Tag Archives: home made

Waters Edge Dine at the Wetlands Centre Horsell

Heather Farm , Horsell Common, GU21 4XY

The upside: Delicious, locally sourced and well executed food

The downside: If it’s busy service can be slow because everything is made fresh to order!

The flipside: A lot of the food here comes from the proprietors own farm and is picked within hours of arriving at your table!

Newly opened in January 2016 this venue is located just outside Woking in Surrey. Woking isn’t a particularly attractive town although improvements to the centre recently have improved it dramatically. However just a five minute drive away takes you into some quite spectacular countryside and Horsell Common is no exception. A new wetlands centre opened with a café on January 9th and news spread fast of its peaceful atmosphere, dog friendly policies and its wonderful café. The area around the wetland has been set up with decking and paths making it easy for buggies and mobility scooters unless their has been a lot of rain as it gets muddy. I enjoyed it so much that I have been back three times mainly because the setting and the food is fabulous but also because I have been trying to interview Chef Aneke Spacie. Busy managing a young family, a new eaterie opening at the Lightbox Gallery in Woking and her current café we had to resort to a telephone conversation in the end, which filled in the gaps.

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Like you, I am used to going to some pretty gorgeous places here and abroad only to find the café serves mediocre food, fizzy drinks and deep-fries anything unfortunate enough to make its way into the kitchen. Not here though – the food ethos, menu and hospitality is as close to my idea of a perfect venue as you can get. Organic, locally sourced, thoughtfully cooked and presented, it’s delightful, refreshing and sustainable too. Before children came along this highly skilled chef built up an enviable CV working for McClaren, the Ivy, British Airways, Harrods and Sotheby’s. Running her own catering company in Surrey she built on this experience and a successful pop up at the Lightbox last year sealed a contract to take over the catering there too.

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Waters Edge Dine is Aneke Spacie’s first solo restaurant and within just a few months she has a hardcore following of diners who love the menu, cooking style and dedication to healthy sustainable eating. Here the mantra is to buy food with thought, cook with care, use less wheat and meat, buy local, serve just enough and create minimal waste. Food is presented in such an attractive way too and whilst it’s not fine dining London style you have a sense that your meal is going to be really good for you (tea time cakes not included here).

On my first visit my daughter came with me and at this point it was just to get a sense of what the venue was all about. It was just after 3pm and although the kitchen had just closed for the lunchtime service we were still able to order. Choosing a spicy Welsh rarebit with a free-range hen’s egg and then a couple of mugs of tea we took a seat. When the food arrived it was on a wooden board which looks great but isn’t practical as the runny egg without some control would have rolled right over the edge. I happen to think plates are really the obvious choice as  they retain their heat and control the food. However in the subsequent visits I have made here it is the only criticism I could possibly muster up in addition to the fact that as seating is limited inside they could particularly in poor weather outgrow their space fast.

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A week later after deciding to write about Waters Edge I took a fellow writer for lunch. He was over from Taipei where we had worked together and it was the perfect venue. We had a barmy English summers day to share and it was a far cry from our last lunch together eating stinky tofu in Shenkeng, a suburb of Taipei where one street of restaurants is dedicated to the consumption of fermented tofu. This time our menu was based on good nutrition, provenance, budget and balance and we loved it. I had pan fried wild mushrooms on toast (£7.50) with Parmesan, truffle dressing and wild rocket while Richard had the house burger (£10.50) with cheddar (Wookey Hole) smoked bacon, salad and tomato relish with home fries. Aneke bought the food to our table on this occasion and shared some useful information with us (if I had realized she was so busy I would have delved deeper). Some of the mushrooms had she told us come from the farm, which they top up with those from their local vegetable supplier, the truffles were from the estate (Surrey surprisingly is not bad for truffle hunters) and the meat from a local farm. We loved our food as both dishes were satisfying, delicious and had an understated feel good factor. The setting of course overlooking the wetland adds to the overall sense of wellbeing. Nearby diners had selected roasted pork belly and a huge bowl of soup, which looked exceptional too. Next time.

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To finish we ordered drinks and cake. They have a substantial range of home-made and bought in sweet treats here (from a local bakery) such as chocolate dipped flapjacks to large cutting cakes. Choose from red velvet, chocolate with salted caramel, carrot and coffee. Gluten free options include orange and polenta cake too. For children there is also an option to buy and decorate your own gingerbread person with a plate of sprinkles and writing icing. Coffee here is barista style and tea comes in large mugs with a tea-bag, which you can recycle in the glass jar provided. What a great idea.

