Summertime Sparkle: Breckland Orchard

I'm old enough to remember when 'pop' used to come in a small glass bottle. It wasn't that long ago, but since then, even the most recent soft drinks that were packaged in glass, have moved over to plastic and something got lost along the way.
Breckland Orchard like to use glass to hold their refreshing soft drinks – there's something nicely nostalgic about that. They're even closed with a metal crown cap, so you do need a bottle opener, but that makes them all the more special.

Using Norfolk spring water and real fruit juices, Breckland have managed to capture the essence of long lost summers into every drink. Lightly sparkling they're able to quench the most raging of thirsts as the weather heats up. Shunning large scale factory production, Breckland prefer to make theirs in small batches so a special amount of care goes into every bottle.

When I met Claire Martinsen at the Letchworth Food Festival it was a particularly hot day and her drinks were selling like hot cakes (or should that be cold lemonade?)


I initially bought a box of four; Blackcurrant and Raspberry, Cranberry and Rosehip, Cloudy Lemonade and Ginger Beer with Chilli.
The Ginger Beer turned out to be mine and my husband's favourite. It has an exciting spicy zestiness with a little tingling after kick from the chilli. Not enough to set your head on fire, thankfully, but it gives a lingering extra bite.
The Cranberry and Rosehip is delightfully scented and has a pleasant dry character from the cranberries that's enlivening to the taste buds.
The Blackcurrant and Raspberry, well you can forget about a certain market leading blackcurrant drink, as this knocks the spots off it.
The Cloudy Lemonade? Well what can I say but this is how lemonade should be. It's bright on the palate and actually tastes of lemons.

Returning on the second day of the food festival, we stocked up on more of the Ginger Beer –– it really is that good.

For information about Breckland Orchard and where to buy, visit their website: brecklandorchard.co.uk



Featured on The Artisan Food Trail



Photos: ©childsdesign 2010

Eat Without Sin – Magog Muffins

It's not often you come across a totally ethical muffin, but Magog Muffins in Cambridgeshre have made it their mission to produce a baked treat that meets that criteria.

Ingredients including, eggs that are laid within a few hundred yards of their kitchen, flour grown and milled in their county and butter comes from cows grazed in Cambridgeshire too. Even the apples and carrots are grown and picked from their own garden or those of their friends. What can't be sourced locally is organic and fair trade.

Magog is committed to being palm oil free and regulary checks that its ingredients, especialy chocolate does not contain it. So if you are conscious about the environmental effects of palm oil plantations then Magog muffins may be consumed without guilt.

Having tasted the free muffin (thanks) that I was given at the Letchworth Food Festival, I would say that a lot of love also goes into making them. Each one is hand wrapped, which shows the care and attention that goes into each and every one.
I tried the apricot and almond one. It was very moist and light and not too sweet, another sin free aspect of Magog's muffins. Sugar is kept to a minimum to make them more healthy allowing the natural fruit to do the sweetening which makes them quite sophisticated in flavour.

Magog Muffins are available by mail order click to buy
Contact by email: MagogMuffins@gmail.com
For more information and to keep up to date on the latest muffin flavours:
magogmuffins.blogspot.com


Photos from Magog Muffins Blog

Samphire Pie Heaven

To be obsessed with pie is to be quintessentially English. There's nothing more pleasurable than sinking your teeth into something moist and meaty encased in good pastry.

At the Letchworth Food Festival, I had the pleasure of meeting Karen Nethercott from Samphire who has two award winning food shops in Norfolk, one at Blickling Hall and the other at Wymondham.
I had read about her fantastic pork pies and was eager to try them for myself. They looked very appetising and homely all piled up on her stand and were proving to be very popular with visitors to the festival – I spotted a good few people eating them on the go. I'm glad I bought some when I did, as Karen later told me she had sold out by 11 O'clock!

The pies are terribly good, I particularly like the one with onion marmalade, but the plain is equally superb.
On the initial bite, the pastry is so crisp and crunchy and just melts away in the mouth leaving the rich pork meat to tantalise the taste buds. Gosh these pies are good – stuffed to the brim with moist, tender meat and just the right amount of jelly.

What makes the pies all the more outstanding is that you know where the meat has come from – Karen's smallholding to be exact. Her rare breed British Saddleback pigs are allowed a natural life as possible, roaming around outside, doing what pigs do. The combination of fresh air, sunlight and lots of hugs and cuddles makes the pigs very happy indeed. I wholeheartedly believe, if you're going to eat an animal then at least give it some love and respect.

Samphire also make a range of sausages using their own seasoning mix, theres no nasty stuff like flavour enhancers or colourings, just good honest pork, herbs and spices.
The whole approach to producing local and ethical food is very important to the people of Samphire and this has been recognised by the RSPCA who have given their badge of approval.

Well, Samphire get's my approval too, and when I'm back in Norfolk, I'll be making a special trip to stock up on more pies and sausages.

To find out more about Samphire and buy online visit the website:
samphireshop.co.uk

Featured on The Artisan Food Trail

Note: This article is now published on the Norfolk Holiday Guide website

Animal photos from Samphire website Photos: ©childsdesign 2010

Letchworth Food Festival 2010 in Pictures

The weather was brilliant, the turnout outstanding and the food excellent.
A picture paints a thousand words...



Photos: ©childsdesign 2010