Want to take your cookery to the next level and beyond? The School of Artisan Food Announces a Four-Week Summer School

The School of Artisan Food,which is a not-for-profit school dedicated to inspiring and helping people from all walks of life to learn about healthy, sustainable and delicious food, is justifably proud to be celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, having opened its doors back in 2009. 

To mark the anniversary, the School, set in the middle of 15,000 acres of rolling parkland on the beautiful Welbeck Estate at the edge of Nottinghamshire's Sherwood Forest, has announced a special summer programme for 2024 featuring over 40 short courses during July and August. 

The highlight of this year's line-up is a four-week Artisan Summer School, the only artisan summer school of its kind, offering students the opportunity to become immersed in the world of artisan bread baking, viennoiserie, patisserie, pizza making, BBQ and ice cream making, too.

The School of Artisan Food offers a wide range of hands-on courses which are taught all year-round by world-class tutors, from bread to charcuterie, cheesemaking to patisserie and more, with courses ranging from a half day short course to a full BSc (Hons) degree. 

Since the school was opened 15 years ago, it has seen over 15,000 students from all walks of life pass through its doors, with many students going on to form artisan businesses of their own both in the UK and further afield.

Artisan Summer School

Running from 29 Jul -23 Aug 2024, the Artisan Summer School is suitable for home bakers and anyone with a love of artisan food. 

No previous experience is required as students will be guided by the school's world-class tutors Kevan Roberts, Sally-Ann Hunt and Martha Brown to establish strong foundations and progress to advanced skills.

Summer School students will be taught in a small group in the School of Artisan Food's specialist training rooms, gaining much hands-on experience to develop their knowledge, techniques and confidence day-by-day. Highlights will include:

Learning the basics of baking bread, making tinned loaves, bread rolls, brioche, pizza and sourdough;

Graduating to more advanced techniques, including creating gluten-free and buckwheat dough;

Making traditional English pies with hand-raised hot water pie crusts;

Studying artisan patisserie, producing raspberry and meadowsweet financiers, milk chocolate and sesame choux buns, and venison and wild garlic petivier;

In the School's special dedicated teaching dairy, students will make ice cream, butter and yoghurt;

Learning Viennoiserie, producing a range of sweet and savoury laminated pastries, including pain au chocolat, zaatar, gruyere croissants and Danish pastries;

Out of the kitchen, students will also enjoy a visit to a local flour mill to see first-hand how flour is produced; a foraging walk; a picnic by the boating lake; and a behind the scenes tour of the artisan producers based on the Welbeck Estate, including Welbeck Bakehouse, Welbeck Abbey Brewery, DropWorks Rum Distillery, and Stichelton Dairy.

For students who wish to enjoy a truly immersive experience, accommodation is also available on the Welbeck Estate, just yards from the school itself.

Price: £3,995, or £4,995 with accommodation.

Short Courses

In addition to the Summer School, further highlights in the 40-strong short course programme running at The School of Artisan Food this summer will include:

Introduction to Sourdough Baking with Emmanuel Hadjiandreou

Smoking and Curing with Sally-Ann Hunt

Introduction to Fermenting and Pickling with Lindy Wildsmith

Woodfire Pizza with David Finn

Pig in a Day with Andrew Sharp

The school is also delighted to reveal the launch of three new patisserie courses with tutor Martha Brown. By popular demand, these courses, ranging from 1-3 days will cover Pastry Fundamentals (1 day), Vegan Pastry and Viennoiserie (2 days) and Creative Patisserie (3 days).

Prices start at £95 for a half-day course.

For more information, please visit www.schoolofartisanfood.org or call 01909 532 171

To view the School of Artisan Food's full summer programme, visit www.schoolofartisanfood.org/courses 

For more on the Artisan Summer School, visit https://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/courses/artisan-summer-school

Embrace the Craft: Why Artisan Cheese Trumps Mass-Produced Processed Cheese

In the realm of culinary delights, few things rival the satisfaction of a perfectly aged artisan cheese.

From its distinct flavours to its rich history of craftsmanship, artisan cheese stands as a testament to tradition and quality. In contrast, mass-produced processed cheese pales in comparison, lacking the depth of flavour, nutritional value, and cultural significance found in its artisanal counterpart. 

Here are some compelling reasons why you should opt for artisan cheese over mass-produced processed cheese:

Quality Ingredients: Artisan cheese makers prioritise quality over quantity. They source milk from local farms, often using traditional methods and organic practices. This results in cheese with superior taste and texture, as well as heightened nutritional value compared to processed cheese, which often contains additives and preservatives.