If you are interested in how the Wetland Centre came into being you can find out more about the Horsell Preservation Society, their other sites and the fantastic work they do here www.horsellcommon.org.uk.

Its child friendly here too with buckets of crayons, a lego corner and teepees to set up outside. For dogs water is provided and towels for those that end up in the water! Dogs on leads are allowed inside but must be kept on a tight leash by owner. As this is a wetland to encourage wildlife there are strict rules for dog walking on the site. Please check the website before you visit if you are bringing a dog with you.

01483 726556

www.surreywatersedge.com

 

 

Fresh Raspberry, Pistachio and Almond Tart

This is a version of a recipe I use a lot with different fruit (such as figs, pears, blueberries) as it is so versatile. This works better with really fruity jam and its worth using an extra jam like Jam Packed with at at least 45% fruit content. Once you have the basic recipe sorted add flaked almonds or chopped pistachios on top. It’s really quick to make especially with ready -made pastry. Individual tarts work well here too just cut down the cooking time. Perfect for summer picnics and al fresco eating. If you want a more spongy texture simply add 50-75g more flour to the filling. I like a more paste like texture but for food on the go and picnics a little extra flour helps it stay together better.

Serves: 6-8pistachio-cream-M&S-Haselmere

Ingredients
Pastry
125g cold diced butter
250g plain or gluten free flour
40g caster sugar
I medium egg
or
1 pack ready made sweet short-crust pastry

Filling
100g butter, softened
100g Vanilla infused caster sugar
3 medium eggs
2-3 tablespoons raspberry jam
100g ground almonds
75g of finely ground pistachios or 1 small jar of pistachio paste*
50g self-raising flour (gluten free works well here)
200g fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 180/ Fan 170°C/ Gas mark 5 when the pastry has 10 mins left to chill.

1.If using ready-made pastry skip this step. Place butter and flour and sugar together in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer. Process until you have a breadcrumb like consistency. Add the egg and few drop of cold water to form a dough. Do not overwork.

2. Now beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk or stand mixer for about 4 minutes until pale. Slowly beat in the eggs, almonds and flour until combined.

3.Remove the pastry case from the fridge and spread the base with the raspberry jam. Spoon in half the filling and scatter with half the raspberries. Add the rest of the filling and the remaining fruit and finish with almonds or pistachios.

4.Bake the tart on the baking sheet for 35 – 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Delicious served just warm with a dollop of Greek yogurt or cream. This will keep for 2 – 3 days stored in a cool place.

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*When Marks and Spencer opened their new shop in Haselmere a few months ago I was invited to take a look around. Their PR team gave me a selection of new products to try and Pistachio cream was one of them. It’s used to fill macaroons, choux buns, flavour ice-cream and other culinary delights. Here is works well in the frangipane tinting it with a lovely green hue while also imparting its distinctive flavour.

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Roll out the pastry thinly and line a 20 – 24cm flan tin. Cover with film and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Jam Packed Preserves

Gorgeous thick fruit and vegetable packed jars of preserves from a true cottage industry in Surrey.

The upside: A huge range of lovingly prepared jams, marmalades, jellies and chutneys made by hand the old fashioned way.

The downside: Only on sale in a few outlets and charity events

The flipside: With a new website and online shop launching soon sourcing will become easy peasy!

In the artisan food world there are many different styles of producers. Some who produce from their own kitchens with little or no start up budget or investment and others who have investors, industrial units and can afford branding and marketing. Some companies of course have a bit of both. I am comfortable with any of these options providing the eating quality and provenance of the products is top notch. Like a lot of my new connections my introduction to Jam Packed Preserves came via twitter. I follow a food consultant and food product guru Tessa Stuart who sent me a link to Jam Packed as they are based in Surrey. She has written two extremely digestible and informative books for wannabe food producers (Packed and Flying off the Shelves), which are best sellers. Her pedigree comes from her time working with top companies such as the Innocent Smoothie Brand. So with a recommendation to link up I happily took the bait.

