New Shoots at Roots!

072  Changes are afoot at Roots, the cafe and farm shop on the Hereford Road just outside Ledbury. Their kitchen has recently been moved and modernised, but more importantly so has their menu! Some old favourites have stayed, but alongside the jacket potatoes and sandwiches are some interesting seasonal soups and specials. I particularly liked the sound of beetroot & orange soup, although cauliflower & gorgonzola served with a pickled pear relish also got the taste buds going. Both are served with their own Orchard Loaf – a light wholemeal made from locally ground organic flour with just a splash of their own apple juice……. Starting to feel hungry?!

Linzy Outtrim, the manager there, says that the new menu was definitely a team effort. Linzy came into the business three years ago “to water the plants” and just sort of stayed. Like others in the team she got interested and involved, learning new skills along the way. It is obvious talking to her and the others that all the staff there are passionate about fresh, local, seasonal produce and can’t help but get involved in all aspects of the business. They love the challenge of dealing with the occasional glut of fruit or vegetables that come from the organic farm over in Rushwick, keeping the buying in of non-seasonal produce to a minimum. Recognising that for a lot of food outlets the vegetarian option is often an afterthought, Roots has made a deliberate effort to turn that around. While they do offer meat (the menu I saw included a sausage & bean hotpot) vegetables are the stars. And with a choice of cauliflower & chickpea curry, roasted vegetables, homemade hummus and a delicious looking vegetarian quiche and selection of salads on offer, who is arguing?

081So, with wonderful bread made by Tony Wetherall, cake classics such as coffee & walnut, lemon drizzle and Victoria sponge, good coffee and tea, local juices and much more, there really is something for everyone. Customers are currently being invited to make suggestions for the children’s menu that is being developed. The team are just brimming with new ideas. A craft group on a Tuesday morning invites people to bring along any project they are working on, have a cup of coffee and enjoy the company while you are being creative. More special events along the lines of the ‘make an Easter bunny finger puppet’ held in March are also planned. Cooking demonstrations – already happening over at Rushwick – are being devised; starting perhaps with some ‘how to’ basic cooking techniques. I liked the sound of their ‘Foodie Nights’ too – three or four course meals with a theme, such as the Apple Evening held last autumn with apples in every course.

And I haven’t even mentioned the shop! A good selection of local produce; fresh fruit and veg, chickens from Rushwick, Just Rachel’s ice cream – I could go on and on! Such a lot happening, and all served with such enthusiasm and passion for what they are doing. Don’t take my word for it, go along and see for yourselves, you will not be disappointed.

New Kid on the Block

Have you been to the new (ish) Wholefoods Market that has opened in Cheltenham? I was lured in by the advertising promising wonderful organic produce – and of course the need to investigate any new food outlets within a 25 mile radius in the name of the Ledbury Food Group!

First impressions? Despite attempts to make the entrance look homely & market-like, with glossy fresh fruit and veg on display just inside the door, what hit me first was the size of this operation. It is a big enterprise. Further investigation revealed that the Cheltenham store is the latest in a long line of stores – more than 340 in total – that span the USA, Canada and the UK. The company started with a store in Austin, Texas in 1980 and have grown exponentially in the intervening years. With sales in 2012 topping $11.7 billion the company is currently at number 264 in the Fortune 500 list. Not exactly the sort of place I usually shop in, but undeterred, I continued my “research”.

The variety of goods on offer is impressive. Name just about any fruit or vegetable that you have heard of (and some that you haven’t) and it will be there. And it is all perfect. Now, call me cynical, but fruit & veg just don’t grow that way, so what happens to the less than perfect crop? For those of you in a hurry or too posh to chop, there are ready chopped vegetables. Again they are all perfect, and at 4.30pm they hadn’t gone brown, dry or wizened. I asked what they had done to them to keep them “fresh” but the assistant denied that anything had been added.

So, on to the meat and cheese counters. Knowledgeable staff happily gave me samples of cheese (see how selfless I am on your behalf?) There was a wide variety on offer from around the globe, and they tasted good, but sadly not many were local cheeses. On to the meat. The beef looked good and again the staff were knowledgeable about its provenance, welfare etc. But it was from Cornwall, all of it. Similarly a glance at the drinks section revealed no local ciders.

