Brecks Delicacy hits the spot with comedian Al Murray

Back in June Al Murray comedian extraordinaire and judge of the 2012 British Sausage Week, paid a visit to The Brecks. Whilst staying in Swaffham he tasted the local sausage roll (made of course with Scotts Field Pork) and tweeted to his 296,783 followers that The Brecks Sausage roll was “Best. Sausage roll. Ever. Strattons in Swaffham. Mmm-hmm tuck into that.”

Result!

Producers can help to boost tourism

We are very proud of the county that we live in and continue to benefit from the support given by both local & regional press including The Eastern Daily Press who joined us again to Walk the Pork this summer:-

" Calls have been made for Norfolk producers to work together to help each other and give the county's flourishing tourism industry an extra boost.

The message came as butchers, farmers, hoteliers and tourism bosses from the region came together to discover more about local food sourcing and it's role in protecting Norfolk's economy as part of  a Walk the Pork event at Oxborough.

During the event, visitors learned about (Scotts Field Pork's) rare breed Large Black pigs and sampled some of the locally sourced and produced food and drink.

.... Rob Simonds who owns family run Scotts Field Pork and supplies pork to butchers and restaurants said 'We all need each other .... It also demonstrates what local produce is available from a local animal and how rare breeds are viable if you have the right business market. '

As well as helping each other the local producers are said to help the county's tourism industry. Tourism is worth £2.8bn to Norfolk's economy creating 54,000 jobs. "

The Sausage King

Fans of The Great British Banger read on ....

Stephen Plume AKA The Sausage King is on a one man mission to:-

1. Promote British pork – unfortunately lax labelling laws in the UK mean that it is possible for consumers to be hoodwinked into buying inferior imported pork from countries where welfare standards are much lower.  By touring the finest sausage makers I hope to draw people’s attention to this and encouraging them to buy local
2. Raise the profile of high quality sausage makers – we have nearly 500 sorts of sausages in the UK and if you take into account the way butchers make these varieties you can eat a different sausage every day for 10 years just in the UK!  I want to help spread the word about the finest butchers and sausage makers and encourage more customers to support them.

He does this in several ways including running The  Sausage Fans Website & hosting a weekly programme on Radio Castle called The Foodie Fix.

The Sausage King asked me to join him to chat amongst other things about Large Black Pigs, The Great British Butcher & farming in The Brecks - so it would have been rude not to have gone along with his plans The Sausage King talks to Rob The Pigman

Large Black pig producer to hike herd size as demand increases

As a preamble to 'Walk the Pork' in June we were pleasantly amazed at the interest shown by some of  the nationals as is demonstrated by the small but perfectly formed piece printed in June 1st edition of The Grocer.

'The UK herd of rare-breed Large Black pigs is to get a substantial boost as one of the UK’s biggest producers expands…' follow the link shown above to find out more ....

Perfect Pigs in The Brecks

Each year The Brecks Explorer is produced to give both visitors& residents an idea of events that will be taking place throughout the year in our part of Norfolk. As well as the history of The Brecks it also features articles on wildlife and farming as well as places to eat and drink. This year 'The perfect Pigs' at Scotts Field Pork were highlighted......

'The Large Black Pig is extremely docile and suited to outdoor rearing - the unique topography of The Brecks means that it is an ideal place to rear outdoor pigs so having Large Blacks in The Brecks is a win win situation. The Brecks soil is very free draining, the land is flat and as farming in this part of the world is predominately arable there is access for pig farmers to straw & cereal feed. In return is used as part of the rotation pigs contribute to the fertility of the farm - adding fertilizer and humus to the soil ....'

Scotts Field Pork can be found in The Brecks at Impson Butchers  & Yallop & Sons as well as many fine establishments including Strattons Hotel  and Browns Kitchen at Mundford.

A bacon butty a day keeps the doctor away.