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I went to visit Sue and Kevin Woodward at their headquarters in Epsom to record their story. I had already had a chat to Sue before my visit so I knew that she and her husband had careers in the NHS, but Kevin had retired from his role working a senior clinician in operating theatres two years ago. Sue continues to work in nurse education. Alongside a very full on life they had taken on an allotment 8 yrs ago and an inherited a vigorous bed of autumn fruiting raspberries. Realising they couldn’t possibly consume all this fruit themselves Sue rang her mum up for her jam recipe. As the season moved blackcurrants and redcurrants became available they kept making more and more jam. Selling and giving surplus to friends the beginning of what later became ‘Jam Packed’ emerged.

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It didn’t take long for the jam-making bug to bite and they expanded to jellies and chutneys too. They decided to sell their surplus stock and their first commercial deal was with a local butcher who took their products. He recorded how much he sold and Sue and Kevin got their meat from him in return. This is great example of good old fashioned bartering and something my clients know I am not averse to either. Friends also became regular customers and loved their products so much they encouraged them to take tables at local fund raising events. In fact Sue and Kevin prefer to attend fund-raisers with their products rather than farmers markets as they can support charities while they are selling.

Having had a break from jam making to complete and submit her PhD in 2012, the couple also became carers for their first grandchild two year ago and decided to build a business making preserves around this. So while they have been slowly building up their business over the past few years they now want to take things to the next level. Not that they have been slouching since 2014. You can buy their products from several local independent farm shops, delis and tea rooms throughout Surrey and into Hampshire. In addition they are also sold at West Green Fruit Farm where they have been producing jam from the fruit grown for a couple of years (sold on site in the PYO).

What I really like here is that Sue and Kevin pick a lot of the fruit they use for their jams themselves from their own allotment, garden, farms, friends gardens and contacts they have made along the way. Many of whom are now customers. This is a sustainable model, which also takes advantage of fruit grown that would not otherwise be harvested. In addition they know exactly where their fruit comes from and that it’s local (apart from Seville oranges and lemon for marmalade).

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Provenance and sustainability are all good market hooks but what about taste? I am the first to admit that the jam and chutney market is congested to say the least. All food retailers love products with a long shelf life and that’s exactly what you get with this style of preserving. Consequently it’s also why lots of producers enter the market and why farm shops are stacked high with jars of curious and better-known concoctions. Interestingly when I went to visit Jam Packed I was thinking ‘not another jam producer’ but I was pleasantly surprised. Here is why they are different.

In addition to the usual jams (such as raspberry and blackcurrant) Jam Packed also produce a range of jams from hybrid fruits such as tummelberries (similar to tayberries) and chuckleberries (a cross between a blackcurrant a redcurrant and a gooseberry) giving this particular jam an interesting texture. Adding silvanberries, boysenberries and loganberries to the mix and I am starting to get very interested. We carried out a tasting session and all of these jams as the company name suggests are made with a high fruit to sugar ratio and it stands out in the fiercely fruity flavours each with its own personality. This duo also makes a range of marmalades (all with hand cut peel) and Seville orange jelly. The jelly looks as glorious as it tastes and I have my fingers crossed that one might come home with me (it does) as I can imagine it immediately as a glaze on duck breast or as part of a chocolate and orange mousse.

Kevin has also become a master of chili-based jams, jellies and chutneys where they have won awards for their products in annual The Chutney Awards. Jam-packed, has for a small artisan producer a great range of seasonal products some of which are fiercely traditional and others more contemporary in style. Recently added lines include Naga Chili jam and chutney made with real ale from Surrey Brewery Hog’s Back.

You also have to applaud their marketing style which includes supporting charity events by taking tables at local fetes and fairs rather than farmers markets is endearing to say the least.

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If you would like to sample their products first hand they have a list of stockists on their new website, an online shop for retailers and for sale direct to the public. Sue and Kevin are also happy to come and do meet the producer events and tastings to share their delicious hand crafted products. If you are a fan of the local food movement look out for this brand as they really are ‘hand stirred’ in Surrey.

www.jampackedpreserves.co.uk

Sue Woodward 07941932529

Some of the images taken for this post were taken by Ben de Montagnac whose company WBYW have also built the new Jam Packed Website.

Elm Kitchen at Elm Farm Nursery

Sutton Green Road, Sutton Green, Guildford GU4 7QD

Innovative salads, freshly baked cakes and savouries using some local ingredients dominate the menu at this new kitchen at Elm Farm Nursery!

