Northamptonshire LEAF Marque farmer Duncan Farrington, producer of Farrington's MELLOW YELLOW® Rapeseed Oil, has spent time over the past eighteen months working with the BBC, and writer, broadcaster and gardener Sarah Raven, on a three part documentary set to get the nation buzzing.
In the first of a three part series to be shown on BBC 2 Television, the team visits Duncan at Bottom Farm, Hargrave to discover how in recent years, he has replaced much of the lost hedging and is constantly looking for innovative ideas to encourage wildlife onto the farm. Duncan investigates sowing modern perennial wildflower 'margins' around crops on his farm to support pollinating insects, and to benefit his crop productivity.
Duncan says "I am very proud to have been involved in this exiting programme looking at how we can take simple measures to try and reverse some of the declines in our native bumblebees and other pollinating insects on our farmland. With the help and advice of organizations such as LEAF we have been carrying out a number of habitat enhancement ideas on our family farm over the last ten years or more."
Pollinators are in crisis. It's a complex problem that scientists the world over are trying to fathom, but the prognosis is grim - without healthy populations of insect pollinators across the world, our food security is under threat. Backed by recent research, Sarah Raven believes that central to the problem is a lack of food and habitat, leading to the poor health and nutrition of our pollinators. A lack of a rich and varied supply of pollen and nectar throughout the year to feed our insect pollination workforce and keep them strong and healthy; is leaving them vulnerable to the effects of pesticides, pathogens and parasites.
Our pollinating insects are vital to the production of the vast majority of the fruits and vegetables we need in our healthy diets. If we don\'t start to look after our pollinators, eventually our favourite foods could vanish from our supermarket shelves, from apples and pears through to coffee and chocolate. Not to mention Rapeseed oil!
As governments and scientists debate colony collapse, and species extinctions of Butterflies and Bumblebees, Sarah wants to show us that we could all make a difference right now.
Due to be aired on Wednesdays 8th, 15th and 23rd February at 8pm on BBC 2, Sarah travels the length of the country visiting Birmingham, Harrogate, Leicester and Northamptonshire.
Bees, Butterflies and Birds with Sarah Raven, due to be aired on Wednesday 8th, 15th and 23rd February at 8pm on BBC 2 Farrington's MELLOW YELLOW® cold pressed rapeseed oil, is grown, pressed and bottled on the family farm in Northamptonshire to LEAF Marque standards.
Farrington Oils Limited:
Bottom Farm, Hargrave, Wellingborough, Northants, NN9 6BP.
Tel: 01933 622809 / Email: sales@farrington-oils.co.uk
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Make Mothering Sunday even more special with Godminster
Godminster's award-winning vintage organic Cheddar is made to a unique 70-year-old recipe and has been made on the farm in Bruton, Somerset for over ten years. The Cheddar is instantly recognisable by its purple wax coating and is available in either a heart or round shape.
Godminster's owner Richard Hollingbery said, "This fantastic combination is so well-known in Yorkshire, where I was born, so to be able to offer this to people throughout the country is great. The fruit cake is made to the highest quality, by a Company we work closely with - the pairing of this with the Cheddar is a match made in heaven."
Godminster's Organic Cheddar and Fruit Cake Combo includes a 400g heart or round vintage organic Cheddar and The New Discovery Fruit Cake and retails at £26.00 including postage and packaging at www.godminster.com
Sunday, 5 February 2012
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Gourmet Italian, Organic, Food Range, Tuscany Corner Launches An Exclusive Valentine's Day Hamper, Perfect For Dinner For Two!
Tuscany Corner, a new range of the finest quality authentic Italian, organic produce, is proud to announce the launch of their exclusive Valentine's Day hamper. Perfect for those who want to stay in and cook a romantic meal for their loved one, each hamper comes packed with delicious Tuscany Corner ingredients and three inspirational recipes which make a delicious, authentic, Italian meal for two for just £35!
The exclusive Valentine's Day hampers, include: a rich ragu (meat sauce) or a mouth-watering porcini mushroom sauce, a bottle of organic red or white wine (750ml), a percorino degli sposi cheese (translated this means the bride & groom's pecorino, perfect for the most romantic day of the year!), as well as a jar of honey or Chianti jelly and a 500g bag pasta, all presented in a delightful hamper.
