Banana, chocolate, citrus, apples, grass, peaches – these were just a few of the aromas and flavours experienced by tasters at Ledbury Food Group’s “Appreciating Great Beer” tasting event on Saturday 26th April in Ledbury.
Master Brewer and Beer Judge Derek Orford introduced a contrasting range of beers both local and continental – lager, wheat, English Ale, stout, Trappist and Lambic – to demonstrate the variety of beer styles available. Tasters appreciated learning more about how beer is made and judged, and how to assess aroma and taste, sampling various malt barleys and hops as well as beer.
Ledbury Food Group ran the event to stimulate interest in our local beer heritage and products, with kind support from Hay Wines (Ledbury), Whittington’s Brewery, Untapped Brewery, and the Friday Beer Co, who between them supplied the beer tasted at the event.
Details of the beers tasted:
Crystal Wheat Beer from the Untapped Brewery, Raglan
Cats Whiskers from Whittingtons Brewery @ Three Choirs, Newent
Black Hill Stout from Friday Beer Co, Malvern Link
Budweiser Budvar from the Czech Republic
Rochefort: Trappiste 6 from Belgium
Mort Subite: Geuze a very different style also from Belgium
The Ledbury Food Group are delighted to invite you on a beer tasting journey with Master Brewer and Beer Judge Derek Orford, starting in the Three Counties with local beers, and continuing with some international classics.
Derek recently returned to Herefordshire after brewing ales, lagers and stouts in the UK, Caribbean, Ireland, and Australia. He qualified as a Master Brewer in 1991 and is an examiner of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling. He is hoping to become recognised formally as a Beer Sommelier later this year. He currently runs Bosbury boutique liqueur maker Three Counties Liqueurs with his wife and daughter and is also hoping to get back to hands-on brewing soon with his own recipes.
Did you know that, according to the CPRE, you could eat a different English apple variety every day for six years without trying the same one twice? Let’s see, 6 times 365… I make that 2190, ignoring the odd leap year!
If you would like to find out more about the incredible varieties of apples we grow in this country, have a look at the National Fruit Collection’s website at http://www.nationalfruitcollection.org.uk/index.php They list all the known varieties from A.D.W. Atkins to Zomer Delicious, complete with photographs where possible and detailed descriptions. Check how many you have eaten, or identify the mystery tree in your garden!
I wonder how many we grow in and around Ledbury – does anyone have any idea?
Thanks to Rachel Hicks for alerting me to today’s useful fact!
Thank you to all those who made the Ledbury Big Breakfast 2014 such a successful event despite the weather by participating, breakfasting, buying to take home or just being there. The Breakfast Ice Cream from Just Rachel made it to the Cider shop on Saturday morning and Mrs K Clark nominated the winning sausage in the competition run by Trumpet Corner and Llandinabo Farm Shop – pork, black pudding and leek. Please let us know how you enjoyed the event or tell us how we can improve things next time on ask@ledburyfoodgroup.org (or Twitter @LedburyFoodGrp) or leave your comments here.
More on this event will follow but in the meantime enjoy the pictures.
Llandinabo Farm Shop James Bodenham & Bill the Bell with winning sausages P1000685Wallers -Matt Waller shows off the Full Monty Sausage P1000664Gurneys Butchers – Paul Gurney & Bill Wiggin MP P1000667Market House Cafe – Breakfast BruschettaP1000687
We’re looking forward to this year’s Ledbury Big Breakfast on Friday 31st January and Saturday 1st February. Twenty-one cafes, shops, hotels, pubs, delis and markets in Ledbury and District are taking part to celebrate Farmhouse Breakfast Week, featuring special breakfast offerings as well as their normal menus.
Waller’s Full Monty Breakfast Sausage
What could be better on a cold winter’s morning than a delicious breakfast that sets you up for the day? From freshly made drinks and smoothies at Ice Bytes to a Hearty Herefordshire Breakfast at Mrs Muffins or the Café at Nice Things), there is something for everyone. You can feast on devilled lamb’s kidneys with toasted homemade brioche at the Feathers, or eggs benedict at Chez Pascal or the Retreat, or you can go for bacon and eggs at a number of places. You can even choose a bacon bruschetta. There are lighter bites of all kinds such as “Herefordshire porridge” at the Market House Cafe, local patisserie at Cameron and Swan and a continental twist at the Shop at Bromsberrow, bacon and cheese scones at the Muse Cafe, rhubarb breakfast muffin at Roots Herefordshire, fruit salad and yoghurts…the list is endless
For those who want a breakfast to take home, the butchers or food shops will all have special offerings for you – bacon, sausages, including the intriguing Full Monty Breakfast sausage at Wallers, a special offer on local eggs at Gurneys, and delicious fresh fruit granola from Four Oaks Delicatessen. The wonderful scotch eggs from the Handmade Scotch Egg company are available at Handley’s Organics. At the Three Counties Cider Shop you can taste local apple juices and jams and on Saturday 1st February from 9.30am Rachel Hicks from Just Rachel Ice Creams will be offering samples of her new creation – Granola and Honey Ice Cream.
On Friday the winning sausage from the Sausage Competition run by Trumpet Corner café and Llandinabo Farm Shop will be available to eat or buy to take home. Entries are really rolling in for this. Katie Rolfe from Trumpet Corner said, “We’ve had some interesting entries so far, including the quirky, the out of ordinary and the traditional”. Friday is also the day for hearing Bawdy Tales from the Inns of Ledbury courtesy of Gareth Calan Davies whilst enjoying a filling brunch at the Talbot.
Don’t forget the markets – the Country Market will be serving local eggs, toast, preserves, muffins in their “Breakfast on the Go” on Friday. On Saturday Noggin Farm’s home produced pork and sausages will be on offer at Ledbury Market for you to take home for next week’s breakfasts.
We can’t wait…
See the events listing for more details of what is available and where, plus times of availability.
Farmhouse Breakfast Week returns to Ledbury with the Ledbury Big Breakfast 2014 on Friday 31st January and Saturday 1st February featuring a feast of locally sourced breakfast food in and around Ledbury.
Eggs Benedict at Cafe Sez (now moved to Chez Pascal) – Big Breakfast 2013
Last year’s event, the first ever, proved really popular. The toughest part was choosing: a hearty full Herefordshire breakfast, scrambled eggs, Eggs Benedict, breakfast muffins, muesli, yoghurt and compote, frittata, scotch eggs, wild boar sausage, or just good old bacon and eggs?
This year we have even more venues and more choice lined up. The full list, with menus, will be published here shortly.
All kinds of breakfast and brunch will be available from the lightest breakfast to the heaviest in our cafes and pubs, including special menu items for the event featuring local produce. Our butchers will offer their home produced bacon, sausages and eggs, and our local delicatessens will have special menu items. You can eat in, take out, take away or take home.
We hope you will join us for breakfast in and around Ledbury on Friday 31st January and Saturday 1st February and bring family, friends, neighbours and colleagues too.
Muse Cafe Muesli, Compote and Yoghurt – Big Breakfast 2013
Master Brewer and Beer Judge Derek Orford introduced a contrasting range of beers both local and continental – lager, wheat, English Ale, stout, Trappist and Lambic – to demonstrate the variety of beer styles available. Tasters appreciated learning more about how beer is made and judged, and how to assess aroma and taste, sampling various malt barleys and hops as well as beer.
