets of parchment paper or cling film stops the pastry from drying out and sticking to the rolling pin, making it easier to transfer to a prepared greased flan tin). Once your pastry is rolled to the right thickness, take away the top layer of the parchment paper. Roll the pastry over your rolling pin, keeping the bottom parchment paper on until in the flan dish. Then peel off and press into the flan dish. Trim the edges and blind bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place parchment paper and some dried beans inside the pastry case to keep its shape and stop the centre from rising. Remove from the oven, removing the beans and parchment paper. Sprinkle two-thirds of the chopped spring onions onto the base. Pour in the quiche filling. Press the mushrooms and tomatoes into the top of the filling, then sprinkle over the remaining spring onions. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the top is firm to touch and lightly browned. Allow to cool. Depending on the depth of your flan tin, you may have some of the filling left. You can use it to make smaller crustless quiches in a muffin tin.

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EXTENSI VE RANGE O F nuts, se eds AND DRI ED GOODS

Fruit, vegetables, dairy & more delivered to your BUSINESS including bespoke, hand-prepared vegetables

www.eastersofnorwich.com 156-158 NORTHUMBERLAND ST, NORWICH, NORFOLK, NR2 4EE TEL: 01603 622890

COLUMN

Catherine Jeans

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WEIGHTY MATTERS

NUTRITIONAL THERAPIST CATHERINE JEANS TELLS US THE THREE COMMON MISTAKES WE MAKE WHEN MANAGING OUR WEIGHT www.thefamilynutritionexpert.com IT’S ABOUT THE LONG TERM JOURNEY - your metabolism will thank you for it! I’m always helping people to get out of that diet mentality, where you go from extremes of eating nothing but lettuce or super clean eating, to the other extreme of munching on every chocolate bar or loaf of bread in sight. Many of us experience this yo-yo type of dieting, and it’s really not great for our metabolism and ability to stay in shape long term. Being a healthy weight (whatever that healthy weight is for you because we are all different shapes and sizes) depends on looking at long term health goals, not three weeks of quick fixes. Healthy eating is the norm, and that doesn’t mean faddy diets or super clean eating all the time.

DON’T OVERTRAIN AND FORGET YOUR NEED TO RELAX! One of the most common issues I see is when people suddenly ramp up their exercise and do loads of intense cardio and weight training, or go on a marathon quest in the hope they’ll lose lots of weight. For most of us, it just doesn’t happen. But why? Of course, exercise is super important, but it’s more about movement than doing intense exercise all the time - especially if we’re already quite stressed and releasing high levels of the stress hormone cortisol on a daily basis. If you add in an intensive exercise regime without enough of the right food to go with it, that’s even more of a recipe for diet disaster!

Instead, think about your stress levels and incorporating natural movement into your everyday life. If you love to exercise hard, balance this with restorative exercise such as yoga. Avoid sitting all day long and try to incorporate some movement into your normal routine, and work on APRIL 2020

balancing those stress levels. This should help you to make healthier food choices longterm, and also balance your stress hormones (which can make you store more fat around your tummy).

DON’T EAT LOW CARB ALL THE TIME! For many of us, especially if our metabolism is sluggish and we sit a lot, we simply can’t eat the level of carbs that our ancestors could. But if we eat low carb all the time, as soon as we get tempted by a pizza, we’re likely to fall off the wagon and start piling on weight super quickly. Instead, focus on slow carbs with up to two meals per day (sweet potato, swede, brown rice, whole grain pasta, oats - no more than the volume of your clenched fist) and balance this with the same volume of protein such as good quality meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cottage cheese, yoghurt, beans and pulses. Then add plenty of ‘above the ground’ low starch veggies. Also vary your carb intake, so that some days you have more carbs and some days you have less, then you won’t set your metabolism too low and have to fight the yo-yo dieting effect. Slow carbs also help to feed your gut bacteria, which is great for a healthy metabolism too!

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Let it Grow!

-in op dr ic” d’s lin ril or C p df est h A Be P 4t m n nt y 1a Ia la rda 1 e Dr “P atu from Fre S

Bo “C b F om lo Fr p we id an rd a 11 y 2 ion ew, am 4t P Ta h la £7 Tic Ap nti lk o .50 ke ril ng n ts at ”

www.bawdeswellgardencentre.com

Plus Free Easter Egg Trail – 4th to 19th April

FOOD HALL LICENSED RESTAURANT PLANTS FURNITURE TOYS CLOTHING BOOKS GIFTS Norwich Road, Bawdeswell, Dereham, Norfolk NR20 4RZ Tel: 01362 688 387 ... more than just a garden centre!

Garden Rooms

Conservatory Insulation

Conservatory Roofing Systems

A Garden Room combines an outdoor feeling with the year-round comfort of an inner room.

A simple, quick and cost effective way to increase insulation.

A great way to make your conservatory into an ‘all year’ room.

Orangeries

Garden Offices

A popular and practical way to create much needed space to a home.

A great way to have more space but allow a separation and peace from the bustle of the house.

Contact us for a free consultation and quotation call us on 01603 720005

www.gardenroomdesigns.co.uk

COLUMN

Old Hall Farm

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Just Milk it REBECCA AND STUART MAYHEW OF OLD HALL FARM ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT RAW MILK, AS FEAST REPORTS www.oldhallfarm.co.uk REBECCA AND STUART MAYHEW are based at Old Hall Farm in Woodton, near Bungay. They started Norfolk’s first new dairy in more than 15 years, with their fabulous herd of Jersey Goddesses, and, as well as the most delicious milk, they now produce cream, butter, yoghurt, ice cream and milkshakes.

Not only is all the milk from Old Hall Farm raw, but their cows are also allowed to keep their calves at foot, which is known as cow with calf dairying. Not many farms follow this practice, but it is a growing trend, and Rebecca and Stuart are always happy for people to visit the dairy and learn more about how they care for all of their herd.

