Monday 29 December 2014

FOOD SAFETY IN MANUFACTURING LEVEL 2 AWARD (CIEH)


Select Lincolnshire for Food members are invited to attend a Food Safety in Manufacturing Level 2 Award (CIEH) course with the University of Lincoln

The aim of this course is to enforce the food hygiene legislation and give first tier workers an appreciation of the fundamentals of good food hygiene practice. People who work in the food industry have a special responsibility for safeguarding the health of their customers.

Cost: £90 per employee
Dates: One day course on 9 February 2015 & 15 April 2015.

Training can be arranged on site or at National Centre for Food Manufacturing, Holbeach
          
For more information and enquiries: 
+44 (0)1406 493000

Wednesday 24 December 2014

POTTED GOLDEN TURKEY, HAM AND PARSLEY WITH SOURDOUGH SOLDIERS


Chef Rachel Green is the Select Lincolnshire Champion and demonstrates at many of our events. A Lincolnshire farmer's daughter, Rachel had 20 years as a chef before developing a TV career.

This is a great way to use leftover turkey and ham and it freezes beautifully. If not freezing, keep refrigerated and eat within 3 days of the turkey being cooked.

Serves 6
Preparation time 15 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time 5-10 minutes

Ingredients
  • 150g/5oz butter
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 400g/14oz cooked Golden Turkey meat, white and dark, roughly chopped
  • 100g/4oz cooked ham, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp grated nutmeg
  • A pinch ground mace (Optional)
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp capers, rinsed (Optional)
  • 1 x 400g/14 oz loaf sour dough bread, sliced and griddled or toasted, to serve.
Clarified butter seal
  • 150g/5oz butter
Method
  1. In a large pan, melt the butter slowly and soften the garlic without browning. Add turkey and ham and mix well. Add the nutmeg, mace, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and chopped parsley. When heated through, place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz to a rough, coarse consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste then stir in the capers, if using.
  2. Pack the mixture into 6 small ramekins, earthenware pots or Kilner jars and place in the refrigerator to chill.
  3. To make the clarified butter seal, put the butter in a small pan over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat and cool a little. Skim off any foam and discard then carefully pour off the clear yellow fat (the clarified butter) into a container, discarding the milky residue left behind in the pan.
  4. Pour the clarified butter over each ramekin to seal the potted turkey. If liked, you could top the clarified butter with juniper berries, a bay leaf or some chilli flakes, to garnish. Leave to set then serve with the sourdough soldiers.

Wednesday 17 December 2014

GOLDEN TURKEY, HAM AND GRUYERE PASTIES


Chef Rachel Green is the Select Lincolnshire Champion and demonstrates at many of our events. A Lincolnshire farmer's daughter, Rachel had 20 years as a chef before developing a TV career.

These are great for packed lunches, or try making mini versions to serve as party bites.

Makes 6-8
Preparation time 25 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time 25-30 minutes

Ingredients
  • 400g/14oz plain flour
  • Pinch of mustard powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 200g/7oz butter, chilled and diced
  • 1 medium egg, beaten
  • A little milk
For the filling:
  • 25g/1oz butter
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 250g/9oz cooked/roasted Golden Turkey, dark and white meat, cubed
  • 125g/4 1/2 oz ham, cubed
  • 125g/4 1/2 oz Gruyére cheese, grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp double cream
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 egg, beaten, for brushing and glazing
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4 and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. First make the pasty. Sift the flour, mustard powder and salt into a large bowl then, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and mix well then ass enough milk to make a firm dough. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and sage and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is soft - about 5 minutes. Season and leave to cool.
  4. Add the turkey, ham, cheese, parsley, cream, mayonnaise and mustard to the onion mix and season. (If mixture is a little dry, add more cream)
  5. Divide the pastry into 6 equal pieces and roll each out to a 23cm/9in disc on a lightly floured board. Lay the pastry discs on the board and divide the filling equally between the centres of each, leaving a margin at the edges. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg then carefully draw the pastry up to form a seam across the top then pinch together to create a seal.
  6. Arrange the pasties on the baking tray, glaze with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 10 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 170°C, 325°F, Gas 3 and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Monday 15 December 2014

NotOnTheHighstreet.Com PICKS PERCY’S

Select Lincolnshire for Food member, Percy's Tea, is now selling through the online retailer NotOnTheHighstreet.com


The online retailer, which carefully selects all its suppliers for quality and originality, is a firm favourite for online shoppers. Being picked as a trusted supplier is a great achievement.

Well done Percy's Tea!

You can see the online listing for Percy's Tea gift pack here. 


SHARE YOUR PICS ON PINTEREST WITH US



Don’t forget send us your images or share on twitter, facebook or pinterest.

As well as our social media Twitter and Facebook accounts - did you know that we also have Pinterest!

Our new Pinterest account will allow us to share your photos with all of our followers.

Look out for our recipe boards, transport boards, festivals, markets, agricultural machinery, flowers - the sky is the limit. If you have any more suggestions, let us know.

