Showing posts with label lancashire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lancashire. Show all posts

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Simon Mellin - Roaming Roosters



This month our featured foodie is Simon Mellin of Roaming Roosters, award wining Simon and the rest of the team are Lancashire suppliers of free range meats to across the country in their innovative meat packs, which started from humble beginnings of a free chicken farm. Simon spotting a gap in the market has grown the business, and Roaming Roosters now also has a delightful bistro (The Olde Spot) and cafe (The Hayloft) in addition to an education centre on site. A true Lancashire success story. Young Entrepreneur of the Year Simon oozes a passion for quality free range sustainable produce and their amazing venue is set in some stunning Lancashire countryside.

Why not pay them a visit and just between you and me they make the amazing scotch eggs !

                                                      

So Simon.......
  • What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication?
The Ginger Pig Meat Book which presents an in-depth look at meat, butchery and farming.

  • What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you?
Honest, tasty grub that keeps your belly happy and full!

  • If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ? 
What I started out doing, Race Engineer within GT Racing.

  • Which piece of kit could you not do without ?
As my role within the business is more operational it would have to be my iphone – it’s constantly stuck to my ear!

  • Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?
It would have to be Chris Evans and Richard Branson, I find them both inspirational for different reasons. We could get Thomas Keller to cook!

  • What advice would you give to your younger self ?
Believe in your ideas, don’t let people lead you away or tell you they’re wrong, no matter how crazy they are! Be resilient and don’t let people knock you back.


  • Describe your style in three words 
Relaxed, honest, down-to-earth.

  • What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ? 
A cafetiere!

  • What is your greatest achievement to date ?
Taking Roaming Roosters from the back of my dad’s shop to create a successful retail outlet.

  • What is the worst mistake you have made ? 
Having a staff party on a Friday night! 

  • Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect ! 
I’m addicted to Jelly Beans.


                                                  
                                                      

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Lancashire Hotpot - made with love and a perfect winter dish

I love Lancashire hotpot and as a born and bred Lancastrian so I should, its the perfect frugal comfort food which will happily blip away in the oven whilst you get on with other things. Requiring minimal effort you can still deliver a wow dish for your supper (or in a Northerner case tea) table.


I decided recently to experiment with different ways of cooking the dish and in my opinion this is the best method so far, ideal served with a green vegetable or just the traditional accompaniments of pickled beetroot or red cabbage.

What you need
  • Diced lamb pieces (ask your butcher whats the best and cheapest)
  • 3 large white potatoes 
  • 1 large white onion - peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 carrots - peeled and chopped
  • Lamb stock ( I use essential cuisine - the best in my humble opinion)
  • Splash of Worcestershire sauce (use gluten free brown sauce if necessary)
  • Cornflour
  • Thyme and rosemary - finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • A little rapeseed oil
What you do
  • Pre heat the oven to 160c
  • Heat the oil in cast iron casserole dish
  • Fry off the lamb pieces in batches until lightly caramelised
  • Remove from pan to plate
  • Fry in the same pan the onion and carrot until slightly golden, add the lamb back to the pan and add a tablespoon or so of cornflour.
  • Stir and add the herbs and sauce, remove from the heat
  • Stir again and top the vegetable and lamb mixture with potato slices
  • Pour enough lamb stock to just be visible on the top of the potato topping, put lid on casserole dish and place in oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Once the time has passed the vegetables with be tender and the meat cooked, remove the lid and place back in the oven for another 15 -30 minutes until the top is golden and slightly crispy.
  • Serve immediately with a green vegetable (cabbage / kale is nice) and traditional hotpot accompaniments


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Preston Marriot Great British Steak Off

Last night saw us visiting the Preston Marriott Hotel for the launch of their #steakoff nights. On the press launch evening the competition steaks hailed from the USA (Creekstone Farms Natural black angus beef) and from the much more local Ribble Valley, Lancashire (Manor Farm, Hurst Green), chef carefully prepared some mighty hunks of meat for the awaiting guests to taste test and from which to make your choice.