Early next year we are hoping to run a series of blogs on the fantastic butchers that stock our pork but in the closing weeks of 2013 thought it would be a nice idea to have another look at what the papers have said about Scotts Field throughout the year starting with one of our favourite magazines LandLove  who did a great piece back in January called 'Going Back to Black'

As part of the article they cited some pork facts - several of which were news to us (!) under the heading of

Did You Know .....?

• Over a third of the fat in bacon is the same as the healthy fat found in olive oil, which is known to lower chlolesterol levels.
• Pork has more protein than chicken and is high in zinc, iron and B vitamins.
• Insulin and about 40 other medicines are made from pigs.
• Pork contains on average 45% Thiamine (vitamin B1), three times as much thiamine as any other food. It helps in the conversion of carboydrates into glucose, which in turn is used to produce energy for carrying out various body functions. Vitamin B1 is required for the breakdown of fats & protein. It also improves the body to withstand stress and is often called the 'anti-stress' vitamin.

So there you have it - eating our pork helps you stay as chillaxed as our pigs!

Local-icious: the delights of eating local Norfolk food

For the last in this years series of blogs about The Brecks Food Festival we have asked local journalist Susie Emmett  to write about the evening we spent together at Browns Kitchen in Mundford. enjoying a Brecks Banquet - so without further ado here's Susie .....

'A spare evening? Tick. An appetite? Tick. An interest in local food in Norfolk? Tick. With all those three - and some local friends to add to the mix - an evening at Brown's Kitchen, Mundford was bound to be a success.

Success in food is not always a given. As a society we have become accustomed to food that is full of convenience and not much else. Too many of us have lost our link to the food and how it is produced, let alone the people and places that produce it for us.

So this is a good time. Not just for those around the table that evening to savour seven, yes seven courses in a Breckland Banquet, but for all of us who live in a county brimming with good foods. As you eat you can meet the producers. I don't mean that they accost you at mealtimes at your table but when you buy, from butchers, grocers, farm shops or direct, there's a story to savour too.

We talked. Soup with gently melting Fielding Cottage goat's cheese, then soup with King's Lynn cockles and then marched before us a medley of tasty cuts of Scott's Field pork with lightly crunchy Mr Garrett's carrots. And we talked and talked some more. Every course prepared and presented beautifully by Mark and his team at Brown's Kitchens. 

Flavour is important. Value is important. But most important of all? Connection. I think getting and staying connected to food producers and places through what you choose to buy, prepare and eat makes food what it's supposed to be: sustaining - physically, economically and, yes, spiritually in the sense that good food somehow feeds your soul as well as your stomach.

In my work, at Green Shoots, I help food and farming businesses to shape what they have to say about how and where they produce and then how to share that with as  many people as possible. In These digital technology days sharing food supply stories is easier than ever. But we are lucky with the Norfolk Food and Drink Festival, of which this September's Breckland Food Festival are a part, that there are so many markets and other gatherings when we can meet our Norfolk producers face to face.

The Breckland Banquet at Brown's was a feast of an opportunity. We carried on eating our way through the 'foodscape' of Norfolk. Fairgreen Farm blueberries in one dessert and Barnham Farm apples in another. 

Every day cannot be a banquet day. But every day can and should be a day when your food is good. How satisfying is that? '

 

What a Week!

In our first ever guest blog, Chris & Sandy, otherwise known as The Ladies of Ladywood Lodge, an amazing Breckland posh B & B give their impression of this year's Brecks Food Festival -

 'The Brecks Food Festival bounced into Swaffham during the third weekend in September with some fantastic events that were enjoyed by the whole community. The Ladies at Ladywood Lodge had a wonderful time here & are our exploits!