What is raw milk?

Raw milk is milk that comes straight from the cow. It has not been heat treated or pasteurised in any way. There are many health benefits of drinking raw milk: • It is more nutritionally dense than heat treated milk • It retains the beneficial enzymes that pasteurised milk does not • Raw milk contains probiotics and rich beneficial bacteria • It has not been homogenised, therefore the fat particles can be processed by our bodies in the way nature intended • It helps fight asthma and allergies • It is easier to digest than pasteurised milk as it contains lactase which helps our bodies digest lactose milk sugar • The butterfat (the cream line) is a great source of easily absorbed vitamin A. It also contains the fat-soluble APRIL 2020

vitamins D, E and K2 • It is rich in conjugated linoleic acid that can help fight cancer • It is a fantastic source of calcium • It is bottled on the same day as the cow is milked, compared to milk in the supermarket which is several days old before it hits the shelves.

Despite all these benefits, raw Jersey milk is still 95 percent fat free.

The other benefit of buying milk from the Jersey Goddesses at Old Hall Farm, is that most of the cows have the A2/A2 beta casein protein, which means that the milk is far more easy to digest than any other milk – Rebecca and Stuart have a growing number of customers who have been unable to drink milk for over a decade, but, due to this new herd, they are now using milk again and are reaping the rewards.

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PHOTOS BY ANNA MCNARRY

A NOT SO MAD IDEA HATTERS TEA SHOP IN CROMER HAS BEEN OPEN TWO YEARS THIS EASTER. EMMA OUTTEN CHATS TO CAROL MCNARRY-CROSS AND SUSAN CROSS ABOUT THE SEASIDE SUCCESS STORY www.hattersteashop.co.uk

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F

OR SISTERS-IN-LAW, Carol McNarry-Cross and Susan Cross, it had been a long-held dream to open a unique tea shop on the North Norfolk Coast.

With four and two children respectively, Carol and Susan had both developed a love of baking over the years, and by the end of 2017 their pastime was about to become their dream job.

Carol was a specialist nurse and Susan worked in the lettings business when the opportunity to take on Woolwich House in Prince of Wales Road, Cromer, came up.

Carol says: ‘We found the building in October 2017, and took it on at Christmas. It’s a beautiful old double-fronted Victorian building, and we put our heart and soul into it for the next three months, gutting the whole place and getting it exactly how we wanted it.’ It has now been lovingly transformed, providing relaxing seating areas that include comfy sofas in cosy corners for all to enjoy.

Opening Hatters Tea Shop has involved them both leaving their jobs and just ‘going for it.’ ‘It was a massive risk but it has worked,’ says Carol. ‘We’d never done anything like this before.’

Susan is married to Carol’s brother and Hatters has become a real family affair. Plus, as Carol says: ‘We employ 16 members of staff so we’re bringing employment to the local area.’

FOCUS

Hatters Tea Shop

| And it’s a very welcoming space, with disabled toilet facilities and a baby changing area – oh, and well behaved dogs are most welcome. ‘We need to be dog friendly in a walkers’ paradise like Cromer,’ says Carol.

Hatters Tea Shop serves brunch, light lunch and afternoon tea, plus its own branded loose leaf tea, thanks to a collaboration with Nelson and Norfolk Tea. Susan explains: ‘Mark at Nelson and Norfolk Tea allows us to blend it in our name. We spent three months looking at different sources of tea and found Mark at his barn – we wouldn’t buy our tea from anyone else!’ You can choose from Mad as a March Hare, Hatters Afternoon Tea Party, and Hatters White Rabbit, to name but a few.

It’s important to Carol and Susan to use locally sourced produce, wherever possible. As she says: ‘People like local products.’

The town’s butcher and baker come into their own here: the award winning Butchers Joint supplies the meat, and Bond Street Bakery supplies the teacakes. Cromer Crabs – available from this month - come from Davies Fish Shop, and another supplier is Calypso Coffee from North Walsham. Carol adds: ‘Mr Fruity, who is Norfolk based, supplies us with milk and veg.’

The popular fruit or cheese scones are served with Garden Pantry jam or Candi’s chutney. ‘People really sing and dance about our scones – we make them fresh every day.’

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As for the cakes, ‘there’s normally a selection of 15 and we make them all on the premises,’ says Susan.

Then there’s the Traditional Afternoon Tea. Booking is essential, with 24-hours’ notice needed - they have proved so popular that Carol and Susan have to limit bookings to 10 per day!

Carol says of the menu in general: ‘We cater for people who are gluten free, vegetarian and vegan - I had to follow a gluten free diet for a while and it really opens your eyes.’

And they also offer a loyalty card scheme, for a free tea or coffee after a certain number of hot drink purchases.

‘People like that, especially the locals, and we get a good footfall of holidaymakers as well. I don’t think there’s a month that isn’t busy.’

What also makes Hatters stand out from the crowd is the lovely gift shop. The carefully selected stockists include the aforementioned Garden Pantry and Candi’s Chutneys plus the Hatters-branded loose leaf tea. Carol says: ‘Having the gift shop also helps. It gives people something to look at and admire.’

The success story of Hatters has been a pleasant surprise for Carol and Susan. It’s also been a relief, as Susan says: ‘We didn’t know what plan B would be!’ She adds: ‘We just love doing it. We are sisters-in-law as well as business partners – it’s a very special relationship.’

A number of customers have asked if they are planning to open a tea shop anywhere else in Norfolk. ‘Maybe we could do something like that,’ says Carol. ‘We are always looking at new ideas to drive the business forward.'

HATTERS opens seven days a week, from 9.30am to 4pm.