Craftsmanship and Tradition: Artisan cheese making is an art form passed down through generations. Each wheel or block of cheese is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans who pour their passion and expertise into every batch. This dedication to tradition and craftsmanship shines through in the complexity and character of the final product, a quality that mass-produced processed cheese simply cannot replicate.

Diverse Flavours and Varieties: Artisan cheese offers an unparalleled variety of flavors and textures, ranging from creamy brie to sharp cheddar to tangy blue. Each cheese reflects the unique terroir of its region and the creativity of its maker. In contrast, mass-produced processed cheese tends to be uniform in flavour and texture, lacking the depth and complexity found in artisanal cheeses.

Supporting Local Communities: By choosing artisan cheese, you're not only treating your taste buds to a culinary adventure but also supporting local farmers and cheesemakers. Artisan cheese makers often operate on a small scale, contributing to the vitality of rural communities and preserving traditional farming practices.

Environmental Sustainability: Artisan cheese making typically involves sustainable practices that prioritises animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Local sourcing reduces carbon emissions associated with transportation, while small-scale farming methods promote biodiversity and soil health. In contrast, the industrial processes used to produce mass-produced processed cheese can have detrimental environmental impacts, such as deforestation and pollution.

Cultural Heritage: Artisan cheese is steeped in cultural heritage, with each cheese telling a story of its origin and the people who produced it. Whether it's a genuine Welsh farmhouse cheese, a rustic French Camembert or a tangy Italian pecorino, artisan cheese connects us to the rich tapestry of human history and culinary traditions.

In conclusion, opting for artisan cheese over mass-produced processed cheese is not just a matter of taste; it's a choice that reflects our values as consumers. By supporting local farmers and artisans, preserving cultural heritage, and prioritising quality and sustainability, we can indulge in the simple pleasure of cheese while making a positive impact on our communities and the planet. 

So, the next time you're at the cheese counter, dare to go artisan and savour the authentic flavours of tradition and craftsmanship.

You can Google cheesemongers near me to find your nearest cheesemonger. 

Made for Drink Teams Up With Baron Bigod to Put a Gastronomic Spin on the Humble Cheese & Onion Crisp

When Made for Drink were given the job by English Heritage to put their unique gastronomic spin on the time-honoured cheese & onion crisp, a stalwart of our island's unrivalled fine crisp traditions, it was immediately clear Dan and his team would be tearing up the rulebook to provide Cheese & Onion with the culinary reboot it so richly deserved.

Baron Bigod was quickly identified as the all-important fine cheese compatriot, a treasured food union that brought one of rural Suffolk's most treasured foodie heroes into Made for Drink's Thursday night fine snacking orbit.  

What is Baron Bigod? It's a proud squidgy cheese in the Brie-de-Meaux style, a small batch artisanal offering that uses only the freshest morning milk from its highly prized Montbeliarde herd, because 'early hours' milk is the perfect temperature for fine cheese production.

According to the founder of Made for Drink, Dan Featherstone, "Baron Bigod has become a regular Thursday night companion on the Featherstone cheeseboard, a newfound favourite among friends and family.  

"Everyone in our fine snacking huddle adores this cheese's deliciously distinct nutty rind and the fresh buttery yet earthy texture that comes complete with a discreet citrusy twang.  When English Heritage challenged me to produce a cheese and  onion crisp that celebrated England's finest cheese wisdom, I knew precisely who to talk to!"

This perfect marriage of like-minded food heroes means Made for Drink is aligned with a fine cheese luminary who will not only help Made for Drink press forwards within the Ontrade, indie wholesalers and discerning food halls ambitions but also grow their profile within the UK's flourishing fine deli and cheese hall estates; establishments that once-upon-a-time might have been a tad sniffy about the rethinking of the ultimate cheese & onion treat.

 "When Dan from Made for Drinks got in touch with us, we were so pleased that they wanted to use our cheese to make crisps. We then got a sample back from Dan, which was the powder flavouring, before it was added to crisps, we were totally blown away! From that moment on we were all fully sold on the idea and can't wait for you all to try them.

"They are a savoury, gourmet delight that combines the creamy and indulgent flavours of the cheese with the crispy, flavourful notes of caramelised onion, resulting in a rich and irresistibly fragrant treat," says Iona , who is the Sales Manager at Fen Farm Dairy.

 From an English Heritage perspective, this latest addition to their fine snacking stable hits all the right notes, adding an unmistakably gourmet twist to a 'nation favourite' whilst shining a light on yet another of our island's inspiring small food producers.