An example of a recipe included in the hamper is listed below:
RECIPE 3: Rigatoni "cacio e pepe" (pepper and Tuscan pecorino cheese)
Serves 2:
Fill a large saucepan with three litres of water. Bring the water to the boil and add a level tablespoon of salt together with the fresh pasta. Leave the pasta to cook for 20 minutes. In the meantime, take a small saucepan and add 100 grams of grated mature pecorino cheese, a little cracked black pepper and 5/6 grams of crushed, whole peppercorns. Add a little water from the pasta and whip the cheese until it becomes creamy. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and place in a frying pan with a little water and the creamed cheese. Stir thoroughly off the heat to stop the cheese from becoming hard. Serve with a little more cracked pepper and grated pecorino on top.
With a superb selection of contents, a Tuscany Corner Hamper is the perfect solution for those who want to cook a delicious meal in the comfort of their own home for their loved one this Valentine's Day.
The integrity and simplicity of the products in the Tuscany Corner range speak for themselves. All are typical of the famed Mediterranean Diet, including extra virgin olive oil, cured meat and salami, traditional Tuscan cheese, handmade pasta, full-bodied pasta sauces and compotes, all organic and available exclusively from London's Terracafe and online at www.tuscanycorner.eu.
If you would like to create your own hamper, please contact info@tuscanycorner.eu for further information.
The exclusive Valentine's Day hampers, include: a rich ragu (meat sauce) or a mouth-watering porcini mushroom sauce, a bottle of organic red or white wine (750ml), a percorino degli sposi cheese (translated this means the bride & groom's pecorino, perfect for the most romantic day of the year!), as well as a jar of honey or Chianti jelly and a 500g bag pasta, all presented in a delightful hamper.
An example of a recipe included in the hamper is listed below:
RECIPE 3: Rigatoni "cacio e pepe" (pepper and Tuscan pecorino cheese)
Serves 2:
Fill a large saucepan with three litres of water. Bring the water to the boil and add a level tablespoon of salt together with the fresh pasta. Leave the pasta to cook for 20 minutes. In the meantime, take a small saucepan and add 100 grams of grated mature pecorino cheese, a little cracked black pepper and 5/6 grams of crushed, whole peppercorns. Add a little water from the pasta and whip the cheese until it becomes creamy. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and place in a frying pan with a little water and the creamed cheese. Stir thoroughly off the heat to stop the cheese from becoming hard. Serve with a little more cracked pepper and grated pecorino on top.
With a superb selection of contents, a Tuscany Corner Hamper is the perfect solution for those who want to cook a delicious meal in the comfort of their own home for their loved one this Valentine's Day.
The integrity and simplicity of the products in the Tuscany Corner range speak for themselves. All are typical of the famed Mediterranean Diet, including extra virgin olive oil, cured meat and salami, traditional Tuscan cheese, handmade pasta, full-bodied pasta sauces and compotes, all organic and available exclusively from London's Terracafe and online at www.tuscanycorner.eu.
If you would like to create your own hamper, please contact info@tuscanycorner.eu for further information.
Put Mutton On The Menu This Easter With Langley Chase Organic Farm
* Mark Hix, Rick Stein and Hardeep Singh Kohli recommend Langley Chase's rare breed Manx Loaghtan meat.
* Buy online at: www.langlechase.co.uk. All orders delivered with recipe ideas.
Enjoy a sumptuous and different feast this Easter with Langley Chase Organic Farm's multi-award-winning Manx Loaghtan mutton, a luxurious dark and gamey rare breed meat judged by top chefs as the Best Organic Meat at the Soil Association's prestigious National Organic Food Awards in 2011.
Mutton - praised in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861) as "the meat most generally used in families" - was once part of the UK's staple diet, but suffered a dramatic decline after the Second World War as food fashions moved towards lamb.
Today, despite still being a rarity on most menus, chefs and food lovers are rediscovering the delights of this versatile, tasty meat. The Langley Chase award winning organic produce enables people to sample the very best mutton in the UK. To help those new to mutton, the farm has created a wide range of recipes delivered with every order.