The Upside: A great addition at Elm Farm Nursery for delicious home cooked food in a delightful setting.

The downside: Elm Kitchen Café is not open on Mondays.

The flipside: The food here is all home-made with an admirable ‘no deep fryer’ policy meaning that nuggets and chips are permanently off the menu.

Elm Nursery in Sutton Green is one of my favourite places. Run by a lovely family this is a low key welcoming and friendly venue. Famed locally for Mum Rita’s bedding plants and amazing filled hanging baskets it was crying out for a café. The café was supposed to open last year but electrical supply issues and other difficulties led to a few months delay. This was a frustrating for Jacqui Street who is at the helm. Already making pies for the Olive Tree pub down the road and for Joes farm shop (on site) Jacqui’s cooking skills were a known quantity.

elm farm trip

Softly opening in late April they have steadily been growing a local following. Home-made quiche, meaty sausage rolls (a treat with a high meat to pastry ratio), Scotch eggs and interesting salads are complimented by home made soup, freshly made sandwiches (from £4) and English breakfasts (from £6).

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Jacqui sticks to local suppliers when she can; Ray Rowley butchers supply free range bacon and pork for breakfasts, sausage meat for the sausage rolls and Scotch eggs (both £3 each). Free-range eggs also come from Rowley’s as even though there are lots of chickens at Elm Farm their eggs are sold in the farm shop. Bread comes from Christmas Bakery one of the few traditional bakers in the area supplying the farm too.

The menu has plenty of choice, ambitious considering small kitchen. I went with my kids on a warm day so I opted for a grilled halloumi salad from the specials menu. This was a delicious of mix freshly grilled cheese, avocado, peppers, tomatoes, couscous and chick-peas on salad leaves. Topped with roasted pine kernels it had immediate kerb appeal. I loved the fact that when Jacqui bought it to the table she bought a little jug of dressing too.

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Too many times since writing ‘Eat Surrey” I have been expected to munch my way through a plate of dry leaves (read my article here on this). My daughter opted for freshly made roasted tomato and basil soup with half a prawn and avocado sandwich. They are flexible here because they can be and it was the perfect sized portion. Essential here as we also ordered a home-made sausage roll. Heavy on sausage and light on pastry and warmed through we ended up having two (£3 each). My son chose a chicken, chorizo and roasted red pepper sandwich, which came with a salad garnish and a portion of crisps (£5). It was freshly prepared super stuffed and the addition of soft roasted peppers was inspired. To finish we had coffee (from Nature) and tea. Sadly no room left for a slice of home-made cake. Having sampled these in the past I can verify that they taste every bit as good as they look (from £2.20)

Elm Kitchen blog photos 1

The café is situated next to a small animals feeding area for kids with chickens, ducks, geese, guinea pigs, rabbits & pigs. In the field next door say hello to Llamas (Luna and Saffron), miniature ponies and goats. My daughter (20) and my son (15) spent ages with the animals proving what a hit they are regardless of age. The café itself has been built at the end of a new grassed off picnic area. Visitors can bring their own picnic and use the seating provided outside right next to the pens of chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and rabbits. Perfect for young children who can be contained within the area that is safe for them to play around in a lovely setting and easy for parents to keep an eye on. Entry into the animal enclosure for children to feed the animals and get a closer look is just £1. Feed is available from the farm shop.

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Kids parties are popular here and Jacqui can provide a top notch kids menu with plenty of healthy choices and a lovely birthday cake too. Pop in for a chat to get more details.

Elm Kitchen is a great addition to a growing portfolio of new independent cafés in Surrey. Go and give it a try you wont be disappointed!

http://www.elmnursery.co.uk/

01483 755559 

I would like to thank my work experience student Xavier Brunton from George Abbot School for taking the images and laying them out for this post.

Grass Roots Bakery

A new start up producing fantastic gluten free rolls and bread mixes from a bespoke craft bakery in Surrey

andrea grass roots

The upside: Great tasting gluten and dairy free bread which is also preservative free.

The downside: Limited shelf life once baked (but freezes well)

The flipside: A credible textured bread for those seeking 100% gluten free product

When Noels Farm Shop (at Sutton Green Garden Centre) started to sell Grass Roots gluten free bread rolls late in 2015 Noel was keen to share how good they were. Unlike many gluten free bread products on the market the rolls looked great and clearly had texture. Produced just a few miles down the road in a small industrial estate in Woking I popped over to meet the owner and view the bread in production.

