Food For Fork #2
For Starters...
Hello and welcome to another edition of Food for Fork! I'm still experimenting with what to include and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Just hit reply and give me your honest feedback.
Spring has got off to a busy start. I'm setting up a network for ambitious food producers here in the South West, called The Natural Network, and designing an event called Feed The Chef, where 12 chefs will rotate the tables of 12 carefully curated, exciting local producers.
I have been biting hard into my wish list of places to eat and can't praise highly enough Pip's Railway Carriage between Illminster & Yeovil, as well as Bath's Beckford Canteen. Batcombe's new Three Horseshoes is next on my list, all in the name of research!
And of course I spend a lot of my time digging out exciting foodie adventures to share with you. So let's get on with that!
The Main Course...
Lambing
It's incredibly important that we know where our food comes from and that we learn about all parts of the circle of life. With this in mind why not head down to Cools Farm and spend the morning as a volunteer shepherd/shepherdess. You can get hands on with feeding the orphan lambs, tagging and recording lamb births and if you're lucky you might even witness a live birth!
8th - 12th May
Cools Farm, East Knoyle, SP3 6DB, UK
Click to find out more
Somerset Day at Dowding's
To celebrate Somerset Day properly you'll want to be outdoors, enjoying local produce. Dowding's are opening their orchard to you and sharing how their apple juice & cider is made. With blossom on the trees and bluebells in the woods, this will be one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit.
11th-13th May, 10:00 - 22:00
Apple HQ, Shepton Montague, Wincanton BA9 8JP
Click to find out more
Scarecrow Trail
If you have young kids you know it can be hard dreaming up fun things to do at weekends and during school holidays. Well Palette and Pasture have you sorted with their Scarecrow Trail. This is an outdoor activity complete with worksheet and treats. There is also an art competition running along side this and of course at the end you can treat yourself to gelato. They usually have the bouncy castles up and some farm animals out too!
From May 20th
Palette and Pasture, Trudoxhill
Click to find out more
Fire School - The Perfect Steak
For me food and the outdoors are intrinsically linked. What better way to experience the farm to fork experience than by learning how to prep and cook great beef outside, on a naked flame. Anyone can throw a couple of sausages on the BBQ but perfecting the art of fire-cooked meat will be a real game changer to your culinary skills.
5th May, 10:00- 14:00
High Grange, Axminster, EX13 7EG
Click to find out more
Hot Sauce
Let's be honest the weather is going to let us down time and time again, so if you're someone who likes it hot, check out this DIY hot sauce and fermented condiments workshop with Get Pickled.
11th May, 18:00 - 20:00
Lo Rapitenc, Frome, BA11 1AN
Click to find out more
Asian Street Food Workshop
I love me a cookery class, even more so when it's an intimate group, hosted in a home kitchen. Let Ben from Somerset Foodie guide you through the ingredients and techniques needed to recreate some of South East Asia's best-loved street food.
18th August, 18.30-22:00
The Old Vicarage, Norton St Philip, Bath
Click to find out more
A Little Something Sweet...
In this space I add some extras that don't quite fit under the heading of Food Experiences, but that might just tempt you you read on.
10th – 18th June... Get these dates for Frome's Great Big Green Week 2023 in your diary now. I've heard rumours of some seriously cool foodie events. Here's one to whet your appetite... To coincide with June’s Somerset Farmers Market at The Boyle Cross, Lo Rapitenc will be serving a menu to showcase local produce direct from market producers, but with a Catalan twist. Sat June 10th, 12pm-3pm and 6pm-10pm. Booking advised.
Runaway Train... something for the physically active foodies. Run (or walk) through beautiful Somerset landscapes and be rewarded at the end with a cider and Boxty feast in Shepton Mallet's market place. A boxty is an Irish potato pancake, incase you didn't know (I didn't!).
Givino Gin & Wine is a new shop that has opened its doors in Frome who are keen to see our English offerings alongside bottles from the more traditional wine regions.
I really enjoyed the Pomona Supper Club in March and the next event is happening on the 20th May. They've recently posted a sneak peak at the menu and it looks amazing!
Should markets be something I include in these newsletters? I think a market is an experience, especially when you can sample local, artisan produce. Here are two that both take place on the last Sunday of the month.
Bridgwater Independent Market
The Market at Haynes Motor Museum (Yeovil)
If you have enjoyed this please forward to your foodie friends and family, both local and those from further afield that might wish to visit the South West with their tasting spoons at the ready.
If you know of food experiences that I should feature in a future newsletter just hit reply and let me know!
Thank you from The Tale of a Teaspoon