Langley Chase Organic Farm, in Chippenham, Wiltshire, run by Mrs Jane Kallaway, exclusively rears Manx Loaghtan sheep, a striking four-horned primitive rare breed. Jane's produce has won 14 National Organic Food Awards - including winning the top accolade, Best Organic Meat, for both her lamb and mutton three times - and as we say, her meat has been praised for its taste and tenderness by some of Britain's best-loved chefs, including Mark Hix, Rick Stein and Hardeep Singh Kohli.
All produce is raised on the family farm's species rich wildflower and hay meadows - giving the meat its distinctive taste and succulent flavour and providing traceability from the farm to the customer's door.
Easter Meat Boxes
Easter Meat boxes start from £75 and can be ordered from the farm's online shop: www.langleychase.co.uk www.langleychase.co.uk. Each meat box is full of different cuts and joints all prepared by a Soil Association accredited Master Butcher. [Box contents listed below]. The contents are clearly labelled and provided with recipe ideas.
Popular orders include Mutton and Lamb Meat Boxes while the Mixed Taster Box enables customers to sample a wide range of the farm's other delights including its unique Lamb Chorizo Picante Salami with smoked paprika, spices and chilli. Meat boxes can be delivered direct to any UK address or picked up from the farm.
Praise for Langley Chase Organic Farm's lamb and mutton:
2011 National Organic Food Award judges: "Langley Chase mutton is tender, flavourful, succulent, really satisfying with great presentation - a lesson in why people should eat good mutton." [See names of judges below]. Hardeep Singh Kohli (National Organic Food Award judge): "You can taste the love in great food and you can certainly taste it in Langley Chase mutton." Mark Hix: "Langley Chase lamb is delicious and tender with a little hint of game." Rick Stein: "Langley Chase is one of my favourite sources for lamb."
Mrs Jane Kallaway said: "Mutton can be a really wonderful and versatile meat if it's grown and produced well. We run our muttons as a separate flock, ensuring they get the best grazing and time to fully mature. They stay on the farm for around five years, grazing a diverse range of species rich organic pastures.They are traditionally hung for over 14 days and the result is a tender meat full of flavour that is a joy to cook.
"We know that many people are new to the delights of mutton so we're introducing recipes for all orders. From mutton tagine to roast mutton shoulder - let Langley Chase help you make a perfect Easter."
FACTFILE:
Langley Chase Organic Farm's meat boxes are available fresh once a month or frozen within three days, in large or small sizes. Produce can be picked up from the farm or delivered to the door. Orders are sent in insulated meat boxes ensuring produce reaches the customer in optimum condition fresh or frozen. Orders can be left with friends or neighbours and even sent as gifts.
Small meat box contains:
One whole shoulder on the bone One whole leg on the bone One breast boned and rolled Ten chops minimum Neck fillet One Kidney Prices £79 - collected from farm. £92.50 - delivered direct.
Large meat box contains:
Two whole legs on the bone Two whole shoulders on the bone Ten chops (approx) Two French trimmed racks Two breast boned and rolled Neck fillet Two kidneys Prices £148 - collected from farm. £161.50 - delivered direct
Mixed taster box contains:
One lamb shoulder One 375g stick of Langley Chase chorizo picante salami* Two 500g packs of diced Mutton 12 Rosemary and Garlic lamb sausages in two packs of six. Prices £75 - collected from farm. £88.50 - delivered direct
Langley Chase Chorizo Picante Salami is made with Langley Chase organic lamb and organic ingredients, but is not yet a registered organic product.
Jane's story: "I started the flock, with the help of my family, after the BSE crisis and my concern over what my family was eating, where it came from and how it was reared. I also wanted to help save a rare breed, produce food organically and share my passion with my customers and the school children and adult groups who visit the farm.
"Now, 14 years since I started, my produce has been recognised as the best in the UK and I have customers across the country. Being Organic - and registered by the Soil Association - is hugely important to me. Organic production is the direct connection between our health and the food we eat, it is about supporting native species, localised production and having the highest possible standards of welfare for animals and the environment."