We had a choice of a tomahawk, t bone, fillet, sirloin and rib eye cuts from both countries to choose our chosen favourite steak from. With some trepidation both Mr LF and myself plumped for origin B - sirloin, hoping that we had chosen the Lancashire Beef (fingers crossed) as we much preferred its meaty beefy flavour.







Chef Paul Mitchell  and his team then prepared our steak dinners to our specific order in terms of origin, cut and cooking level.

                                                           

The dining area in the hotel is sumptuously appointed and the steaks even more so, our steaks were served with fabulous double cooked chips, watercress, Bearnaise sauce and mammoth onion rings, as we awaited the results of what countries steak we had chosen. For those of you with mammoth appetites the tomahawk as pictured below would satisfy you and probably Fred Flintstone as well !

Photo kindly provided by Foody Phil

We were finally put out of our misery - yeah we had chosen the Ribble Valley steaks - talk about relieved as I wasn't sure how I would of coped if I had chosen the American version, which were also good but as you all know we are very big on local produce here at Lancashire Food.

You too can book an evening where chef will prepare steaks from different origins for you to taste
test before ordering your steak dinner for the evening, I am lead to believe it likely to be Yorkshire versus Lancashire for the first public steak off, launching on the 15th November. Prices start at £15.95 for a steak dinner with a tasting expereince and for you lucky readers we also have a discount of 10% if you book and quote SO1 at the time of booking.

I am sure the evenings are going to be very popular and you can book your steak off by contacting the Marriott directly.



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Roots - Hand Cooked Vegetable Crisps


Roots - They taste so good because "Its in our roots" ! 

We were really pleased to receive a sample of Roots - Hand cooked vegetable crisps in the post recently, we are amongst the first foodies to get their hands on this new delicacy, produced by Huntapac one of the the UK's leading growers of carrots and parsnips. 

Huntapac has its origins in wartime Britain (1942) and hails from the Lancashire village of Tarleton, famous for its potato and vegetable growing. The crisps are made from carrots, parsnips and beetroot grown in Lancashire and across the UK by Huntapac. 

The vegetables are thinly sliced and hand cooked in pure sunflower oil and lightly seasoned with sea salt, sold in 50g bags and also catering packs these are a tasty addition to any lunch or snack time.

The tasty crisps are crunchy and deliciously savoury, yet with a sweet salty edge. Good job they only sent packets and not the catering tub ! as they are very very moreish.

I am also really pleased to say that you can purchase Roots in selected Booths stores across Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire in the sandwich aisle, further strengthening their relationship with the local regional supermarket chain.

You can find Roots on the internet, facebook and twitter as well.


























We received the sample on a complementary basis, all views and opinions expressed are our own and we were not required to write a positive review.

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August 2014 - Anson Bolton -The Millstone Inn, Mellor.

                               Chef Anson Bolton

This month our featured foodie is Anson Bolton, talented chef patron of The Millstone Inn at Mellor, a delightful village inn and restaurant with a reputation for amazing local food and a warm "Lancashire" welcome. Anson's style in traditonal "British fare" served with flair and attention to detail. 



The Inn is set in a small village on the edge of stunning Lancashire countryside, were you can enjoy great food, Thwaites beer (brewed locally) and  luxury country house style accommodations.
                         
                                  Millstone | Award-winning Inn

On to the crucial questions, I love this bit where we found out more about the person behind the food.
  • What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication ?

When I first started in a kitchen I was brought a copy of the Readers Digest Cookery year in the 80’s, whilst it’s not “on trend” it’s a great guide to what’s seasonal and what you should be using and when. Another culinary bible is the Practical Cookery a must for any student chef. Its fascinating to see how things have changed, in the 1st editions there were no healthy eating or allergy concerns, the latest edition has calorie counts, allergens awareness and even a DVD! How times have changed. Nigel Slater is also a good read with simplistic seasonal dishes.

