So now the dust has settled, or more accurately the volcanic ash, Pam and I are back. We were delayed for three days due to the Icelandic volcano, but have now returned from our holiday in Boa Vista, one of the Cape Verde islands. I had never met anyone who had been to CapeVerde before so we were very excited by going. I knew they were roughly 5-600 miles off the coast of Senegal and belonged to the Portuguese, and that at one point Cape Verde had been an important trading hub for slavery, serving both Europe and America.
However, I discovered that the prosperity of the islands was so dependent on the slave trade that, with its demise, the islands fell into such a state of decline that a famine ensued in the 19th century that claimed 40% of the population.
So food, or lack thereof, has played a major part of the history of the islands. The best food story I was told concerns a shipwreck called the Santa Maria, which was shipwrecked on Boa Vista in the 60s. Apparently, after the master of the ship realised that there was no way to save the ship and in the knowledge that an insurance claim was forthcoming, donated the entire ship’s cargo to the local population. The cargo was fruit and vegetables on the way to Europe and consequently the locals were able to extensively plant the seeds thus giving Boa Vista a new melon industry.
I have to say I had the best lobster and Tuna and I have had anywhere, and pleasingly the fishing fleets are kept deliberatelysmall to ensure the future stocks for the islands.
I have attached a photo of a delicious local speciality called Cachupa- a rice based dish containing sweet potato, pumpkin and fish or chicken:
We are thrilled that last week we received news that we had won the Best food mail order supplier 2010 as awarded by the independent website Gourmet Britain. Gourmet Britain is a completely independent website whose inspectors travel the country looking for the best food shops, restaurants and places to stay. Entry to the listings is purely on merit- with no money or freebies passing hands. We are particularly pleased because the mail order category on the website has over 400 entries. So we will be raising a glass or two over the next few days, and I would also like to thank those of you who voted for us.
Nobu, the fashionable and award-winning restaurant chain founded by celebrated Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa, is refusing to remove blue-finned tuna from its menu. Instead, it has decided to pop an asterisk on the menu telling customers that blue fin tuna is an endangered species, and asking them to choose something else. That’s all very well and good but the fact remains that in order to offer it on the menu, they must have it in stock. Can you imagine the uproar if a renowned meat restaurant had white tiger on the menu, advised customers not to buy it, but had a side hanging in the fridge?
Anyway, I’m not a campaigner but I just wanted to stress that we will only ever stock fish that are caught in a sustainable way, or smoked fish that are fed on sustainable feed. And I would like to draw your attention to a great documentary film called “The End of the Line” which takes a long look at the fishing industry, its practices, and the ridiculous system of EU quotas.
“You had me at hello!” This line from the film Jerry Maguire is said by Renée Zellwegger to Tom Cruise to indicate that the rest of his speech about why he absolutely had to be with her was utterly superfluous. Bizarrely, this same thought crossed my mind today when I went into a fabulous fish shop at the Brighton & Newhaven Fish Sales. Based on the quayside at Hove, I popped in following a meeting with a local cheesemonger.
The guy behind the counter was fully kitted up in waders & waterproof boots, having come off the boat at 5 o’clock this morning. I told him I would like something I hadn’t tried before, and something that was caught locally. He pointed to the ugliest fish I’ve seen for quite some time and said “Tastes like monkfish, but half the price”. He then proceeded to tell me his favourite way of cooking it was in the oven with a little white wine, shallots and leeks. Frankly, he needn’t have bothered. I was sold. This rugged man dressed in rubber, along with the ugly fish, “had me at hello!” A definite first, and probably a last.
The main reason why he had me at all was the fact that while he was gutting my supper, he was also the guy who caught it. There is no shorter route from field to fork than by buying it directly from the person who caught or reared or grew the produce in the first place, and to me this is vitally important. It means that you are buying the produce at its freshest and best. (Is there anything that tastes better than the blackberry you eat straight from the bush?) These artisans have forgotten more about their produce than you and I will ever learn. There is no way I would have chosen this fish in the supermarket: in fact there is no way this fish would be in the supermarket because it is too ugly. Without these people, much of this fabulous produce would be ignored, and we would all be forced through lack of choice to eat the same thing. Most importantly, they are educating us to the produce which is available to us. They are guardians of flavour, and vitally guardians of the methods of production that make the food taste the way it does.
Above all else, this is the reason why we launched britishfinefoods. I want to be able to eat the best food our country has to offer. I want to see these magical producers, farmers, cheese makers properly rewarded for the quality they produce and the artisan methods they keep alive. I think the rural economy is vital to our little island, and should be supported. But on the other hand, I don’t want to pay a king’s ransom for the privilege, and really don’t want to spend a fortune on postage costs from different producers. So britishfinefoods exists to make these wonderful products available with the convenience and value of one delivery.
Anyway, the fish I bought today is called a Gurnard, and is so ugly it was probably the inspiration behind the art of gurning.
The reason for this post is that we are considering selling fresh fish selection boxes, and would be interested in your opinions. Please feel free to give me your thoughts in the comments box below.
The end of January- that time of year which strikes fear into the heart of every red-blooded male. Not because your tax return must be completed but because it marks the approach of Valentine’s Day! This card company inspired day which as a teenager gave a definitive guide to your impact on the opposite sex (no cards bad, ten cards- you are THE man) now causes mild anxiety in every grown male. Not because man is worried about the number of Valentine’s Day cards received but rather because there is a delicate balancing act to be performed. There are rules, you see. Unwritten ones granted but failure to adhere to the rules will land the unsuspecting male in a steaming pile of trouble.
On the one hand a man cannot ignore Valentine’s Day on the grounds that it is commercially inspired, and “why should I have to express my feelings for you on a day that is dictated by a greetings card company? I love you every day and want to express this in my own way” simply does not cut the mustard. Even if both man and woman agree on this one, deciding to flaunt convention and just plain ignoring Valentine’s Day will leave the man in King Canute territory- vainly standing in front of a relentless tide while his partner sees her friends and colleagues on the receiving end of plentiful expressions of love. Bold but foolish.
On the other hand, spending £50-£60 on a dozen roses which a week before or after will cost a fraction of the price will often be greeted with initial gratitude followed by a laughing “So how much were you fleeced for this year?”…
My solution is this. Give something you will both enjoy that can be shared together but without the fear of being fleeced. We’ve pulled together a small selection of our favourites for a cosy night in, or gifts that you can enjoy together. Simply follow the link below and avoid being King Canute (bold but foolish) or with the sour taste of being fleeced…
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
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.
