Category Archives: Food producers

Order a cake or pop in for a sit down snack

Butter and Cream Cakes

Butter and Cream Cakes, 22 Church Road, Milford, Godalming,
GU8 5JD

 A bespoke bakery and cafe offering pretty wedding, birthday and everyday cup cakes.Suke Wibaut

Go there for: Glitzy cup cakes with a sumptuous cream-cheese topping, rocky road and squidgy brownies.

Avoid: Missing out: pick these up in North St Market, Guildford, or at the Milford shop.

Is it worth the calories?: If you’re counting, opt for a mini cup cake: all the fun but half the impact!

Tips: You can order a personalised birthday cake just 24 hours in advance.

Suke Wibaut had been making a nice living as an outside caterer but a shift away from catered boozy corporate lunches to lone al-desko dining saw her core business decline. The emergence of the cupcake market caught her eye and after a few trips to London to check out cupcake entrepreneurs like the Primrose Bakery, Suke re-invented herself.

Chocolate chilli cup cakes, hand crafted rose buds and assorted cupcakes

At first Suke made cakes at home and sold them at Guildford’s North Street market. The ladies on the fruit and veg stall next door didn’t think she would last 6 months but it seems we can’t resist a glittery iced treat for £2. Suke is doing a roaring trade: everyone loves her cup cakes! Indeed, Surrey University orders 10,000 of them for their graduation ceremony every year. You will also find them in a few select tea shops in Surrey.

In September 2012 a vacant shop in Milford became Butter and Cream’s new home. It’s primarily a production unit but has a couple of tables and a small menu. The café area is very attractive and customers often stay for coffee and a cake while deciding on their order.

The cake counter order and eat in or take-away

Suke is really keen to build up the birthday and celebration cake side of the business. She creates fabulous wedding cupcake towers but personalised cakes for birthdays and other celebrations start at £10.50.

The cakes are all made from scratch using unsalted butter, castor sugar, plain white flour and eggs (not free range, unfortunately). Cakes are at their best eaten on day of purchase but can be frozen.

red_velvet_cupcake_6x9My son has eaten a fair few of Butter and Cream’s cakes and loves them. I never seemed to get a look in so I sampled a selection while I was there. I ate the chilli and chocolate cupcakes with my eyes they were so pretty. They have subtle chilli kick after the first chocolate hit dissipates. The icing is a creamy rich, melt-in-the-mouth experience and I knew why; I had seen the 10 kilo tubs of full-fat cream cheese in the kitchen which forms the base for the icing here. Whipped mercilessly with icing sugar and cocoa, it had to be good.  I also sampled salted caramel, toffee and apple, mango, passion fruit, and orange. The flavours here aren’t really that assertive but the combination of sponge with creamy rich icing does it for me. Cakes and slices complementing the cupcake range include brownies, almond slice, lemon drizzle and rocky road.

I didn’t have room for a blackberry Shiraz and chocolate or red velvet – next time! Suke is always researching and creating new flavours to keep her growing fan-base satisfied.Personalised birthday cake

These cakes are little edible objects of desire, guaranteed to elevate your mood and deliver a sweet kick and sometimes that’s all you need to make your day.

www.butterandcream.co.uk

01483 351717

Text and Images Shirlee
Text and Images Shirlee

One O’clock Box

One O’clock Box

A quality artisan lunch company that will deliver for meetings and events.callum_sandwixches_6x9

Order from here for: A lunch to keep you firing on all cylinders until dinner.

Avoid:  Not checking he delivers in your area before reading the mouth-watering menu.

Is it worth the calories?: Slowly fermented handmade sourdough bread and gourmet fillings – count yourself lucky not calories.

Tips: Currently Callum only delivers to offices on Wednesdays and Thursdays; call him to cater for meetings and events.

I was intrigued by Callum Stanton’s new venture, which involves making bread from scratch every morning. He doesn’t have a shop so he popped over for lunch, which he kindly bought with him. One look at his biceps told me this really was handmade bread; no electric mixer had been switched on during its production. This was quickly verified and we got on to the serious business of his food.

Having pounded the kitchen floors of a few restaurants with a Michelin star or two, Callum has some high calibre experience under his belt. Returning to Guildford from Cornwall last year he felt ready to start his own business. A passion for bread making combined with a perceived gap in the market for quality office lunch deliveries triggered his concept. He now provides artisan sandwiches using his freshly made bread with a small but expertly executed range of fillings.