We helped Vanessa & Les Scott to prepare and host The Unthank Supper Club  at their wonderful home. All part of the celebration for the Brecks Food Fest! It’s amazing the work that’s required and Ness was the woman for the job! We bought plants, built tables, well darling Les did that, sourced cutlery, chairs, table cloths’, arranged flowers and cleaned! Les & Ness’ wonderful home was transformed for one night into a gorgeous pop up restaurant. The tables were beautifully set; candlelight and flowers from the garden brought an ethereal quality to the rooms, which were already fabulous with unique works of Art & Sculptures on show

Clarissa Bromelle

This was a superb setting for any restaurant let alone a “pop up!”Time ticked by and guests arrived, the atmosphere was electric the guests eclectic! In the kitchen Unthanksupper things were happening and had been for hours! Clarissa & Yusuf were buzzing! The kitchen was a hive of activity Maggie, Kat & Ness waited like greyhounds, to burst out of the starting gate and take the food to the guests! Ahhh the food!

The Unthank Supper Club & Brecks Food Fest menu

Cucumber water

Cheese & Tomato

Mackerel, celery & apple

Adobo chop & hock with September vegetables & aioli

Pear tart tatin with cinnamon ice cream and rhubarb hooch

Fresh mint tea

The food was seasonal and mainly locally sourced; carrying on Strattons Hotel's philosophy into the pop up. The Cheese and Tomato consisted of Tomato essence and a cheese crisp. The depth of flavour from the

Liz Truss MP with John Vincent of  Leons

 

essence was amazing; it certainly woke the taste buds! The Mackerel, celery & apple was delicious with a capital D. The mackerel had been prepared two ways and the Mackerel tartare just brought joy to your mouth! The show stopper had to be Scotts Field Pork, and Rob Simonds who breeds these rare and beautiful beasts! The Adobo chop was spiced well and danced on the tongue, but the shredded hock was “to die for!” The taste of the pig shone through it just danced in your mouth and made your heart sing! Rob should stand proud with his pigs they are divinely delicious! The Pear tart tartan was tasty but the cinnamon ice cream triumphed it was a melt in your mouth moment! Yusuf & Camilla did a great job, they were wonderful as was the food!

The evening was a truly joyous celebration of food and The Brecks Food festival. Les threw in a Brecks quiz which had the grey matter working over time! Distinguished supporters & guests included Elizabeth Truss MP, The Brecks Food Fest team, Camilla & Michael The Weekend Yoga Palace, Sister Francis and obviously Vanessa & Les Scott to name a few! Before we knew it the night was over we were left with a glorious & memorable evening!

The following day Saturday14th Sept the Ladies @Ladywood popped over to Oxborough Hall to see Rob. We met Elizabeth a lovely Scots Field Pig and her baby piglets! As I viewed Elizabeth I just kept tasting the beautiful pork from the night before. Thank God Elizabeth can’t read minds!  The ladies were so impressed we then went to Impsons, Swaffham & bought Scots Field sausages for our B & B guests, “they’ll love it”.

The Sacred Heart Crew

Sunday dawned and the ladies attended the long awaited Brecks Food Festival Farmers Market! We bought Apple Juice from Ashill, fresh fantastic bread and we ate a massive pork burger. We then met Francis another Scots Field Pig - RobThe Pigman was everywhere! We finished off with a lovely coffee at Les & Ness’ and two of their friends Crispin (no he’s not a spy) & “wicked” Laura! We were treated to beautiful chocolate tart and fruit tart crumble new for at CoCoes Delicious! The perfect end to our wonderful Food Festival experience! '

The Brecks Food Festival at Oxburgh Hall

Freddie & Harvey doing The Pig Trail at Oxborough Hall

This year as part of The Brecks Food Festival (which takes place during the third weekend of every September) we did lots of simple yet incredibly rewarding things, one of which was taking a Large Black Sow with some of her piglets to our neighbours at Oxburgh Hall for the day.

Volunteers & Staff at Oxburgh Hall

The Kitchen at ‘The Hall’ embraced the festival with open arms and everything that was served over the weekend had been sourced in The Brecks including The Breckland Banger sold by Impsons Butchers and made from Scott Field Pork.