Have a look - www.pinterest.com/lovefoodlincs

Send us your pictures- email your pictures to Gillian.Richardson@Lincs-Chamber.co.uk

IS YOUR WEBSITE LISTING UP TO DATE?

As we look forward to the beginning of a new year, we're asking: Have you updated your listing on the Select Lincolnshire for Food website?


The Select Lincolnshire for Food website holds details of every member, so it is easy for members of the public and also other businesses to find you.

Please ensure that your prices, contact details, website and opening times are up to date.

My details need changing: If you want to change or refresh your details, send your amends to Gillian.Richardson@Lincs-Chamber.co.uk




MEMBER DISCOUNT: 5% SAVING AT LINCOLNSHIRE SHOW 2015

Select Lincolnshire for Food Members can get 5% discount on Lincolnshire Show 2015 bookings. 


Look out for your booking reminder for the 2015 Lincolnshire Show from Sally Mundy at the Showground.

Hot food providers will be invited to book their stands soon, but if you have any questions please email trade@lincolnshireshowground.co.uk

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEWS STORIES FOR THE NEXT GOOD TASTE MAGAZINE?

The next edition of Good Taste Magazine will launch in March 2015 and we're looking for member news! 


Send in your news
We’ll welcome news such as recent award wins, new products, new premises or equipment which would be of interest to the readers of the magazine. Or you are planning an event over spring and summer 2015 please send your details over to Amanda.Davey@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Check your listing
If you have a business listing in the back of the magazine could you please check and make sure your contact details are correct and the write up is up to date. If you don't have the magazine to hand, you can check it on the Select Lincolnshire for Food Website, just click on the GT front cover on the left after you've scrolled down a little:

If you haven't a listing and would like one as a member, please let Gillian Richardson know – Gillian.Richardson@Lincs-Chamber.co.uk

SELECT AWARDS 3rd FEBRUARY 2015 - SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES


Would you like to sponsor the Select Lincolnshire for Food Awards 2015?

From donating your produce for the menu to sponsoring the drinks reception - there is something to suit every budget. 

Every year, we celebrate the best of Lincolnshire produce and our members who promote not only their business but the county as a whole.

We are delighted to announce that once again in partnership with Lincolnshire Life Cuisine Awards we will be celebrating the best of Lincolnshire's food industry with the Select Lincolnshire Food and Drink Awards, in the delightful surroundings of The White Heather, Caenby Corner, Market Rasen.

There will be many opportunities for marketing associated with these awards including press releases, social media and web site representation.

We would like to offer you the chance to participate in these marketing opportunities, by choosing one of the sponsorship packages below.

Menu Sponsor - £600
  • Two free tickets for the Awards' Ceremony
  • Select Lincolnshire Website permanent entry on the 2015 awards page with link
  • Inclusion in social media streams - Twitter followers: over 6,000, @LoveFoodLincs, #LFDA15 and Facebook LoveFoodSelectLincolnshire
  • Inclusion in Select Lincolnshire online newsletters, member and consumer
  • Coverage on the Lincolnshire Chamber website news
  • Logo in the awards coverage in the business magazine Chamber Business Matters
  • Highlighted on the printed Programme/Menu
  • Represented digitally at the Awards' Ceremony
  • Reception sponsor exclusive rights to place/distribute promotional material in the drinks reception area together with on-site signage/branding (subject to approval)
  • Exclusive sponsor logo on all tickets sent to attendees
 Drinks Reception Sponsor - £600

  • Two free tickets for the Awards' Ceremony
  • Select Lincolnshire Website permanent entry on the 2015 awards page with link
  • Inclusion in social media streams - Twitter followers: over 6,000, @LoveFoodLincs, #LFDA15 and Facebook LoveFoodSelectLincolnshire
  • Inclusion in Select Lincolnshire online newsletters, member and consumer
  • Coverage on the Lincolnshire Chamber website news
  • Logo in the awards coverage in the business magazine Chamber Business Matters
  • Highlighted on the printed Programme/Menu
  • Represented digitally at the Awards' Ceremony
  • Reception sponsor exclusive rights to place/distribute promotional material in the drinks reception area together with on-site signage/branding (subject to approval)
  • Exclusive sponsor logo on all tickets sent to attendees
Individual Awards Sponsor - £350 per award

Each of the following awards offer a sponsorship opportunity

- Teaching Establishment of the Year
- Hotel of the Year
- Bed & Breakfast of the Year
- Grower of the Year
- Tea Room of the Year
- Pub of the Year
- Restaurant of the Year
- Retailers of the Year
- Wholesalers of the Year
- Self-Catering Establishment of the Year
- Caterers of the Year
- Function Venue of the Year

The awards sponsorship package offers:
  • Two free tickets for the Awards' Ceremony
  • Select Lincolnshire Website permanent entry on the 2015 awards page with link
  • Inclusion in social media streams - Twitter followers: over 6,000, @LoveFoodLincs, #LFDA15 and Facebook, LoveFoodSelectLincolnshire
  • Inclusion in Select Lincolnshire online newsletters, member and consumer
  • Coverage on the Lincolnshire Chamber website news
  • Logo in the awards coverage in the business magazine Chamber Business Matters
  • Highlighted on the printed Programme/Menu
  • Represented digitally at the Award's Ceremony
Additional
Food Sponsors - if you are interested in supplying Lincolnshire products from the list below for the menu, donated or at cost, you will be highlighted in the published menu on the evening and on the website and in social media.