Sandwiches being cut for lunch, packed sandwiches and chocolate and almond brownie

Chorizo, chick pea & spinach soupThe small menu reads well and he has trialled his creations with his growing fan base to make sure they like them too. We tried a mortadella, feta, mayonnaise, pesto and rocket sandwich (£2.50). It’s a real treat to bite into a crust that has a little resistance at first and then plunges into a flavourful crumb. The sliced meat and salty feta are soulful partners and combine with pesto and peppery rocket to create a sophisticated taste sensation. The dry-cured bacon and goat’s cheese sandwich with chilli jam was another thoroughly modern mouthful – and one you want to repeat. The addition of salad leaves lends a healthy crunch to the overall texture and a light finish. Fresh thyme sourdough rolls come with a mozzarella, marinated tomato and olive filling for vegetarians or herby chicken, roasted pepper and baby spinach leaves (both £2.50). A winter addition is a chorizo, chickpea and spinach soup (£2.50) you can heat in the office microwave.

Pistachio & raisin flapjacks and spiced carrot and almond cake Jane and I were very polite and shared a brownie for dessert but we did cut it exactly in half so no-one felt cheated. It was rich, nutty, chewy and dark, just what a classy brownie should be. Other sweet snacks include pistachio and raisin flapjacks and spiced carrot and almond cake (all 80p). These small bites are satisfying but not overwhelming in size as suggested by the price tag.

In my professional life I have been to many meetings where lunch has been dull, uninspiring and poor quality – even when we have been discussing the demise of home cooking skills or the rise in obesity. Callum offers a great alternative to the office lunch circuit – and we know good food brings people together.

One O’clock Box

07530844637

Text and Images Jane
Text and Images Shirlee
Blueberry and lime cheesecake

Blueberry and lime lower fat cheesecake

This is a perfect make-ahead dessert for the holiday season. Using lower fat cream cheese makes it lighter without losing the wow factor of a freshly baked cheesecake.This freezes well and will keep for up to 4 days in a refrigerator after baking.

Serves 8-10

Blueberry and lime cheesecake

400g extra-light cream cheese

500g ricotta cheese

4 medium free-range eggs

250 – 300g vanilla sugar

Zest and juice of 1 large or 2 small limes

25g cornflour

200g fresh blueberries

For the base

60g ground almonds

100g plain flour

60g vanilla sugar

100g chopped butter at room temperature

Preheat oven to 150°C / 130°C fan / gas mark 3 .

Prepare the base first. Combine ground almonds, flour, sugar and butter in a bowl. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until a dough forms.

Grease a 20cm non-stick round spring-form tin. Press the mixture evenly into the base. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Set aside.

To make the filling, place the cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, sugar and zest in the bowl of a food processor.

Combine the cornflour and lime juice until smooth and add to the cheese mixture. Process the mixture until smooth. Place half the mixture on the base. Evenly scatter half the blueberries over the mixture. Top with the remaining filling and finish with the remaining blueberries.

Gently shake the tin to pop any air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour and cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator.

Serve with fresh berries and a spoon of half-fat crème fraîche. Sprinkle over a little fresh lime zest.

Coffee Real

Coffee Real Ltd, Unit 10a, Graylands Estate, Langhurst Wood Road, Langhurst, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4QDGary_Maarit_CR_6x9

An artisan roaster producing some of the finest coffee in Southeast England. 

Tips: A coffee subscription, from £31.00 for 6 months, makes a fantastic gift. You can add coffee brewing equipment and more in the future.

Gary Best is part of an emerging clique of coffee hunter-gatherers who travel to exotic locations to search out the finest single-estate coffee beans. Generally the best beans are grown at high altitude, giving them a unique personality. Gary explained that high street coffee is dull because large companies roast all their coffee for the same time, without testing to see whether it will enhance or damage its potential. It’s only when you drink coffee that has been carefully roasted, brewed and served that you can appreciate the finer nuances of this multi-faceted drink.

Gary sources beans from the Americas, Africa and Asia. High altitude beans grow and mature at a slower rate than low altitude sun grown coffees (used for instant coffee), which don’t deliver on taste. Gary buys micro-plots on coffee plantations based on levels of sun and shade: complicated maybe, but worth the effort.

Once safely stashed at Coffee Real HQ in West Sussex, the team test-roast small batches of beans. Once the roast profile for a consignment is agreed, small batches are roasted to order and sent to customers within 24 hours of being prepared. They supply whole beans or five grinds to suit your brewing method.

Green beans ready to be roasted to yield their best flavour profile

Some coffees are so rare that Gary can only purchase one sack per harvest. Subscribers receive a monthly delivery of a new coffee to enjoy, with expert tasting notes and information on place of origin. You can rely on Coffee Real to provide an exciting range of coffees to take you out of your comfort zone.