Andrea Walsh trained as a bio-chemist having taken a degree in chemistry. This has been essential to her success in this bakery venture and her ability to create a brilliant product and comply with food regulations in the sensitive area of free-from foods. Andrea’s business partner is her husband Steve an inventor of electrical products. The bakery is based within his lab where they created a bespoke sealed production space with brand new equipment. This means that they can be 100% confident that all their products are totally gluten free. This for people who suffer from gluten intolerance or coeliac disease is the reassurance they need. For some people just a small amount of contamination from gluten can have a devastating affects on their health. To find a product that is made in a totally wheat free zone is a real find.

As a family, Andrea and her children are gluten intolerant. Fed up with pappy dry and tasteless bread Andrea decided to make her own. With her science background she was able to replicate the characteristics of traditional bread from a range of gluten free ingredients. A few months of experimenting with different recipes Andrea fine-tuned her recipe. Sampling her new bread with friends they all raved about how good it was and her family loved it too. With such great feedback she decided to share this with others and so the Grass Roots Bakery was born.

trio 2 grass roots

Launching the bakery very quietly in June 2015 Andrea sold her bread to a farm shop near Woking where owner Noel had realised that there was a demand for gluten free products and was keen to stock the rolls. Unlike commercially produced gluten free bread (with preservatives) Andrea uses a natural approach to baking and the rolls have only 2 days life from production. Actually when you toast or warm through in the oven even from 3-4 days they are still really delicious but not at their best. However the rolls do freeze really well so freezing what you don’t use straight away is a perfect solution.

I wanted to see the bread in production so in the true spirit of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) we got changed into kitchen whites, put on hairnets (not a great look for me) and went into the bakery. First off its clear how incredibly clean the bakery is with brand new equipment and clearly a meticulous standard of hygiene. Andrea had already weighed out her secret recipe flour and then added oil, water and eggs. Using a giant electric whisk the dough is worked until a soft moist mixture has formed. As there is no gluten involved here it doesn’t need the classic ten-minute work out on the proteins to form the dough. It’s also noticeable that this dough is wetter than one that is wheat based which makes it difficult to handle.

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With an inventor for a husband Steve created the perfect solution. Using his electronic skill set he created a device that sucks up the right amount of dough for each roll which can then be deposited on to the baking sheet to rise. This means the rolls are all slightly different shapes; which adds a certain Wallis and Gromit charm to the process. As the dough is wetter and the rolls are large they take around one hour to bake in a medium oven. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay that long but in any case Andrea had already sent me some rolls to try so I knew how good they were.

With a product life of two days it was clear to Andrea that this was going to be an issue for retailers who like a longer shelf life. Her solution was to sell to shops but also offer a bread mix too. All Grass Roots products are available online from the bakery and include white and high fibre rolls in packs of four or twelve and bread mixes. The bread mixes are also sold in two sizes.

bread mix tri

Andrea has gone for a soft launch but is hoping to sell her products via farm shops, delis and specialist food shops. To give her products the credibility they need in the free-from market Andrea has spent time making sure her products are safe for her intended user group. Just recently she has received accreditation from Coeliac UK which, for those with gluten intolerance and coeliac disease is a recognised and trusted seal of approval.

I meet a lot of people on my travels in Surrey and in Andrea you couldn’t meet a nicer and more dedicated grass roots bakerybaker. I love her scientific approach, which has helped enormously in the creation of a great product range. The gluten free bread market is a tough nut to crack but they have definitely created a winning formula here.

www.grassrootsbakery.co.uk

01483 730474

Banana Scones

Makes 8 scones

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When you have a sad looking single banana in the fruit bowl this is the perfect rescue recipe. I have never served these to kids who didn’t like them or adults for that matter. Perfect with home-made fruit packed jam and a dollop of something creamy (I often use half fat creme fraiche or Greek yogurt).