We had anticipated & indeed met,  lots of children including Freddie & Harvey who had fun doing The Pig Trail that was organised by staff at Oxburgh Hall.  An unexpected pleasure however was hearing the memories that were prompted by some of the older generation that came to meet Elizabeth, our Large Black Sow.

Bob Greef

Half way through the day we realised that these recollections should be saved and turned on one of our mobile phones.  The Breckland View have kindly collated these very amateurish recordings and turned them into a delightful piece. By following the link you will find childhood memories of a very different Oxborough than the one that exists today from garden steward Bob Greef,  Suffolk Childhood memories of  pigs from Terry Squire of Bungay & ‘The Joke of the Day’ cracked by former National Trust photographer, Andrew Besley.

I hope that you enjoy listening as much as we did recording.....

Walk The Pork - The Finale

In this last of our series of blogs about our 2013 Farm Walk we pay tribute to the people without which it would not have been the huge success that it was .

Walk The Pork - The Photographer

A huge thank you to Maria Mercer. One of the things we forgot to organise was an official photographer so one of our guests Maria stepped into the role at the last minute. She took some of the best photos of our herd of pigs that we have ever seen - she has a real empathy with 'our girls' as the amazing photos she has kindly given us to use show.

Walk The Pork - The Cook

Our Secret weapon, Mrs Hartley, Norfolks best kept secret and the reason why both press and guests return year on year - not only to sample some great pork but also her cakes and biscuits.

Both Debbie & Maria are available for weddings, funerals &  bar mitzvahs and we are immensely grateful to both of them.....as we are to our great friend Lynda Eddy (sorry no photo) who as usual ensured that the day went without a hitch. She has missed her vocation as an events organiser!

A big thank you also goes to Kim Riley and his team at Look East for their part in raising the profile of our herd of beautiful Large Black Pigs - You can see his piece here

Plans are already under way for next year's event when we hope to introduce Wissey Valley Lamb and our herd of Romney & Jacob ewes as well as re-visiting some very photogenic pigs!

Walk The Pork & Visit Norfolk

We were joined at Walk The Pork by Keith Brown of Visit East Anglia as well as Pete Waters former editor of The EDP who now heads up Visit Norfolk.

Keith spoke briefly about the importance that micro businesses play in the tourist offer of East Anglia and this was expanded upon by Pete with particular reference to Norfolk.

‘The tourist industry is worth 2.8 billion pounds to the Norfolk economy and employs 54,000 people – half of these are employed on a full time basis.

The individual landscapes throughout the county provide different attractions to our visitors -  from the bucket & spade holidays in Great Yarmouth to the waterlands of The Broads and the gentile villages of North Norfolk to the untamed beauty of The Brecks. In addition we have a city of culture in Norwich and we are a royal county – Sandringham being a very important tourist destination.

These individual landscapes also provide individual food & drink experiences – something that in the past Norfolk has been very poor at promoting.

Rob has already explained why The Brecks are so good for outdoor pig production but why are Cromer crabs so good? It is because there is a reef just off the coast providing a unique habitat for these world famous crustaceans.

The North Norfolk Coast also provides the perfect environment for malting barley – again as a county we produce some of the best barley in the world – which explains the success of the fifty or so micro breweries that we have in this county.

About six years ago we set up The Norfolk Food & Drink Festival to help promote the individual offers that the different parts of Norfolk have to offer. It has grown since then into a month long celebration of everything that we have to attract tourists to our county. Food & Drink are the cherry on the cake as far as our tourist industry is concerned and foodwebs are becoming an increasingly important part of the attraction.

When Vanessa & Les Scott (of Strattons) have guests staying with them, these guests want to know the provence of the food that they are eating. They do not want to come to Norfolk to eat Walls Sausages what they want is to eat & to be told about Scotts Field Pork.

This is why local food webs are so important to tourism in our county as they add to the visitor experience of this amazing place.