However, once you have your coffee at home you need to treat it right. Gary’s new unit has a training room where he trains Baristas to use commercial machines and home coffee drinkers can learn about hand brewing.

Fresh roasted coffee ready for dispatch, Gary making coffee in a drip filter and an electric coffee maker

With a constantly changing stock, Coffee Real’s website is invaluable: it offers in-depth information on each coffee they sell, including place of origin and a full description of its flavour (cup) to help you choose. Before sampling I checked out the tasting notes on the site and although I am no expert I could get a hint of hazelnut with a cream like chocolatey finish in the mouth and you could really tell it was a bright fresh roast. I have already bought another pack  to try from Ethiopia and find the idea of coffee is more exciting since my visit. If like me you can’t do caffeine past midday then relax, a superb range of decaffeinated beans are also on offer.

Gary is off to India in December to meet the growers first hand and choose what to import next. I can’t wait to see what he brings back. Coffee Real prides itself on its ethical buying practice, supporting Real Trade that goes beyond fair trade and extends to sustainability too.

After sampling a pack of Brazil Pereira Estate at £4.80 for 250g I was surprised to see that similar high-grade coffees sold in supermarkets retail at the same or a higher price without the provenance. Savouring a cup of this delightful coffee has been elevated by the fact that the farmers that grew it have been suitably rewarded for their hard work.

From 4th December 2012 01403 263381

www.coffeereal.co.uk

Text and Images Shirlee
Text and Images Shirlee
Croissants chalk hills

Chalk Hills Bakery Shop and Cafe

 75 Bell Street, Reigate, RH2 7ANChris & Rosie owners of Chalk Hills Bakery

A bakery and café delivering artisan bread and pastry magic to the lucky folk of Reigate.

Go there for: Handmade artisan bread, gorgeous pastries, tarts, and a bacon sandwich to shout about.

Avoid: Trying to resist anything in this café; it’s futile.

Is it worth the calories?: I should say so: this is the ultimate good food experience!

Tips: The sandwiches on the menu are fantastic but if you want a bespoke combination just ask.

Walking into Chalk Hill Bakery on a rainy autumn day to the smell of toasting bread and aromatic coffee is a truly uplifting experience.Chalk Hills Bakery shop front

Chris and Rosie Robinson sold their gastro pub, The Stephen Langton in Abinger Hammer, to start a proper artisan bakery. Coincidentally, Priory Farm had a kitchen to rent in the old tractor shed and in November 2010 the first loaves were sold in the Priory Farm shop.

Chris and his team make sour-dough bread by hand the old-fashioned way and let it rise naturally over a 2-day period to develop flavour and texture ­- don’t think of muttering Chorley Wood, dough improvers or high-speed mixing here. Sourcing fine ingredients such as Shipton Mill organic flour gives added provenance to their products. The long fermentation process means the bread stays fresh for longer and is easier to digest.

Chalk Hills Bakery produce 17 different loaves, including fig and walnut sour dough (£3.65), large rye (£2.75), and other classics such as ciabatta (£2.50) and focaccia with a selection of toppings (£3.95). They also make a Surrey bloomer (£1.75) and Italian sticks (£2.10). Even the yeasted breads have a flavour boost of sour dough starter and are slowly proved in a refrigerator. The full range of products is on sale at Priory Farm and at Chalk Hills Bakery every day. They sell wholesale to a handful of local businesses.

Artisan bread selection at Chalk HIlls

Chalk Hills Bakery has definitely got the X factor (but with classier music). It’s modern yet rustic, charming and friendly, and has a simple but innovative menu. They cleverly match their bread to the sandwich fillings so you get the best texture and flavour combination. In addition they make croissants, scones, sausage rolls (with free-range sausage meat from Bowles farm in Ewhurst). Ham and beef for their sandwiches are cooked in the bakery; meat comes from Robert and Edwards of Reigate. In fact everything on the menu is made at the bakery, even the soup.

The bread menu, sweet tarts and bacon sandwich on white bloomer

I tucked into their classic bacon sandwich made from Gloucester Old Spot free-range bacon on toasted Surrey Bloomer (£3.95). What a triumph! Crisp, salty bacon, sweet herb jelly and perfectly toasted bread. The Sage Jelly from local producer PickleCake Parma ham and mozzarella with sage jelly (produced locally by Picklecake) also caught my eye – next time! I rounded this off with a pot of Barry’s Irish tea. I’ve never heard of it but apparently if you are from Southern Ireland it’s the only tea to drink and Chris (who’s from Dublin) won’t sell anything else. Coffee comes from Union, a craft roaster in East London, and soft drinks from Luscombe organics in Devon.