The National Organic Food Awards, run by the Soil Association, is recognised as the premier competition of its kind in the UK with major retailers to small specialist producers taking part. For the Meat Category judges had the difficult task of selecting the winner from all different types of meat produce including fish, chicken, venison, beef, lamb, mutton, pork, sausages and charcuterie.
Soil Association Director, Helen Browning, presented the 2011 awards. The Prince of Wales, Patron of the Soil Association and well know for his interest in organic farming, was in attendance and spoke to the award winners, including Jane Kallaway at length. His Royal Highness has a particular interest in mutton having founded the Mutton Renaissance campaign in 2005 to encourage people to eat more mutton.
2011 National Organic Food Award judges included writer, broadcaster and comedian, Hardeep Singh Kohli, top chefs Sophie Grigson and Sara Berg; organic entrepreneur Jo Wood and food critic and journalist William Sitwell to name a few.
Manx Loaghtan: Low in Fat and Cholesterol
The Manx Loaghtan is significantly healthier than commercially reared lamb. The Scottish Agricultural College found the Manx Loaghtan to be 23 per cent lower in fat and almost 10 per cent lower in cholesterol than commercial breeds. Full details on the farm's website.
The Manx Loaghtan is one of the oldest and most striking breeds of sheep in the UK. Termed 'a primitive rare breed' it is classed at as 'at risk' by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. The Manx Loaghtan (pronounced Manx Lockton) has been around unchanged since the Iron Age. The Manx Loaghtan used to exist in high numbers on the Isle of Man and across the UK. However by the 1950s there were only a handful left. Today, as with many rare breeds, it is found in a few small flocks around the UK. Find out more here www.langleychase.co.uk/the-breed
The Importance of Rare Breeds
One breed of farm animal becomes extinct every month around the world, according to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. In the UK, industrialised farming has discarded those breeds that don't fit with commercial production. Between 1900 and 1973 the UK lost 26 native breeds of livestock, according to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
The result is a farming system centred around a handful of animal breeds, crops and vegetables - with some traditional breeds, like the Manx Loaghtan, at risk. Shoppers purchasing rare breed meat help keep rare breeds alive by assisting in the economic viability of farms rearing rare breed animals, thus helping these farms to keep going and the increasing the number of rare breeds animals and helping others taste these fantastic breeds and plants and become interested in our farming heritage
Introducing The Totally Divine iPhone / iPad App
Divine, the farmer-owned chocolate company, is delighted to announce the launch of the new Divine Chocolate App for the iPhone and iPad. The Divine App is free to download and is a fresh and exciting new way for chocolate lovers to discover the world of Divine - it's packed with exclusive video content, irresistible recipes created by chocolate experts & celebrity chefs, and includes a Google Map guide to your nearest Divine stockist for when you're out and about. In addition it tells the unique story of Divine, the company co-owned by cocoa farmers in Ghana.
Search for 'Divine App' on the App Store (in the Lifestyle category). It's free to download.
Created for Divine by creative agency Uber London, the Divine App was designed to bring a little Divine happiness to every Smartphone and iPad - with exclusive features for those who love baking with chocolate.
There is a diverse selection of recipes for cooks of all standards, including a heavenly white chocolate cheesecake, an old fashioned chocolate pudding, chocolate & cherry torte, a chocolate fudge cake created for Divine by Tom Aikens, healthy chocolate pots created for Divine by Ian Marber aka The Food Doctor, a seriously tempting sticky peanut butter cake created by Linda Collister, author of the recipebook accompanying BBC2's Great British Bake Off ... and lots more. The Divine App will be updated periodically with new recipes and features, including great seasonal ideas using Divine.
With the Divine App to hand you will always be able to find your nearest Divine stockist wherever you are in the UK, be it a supermarket or an independent deli, wholefoods store or gift shop. Divine is found in many surprising outlets so this feature will be an invaluable tool when searching for your next Divine treat or ingredients for one of the Divine recipes. iPhone users can also add the name and address of a Divine stockist if they find one that's not yet listed.