FRESH LOCAL SEASONAL VEG, FRUIT & SALADS NO SINGLE USE PLASTICS SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMS & PRODUCERS

FACEBOOK.COM/NORFOLKVEGBOX @NORFOLKVEGBOX

DELIVERY AVAILABLE ACROSS NORFOLK

GROW YOUR OWN

Bawdeswell Garden Centre

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TIME TO REPLENISH KEVIN MORRIS OF BAWDESWELL GARDEN CENTRE IN MID NORFOLK IS GETTING READY FOR THE GROWING SEASON www.bawdeswellgardencentre.com I’VE ALWAYS LOVED this time of year: winter’s icy grip is now a memory and all around nature is reminding us that, in spite of our best efforts, its ability to renew, replenish and reinvigorate remains inexorable.

I also love this time of year because I like chocolate!

Is it just me who thinks that Easter egg chocolate tastes different to normal chocolate? Just smash up a Cadbury’s buttons egg, taste a bit then eat a chunk of Dairy Milk bar – I swear the egg tastes better. Try it for yourself – if nothing else it’s an excuse to eat the stuff!

I remember going to Woolworths with my brother and marvelling at the stacks of different eggs in their elaborate packaging, where you could pay twice as much for the chocolate as it would cost in a normal bar! But that wasn’t the point - we’d spend ages studying, then choosing our desired egg, then dropping an unsubtle hint to mum or dad regarding which one we wished for. Then, on Easter Day, having received an egg we probably hadn’t requested, we’d dismantle the artistically designed packaging and carefully remove the foil wrapped prize (always smaller than it looked in the box), then separate the two halves to reveal its inner secret – a small pack of buttons or, perhaps, some mini-eggs. No matter that the pack contained a mere mouthful, it was the thrill and joy of the whole process that was the point, not the quantity! The biggest mystery of all was how my brother always made his last longer than mine!

But in these sugar and planet sensitive times, where excessive, non-recyclable packaging is, quite rightly,

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frowned upon, things have changed. There’s nothing wrong with the odd Creme egg (especially as they’re half the size they used to be) but perhaps we should look at other ideas for children’s Easter gifts - something healthier, sustainable, educating and something that gives pleasure not just for one day, but for weeks to come.

The one thing that ticks all these boxes is gardening or, quite simply, growing things!

This is the perfect time of year to be planting seeds and, as we all know, children love nothing more than getting their hands dirty. So why not find a pot, buy some seeds of various types and let the kids explore the hows and whys of ‘growing your own’. From the simplicity of cress to the juiciness of strawberries, there is nothing quite like having a pet plant, tending to its every need then eventually eating the spoils of your labour. It doesn’t have to be edible, of course - sowing a sunflower seed and getting the competitive juices flowing by seeing whose has grown the tallest by the end of the summer is a great way of getting children interested in all things horticultural. And the great thing is that, once they’re hooked, the interest often remains.

BAWDESWELL GARDEN CENTRE KIDS’ SUNFLOWER GROWING COMPETITION 2020 - See who can grow the tallest sunflower! Open to all children under 16.

Just call in to the garden centre before April 30 and claim your free seeds, application form, competition instructions and terms and conditions.

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Garden Room Designs

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Welcome Additions FANCY BRINGING THE OUTSIDE INSIDE? FIND OUT MORE ABOUT NORFOLK’S GARDEN ROOM DESIGNS WHO MAKE GORGEOUS BESPOKE COMMISSIONS www.gardenroomdesigns.co.uk

First things first, what is a garden room exactly?

Garden rooms are similar to conservatories in the way in which they typically have glazing on the side elevations but they have a solid tiled roof with vaulted ceilings and are fully insulated inside to stop the extremes of temperature in winter and summer. Our garden rooms can be gable ended or lean to, meaning they are not just a normal extension, but an extension with a wow factor. The vaulted ceilings and glazed walls give a wonderful sense of space and light, allowing you to watch the seasons come and go in comfort.

Is using a garden room as a dining room or, say, an extension to the kitchen, a growing trend?

Yes, this is very much a trend which is only growing and the key reason for this is insulation. The insulation maintains the balance in temperatures and the higher levels of glazing make it a room which you want to use even more, such as for a dining room or kitchen extension. Many clients tell us that they love their new bright, comfortable extensions and spend a lot of time in them.

Orangeries seem very popular these days - why do you think that is?

Orangeries are an extension which have an insulated flat roof with a glass roof lantern. Our orangeries are very bright and airy, due to the advances in technology with insulation, and being built to building regulations

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standards this ensures that the room is a proper extension used every month of the year, unlike conservatories.

What else can you build?

We design and build the very best quality bespoke garden rooms, orangeries, conservatory re-roofing systems, conservatory insulation and free standing garden offices, studios and buildings. All of our projects provide an outdoor feeling with the year-round comfort of an inner room.

What area do you cover?

We work all over Norfolk and North Suffolk.

And are they all bespoke?

Yes all of our projects are bespoke and designed and built by ourselves. When we visit a potential customer’s home we can come with a fresh outlook; many people already have a good idea of what they want and need from an extension and have already thought about how they use their current space and what improvements would benefit them. However, some find it really helpful to have the input and ideas for a fresh outlook from a company such as ourselves.

Any unusual commissions you’d like to share with us?

Due to the trend of people working from home, we have seen the rise in free standing garden offices, studios and buildings. One of our recent builds was to house a client’s collection of musical instruments. We have also built yoga studios, garden offices and annexes for unwell or ageing family members.

Any future plans for the business we should know about?

We want to look at how to reduce our carbon footprint further than we already have, and we are currently researching new ideas and designs

Instagram - @dovetailinteriorsnorwich or www.dovetail-furniture.co.uk

COLUMN

Interiors

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PHOTO OSBORNE & LITTLE

AT ONE WITH NATURE

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CLARE BULLER AND CHARLOTTE FAWKES OF NORWICH-BASED DOVETAIL INTERIORS WANT US TO LIVE IN THE TREETOPS!