Business has been booming ever since the bakery opened and they plan to open another shop. Just make a wish that it’s on your doorstep: I have.

www.chalkhillsbakery.com

01737669116

Free range pigs at Joe's farm shop

Joe’s Farm Shop

Joe’s Farm Shop, Elm Nursery, Sutton Green Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7QDEntrance to the farm shop

A delightful family run business with delicious home-reared pork and local lamb and beef  

Go there for: Local beef, lamb, pork, sausages, milk and free-range eggs – and hanging baskets!

Avoid: High expectations: this is a small shop with a limited range of produce.

Is it worth the calories?:  Our rib of beef was heavenly and surely special treats don’t count!

Tips: This is a small farm shop with big plans: support them to make their expansion a reality.

It’s really all about the meat here. The story began 31 years ago when Emma and Kate’s mum wanted a bigger back garden: she acquired a small farm shop and continued to grow and sell their produce. When a large supermarket opened in Burpham they lost all their trade overnight. Forced to diversify, Rita Thorpe bought herself some books on growing plants and Elm Nursery was born. Thanks to Rita’s green fingers, it’s now a thriving business and they offer a friendly bespoke service you can’t get in bigger nurseries. Over filled hanging baskets start at just £20.

The alarm clock, freshly laid eggs and Emma with some free range pigs

Things were ticking over when Joe, a local farmer needing a retail outlet for his small supply of beef, pork and lamb, popped in for a chat, the timing was right so they went ahead. Animals are free-range and slaughtered as A selection of fresh meat for sale needed by a local abattoir using humane methods that don’t stress the animals prior to slaughter. Hung after slaughter for the optimum time, the meat is mouth-wateringly tender and flavourful. Fridges and freezers were installed and they now stock local milk and cheese (Norbury blue, Dirty Vicar and a selection from High Weald) and their own eggs. They grow a small selection of fresh produce on site – next year they want to grow more in their polytunnels.

To complement the core business Emma and Kate also sell a limited range of locally made cakes and preserves. Jams are made by a local lady Tina who gives 75% of her proceeds to a local hospice in Woking and they are keen to expand what they offer in the future.

Joe’s farm shop is a low-key operation, but there’s a lot to like. Maybe it’s the way the chickens wander in the shop, or that Rita, Emma and Kate always offer such an energetic welcome. There is also the added satisfaction that whatever you buy is helping the local economy stay afloat – at prices that are competitive.

Joe’s farm shop and Elm Nursery

01483 761748

Food Fair at Village Greens, Ockley

I went to my first Village Greens Food Fair in 2012 and have been raving about them ever since! The next one is on 19th July 2015 at their shop at Denbies Vineyard near Dorking.

To get a taste of the sort of event its likely to be see my review!

The sun shone on our visit to meet local food producers at the Village Greens Food Fair. James and Catherine Dampier have been running this fair for six years and it is a truly lovely afternoon

Catherine Dampier out. Held in the field opposite the shop, one of the highlights was admiring the produce they grow  to sell in the shop. We’re now looking forward to the first frost so we can enjoy cavola nero at its best! It was a perfect day to celebrate local food and a village shop that brings its local community together.

First we sampled some lovely honey products, made by the Sparkes family. Their award winning honey marmalade was unusual and delicious and their chilli and honey jam had a distinctive Thai edge.

You couldn’t help being drawn to the delicious aroma of coffee from a converted Citroen van.  Gary Best is the coffee oracle of Surrey. Coffee Real source the most wonderful coffee from all over the world and roast it in Capel . You can buy their coffee online and in local shops in Surrey and further afield.

Coffee Real - roasters of single origin and single estate coffee in Surrey

Next door was Crumbs of Capel, an artisan bakery who make sourdough bread, tea cakes and soda breads. This is real craft baking on a small scale. The depth of flavour of their rye bread is unrivalled and their teacakes a chewy flavoursome mouthful.

Yum Cha drinks are made on a farm in Leatherhead by Guy Woodall; his wife was offering tastings of their unusual take on iced tea. Refreshingly different, Jane and I sampled them all and liked the tart sour plum the best.