Exploration of the grocery shelves revealed nothing out of the ordinary, indeed I don’t think there was much that one can’t get in Ledbury, and that includes the cosmetics (just think of what The Apothecary Shop offers). At this point I began to get a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place and the fact that when you got up close to things, they disappointed. Take, for example, the spices. Heaped attractively in brightly coloured piles, I wandered over expecting to get the lovely smells that assail your nostrils when you go to spice markets in Africa. Nothing. Perhaps these are just for show, and the spices are packaged, I thought. But no, you help yourself from these piles which will have had as much taste as they had smell, I fear.

Looking at the company’s website http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cheltenham their organic credentials seem good, and their ethics laudable. I came to the conclusion that we are lucky to have such a wealth of excellent local produce on our doorsteps, and that I have just got rather used to shopping for local produce at local shops. But do go and have a look for yourselves. The cornucopia offers a good half hour’s entertainment and there is a café alongside, just let me know what you think.

Bitter, Dark & Gold

logoAsk Ant Stevens if his background is in brewing and he smiles, “It’s a long story….” But we are sitting at a small bar in the Ledbury Real Ales brewery just outside the town, got a pint and a half in front of us and time doesn’t seem a problem. What comes through the story of how he and his wife Kate have ended up here brewing delicious ales in their converted garage is a real passion for the stuff, a passion that even led him to buy and run a pub in Croydon – which taught him a lot, he says. With his inside knowledge of the industry plus a degree in Biomedical Science and Microbiology he understands the chemistry as well as the practicalities of good brewing, and of course the extensive research arduously undertaken on his travels round the globe also helps!

The beers themselves all have a lovely bright hoppy bitterness to them, a rather old-fashioned taste that I love. There are three; the classic satisfying Bitter, a lighter Gold with a smooth refreshing taste and a Dark which has an almost Guiness-like intensity but is not heavy at all. They are available at various hostelries in and around Ledbury; the Oak at Staplow, The Feathers, the Green Dragon at Bishops Frome to name but a few. It is also rumoured that Ledbury Real Ales will be the official beer for the Ox Roast in June.

Iphone photos - up to June 2012 1319Ant is proud of the fact that his beer is as local as it possibly can be, with hops from Pridewood Farm at Ashperton for the Gold, from Stocks Farm at Suckley for the Dark, with the Bitter using both. Although using local malt is difficult because of the small quantities, the Stevens hope to be able to do this further down the line. And it is good to know that Ledbury Real Ale comes in casks made by Hereford Casks, possibly the last remaining cask maker in the UK.

Ant and Kate have big ambitions for Ledbury Real Ale, but are sensible enough to know that what really matters is the taste and the consistent quality of their brew, and to allow the business side of the enterprise to develop at its own pace. Ant says that at the moment he seems to spend more time cleaning than brewing as cleanliness is absolutely critical to reproducing a consistent taste, particularly at this scale of production. But as with any excellent product, expansion is inevitable, and, driven by local demand, this year will see them going from one barrel production to six, something that many people in and around Ledbury will be very pleased to hear.

Iphone photos - up to June 2012 1308Ledbury-DarkLedbury-GoldLedbury-Bitter    Iphone photos - up to June 2012 1402

The Ledbury Ox Roast – come and hear more!

ox roastSixty years ago, on the 2nd June 1953, Ledbury celebrated the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by holding an Ox Roast in Ledbury High Street, close to the Market House. Sixty years later, on 2nd June 2013, an Ox Roast will again be held in Ledbury, coupled with a Food and Drink Festival and entertainment.

Norman Stanier, Chairman of the Ledbury Ox Roast Committee, will explain the history and introduce a film showing the original event at Putley WI on Wednesday 13 February at 7.45pm, in Putley Parish Hall. Everyone is invited to come and hear his talk, and to see the wonderful archive footage of the original event. admission is free and refreshments (in true WI style!) will be available.oxlogomini

Now, that’s what I like to see…

I saw this in The Mill Race at Walford (http://www.millrace.info/) last Sunday and thought “that’s good”. millrace Six of us had a delicious Sunday Lunch, with three of the party having roast beef and the best Yorkshire puddings I have seen for a long while. My steak and chips were equally delicious and the two chicken eaters also thoroughly enjoyed their meal (although one of them, being not quite three, didn’t give a detailed critique of his food – he simply ate it all!)

I also noticed that on Monday 4 February they are having a ‘Supplier’s Night’ with Jo Hilditch from British Cassis. If you haven’t tried this, do so immediately! (http://www.britishcassis.co.uk/) For this event, the chef at The Mill Race has devised a menu using the cassis all three courses – interesting!