The app also features a Quick Tips section of short and informative videos demonstrating some chocolate baking basics. These include essential kit, melting chocolate, ingredients, and greaseproofing.
www.divinechocolate.com
Dorset Cereals Walks The Red Carpet At This Year's Oscars
Recently voted Britain's favourite breakfast cereal (As quoted by Marketing Week in a study by Nunwood, the customer experience specialist,) Dorset Cereals was specially selected to be part of the Official 2012 GBK's Gift Lounge in Honour of Oscars. Mandy Cooper, Head of Communications at Dorset Cereals, comments: "When GBK contacted us about being part of the Gift Lounge at the Oscars we were tickled pink. As a little company from Dorset, England, it is a huge privilege to be selected to be in front of so many A-list celebrities, not to mention a wealth of other well-established brands".
Hello from Dorset........
"We make all our breakfast cereals at Poundbury in Dorset which is the unique village inspired and created by HRH The Prince of Wales. Mueslis, Granolas, Porridges, Tasty Fruit and Fibre, Tasty Low Fat Flakes and Cereal Bars are all made to recipes which are packed with goodness. For recipes, photos, competitions to win lovely stuff and news about simple pleasures go to www.dorsetcereals.co.uk.
FACTFILE:
Since 2006, Dorset Cereals has been awarded numerous Gold medals for taste, design and packaging which reflect the uncompromising dedication the Company has to making premium cereals. The Company was voted runner-up in Sainsbury's Magazine's 2010 Brand of the Decade. They were also nominated as one of the UK's top 500 Cool Brands 2010/11.
Dorset Cereals supports local The Woodland Trust and has paid for 8,000 trees, which will be planted over two years by people across the UK in their local areas as part of the 'More Trees, More Good' campaign. In December 2010 they planted their own woodland of 500 trees near their factory at Poundbury Dorset.
Temperature Rises At Stokes Sauces
The Suffolk-based food company, which now produces over 100 different lines, has unveiled a range of new chilli products including a Chilli Jam, Chilli Mint Jelly and Chilli Yellow Pepper Jelly.
Packed full of the finest fresh ingredients, the new chilli products are presented in the unmistakable high-quality Stokes bottle and retail at around £3 a jar.
Rick Sheepshanks, managing director of Stokes Sauces, said: "We are truly delighted with the new additions to our brand.
"We launched our Real Tomato Ketchup with chilli back in 2006 and the product was so well received that we decided it was time to expand our range of hot and spicy sauces and preserves."
The new chilli products work particularly well with red meats and provide the perfect cheese board accompaniment, highlighting the flavour of mature cheddars and soft bries.
Rick's own favourite use for it is rather simpler, however:
'The new chilli products make a fantastic cooking ingredient and add a real kick to a pasta sauce - a Spaghetti Bolognese isn't fit for consumption in my house without a great big dollop of chilli jam," he said.
Launched in 2004, Stokes Sauces now produces in excess of over 100 different lines and its produce is widely stocked in farm shops and independent stores throughout the UK.
Leading supermarkets are now also beginning to stock key lines from the Stokes brand.
Smoked Chicken Caesar Salad Leaf Canapés With Parmigiano Reggiano Shavings
Whatever the occasion, these delicious canapés are perfect for an evening of entertaining and look lovely too! Simply prepare the dressing by whisking together the egg yolk, lemon juice, anchovies and garlic, drizzle into the chicory leaves and top with smoked chicken and plenty of delicious Parmigiano Reggiano shavings.
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, known as ‘Parmesan’, is one of the world’s oldest and richest cheeses - still produced today as it was nine centuries ago. Totally natural - it’s the only cheese that has such an extensive maturation which improves the nutrition, aroma and taste. The use of raw milk and the richness of natural ingredients make this cheese a unique and superior product - It takes 16 litres of milk to produce one kilogram of cheese! The minimum maturation time for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is 12 months, but only when it reaches approximately 24 months of age, is it at its best. As well as having fantastic nutritional qualities, it’s easy to digest and is high in calcium.
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) product. PDOs are defined and protected by European Union law in order to defend the reputation of regional foods. This mark ensures that Parmigiano Reggiano cheese can only be produced in designated areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the west of the Reno River and Mantua to the east of the Po River.
For more information on Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, please visit www.parmigianoreggiano.com
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