• Restaurant foodie
Ruth

Ruth

Monday, 28 November 2016 11:57

Toms Salty Shack

Bang on at Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre. Tom's Salty Shack ...four fabulously fresh Mersea Island oysters and a glass of Prosecco. £8.00.

Sunday, 26 March 2017 11:54

Sisters in Cheese

We were thrilled to receive this parcel in the post; a selection of cheeses from The Fine Cheese Co. Delighted also that we were sent a selection to review called Sisters in Cheese, a one off selection created especially with Mothers Day in mind - the three cheeses recognising women's roles as cheese-makers down the ages, and a tribute to today's 'dairymaids'. A very appropriate range in time for our own Mothers Day lunch where my three daughters thought that it meant a cheese each! We're all cheese lovers in my house and considering that all three daughters worked for me at some point waitressing in my restaurant where only English cheeses were served they've had to learn their stuff, so I didn't mind sharing.        sisters in cheese

The selection included a Sharpham Brie which is a raw, Jersey cow's milk cheese made in Devon on the Sharpham Estate. Rich, delicate and creamy with an unctuous texture. The cheesemaker is Debbie Mundford. 

A baby Curworthy, a pasteurised cow's milk cheese dating back to the 17th century, and thought to be even older than Cheddar. Smooth, firm and mellow with a creamy flavour and made by Rachel Stevens.

Wigmore, a raw, Ewe's milk cheese with a gentle, delicate flavour and made in Berkshire by Anne Wigmore. 

The Fine Cheese Co is based in Bath, with a branch also in London just around the corner from Harvey Nicks. If you are unable to visit then the online selections and cheese gifts are very tempting with a frequently changing cornucopia of cheeses to choose from. I even spotted our own Suffolk produced Baron Brigod. My parcel arrived in great shape, with ice pack keeping it cool and the cheese all in perfect shape. A handy caring for your cheese and cheese etiquette leaflet included too.

 

 

Sunday, 26 March 2017 11:51

Meet Mossy

We met Amos Smith aka Mossy back in the middle of 2016 when he brought us some test jars of his deliciously moreish homemade yogurt. He wouldn't deliver until he was sure he had perfected the recipe, which had been handed down to him from his Auntie Jo.  So we waited patiently. When it finally arrived we loved the slighty sweetened, faintly caramel like natural bio yogurt. In fact we have been watching Mossy and waiting ... and waiting for the product to launch. At last Mossy has his production line up and running and his yogurt production perfected. Check out this map of stockists.

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Friday, 04 November 2016 11:26

Chilford Hall - A vineyard tour

My perfect kind of Autumn activity ... afternoon tea followed by a tour and walk in an English vineyard; then a wine tasting. What an entertaining afternoon Jed our guide at Chilford Hall Vineyard provided. We learnt how to grow and prune grapes, pick them, make them into wine and all about different styles of English wine and grape varieties. The tasting at the end included 5 wines. A thoroughly interesting and fun afternoon and how lucky for us to have a perfect, sunny late October day.

Tuesday, 21 February 2017 15:41

Back to Black ...

So while we are told to avoid burnt toast, charcoal remains the trendy detox, teeth whitening hangover cure. Popular in the good old U.S of A is the black coconut ash ice cream from Morgenstern. Noo Yawk.

Wednesday, 15 February 2017 21:47

Suffolk Food and Drink Awards 2017

The EADT Suffolk Food & Drink Awards 2017 close for entries at midnight on Wednesday 8th March. The EADT Suffolk Food & Drink Awards are a celebration of our flavoursome county. With its proud heritage of farming, coastal fishing and brewing, few places can boast the rich variety of produce found in Suffolk. The county’s producers and purveyors grow, rear, catch and cook some of the best food and drink to be found in Britain. From independent butchers, bakers and farm shops, to neighbourhood pubs, vibrant cafes and fine dining restaurants, the EADT Suffolk Food & Drink Awards recognise and reward them all. Enter or nominate a business now!

 

Saturday, 28 January 2017 16:28

G & Tea

2016 was a boom year for gin and the appetite for it seems to continue to grow. On 17th & 18th March the Long Melford Swan is holding a ‘Celebration of Gin’ weekend which sounds just up our street. It kicks off with a pop up bar on Friday from 6-9pm created by Williams Chase & Fever-Tree Tonic. A gin expert will be on hand to create a perfect G&T by using a variety of garnishes and flavours. The celebration continues on Saturday 18th March, with a gin masterclass and a carefully paired afternoon tea. Led by Hayman’s Distillers, the afternoon will include a tasting experience to explore the wide range of flavours in the nations favourite spirit. Tickets for the pop up gin bar are £5 per head which includes the first drink. The gin masterclass and afternoon tea is £32 per head. Spaces are limited so booking is essential. To book or find out more: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You are what you eat ... from ediblegovernment.com. God bless America!

Thursday, 15 December 2016 18:28

The Northgate.. not my cup of tea.

What's this all about then? I took 8 friends to the new Northgate in Bury for dinner on Sunday night. We started the evening with excellent cocktails in the bar. The bar staff were great, friendly and charming. Then it all went a bit downhill. My starter was good, main course satisfactory and dessert awful. The dessert wine didn't arrive until after the pudding and the coffee and tea order was eventually taken just before midnight.  As for the faff to make the tea. Do I need to be told to warm the cup, wait for it to brew ( timer supplied for the countdown) in order to get two mouthfuls of English Breakfast brew? The most spectacular thing of the night was the bill.

Tuesday, 06 December 2016 09:26

Baking and Blackthorpe Barn

With the help of my amazing niece Afiya Frank (pictured) I'm in full swing with my Little House of Cooking Cafe. For those of you that don't know I get stuck in for a couple of months from the end of October until Christmas running the cafe during the Christmas Festival at Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham. It's been so busy, baking madly with no time to blog and hardly time to sleep. Come and visit us if you get time, we are open from 10am until 4pm everyday up until and including 22nd December. It's not just cakes, we serve a very good Welsh Rarebit too!

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