Ingredients

50g softened butter, cut into small pieces
200g fine plain stoneground flour and a little extra for rolling out
1 teaspoon baking powder
50g golden caster or coconut sugar
25ml semi-skimmed milk
1 medium free-range egg, beaten
1 medium ripe banana, peeled and mashed

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC / 180ºC fan / gas mark 6. In a mixing bowl rub the butter into the flour, using your fingertips, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Mix the milk and egg with the mashed banana. Pour the egg mixture into the mixing bowl and mix to form a dough (it will be quite soft – so handle with care). Roll the dough gently on a floured work surface and cut into 8. Place the scones on a greased or lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

Delicious served with berry jam and cream

 

Mrs B’s Bees

I have been meaning to write about locally produced Surrey honey for a while. I will only buy mine from various beekeepers I meet on my rounds of farm shops and farmers markets. They all taste different and it’s fascinating to know that the source was wildflowers, chestnuts, heather or even oil seed rape. Luckily for me a recent visit to Milford Farmers Market gave me the inspiration I needed, thanks to Bee Keeper Debbie Burton. Her stall was stocked not only with honey but also associated products of beeswax candles, honeycomb and beeswax polish. As I was looking at the products I could hear Debbie talking to a customer so passionately about bees I was sucked in! A walking encyclopedia of bee knowledge this producer also has a fascinating story to share.

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Debbie lived in Romania for a few years where her first husband was teaching young men how to become farriers. Years of fighting and fatalities during the Ceausescu regime left many communities without tradesmen to pass on their traditional skills to the next generation. Picking up the language easily Debbie and young son Tex were fascinated by their neighbours garden beehives particularly when the colonies started swarming. Beekeeping in Romania is practiced commonly and most gardens at that time Debbie recalls had at least one hive. Finding beekeeping really interesting Debbie and her son learnt as much as they could and when they returned to the UK in 2006 they started to keep their own. They gradually built their colonies and now have hives in Surrey, Hampshire and East Sussex. In fact Tex is one of the youngest stewards in the UK to judge Honey at events. Honey is categorized by where the nectar has been harvested and has many classes and categories. Crystalline, runny or set the resulting style is dependent on which plant the bees collected the nectar.

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I noticed that Debbie has different types of honey for sale and asked how she could know if they were wildflower, heather or borage. It turns out that if you want different types of honey in your portfolio you take the bees on a gourmet vacation! Each season this enterprising beekeeper loads up 20 hives at a time onto a trailer and takes them to area of woodland where there is a concentration of blossom or flowers. In the New Forest for example there is an abundance of heather so when it’s the right time to collect nectar the bees are taken there for 3 months. Debbie has permits to leave her hives in certain locations at certain times of the year. This practice is called migratory beekeeping and is a practice a lot of smaller keepers are able to manage. Because bees will only travel as far as they have to collect nectar and pollen for the hive you can be sure that if a large source is close to the hives then your source is guaranteed. The colour and texture of the honey harvested will later confirm this. What it is difficult to do is claim for honey to be organic as bees are free flying agents and may not stick solely to one area of collection.

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There are three seasons each year for harvesting honey and you can collect a different style of honey each time. Borage honey is known for its light colour and runniness. Heather honey is darker, thicker and much harder to extract from the comb. Where borage can be extracted easily by centrifugal activity heather honey has to extracted by breaking the comb and then separating the wax from the honey. The wax can then be used for candles and polish.

Sustainability is also high on the agenda for Debbie’s honey. I had heard that sugar syrup is given to bee’s which she agreed does happen in commercial production. For those who produce honey naturally the key is to make sure you have a healthy, large colony of hard working bees. If the hive is working well the bees naturally produce excess honey, which can be harvested without harming the colonies survival. This honey will be of a superior quality, texture and flavour. Experienced beekeepers know how much honey to leave for the colony particularly over winter when activity in the hive is low. In commercial farming the majority of the honey is taken and the hives fed with sugar syrup. Evidence has shown that this is detrimental to bee health and leaves them more susceptible to disease.

Declining bee populations have been well documented over the last few years with the neonicotinoid pesticides identified as a possible cause in addition to disease. I asked Debbie her view as an experienced beekeeper who currently has many healthy honey producing hives. It’s this; farmers struggle to produce the yields required without the use of some pesticides from time to time or risk losing entire crops. With this in mind she feels its better to continue with neonicotinoids which are now better understood because the replacement may be far worse. Of course there are plenty of different views on this contentious matter and this is just one.