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The choice of materials you use is important, too. It’s not just about looking at that nice wooden chair or table, it’s also about the tactile quality and our emotional response to it. Linens, cottons, bamboo - there are a wealth of natural fabrics that can help bring harmony to your home.

But as much as I’d love to live in the treetops and have floor to ceiling windows everywhere, it’s just not always practical or realistic for many of us. So it might seem like I’m going against what I’ve just said, but a little faking it with representations of nature in art, wallpapers, prints and colours, can give us a certain amount of relaxation and the benefits that brings.

Come into store and have a look at the wide selection of nature inspired wallpapers, furniture and natural fabrics we can offer - enough to suit any budding biophile!

HUMBER ARMCHAIR - DARK GREY LINEN

OW WONDERFUL spring feels now the nicer weather and lighter evenings have arrived. It gives us a real chance to get outside more and take in a long overdue breath of fresh air, whether a walk along a beach or a ramble through the woods.

There’s another reason we feel so much more uplifted and happier when we’re connected to the outside world.

We have a real resonance and reaction when we’re around nature - inside and outside.

Biophilic design is something we may not know the name of, but many of us incorporate it into our lives without realising it.

On a practical level at home, it’s how we reconnect to nature. Being in your garden or the collection of potted plants around the house can give us enormous joy - these are things that are the building blocks of biophilia - the love of nature.

Biophilic spaces are about the connection to the outside, and this contact to nature has science behind it - not only is it proven to make us happier, but it also reduces stress and enhances creativity and our well-being.

One key thing in your own home that can help you think towards biophilic design is natural light - like any living thing, we need light - so maximise it! Think about the windows in your own home - how much light comes in, are you covering half a window with something? To keep light flooding in, go as big as you can and take the curtain rails a little wider at the sides so you’re not blocking out the daylight.

FEATURE

Branding

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HEY, GOOD LOOKING IS BRANDING IMPORTANT IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY? SARAH TROUNCE OF NORWICH-BASED AGENCY, CLICK DESIGN RECKONS SO www.theclickdesign.com

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VER THE YEARS we’ve had the pleasure of working with a number of inspiring food and drink brands. For us, creating a successful brand is about establishing a powerful story and then sharing that story in the simplest, most direct and memorable way. When working with food and drink brands, the provenance of the product – and the emotional connection people feel towards it – are the secret ingredients.

When we were approached by Bread Source to create the branding for their first shop in Norwich (there are now five Norfolk outlets in total), we fashioned our own brief by asking ourselves: how can we justify the price of more than £3 for an everyday staple, the humble loaf of bread? The answer was in the source.

As we got to know founder Steven Winter (nominated for Baker of the Year in 2019), we quickly understood that the entire process – from selecting the right grain to milling the flour and fermenting the dough – was tightly controlled to achieve the best possible eating experience. The brand needed to tell the story of that provenance – from seed to loaf. We invited customers to broaden their experience of the product beyond the plate – we wanted them to taste every step along the baking journey. The result is a process-led brand identity that celebrates the importance of doing the basics with care and confidence.

In 2019 we were approached by Jarrold to create a visual identity and packaging for their very first own-brand range of food and drink. The products span a selection of artisan-made items and each product had been selected for its quality – working with local Norfolk suppliers wherever possible.

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In order to stand out from the crowd – launching during a busy Christmas shopping season – the personality of the range needed to be highly distinctive and full of character. For us, this meant looking beyond the provenance of the products themselves, and instead turning our attention to Jarrold’s rich history of printing and publishing.

We visited their print museum in Norwich and were inspired to make use of their huge collection of wood block, letterpress type and classic printing presses.

We made prints of a selection of historical letterforms, retaining their physical imperfections and quirks – forming the foundations for the range we naturally titled, Our Type of Food. The individual packs – each displaying its own bespoke letterform – can be arranged to spell out words –transforming the products into ready-made advertising.

Food and drink brands matter. They feed our bodies, minds and hearts.

COLUMN

Able Community Care

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What’s Your Tipple?

ANGELA GIFFORD ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DRINKING WATER, HOT CHOCOLATE AND EVEN BABYCHAM!

EVERYONE MUST DRINK to keep hydrated. As adults we are 60 per cent water and our blood has a high-water content of 90 per cent.

Although there is no strict rule as to how much a person should drink a day, many medical sources suggest to keep ourselves hydrated we should drink about two litres (64 ounces) daily. Most drinking glasses in our cupboards are eight-ounce glasses so the simple rule of eight x eight per day is easy to remember.

It does not have to be two litres of water, though water is calorie free, but can include drinks such as cola, tea, coffee, lager, orange juice, and so on.

Drinking for pleasure is an important part of life.

Coffee or a beer with friends, a small child experiencing a soft drink they have never had before, tasting and enjoying different drinks on a foreign holiday and even trying the new green drinks that can be purchased in the supermarkets, can be a fun occasion!

Able Community Care provides 24/7 care for many older people and whilst it is necessary to keep fluid levels up, drinks can be part of their memories.

They can recall going to their first dances and tasting

the first glass of Babycham or a glass of a mellow, yellow Snowball, both exciting when compared to the glass of sherry their parents used to drink.

And they remember raising their children and introducing them to a glass of orange Kia-ora and, on special occasions, offering to purchase a bottle of Corona, which came in new flavours such as raspberry, orange, dandelion and burdock and the exciting American copy of cream soda.

Many children of the 50s would sit by the wireless with their mothers and listen to the Ovaltiney programme on Radio Luxembourg and join in with the song which began: ‘We are the Ovaltineys, little girls and boys….’

For little girls and boys who became unwell, a treat to ‘make you better’ might be glass of Lucozade, created by Thomas Beecham, from Newcastle, in 1927. He made it with glucose to provide a source of energy for people who were poorly.