  • What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?
It’s just proper food done well, forget all this with a twist stuff, Mushy peas are mushy peas if they’re done right you can’t go wrong same can be said about all our other traditional dishes (said in me poshest Bolton accent!!!)


  • If you weren't doing what you do now, what would you like to be ?
I've always thought I’d love to be a postman, just me and a sack of post no worries but my wife tells me I'm not a morning person and I'm not keen on walking so I might have to rethink that one!

  • Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

Not so much a piece of Kit but I'm really fortunate to have a loyal and hard-working brigade of chefs who are great to work with, talented, grafters and we understand each other’s humour (just)

  • Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?
My Grandfather was a caterer and founded Percivals Outside Caterers in Bolton before the war, although he died long before I was born he sounds a fascinating chap. He was also a local councillor and a staunch socialist so it would be nice to have Margaret Thatcher at the table as well to spice things up, then that Dimbleby bloke, the Question Time presenter to put them in their place. Then for the entertainment I’d have Peter Kay doing an American Trilogy duet with Elvis Presley

  • What advice would you give to your younger self ?
I'm not a good listener! I tend to think of something and jump straight in so maybe it’s think things through and listen to those in the know.

  • Describe your style in three words 
Fresh, Honest and consistent

  • What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?
I'm not really a gadget man….We have all the usual Thermomixer and trendy ovens but you can’t really beat a set of sharp knives. 

  • What is your greatest achievement to date ?
I was selected to be part of the crew on the P and O’s Oriana 20 years ago. It’s was a great experience flying over on a private jet to see the ship being built, meeting the Queen at the naming ceremony and lots of corporate lunches. Stressful but worth it. 

  • What is the worst mistake you have made ?
Not so much a kitchen night mare but I once manage to lose the Grooms trousers on the morning of his wedding…..long story of mistaken identity in which I gave the trousers to another guest who then set off south to go home! It was my ultimate Fawlty Towers moment. 

  • Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn't expect !
As a teenager I was a fanatical Pigeon racer with trophies to prove it.



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Celia Gaze of The Wellbeing Farm


Our featured foodie this month is the lovely Celia Gaze of The Wellbeing Farm at Edgeworth, Bolton. Celia is the Managing Director and co creator of Lancashire's answer to River Cottage. The multi award winning educational and creative venue has risen phoenix like from a once derelict farmstead situated high in the Lancashire hills.

The food served at The Wellbeing Farm is all local, seasonal and sustainable and the venue also hosts food and cookery events ranging from sausage making, bread making, foraging and even how to butcher a lamb.

Here is an earlier post of our visit
 

Celia kindly answered our questions so we can find out more about the women being this amazing venue which is well worth a visit.

  •  What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication?

I must admit being partial to the River Cottage series – considering I’ve tried to copy some of their setup when I created The Wellbeing Farm.

  •  What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

Quality food where provenance shines like a beacon.

  • If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be?
Considering I gave up a great career to do this, I'm now following my dream!


  • Which piece of kit could you not do without?
Pampered Chef pizza cutter – can be used for chopping anything.


  • Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?
An eclectic mix of friends, family and the odd celeb thrown in. When you are setting up a new business it does test your friendships and family commitment – you know who your true friends are by how much support they provide when you’ve ignored them for months!

  • What advice would you give to your younger self ?
Follow your dreams – you only have one life.


  •  Describe your style in three words
Overly enthusiastic, persistent and a bit loud!.


  • What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?
An all singing and dancing Kenwood food processor.


  • What is your greatest achievement to date ?
Transforming a run-down neglected farm into an award-winning business in less than a year and winning the North West Start Up of the Year Award with the Countryside Alliance in the process.

  • What is the worst mistake you have made ?
In setting up a business you make loads of mistakes, it’s how you learn from them that matters.

  • Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect !