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If you like supporting local food producers buying local honey is a brilliant way to do this. Buying from a market trader like Debbie means you have direct contact with the producer and for me it’s just a brilliant way to go shopping. The money goes straight into her pocket and as she says making money out of honey production on small scale is really tough. Last year they had high yields but because we had such unusual weather this summer the yields are a third of what they were. The commercial honey sold in supermarkets is no match for as artisan produced product and its well worth the extra couple of pounds.

My jar of heather honey has pride of place on my shelf. Spread on some local artisan bread with local butter it couldn’t be more satisfying. If you are interesting in keeping bees Debbie says to work first with a local bee club or apiary. As a beekeeper be prepared for hard work, investing in some expensive kit plus you have to be patient and prepared for heavy lifting. But she also says it’s a wonderful job and immensely satisfying. Her enthusiasm and jars of gorgeous honey are proof enough for me.

You’ll find Debbie at all the Surrey farmers Markets which are listed on their website http://surreyfarmersmarkets.org

www.mrsbsbees.co.uk

This article first appeared in the November 2015 issue of Essence of Surrey Magazine

Eton Mess with Blackberry Gin Cordial

This has to be the easiest emergency dessert to make providing you have the right ingredients. It’s fast, effective and difficult not to love. Fruit infused gins are lovely for providing an alcoholic kick to an otherwise innocent classic. The *gin cordials from Silent Pool are perfect here.

 Eton Mess with Blackberry Gineton-mess-6x9

Makes 4 large or 6 medium dessert glasses

500 grams mixed berries, hulled and chopped

120ml of blackberry, damson or strawberry gin or *cordial

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

250ml whipping cream

250ml double cream

3-4 small meringue nests (home or ready-made), lightly crushed

A few berries and fresh thyme to decorate

Put the berries into a mixing bowl. Pour over 120ml of flavoured gin and stir in the sugar. I used blackberry but damson or strawberry would also work well here. Leave the berries to macerate while you prepare the cream. Pour the whipping and double cream into mixing bowl and whisk until it visibly thickens. You want a soft whip here not solid so the meringue will easily fold in. Fold the crushed meringue into the cream. Lay out the glasses or a large serving dish. At this stage you can mix the fruit mixture into the cream but I layered mine. Its purely personal but I like the look of the layers. Start with a fruit layer followed by the meringue cream, spooning the gin in with each layer. Finish with meringue cream and decorate with a few berries and a sprig of thyme. Can be made a few hours or a day ahead. Refrigerate until required.

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This recipe first appeared in Essence Magazine in the December/January Issue and was also featured in Local Food Britain.

 

 

 

Farretti Bakery

Run by native Italian Val this small artisan bakery produces soft crust, slow fermented authentic Italian breads for farm shops, independent stores and caterers in Surrey and West Sussex.

This bakery has been on my radar since buying their bread at Secretts in Milford a while ago. It’s val-with-pizza-6x9tasty and light with a dough structure that suggests long fermentation. Kind on the palate (I am not a fan of challenging crusts) it holds its own with just the right bite resistance. This bread provides the perfect vehicle for carrying sandwich fillings and dipping oils in both taste and texture. When owner Valeriana de Berardinis got in touch I jumped at the chance to visit the bakery.

Val is a diminutive figure and I think in her younger days would have rocked an Audrey Hepburn look. Coming from Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy she came to study in the UK for 6 months. She met her husband here (also Italian) and they returned to Italy and opened a restaurant together. Their pizzeria was in a small province of Pescara in Civitella Casanova. Opening in 1984 in a restored former railway station, they were successful and long queues were the norm to eat in or take-away. Sadly a move to a larger site, the arrival of their son and a collapsed bridge on their only access road cutting off passing trade meant neither the business nor the marriage survived. However a relationship with long fermentation dough and baking had begun and it’s the core of her business today.

faretti bakery cutting pizza

After a move to the UK, various jobs and a computing course Val realized she wanted to be her own boss. With little money but baking expertise she started to make focaccia with spelt flour. Taking samples to health food shops, cafes and bars orders started to trickle in and Val gained a reputation for great bread and Italian biscuits. Too much diversity and a contract with a large mill became too difficult to handle so Val wound down her business took some time out and came back with a better model. Soon after Farretti bakery was launched and this time around she based her recipes on the founding father of modern Italian bread Dr Cavallari. A miller by trade he and his colleagues saw a threat from the French baguette and came up with an Italian competitor (Ciabatta was first seen in British food retailers in 1985). Coming up with a wet dough that when cooked was soft it leant itself well to the growing sandwich market. Val contacted Dr Cavallari and asked him to help her perfect her recipes. He was happy to help and they are now friends and in regular contact.