For relaxation, coffee was becoming a popular drink and coffee bars and coffee houses were favourite meeting places.

At home, as well as the new instant coffee, many older people will remember Camp Coffee, a brown liquid in a glass bottle, and Ricory in a brown tin. Both were a mixture of coffee and chicory.

We ask our carers about drinks they enjoy making for their clients, or drinks they associated with an older person they knew and here are some of their replies: a mug of hot milk with a spoonful of Marmite stirred in, a mug of hot chocolate with a little bit of Baileys, ginger and lemon, and a G&T with a slice, stirred never shaken!

Able Community Care is a provider of live-in carers to people with high dependency care needs throughout the UK. For a free brochure on any of our services Call 01603 764567 Visit us at www.ablecommunitycare.com Or email us at info@ablecommunitycare.com

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PERFECT PAIRINGS

ANDY NEWMAN SUGGESTS WINES TO DRINK WITH ALL THAT EASTER CHOCOLATE IT’S EASTER TIME, and our thoughts naturally turn to chocolate. Which is fine for the sweet-toothed, but not so good for the wine drinker, as chocolate is a foodstuff which is notoriously difficult to pair with wine.

With varying levels of sweetness, chocolate contains very similar antioxidants called flavanols to wine, which can cause unpleasant clashes. Any wine which is going to stand up to it will need a high level of residual sugar (the rule of thumb for any pudding/wine pairing is that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert).

Fortunately, all is not lost: here are six suggestions of wines which will complement your Easter chocolate stash.

MAURY OR BANYULS Often called the ‘French port’, these two wines, both from the Roussillon region close to the Spanish border, and both made from Grenache grapes, are probably the best starting point when it comes to matching your Easter chocolate.

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COLUMN

Wine

Three wines Andy has enjoyed this month

| The two wines are Vins Doux Naturels, which means they are lightly fortified with grape spirit before the fermentation process has finished. This addition of brandy raises the alcohol level above that at which the yeasts can carry on doing their work, so fermentation stops, leaving plenty of residual sugar in the wine.

You will find Rancio versions of both wines, which have been aged in wood and exposed to the air, giving a sherry-like character – these are in fact the best matches for chocolate.

More recently producers in Maury have started to produce a dry red wine, also labelled Maury. Delicious as this can be, it will taste austere and tannic if you try to serve it with chocolate.

TAWNY PORT It is vintage port which generally takes the limelight, but an aged tawny can be a wonderful thing, and is the better match for chocolate. Tawny port is aged in barrel rather than in the bottle, allowing the colour to settle out of the wine before it is bottled, which is why the wine is paler.

Ready to drink as soon as it is released, tawnies generally are labelled by age - 10 years, 20 years and even 40 years.

The complexity and deliciousness will increase with each step-up of age, as will the price.

This is the sophisticated choice, and is the wine to choose for high-cocoa, single estate chocolate. Serve it slightly chilled - you will be surprised how much better tawny is at this temperature.

SPICY RED WINES Generally the tannins in red wines will fight against the unctuous sweetness of chocolate, but there are some exceptions. Reds made from grapes such as Syrah and Zinfandel have a slightly higher residual sugar, but more importantly they have a spicy character which complements dark chocolate in particular (think cardamom, cumin and even chilli).

If you search hard enough, you may find a sparkling Shiraz from Australia, which can taste distinctly odd when drunk on its own, but makes sense if consumed with chocolate.

TOKAJI ASZU Not to be confused with Tokay, the name sometimes used to denote Pinot Gris in Alsace, Tokaji is an intensely sweet wine made using the same noble rot process as Sauternes.

Six grapes are permitted in the wine, but by far the most important is Furmint.

Tokaji Aszu is graded according to the amount of residual sugar in the wine, with the scale being puttonyos.

Three puttonyos is the least sweet, with six puttonyos being the sweetest.

Above this comes a grade called Eszencia, one of the APRIL 2020

DOW’S FINE WHITE PORT ADNAMS, £12.49 White port is an unfairly neglecte d drink in the UK, despite being a delicious aperitif.

When a wine of this quality is available at this price , it’s hard to see why. Golden in colour, with an intense, rich, nutty complexity, it is subtly swee t, smooth and well-balanced.

VILLA CIALDINI LAMBRUSCO GRA SPOROSSA HARPER WELLS, £15.50 Put aside any of your prejudices about Lambrusco, because this is the real thing – a sparkling red wine with an abundant, fine mousse.

With a pronounced bramble fruit aroma, with sour cherries, blackberries and a pleasant acidity on the palate, this is a fizz which will go well with food.

SANCERRE PINOT NOIR LES CHA MPS CLOS, 2018 SAINSBURY, £13.99 You are most likely to know Sanc erre as a steely Sauvignon Blanc, but 20 per cent of the appellation’s vines are Pinot Noir, making both red and rosé wines. A great summer wine, and ideally served slightly chilled (but not ice cold), it gives raspberry, strawberry and pomegra nate, and will pair well with fish such as salmon or red mullet.

rarest and most expensive wines in the world. Its sugar content means it only reaches five or six percent alcohol, and so technically isn’t even a wine, but when it tastes that good, who is arguing? Drinking Eszencia with chocolate is a criminal waste of a very special wine.

MUSCAT Fun Fact: wines made from Muscat are the only ones which actually smell of grapes. The grape is very versatile, but is at its best when made into intensely sweet wines, which can stand up to chocolate, and are especially good with milk chocolate.

Two to look out for are Rutherglen Muscat from Victoria, Australia, and Orange Muscat from California, which has flavours of orange blossom, pears and apricots.

PEDRO XIMENEZ No list of wines to drink with chocolate would be complete without PX, the intensely sweet, figgy wine made from the grape of the same name in Jerez- and other parts of Spain.