Baron Bigod Cheese & Onion crisps will be is available from June 23 onwards.

Available in 150g (£2.75) & 40g bags (£1.35).

Srsly Low Carb Launches the Last Word in Light-to-Bite, Heavily Seeded Artisan Loaves

An indulgent, artisanal seeded loaf is the latest, possibly proudest, NEW arrival to SRSLY Low Carb's burgeoning portfolio of magnificently tasty bready goods that already includes: a low carb sliced white loaf, plump low carb rolls, a fruit loaf, seeded rolls, ready-to-eat pizza bases, not cross buns and fantastically foldy wraps.

SRSLY Low Carb was born when keto enthusiast Andy Welch discovered he was not able to square his commitment to a non-bloaty low carb diet with his deep-rooted appreciation of amazing, tasty bread. 

After giving the matter careful consideration, Andy became convinced the lack of a credible low carb bread offer was central to oodles of enthusiastic keto disciples falling off their low carb wagons. 

Having spent the last two years establishing SRSLY as Amazon's leading retailer of high protein/low carb bread, Hemel's pioneering keto-centric bread provider is raising funds to take the major mults and foodservice by storm.

SRSLY's NEW ARTISANAL SEEDED LOAF

Unable to find anything to curb those niggling cravings for buttery toasted doorsteps, the ultimate soup sponge and the best ham & cheese toastie, SRSLY set about creating the last word in low carb artisanal loaves.

Each prodigiously plump (320g) seeded loaf offers only a miserly fraction of the carbs generated by everyday breads (45/55g of carbs per 100g). SRSLY's new seeded loaf has a glowing Sugarwise endorsement and delivers just 5.9g of net carbs per 100g which means a new dawn of guilt-free bready joy.

Srslylowcarb.com

You should expect to pay an RSP of £3.89 a loaf.

Introducing Temple Island Rum from the Award-Winning Henley Distillery

This May, the award-winning Henley Distillery will launch its brand new Temple Island Rum. The architect behind England's Best London Dry Gin is now expanding his repertoire to rum and has created a trio of delicious flavours: white, coffee and spiced. 

The small-batch, artisan rums will be available in 50cl and 20cl and each bottle will be hand-filled, hand-labelled and carefully sealed with pride.

Jacob Wilson, co-owner of The Henley Distillery and one of the youngest Master Distillers in the UK, has crafted his rums by blending the very best rums from the Caribbean islands made from sugar cane and molasses before redistilling to enhance and impart new flavours and spices. The spirit is re-distilled in copper alembic stills over open flames, finely controlled by Wilson, to give it a remarkably smooth finish.

Commenting ahead of the launch, Wilson said: “I'm thrilled with all three of the Temple Island Rums, they offer rum fans (and hopefully some converts too) something very special. New product and recipe development is the best part of my job as a Master Distiller and I relish having the creative freedom to push boundaries whilst sticking to my belief in the quality of small batch production. Having been born and bred in Henley on Thames, Temple Island is an affectionate nod to my hometown. It is the closest island to the Distillery and a prominent sight at the start of the Henley Royal Regatta course, with rowing a favourite pastime of mine.” 

Temple Island White Rum

This classic Caribbean white rum has been distilled with Tonka bean and vanilla, then infused with even more vanilla for an exceptionally buttery smooth finish. 

Perfect serve:  a versatile spirit, it pairs perfectly with cola, ginger ale or ginger beer. Or transport yourself to the Caribbean with a Pina Colada.

Temple Island Coffee Rum

Distilled with coffee beans, cacao nibs and vanilla beans and then blended with homemade caramel and vanilla syrups to sweeten and add a depth of colour, this rum is bursting with flavour.

Perfect serve: neat over ice - drink this chilled with your eyes closed, and you'd be forgiven for thinking it's an Espresso Martini but without the caffeine hit.

Temple Island Spiced Rum

A contemporary twist on a classic Spiced Rum, expect to find notes of cinnamon, ginger and black pepper along with soft notes of vanilla and caramel to round out the palate.

Perfect Serve: enjoy neat over ice or with classic pairings of cola, ginger ale or ginger beer. Or a great addition to spice up a Daiquiri or Mojito.

PRICE: The Temple Island Rums will launch on 12 May (pre-order available soon) and will be priced at £35 (RRP) for the 50cl bottle and £15 (RRP) for the 20cl bottle. 

For more information on The Henley Distillery, visit www.thehenleydistillery.co.uk or call 07511 208490.