I’m actually a qualified chef but don’t practice actual cooking anymore unfortunately. I was also the first Management Trainee at The Garrick Gentleman’s Club in London.

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Amanda Biggs of Thyme Deli




This month's Lancashire Foodie is non other than world famous Amanda Biggs, owner of Thyme Deli and Cafe in Horwich, who unsurprisingly turned down a visit by George Osborne whilst he was campaigning in the area so she didn't let her regular customers down (good on you Amanda ). Amanda ended up in all the national press for her comment and even being mentioned on the topical satire quiz show "Have I got news for you" !



Thyme Deli is a gorgeous quirky cafe deli in the centre of Horwich where the emphasis on local seasonal Lancashire food, Amanda stocks a fabulous range of local produce and products and makes daily specials everyday. The cafe has also hosted numerous cake club events and is a favourite with all who visit.




Here's Amanda's answers to our now familiar questions.

  • What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication ? 
I have too many cook books so it’s hard to choose one but I do love Nigel Slater’s writing.


  • What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ? 
So many fabulous places to eat and buy food.


  • If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ? 
 If I wasn’t doing what I do now I’d be dreaming about opening a deli!


  • Which piece of kit could you not do without ? 
· My Wusthof knife


  • Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why? 
My ultimate party would be with my family and friends though if I could I’d also invite Wentworth Miller !


  • What advice would you give to your younger self ? 
Stop worrying about it, just do it.


  • Describe your style in three words 
 Busy Busy Busy


  • What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ? 
Last year I bought a Kitchenaid stand mixer which I have coveted for a long time. My only regret is that i didn’t buy it sooner


  • What is your greatest achievement to date ? 
Without doubt becoming a mum. Coming second would be opening and running my business, especially trading through the recession.


  • What is the worst mistake you have made ? 
Employing people based on their experience when I should have concentrated on personality.


  • Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect ! 
I absolutely cannot eat fish or seafood, not for health reasons either. It’s limiting!


You can find Thyme Deli Cafe at 4-6 Winter Hey Lane, Horwich, Bolton, there is easy parking locally.

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Vincents restaurant at Preston College

I'm not sure as to why more people don't support their local college training restaurants as they are a great dining venue, where the standard of food is always very high for the cost you pay for the menu.
The restaurants are an essential training ground for the chefs, sommeliers and front of house staff of the future and provide the students with an environment in which to hone their skills.


We were really pleased to be invited along to Vincents the training restaurant for Preston College for a Venetian evening. I let the college know I needed gluten free before arriving so they could adapt the menu accordingly.

Vincents like most training restaurants in located in a dedicated area of the college and unfortunately for most they can suffer from the "college" look, Vincents I am pleased to say is better than most in its appeal.


The service we received was warm and efficient and the students were keen to please, we also had a lovely discussion with one of the lecturers on local food and their sourcing policy which I am pleased to say is very much on a local basis. We only had one slight drop in service when our mains came out and I think there must have been some confusion over whether I had received a gluten free version of the dish and my plate was whisked away for a moment but this was quickly rectified.


The evening has been organised by a student with an emphasis on the food, so the Italian touches in the dining area where subtle such as red, white and green table coverings and subtle Italian music. The food menu was lovely and thankfully for me only actually had one pasta dish on it anyway.


Mr LF's bruschetta ! , they kindly provided a dish of garlic mushrooms for myself instead of the bread. My mushrooms were very tasty if a little plain looking and the bruschetta according to Mr LF was tasty and a nice appetiser.


Melon and parma ham, a light starter for us both, the flavours were clean and fresh, a good balance.


Chicken main , well flavoured sauce and the chicken breast was stuffed with spinach and cheese.


Sea bass main, the pea veloute was of particular note.


Mr LF's dessert of tiramisu, cherry tart and zabaglione


I had my own assiette of cherries, zabaglione and a rich dark chocolate tart.