Unctuous, with flavours of raisins and molasses, this is a wine which is delicious simply poured onto ice cream; it is one of the few wines which will stand up to Christmas pudding – so you won’t be surprised that it is more than a match for chocolate.

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GOLD

INDEPENDENT BEER AWARDS 2019

REGIONAL BOTTLE/CAN

WINNER SPECIALITY LIGHT BEER

Drink different discover the ginger kick of Moon Gazer’s award-winning speciality ginger lager.

Eat, Drink and Buy Locally

During these uncertain times it is more important than ever to help those around us. By using local independent restaurants and shops, you know that you are helping not just the shops, restaurants and their staff, but all the people in the local supply chain. That’s the green grocer, butcher, baker, dairy supplier, farmers and all their employees and families.

Our Early Spring Opening is Lunches: Tuesday-Saturday 12.00-2.00 Sunday 12.30 - 2.30

Dinner: Monday 6.30-8.00 Tuesday-Saturday 6.30-8.30

You are always best to make a booking.

Call us on 01263 768909 or email info@saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk

moongazerale.co.uk 01328 878 495

Norfolk Jackalope ad_A6.indd 1 OPENING

TIMES Monday to Friday 8am-4pm Saturday 10am-2pm

www.saracenshead-norfolk.co.uk

06/01/2020 11:18

NOW Fresh, local and seasonal is our ethos hereCALL at the Saracens.

Being in the middle of nowhere is the perfect excuse to come and enjoy716200 a meal whilst you explore 01603 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

Anglia Woodburner Centre - suppliers and installers of The Big Green Egg - the ultimate cooking experience.

Exceptional products for exceptional cooking.

Unit 9, Church Farm, Main Road, North Burlingham, Norfolk NR13 4TA

www.angliawoodburnercentre.co.uk

QUOTE AWC01 to get a discount

COLUMN

Beer

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HOP TO IT Our beer writer Belinda Jennings explains just how important and versatile hops are in the brewing process

www.station119.co.uk

APRIL 2020

HOPS THAT YOU SEE growing in British hedgerows in September are called wild hops as their variety is usually unknown. This doesn’t mean that you can’t still brew with them and, indeed, Britain has been using hops to produce beer since the 1500s. Before that, hops hadn’t been introduced to the country, and beer was flavoured with herbs and spices.

It also didn’t last very long once produced.

Once hops were discovered, the industry really grew along with distribution. This was because of the amazing variety of flavours hops can produce, and also due to the fact that they act as a natural antibacterial agent, so they help keep bugs away which can contaminate the beer and make it go ‘off ’.

Well known British hops, mostly grown in the south of England, are varieties like Fuggles, Goldings, and First Gold which give traditional English ale flavours such as grassy and herbal.

Hops are also grown throughout the world and, like any other plant, they require certain growing conditions, and different conditions favour different varieties.

The Yakima Valley in America is a well known hop growing region.

It grows varieties that impart very flavoursome and aromatic notes like lemon, lime, orange, and

grapefruit. One of the best known varieties is Citra.

One of my favourite hops is Simcoe, again American, and it gives flavours like passionfruit, pine, and berries. I like it so much that I named my new dog after it!

There are various times we add hops in the brewing process, and this again affects the flavours and aroma you produce; the later you add the hop, the more flavour and aroma you can get. New infusing equipment, such as Hop Rockets and Hop Torpedos, can also help extract flavours and improve efficiencies. These enable us to really circulate and break up the hops to release all their goodness into the beer.

You may see beers named after a hop, which really showcase a certain variety, but hops are usually mixed and this gives us such complex flavours, hence why you can produce a different flavour each time. For a drink that has just four main ingredients, there can be such a variety of flavour by changing hop varieties, as well as malts, yeast, water treatment and the actual process.

So think about your next beer: can you smell fruits? If so, it is probably from these little ladies - it’s the female flower from a female hop plant used in brewing!

BELINDA is head brewer at Station 1-1-9 at Eye in Suffolk.

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r e fo v s s e lo lan lu w rp al C at you ch ar a he to

WT DESIGN LTD

Let our Norfolk-based friendly team, who are dedicated

to striking designs, create your dream home, either by the sea or in the city centre. We offer a bespoke service and

have the latest technology to let you see exactly how your exciting project will look once ready! It’s magic!

Full interior design service also offered Unit 1, Burlingham Business Centre, North Burlingham, NR13 4TA | 01603 389422 | www.wtdesignltd.com

COMPETITION

The Grove, Cromer

| www.thegrovecromer.co.uk

SUITE TREAT

THIS MONTH FEAST NORFOLK HAS TEAMED UP WITH THE GROVE IN CROMER TO OFFER ONE LUCKY READER THE CHANCE TO WIN DINNER, BED AND BREAKFAST IN ITS NEW SUITE

HOW DO YOU FANCY staying in the new room - and the only suite - at The Grove in Cromer? Room 11 takes up most of the top floor of the west wing of the beautiful Georgian house hotel in North Norfolk, and has, as you can probably imagine, a large bedroom with a superking bed, a dressing room and bathroom. It comes with a few added extras, such as a smart TV and coffee machine, and has a host of original features, showing the style and history of The Grove.

Moreover, room 11 is up two flights of stairs - with some original low door thresholds - and so has good views onto both the west and the east lawns.

When it comes to food, the award winning 2 AA Rosette restaurant serves breakfast, afternoon teas and dinner and the team are committed to serving seasonally inspired and locally sourced food, which is in abundance in Norfolk.

Family run and family friendly, The Grove offers a wealth of facilities for you to enjoy during your stay, including a heated indoor swimming pool, table tennis table, and four acres of garden featuring a children’s play area, tree house and private path through beautiful woodland to Cromer beach.

Just a short walk from the town centre and within easy reach of the stunning villages along the coast, The Grove is one of the best hotels in Norfolk and the perfect place from which to explore the delights of North Norfolk.