Yum Cha iced tea drinks

Cut and Dried is a relatively new company specialising in crispy or chewy dried fruit: their catchphrase ‘dried not fried’ says it all. These are intensely flavoured, chewy and perfect for lunch boxes, Mike Eposito of Cut and Dried snacks and dips. Beetroot would be perfect with a sour cream and chive dip for pre-dinner drinks. The pineapple is intensely flavoured and moreish: a great snack for fruit-phobic kids.

A tiny local business, the Jam Lady  offers  beautifully presented jams and preserves made in the traditional manner. A few, like the chilli jelly with lime, have a distinctly modern twist. She forages for wild plums and damsons and will use up your end of season rhubarb if you give her a ring! Currently she only sells at fairs and events; if you want to try her wares, contact her at thejamlady@hotmail.co.uk.

The Jam lady

A warm scent in the air took us to  Discerning Soups, who sell a small range of delicious soups and dips, including humus and smoked mackerel and tuna pates. Their  sweetcorn and bacon chowder was a sweet, salty piece of heaven and a sweet potato soup was as comforting as a warm loaf (with fewer calories).

Discerning Soups

Neil and Michaela, Surrey’s only cheese producer, were selling  Norbury Blue and Dirty Vicar cheese. Refreshments were provided by  Splendid Occasions, a new concept business who offer pop-up vintage tea parties. We stopped for a pot of Earl Grey tea and a chunky slice of millionaires shortbread.

Dee and Hannah served up tea and cakes vintage style

White chocolate Goupie with Lavender  (image courtesy of Goupie)

Goupie make chewy chocolates that make great gifts. The white chocolate and lavender was satisfyingly different, the mocha a rich coffee flavour.We finished by trying most of High Weald Dairy’s cheeses; Jane bought some enticing Sister Sarah goat’s cheese as a gift, but it’s unlikely to make it to her sister Sarah!

High Weald dairy offering Haloumi cheese samples

Village Greens 

The Parrot Inn

The Parrot Inn, Forest Green, Surrey RH5 5R2

A pleasing country pub with locally sourced food on the menu.Parrot Inn Forest Green

Go there for: Hearty pub food with a modern tweak featuring the owner’s farm- reared meat and produce.

Avoid: Thinking this too far off the beaten track to travel too: the journey is well worth it.

Is it worth the calories?: We think so! But careful, the portions are generous here.

Tips: Make sure you try the unique air-cured ham made in their own butchery. Request that your pudding is heated in the oven and not the microwave.

This has the double whammy of being a highly regarded gastro pub and an award winning farm shop. This is a Gotto family affair and they have a wealth of experience from enterprises in London and Surrey. Enjoy a sandwich from the specials board at the bar or order from the main menu in the dining room or pub itself. On sunny days, sit in the garden and gaze across the green into open countryside: it’s a tantalisingly relaxing location to watch the world go by, on horseback, horse-drawn carriage and other modes of transport.

We visited last November on a crisp autumn day: Jane ordered a deep dish steak and ale pie with a puff pastry crust, mashed potato and vegetables. The filling was perfectly cooked, full of autumnal feistiness, the meat mouth-meltingly tender. I had the pork and pistachio terrine with goose rillettes and toasted sour dough. The terrine was a little dry but perfectly balanced by some wine jelly and they were happy to bring some more. The waitress also bought us a sample of their homemade soup to try, which was delicious. For dessert we shared a chocolate and cognac flan with salted butter caramel sauce with a hand made biscuit and ice cream.

Pork and pistachio terrine and Beef and Ale Pie

A disappointing finish, as the flan had been microwaved (a pet hate of ours), which made the pastry soggy. We didn’t finish it and explained why we had left it. Without hesitation the dessert was removed from our bill. We felt that they had been extremely professional as the meal had been delicious apart from the dessert.

Bar menu, Pub from the road and Cognac and chocolate flan

On a summer visit I sampled a starter from the main menu: scallops in sauce vierge. This was an interesting version of this sauce, a little more cooked than you would expect a true vierge to be. It worked well, as the bacon and tomato flavours accented the fat juicy scallops with great aplomb. It was essential to try another dessert: this time I couldn’t resist lemon sponge with vanilla ice cream and lemon curd. The lemon curd was tart and sweet, a perfect match for the warm sponge and cold ice cream.

Scallops in sauce vierge, cut juicy scallop and lemon sponge pudding

I have a niggling feeling that the sponge might have also had its molecules realigned by waves generated by a magnetron, but the food is good enough to withstand this very slight criticism. I got chatting to some American tourists, who had also had a great lunch. We agreed that the setting and food in this pub was worth the journey through some gorgeous Surrey countryside.

01306 621 339

The Parrot Inn