Breakfast…

…the name should give us a clue to how important the first meal of the day is. Unless we have been sneaking down for a midnight snack it is likely to be 10 or more hours since we ate anything when that alarm clock rings – we are allowed to be hungry! Dieticians and nutritionists have been saying for ages that we shouldn’t skip breakfast, not even if we are trying to lose weight – actually especially if we are trying to lose weight. How much more likely are you to reach for a snack mid-morning if you haven’t eaten since the night before? A good breakfast provides the energy we need to get us and our brains going.

As part of Farmhouse Breakfast Week a group of Ledbury businesses are offering everyone a really delicious breakfast on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th of January. For example at The Talbot there will be a special Ledbury Big Breakfast Brunch, recalling the days of railway dining and featuring anecdotes from railway historian Gareth Calan Davies. As with all the breakfasts in and around Ledbury this weekend each & every bit of food will be locally produced.

Our three fantastic butchers are offering local bacon, eggs and sausages, you will be able to sample them and I believe there are some specials offers on too. And if you have never tasted wild boar, then you can go to Llandinabo Farm Shop and have a Forest of Dean Wild Boar bap – I might see you there!

You don’t eat meat? Don’t despair, there are plenty of other things on offer. Handley Organics are offering their range of locally produced scotch eggs from The Handmade Scotch Egg Company in Bishops Frome. These include gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian scotch eggs as well as traditional ones, and they are all delicious. Just down the road at Four Oaks Delicatessen you can buy their own muesli and local fruit purée pots with a 10% reduction for the 2 days of the event. Also on offer are individual breakfast frittatas with local eggs, potato, mushroom and bacon.

And Ledbury’s cafes are offering a mouth-watering selection, from Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine and a Fisherman’s Breakfast (Smoked Mackerel and Poached Egg) with a free filter coffee at Sez to a continental style buffet breakfast with a twist at the Muse Café in the Homend. Choices will include Pimhill muesli, savoury filled croissants, savoury and sweet muffins, local breads, cold meat and cheeses, delicious fruit compote with local yoghurt.

All in all, fifteen local businesses are offering a fantastic range of locally produced food, details will be on the website shortly. So whether you fancy the monster Breakfast at Nice Things or the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs at Blue Fuchsia there will be a breakfast for you in Ledbury that weekend!

Welcome to the blog! (and start your Christmas shopping)

Would I like to start a blog about local food?  It would mean going round to local food growers, producers and suppliers, sampling their wares, talking to them and writing about it…

I had heard of the Ledbury Food Group, taken part in the original survey and been interested in what was happening now, so I was intrigued. And they weren’t to know just how interested in food I am, so I tried not to sound too keen – or greedy.  But actually I was going “yippee”, and so far everyone I have mentioned the blog to has asked to come along!

That is the thing about this part of the country.  People are genuinely enthusiastic about local produce – and with good reason.  Moving here five years ago I was delighted to discover how delicious the local meat, poultry and game was, to find that the fruit & veg I was buying came from down the road, and to realize just how many local cider and perry producers were within a stone’s throw of my house. As well as delivering delicious produce that reaches a wide audience, and being businesses that hold their own in a very competitive market, providing jobs for local people, these producers are rooted in the landscape and history of the area – and I think you can taste that in what they offer.  Read the interview with Once Upon A Tree producer Ann Stanier to feel that sense of place.

So, where do I start?  Watch this space for news about people starting new foodie ventures, for profiles of old favourites and for anything of interest to do with food that is going on within a 30 mile radius of Ledbury.  I hope I can expand your knowledge of what is out there, and make you think about some of the issues around local food.

Contact me (melissa@ledburyfoodgroup.org) if there are places you have come across that you think everyone should know about, or even ones that you have just heard about and would like to know more – I can’t wait to get going!

Finally, although I disapprove of getting organised for Christmas too early, it has dawned upon me that it is looming, and I came across this yesterday, hot off the press (Tilley’s, of course!  See about this long-established Ledbury business on http://www.ledburyportal.co.uk/portal/ )  So here is an idea for the perfect present for local food-lovers (easy to post too)  Tinsmiths’ 2013 Letterpress Calendar offers an ingredient for each month and invites you to look at their blog for maybe a recipe or an activity to do with it.  January’s is water, and promises a walk to fetch water from the Malvern Hills, but I’m looking forward to blackcurrants in July, oh and bangers in November – intriguing! See it under Accessories (Books and Stationery) on their website: http://shop.tinsmiths.co.uk/index.php