How To Enter: Simply follow the co mpetition instruction s on our website www.feastn orfolkmagazine.co.u k TERMS & CONDITIO

NS

The winner will be se lected at random wh en the competition closes on April 30, 2020. No rmal Feast competition rul es apply and the editor’s decision is fin al. The prize is based on two peop le sharing a room and includes dinner, bed and breakfast the follow ing morning.

The prize is valid for stays up until December 31, 20 20 and excludes Saturday nights and school holidays.

No cash alternative giv en.

Subject to availabilit y.

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STAYCATION

Chet and Waveney Valley Vineyard

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RAISE A GLASS

COULD ANYTHING BE MORE PERFECT THAN A STAY ON A VINEYARD? SAMANTHA MATTOCKS REPORTS www.chetvineyard.co.uk IN SPITE OF the appalling weather we ‘enjoyed’ at the end of February, I was very much looking forward to visiting Chet and Waveney Valley Vineyard, owned and founded by John Hemmant and run with his wife, Bridget, near Bergh Apton, just south of Norwich.

I am a huge fan of English wines and maintain that some of the best are found in Norfolk. I also became a convert to Chet Valley’s Skylark during the Feast Christmas do last year, so all the more reason to look forward to a tour and tasting.

Before we turned our attention to viticulture, however, it was time to line our stomachs, and where better to go than The Swan at Loddon, found just over a five minute drive away from the vineyard. The specials menu pulled us in - I enjoyed stone bass with a tomato beurre blanc while my parents opted for cod and salmon fishcake with lemon butter and a poached egg and, in true dad style, fish and chips. A seasonal special meant that dad’s pint of local Humpty Dumpty came free with his food, an added bonus for anyone who likes beer with their fish and chips!

It was then on to The Vine House, set on one level, with full disabled access throughout. Converted from old stables and a cow shed, the rooms were spacious and airy, perfect for a romantic weekend away and get togethers alike. A courtyard outside offers views over the vineyard, as well as somewhere to sit and enjoy a barbecue or even a stroll through the vines.

John and Bridget took us on a whistle stop tour of the vineyard – the weather prevented anything more. They

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APRIL 2020

ROAST DINNER AT THE SWAN AT LODDON

are in the process of building a new winery and tasting room, all fully accessible, and this should be ready by the time you read this feature. With all the wine action taking place on the ground floor, the first floor includes a balcony with views overlooking the vines, a perfect place to sit and sample Chet Valley’s award-winning collection.

It was then back to The Vine House – with the wood burner now going well and the underfloor heating making the building toasty warm – for a tasting of John’s still and sparkling wines. The Swift and the Skylark Blush were declared our favourites, and it was fascinating to talk at length to John about his background and wine philosophy.

He has big plans for the vineyard, and his passion for his wines is infectious.

More family joined us for dinner – we thought dining in after a wine tasting would be a good idea, and it offered a good chance to use the kitchen. I cooked chicken from The Butcher’s House in Long Stratton, Middle Eastern style and perfect for family sharing plates.

The Vine House, which is dog friendly, is well situated for countryside walks and exploring the local area. Nearby Loddon has much to offer, with Rosie Lee’s Tea Room the perfect stop for a refreshing cuppa and a slice of cake after exploring the town. For those after a more filling breakfast, you have Highway Garden and Leisure in one direction and Old Hall Farm the other.

We reluctantly left The Vine House, where the beds, especially, were incredibly comfortable, and finished our weekend with a traditional, and delicious, Sunday roast at The Wildebeest in Stoke Holy Cross, taking the opportunity to catch up with friends.

I think it is the dream of many to stay on a vineyard, so why not take the opportunity to do just that!

THE VINE HOUSE sleeps six and costs from £110 per night for a minimum of two nights during the week and £130 per night at weekends in the season.

Vineyard tours run regularly from April to early October and cost £20pp for a two-hour tour including a wine tasting and cheese and charcuterie. You can also buy their wines from the cellar door.

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A TASTE OF MENORCA MENORCA, THE LESS ROWDY BABY SISTER OF MAJORCA IN THE BALEARICS, IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR A SUNNY SOJOURN BUT IT IS FAST BECOMING A FOODIE HOTSPOT, REPORTS SARAH HARDY www.menorca.es

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TRAVEL

Menorca

| PORT OF MAHON, MENORCA

APRIL 2020

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SOBRASSADA

M

ENORCA HAS LONG BEEN a popular summer holiday choice for families in East Anglia, especially with direct flights from Norwich Airport. It’s easy to see why, with great beaches, a fabulous climate, and low level development with whitewashed buildings and beautiful harbours and villages.

My first visit was somewhat of a revelation. I’m not sure what I was expecting - maybe somewhere more in-yourface, more touristy and less, well, charming.

It’s about two and a half hours on the plane from Norwich and the island roads are very good. The main one runs between the current capital, Mahon, in the east and the old capital, Ciutadella, in the west, and it takes just over an hour by car.

I was immediately struck by the island’s laid back feel. No waiters trying to drag you into restaurants, no folk trying to sell you boat trips, timeshares or discounted nightclub entry! Rather, it is all very civilised and certainly relaxing from the get go.

We hired a villa through TUI, with its own pool, in Cala Galdana, a little resort on the south side of the island, with enough bars and shops to entertain our ‘young people’ and a lovely wide sandy bay. It was a great base to explore CIUTADELLA PORT

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from, with plenty of walking options along old coastal bridle paths, through ancient woodland to small sandy coves. A boat trip along the coastline was another highlight: jumping off a boat into crystal clear waters is always invigorating!

Food is a huge part of our trips aboard and again Menorca was surprising. For a start, there are more than 300 independent producers of food and drink producers on the island, selling everything from saffron to craft beer.

