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Archive for November, 2009
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Wednesday night saw Pam & I at the Old College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for a British Fine Food and wine tasting evening. What a place! Set just off a busy main road, you would never realise such a stunning environment was just beyond the trees. I’d been there before for a corporate training event but only in the cheap seats of the modern training building, and not in the splendour of the Old College. Set imposingly in the middle of the campus opposite a beautiful lake, Old College stands like the star of a period drama. Upon entering through the main doors, you are confronted by a massive portrait of the Queen and her family at the Passing-Out ceremony for Prince William (Harry is also there), and a rather unfortunate figure of some senior army figure caught unflatteringly, with his knee at a particularly camp angle. Most unfair..must have annoyed the artist!
Beyond this entrance is a magnificently named room called the Indian War Room, formerly the college chapel, adorned with all sort of mementoes from various bits of derring-do from our colonial past. We were there for a tasting with the members of the Sandhurst Foundation to introduce them to the best of British artisan food so we had the hams from Dukeshill, Wild Boar Salami from Simon Gaskill, various cheeses, and Salar smoked salmon. Most importantly however was the launch of our Help for Heroes hampers, where 10% of the retail price goes directly to this most worthy of charities. Our decision to support this charity was reinforced when at the end of the evening after the Foundation guests had melted away the cadets were invited in. Without exception these young men were incredibly polite, appreciative…. and also very willing to help us pack our kit away! But it did bring to mind the idea that in a few months time these guys could well be leading men into battle in the mountains of Afghanistan, and how important it is that when they give so much to us, mostly without our knowledge or thanks, we much reciprocate and help them when they need us.
Our help for Heroes hampers are available by clicking here:
Posted in Christmas Food, Help For Heroes | 3 Comments »
Friday, November 27th, 2009
Last weekend was our first event since we returned from exhibiting at BBC Masterchef live, and what a difference a week makes! Exhibiting at Olympia in London is always an adventure as there are hordes of good people all wanting to find something different to the run of the mill stuff they normally encounter in the supermarkets. We were delighted to be there and especially to help Masterchef 2008 winner James Nathan with one of his cooking demonstrations by supplying him with some Wild Boar Salami with Red wine for one of his recipes!
But the downside is that having spent £20 to get in, some people over-indulge in the wine tasting before then coming to sample the foods. On one occasion I was talking to a group of people about the different types of hams we have available for Christmas when one half-cut lady picked up the carving knife I was using and started carving herself a slice of particularly fine Shropshire Black Ham! After getting over my initial shock (would you walk into your local deli and just help yourself while the shopkeeper was talking to other customers?), my heart leapt as I contemplated public liability claims for somebody being accidentally stabbed by an inebriated customer. I gently (or maybe not so gently) took hold of the hand holding the knife and asked her if she would like to sample some ham. The bare-faced cheek of the woman was such that she looked me straight in the face and said ‘Actually, no!’ and walked off…..
This weekend, with the weather as it was, I’m surprised anybody made it outside. Unlike the slick organisation of Olympia and the London transport system, people were parked along the length of the driveway and I’m amazed more people didn’t get stuck. We were at a beautiful venue called Losely Park, just outside of Guildford, for a Christmas gift event and again people couldn’t get enough of our hams. We ran out entirely of the Dukeshill Wiltshire ham (which is immersed in brine for several days before being coated in unrefined Brown sugar), and even the more challenging Shropshire Black Ham (dry cured by hand and then immersed in a vat of molasses and juniper for a fortnight, and holder of the Royal Warrant) was severely depleted. Have a look at them both by clicking here, and remember to place your Christmas orders by 14th December!
Anyway, am off to another event tonight at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where we are launching our Help For Heroes hampers…..
Tags: Hams, Help For Heroes
Posted in Christmas Food | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Okay, so fat people may have medical conditions which cause them to be overweight but I’ve never understood the excuse of being “big-boned”. Bones form part of the body’s structure, the skeleton, and I’ve never seen a bone wobble….So, stop eating or drinking so much! The good news is that one of my favourite suppliers, Salar Smokehouses, has just won another fantastic accolade- Product of the Year at the Scottish Food & Drink Excellence Awards. The better news is that it is very good for you, being full of Omega 3, and can liven up even the most boring leaves!!
I have always enjoyed their Salar Flaky Smoked Salmon but often after a food event the last thing I want to eat is the very food we have been sampling for customers to taste. However in light of the latest accolade I decided to take some home for supper & was reminded again of just how good a hot smoked salmon can be. Farmed to a density of less than 2%, so as near as you can get to wild salmon, then hot smoked over oak, this is the cat’s pyjamas (and probably its ultimate dream too!)With its delicate flavour Pam & I enjoyed it with a simple salad, and even better for us is the fact that we can still enjoy it after a day of talking about it….
We sell it in fillets between 200-300g and will be sampling it in the food hall at the South of England Show from June 11th-13th.
A cracking day out, check out the website at http://www.seas.org.uk/shows.asp?ID=2
Tags: Flaky Smoked Salmon, Gourmet British Food, Hot Smoked Salmon, Scottish Salmon, Smoked Salmon
Posted in Uncategorized | 12 Comments »
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
ext weekend Pam & I are off to some very good friends’ wedding in Norfolk where we will be throwing some shapes on the dance floor (no doubt to MJ! complete with ‘oohs and ‘yeahs’) after having created a wedding cheese cake for the bride & groom.
Wedding cheese cakes are becoming more and more popular as they not only provide something a little different from the old-fashioned iced number, but they are also practical in providing late night sustenance to those who have over-indulged in the imbibing stakes. Cheese wedding cakes are not there simply because traditional dictates but because the couple want one, and should reflect the wishes of the couple marrying. A wedding cheese cake is very personal, and often this includes cheeses they have enjoyed on important occasions together or represent the regions from which they originate. Finally, there is also the added benefit of being considerably more cost-effective than a traditional cake! If you would like to talk to us further about personalising your wedding cheese cakes (or your favourite Michael Jackson moves!) please follow the link below or give us a ring on 01342 811773.
www.britishfinefoods.com
Here’s a photo of a recent wedding Cheese cake for the lovely Kathy & Neil Aronson. (And look out for Pam in the red dress looking sideways!)
Tags: wedding cheese, Wedding Cheese Cake
Posted in British Cheese | 15 Comments »
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Excellent news….Another British success at the World Cheese Awards! St Giles from the High Weald Dairy in Sussex has won Best British Cheese and was voted 5th Best Cheese in the world at this year’s awards held in Gran Canaria. 150 judges from 24 countries sampled the 2440 entries before awarding 140 gold awards. These cheeses were then tasted again by a jury of experts who awarded the top awards.
Named after the village church in the village of Horsted Keynes in West Sussex, St. Giles is a semi-soft St. Paulin style cheese created by Michael Wisdom, one of the dairy’s cheesemakers. St. Giles is similar in texture and taste to a Port Salut and has a wonderful orange rind which is created by applying a carrot wash to the outside of the cheese. It is made with organic cows’milk from the farm on which the dairy is based.
Many congratulations to Mark & Sarah Hardy for creating another fabulous cheese to accompany their other highly acclaimed cheeses, Tremains Organic cheddar, and Smoked Ashdown Forester. If success was measured by how nice the producers are, these guys would have come top.
St. Giles is available via the following link:
http://www.britishfinefoods.com/cheese_shop/cows_milk_soft_cheeses.phtml?productID=353
Tags: best british cheese, High Weald Dairy, world cheese awards
Posted in British Cheese, Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
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