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Vincents and wouldn't hesitate to pay a return visit. The restaurant is open for Lunch in term times, Tuesday to Friday and also on Thursday evening for dinner, they also run the coffee bar in the college as well. Vincents can be contacted on 01772 225432 for bookings (11am - 2pm Mon - Fri).

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Wellbeing Farm - much more than just a venue.













Set in stunning upland Lancashire countryside the Wellbeing Farm is a must visit for anyone interested in food and where it comes from field to fork really means something here. Or you can just generally chill out and get back in touch with yourself. With amazing 180 degree views means that on a good day you can see the Welsh hills and the Wirral. This thoughtfully converted farmstead is a location for a wide variety of activities and events. Whether its llama trekking or sausage making, the Wellbeing Farm has the course for you.



On a warm late spring evening Mr LF and I ventured to pastures new for our Sausage making experience, on driving up to the farm we were gobsmacked (the only word for it !) with the views, rolling moorland with vistas as far as the eye could see.

This unique venue hosts corporate wellbeing events, private events and educational visits during the week and at weekend is open to the public. They are also hosting their first "rustic" barn style wedding in a few weeks time complete with hay bales to sit on.

                                

The calming rustically decorated buildings immediately put you at ease and the farm's environmentally credentials are second to none, evidenced by the large wind turbine on a nearby rise which powers the farm. They proudly source local produce and have a true commitment to sustainability.




























The welcome was warm and genuine as we entered the lovely licensed cafe / bistro which hosts regular gourmet evenings and we were pleased to note lots of local produce which even stretched to a good range of local beers. Whilst awaiting the arrival of all the attendees (10 in our case for the evenings sausage making event) we took the opportunity to shoots a few images so you can get the feel for the Wellbeing Farm.




Outside you can make friends with the farm's llamas or pop into the poly tunnel to grab some fresh herbs or salads for your cookery experience. The sheep in the field are raised by the farm and in season are used for the butchery courses, the farm also has resident pigs, chickens and quails amongst other animals.

                                 

So on with the sausage show ! First we had to hand mix the sausage meat and rusk with a secret blend of herbs and spices. With a bit of friendly persuasion everybody started to relax and embrace squishing the mixture. (Due to needing a Gluten free diet they also kindly mixed up a special batch just for me)



Now it was time to load the filling machine and get ready to fill the natural skins.






Loading the skins on to the filling machine


        



Filling the sausage



Tying the sausage , this was the difficult bit ! But Lee made this look very easy

                                               


Ta dah ! Sausages

                                                   



The finished product ready for cooking

                                                      


All this sausage making was hungry work and afterwards we enjoyed a BBQ of our creations with that awesome view for company.

                                            

Thanks to all the team at the Wellbeing Farm for a really enjoyable informative evening in a lovely environment. So check out their website and plan your visit soon and enjoy the full Wellbeing experience. They work in close partnership with Whiteheads Butchers in the local village for their butchery experiences.



Our experience was provided on a complementary basis however I was not required to write a positive review, all comments, views and opinions are my own.













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Cheese of the Month - No 16



Garstang White - a new cheese for Lancashire



I am really pleased to be able to feature a new Lancashire cheese, fortunately for us we were one of the first people in the country to taste Garstang White by Dewlay as Mr LF was photographing the cheese.

Garstang White is made in Lancashire and is made with creamy rich Jersey milk, mold ripened like a brie this cheese perfectly fits a gap in the market for a locally produced creamy oozy versatile cheese which is ideal for cooking or melting.



The cheese is available in 225g packs or in deli wheels of 1kg for slicing, the cheese matures in the same way as a brie and becomes increasingly more flavourful and oozy as the cheese matures. Dewlay are currently struggling to keep with the initial high demand as Garstang White is proving a popular addition to the Lancashire Cheese board and in now featured on various local restaurants menus.

Currently available from Dewlays cheese shop and various selected independent cheese shops ( I know Pats Cheese stall in Chorley has it) in the region, given its popularity I am sure Booths will also be stocking soon.




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