And many open their doors to visitors via Farmers & Co, an island-wide cooperative that helps organise food tours, visits and tastings.

The island gin, Xoriguer, was developed by the Brits, using grape wine in the 18th century, and you can visit the distillery in Mahon. It’s often used in an island cocktail (mixed with cloudy lemonade) called pomada - and good luck with that!

There are several cheese makers. We visited the island’s cheese museum at Hort Sant Patrici where you can taste several local cheeses - I particularly enjoyed the MahonMenorca Hort Sant Patrici which is made from pasteurized cow’s milk, with rounded edges and corners, and ranges from a mature cheese aged over eight to nine months, to a light 21-day cheese. They also do a very good lunch here at the estate’s hotel!

Island wines are on the rise too, with labels including Sa Forana, Binifadet, Hort, and Rubi del Mediterraneo. The Vin De Menorca shop in Mahon has a great selection.

Add in plenty of fantastic fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs - the tomatoes are heavenly - and locally caught fish and seafood, and eating out or cooking on the barbecue is a treat.

In Cala Galdana, we enjoyed eating steaks and patatas bravas at Es Barranc, and I’d also recommend trips to Mahon, Ciutadella and Fornells, a fishing village on the north side of the island.

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Be sure to try...

MAYONNAISE Menorca claims mayonnaise as its own. The precise genesis is debated, but one theory is that it originated in celebration of a French victory over the British on the island in 1756 – and that, initially, the word was Mahón-naise.

SOBRASSADA This cured sausage combines ground pork, paprika and salt into a delicious whole. It is particularly popular in the islands because the ideal conditions to dry it – high humidity, mild cold – are synonymous with autumn on Mallorca and Menorca. It can be eaten raw or fried, but generally appears as a starter.

CALDERETA DE LLAGOSTA (PICTURED RIGHT) This lobster stew is typically Menorcan and usually involves chunks of the reddest of crustaceans – often still wearing armour – bubbling in a sauce heavy on onions, tomatoes, garlic and parsley.

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Mahon, which boasts the deepest natural harbour in the Med, has a great fish market (where you can also eat), plus a daily produce market in the cloisters of a 17th century convent. With lots of pavement cafés, and great shops (do look out for the island-made leather shoes), it’s a pleasant place to stroll, with regular refreshment stops, of course.

Ciutadella, with its noble Arabic history, is a maze of cobbled alleyways, a magnificent central square and a lovely old port with a sloping fortress wall and old fishermen’s houses. We dined in the shadow of the Gothic cathedral, feasting on calamari and salad, and enjoyed cocktails at the port - although possibly not their prices!

Fornells, a small fishing village with no beach but a large harbour, is picture postcard pretty. We arrived in the late afternoon, to swim, and then spent time exploring the shops and narrow streets before tucking into tapas on the rooftop at Sa Taula in one of the village squares. It was as charming as it sounds!

So, sweet little Menorca is a classy choice. You can soak up all that Med sun, swim in turquoise waters and tuck into gourmet food and drink. Where’s that booking form for more?

PROUDLY NORFOLK MEMBERS

PROUDLY NORFOLK

PROUDLY NORFOLK FOOD AND DRINK HAS THREE NEW HEADLINE SPONSORS FOR THIS YEAR, AS FEAST NORFOLK REPORTS

THE THREE NEW SPONSORS for Proudly Norfolk are bringing a whole new energy for the county-wide food and drink umbrella organisation.

Step forward Woodforde’s Brewery, Norfolk Cottages, and the Norfolk Hub, which delivers and promotes fantastic food and drink products from Small to Medium Enterprises in the county.

Emma King of Woodforde’s says: ‘I’m excited that Woodforde’s is one of the three joint headline sponsors and believes that the team can add significant value and expertise and, most importantly, share our ethos to help celebrate and promote this wonderful county and the incredible food and drink offering Norfolk has to offer to both locals and visitors alike all year round.’

Whereas Matt Frost, general manager of Norfolk Cottages, is looking forward to collaborating with fellow headline sponsors to help grow Proudly Norfolk. ‘Our ongoing discussions are fun, innovative and focused on bringing local products to our visitors, businesses and those lucky enough to live in the county.’

Co-founder of The Norfolk Hub, Dan Lacey says: ‘Norfolk is the home of many things, but celebrating the love of small producers is something that we feel is appreciated across the county. We’re very lucky to consider Norfolk as home to many breweries and distilleries, and several events celebrating local producers, including some of our drinks! So essentially, Norfolk to us is our home, and we’re proud to be local distributors of produce we truly believe in.’

There are some exciting things planned for this year and beyond, including an App-based rewards scheme launching in the summer, where members signing up are guaranteed a minimum of a 10 percent discount.

Meanwhile, Proudly Norfolk is continuing to support and promote its members, and is currently posting offers for members across social media. It will continue to build the

brand, that of being a champion of all things Norfolk.

Why should people join Proudly Norfolk? A community of food and drink businesses, Proudly Norfolk is run by a volunteer board, and is not for profit. Its aim is to shout loud and proud about members and the general food and drink scene in Norfolk.

Chair Sarah Daniels says: ‘We believe we are stronger together; we host knowledge sharing networking events for our members both physically and virtually.

‘Members also have direct access to patrons and board members. For example, we have had meet-the-expert events from Hatch Brenner and Lovewell Blake.’

Plans for the year include a Summer Food and Drink Festival on August 9 at Woodforde’s and a Christmas Festival at the Assembly House November 22, with reindeers. The Proudly Norfolk Food and Drink Festival has been postponed until April 11, 2021.

Visit www.proudlynorfolk.co.uk which shows all members in distinct categories, as well as events and news from across the county.

This column is supported by Proudly Norfolk Food & Drink and highlights

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its members. For more details, visit www.proudlynorfolk.co.uk

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