making-bread-collage

 

faretti sign6x9Housed in an old converted stable in Lodsworth the bakery is overlooked by fields and luscious pastureland. Horses, cows and sheep are in view and it feels a little bit romantic. Step inside the bakery and the contrast is stark, it’s hot because at forty degrees Celsius yeast is at its most productive and this is essential for formation of the trademark bubbly texture. Making the starter dough the previous night (called biga) it’s left to ferment. Using the right flour for this bread style is essential too and selection of Marriages Canadian Manitoba flour is no accident. This wheat is grown for its high protein content, harvested in spring and used exclusively for a long fermentation process.

Arriving in the morning the Val undertakes the second mix adding more flour and yeast this time (common practice in sour dough production) another prove its then time to shape the bread. Plain or black olive Ciabatta (slipper), foccaccia (with added olive oil and rosemary) or rolls. For some customers there are also pizza bases. Val had been hard at work since 4am (it was now 1pm) and as I peruse the shelves loaf after loaf of slipper bread (Ciabatta) are being lined up for baking. On its second prove (the first is for 24 hours) its rising fast creating large gas pockets which create its texture and crust. Val works fast cutting and weighing the dough to ensure consistency. In the front of the bakery Val’s assistant is baking the loaves, cooling and packing.

faretti_bread_sandwich9x6

Val bakes 2 days per week (more for special orders) for her current contracts. She does what a lot of small producers should do; produce a small range of really great products but to the highest standard. Luckily for Val her bread freezes beautifully and as it’s so light also defrosts quickly. Making this perfect for clients who want a plentiful supply of bread and have adequate freezer storage. Typical of sour dough bread this has a 5-6 day shelf life if stored in a cool environment. Packaged simply in hand stamped paper bags they are good to go.

Val launched Farretti Bakery in 2010. It’s a simple business model with a small range of expertly elaine farrettihand-produced bread. Apart from the use of an electric mixer for the biga (sour dough starter) and the final bread dough, weighing, cutting and shaping of the bread and rolls is by hand. Val employs a local lady Elaine to help in the bakery. Here Elaine is in charge of baking each batch of bread to achieve consistency and quality. She also helps to pack and collate orders for the delivery vehicle to dispatch. In fact its Elaine’s brother Steven who arrived at the bakery at 4.30am to start work. Val’s customers love the fact the bread arrives early in time for the start of business.

Val is a tenacious and spirited lady but that aside it’s the bread here that speaks volumes and its no surprise that it’s available in 25 independent shops and eateries in the region; and quite a feat given the size of the bakery. At the end of my visit we sat on a bench outside the bakery and ate pizza for lunch. It was wonderful end to a really inspirational visit and I am now officially their No.1 fan.

For a full list of products and prices you will find a link to the Farretti website and contact details below. Val has capacity for more shops providing they are on or close to her current delivery route.

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Langham Stables
Lodsworth
Petworth
West Sussex
GU28 9BU

Phone: 01798 860966
Email: val@farretti.com
www.farretti.com

Fresh Windfall Apple Buns

This recipe is great for a quick afternoon tea treat on a cool autumn day. Delicious eaten warm, leftovers are perfect for lunch boxes too! I make apples buns raw_6x9mine in a stand mixer but they are easily made by hand.

Ingredients (to make 12 buns)
200g stone-ground wholemeal flour
25g milled flaxseed
A pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
175g butter, at room temperature
2 medium size garden apples, washed and grated
50g chopped dried cranberries
25g pumpkin seeds
50g golden castor sugar
1 egg, beaten

Method:

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 /190ºC/ fan 170ºC/ 375F

Download a printable PDF of the recipe here for  fresh windfall apple buns

apples buns2_9x6

Combine the flour, flaxseed, salt, cinnamon and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well together using a wooden spoon. Stir in the beaten egg to form sticky dough, taking care not to overwork the mixture. Spoon the dough into 12 heaps on a lined baking sheet and place in the hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Cool on a rack for 15 minutes and serve with big mugs of tea.

Variations: replace the apricots with sultanas, raisins,chopped dates, or sunflower seeds

apples buns duo