    • Beef 
    • Pork 
    • Goats Cheese 
    • Vegetables
    • Potatoes 
    • Cream 
    • Winter Berries 
    • Chocolates for Coffee 
    • Any Cheese 


Prize sponsors - if you are interested in surprising a lucky guest with a gift for our prize hamper, your business will be highlighted on the website and during the evening included on social media.

If you are interested in one of these sponsorship packages, please contact Alison Mackfall on 01522 846922 or email Alison.Mackfall@lincs-chamber.co.uk

Keep your eyes peeled for more info on the Select Food and Drink Awards here on the blog!

Thursday 11 December 2014

WINTER GOLDEN TURKEY, VEGETABLE AND LENTIL BROTH WITH POACHED EGG


Chef Rachel Green is the Select Lincolnshire Champion and demonstrates at many of our events. A Lincolnshire farmer's daughter, Rachel had 20 years as a chef before developing a TV career.

This dish is also lovely with a spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt on top. If you like, you can replace the butternut squash with pumpkin or swede

Try this tasty recipe and see more at  the local kitchen tv web site -  localkitchen.tv

Serves 6

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 50 minutes - 1 hour

Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
  • 2 celery sticks, trimmed and sliced
  • 2 leeks, washed, cut into rings and well rinsed
  • 1/2 mild chili, deseeded and finely diced or a pinch of dried chilli flakes 
  • 1 spring fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • 175g/6oz green lentils, washed and drained 
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 
  • 1.75/3pt rich home-made Golden Turkey stock or vegetable
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 175g/6oz cooked/roasted Golden Turkey, diced
  • Handful kale, cabbage or spinach, chopped
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 
Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan, add the onion, carrots, butternut squash, celery and leeks. Toss thoroughly through the oil and brown very slightly. Turn the heat down and add the chilli, thyme, paprika, cumin, coriander, lentils and garlic.
  2. Cook for a further 30 seconds, add the stock and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer then cover with a lid and cook as gently as possible for 40 minutes. Add the turkey and kale or cabbage or spinach. Cook for a further 10 minutes then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
  3. Just before serving, poach the eggs to preference and stir the parsley into the soup.
  4. To serve, ladle the soup into warm bowls, top each with a poached egg and sprinkle with a little smoked paprika. Serve with crusty bread, if liked.

CHRISTMAS PANCAKE BLINI WITH PARMA HAM, FAIRBURN'S LINCOLNSHIRE POACHED EGGS AND HOLLANDAISE


Chef Rachel Green is the Select Lincolnshire Champion and demonstrates at many of our events. A Lincolnshire farmer's daughter, Rachel had 20 years as a chef before developing a TV career. This is a bespoke Fairburns egg recipe from Rachel.

 Ingredients

  • 15g butter
  • 75g self-raising flour
  • 50g whole meal flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 2 Fairburn's medium free range eggs, separated
  • 150ml milk
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 sliced Parma ham
  • 4 Fairburn's large free range eggs poached
To Serve
  • Hollandaise sauce
  • A handful of washed rocket leaves
  • A pinch of paprika (optional)
Method
  1. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan (23cm) and keep to one side. Sift the flours into a mixing bowl with the baking powder and 1/4 tsp. of salt and some black pepper. Mix together the egg yolks and milk. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and gradually beat in the liquid until you have a smooth batter then whisk in most of the melted butter.
  2. In a seperate bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them into the batter.
  3. Heat the frying pan with the remains of the melted butter then pour in the batter. Swirl around to cover the base of the pan evenly and cook for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat until the underside is golden and bubbles appear on the top side, which should be almost set.
  4. Slide blini out on to a dinner plate, then using an oven glove, upturn the pan onto the plate, then turn the pan and plate over to cook the other side of the blini for about 2 minutes.
  5. Remove from the pan on to a board. To serve cut the blini into 4 pieces and place them onto a warm serving plate and then top with the Hollandaise sauce, scatter over the rocket and top the poached eggs with a little paprika.
Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients
  • 2 Fairburn's large free-range egg yolks
  • 125g cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 1tbsp. lemon juice
  • sea salt
Method
  1. Place the egg yolks and lemon juice in a heat proof bowl, whisk well.
  2. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl is not in direct contact with the water. 
  3. Slowly whisk in the butter, a few cubes at a time, until the sauce begins to thicken, continue adding the butter, whisking all the time, adding a splash of water if the sauce becomes to thick.
  4. Once all the butter has been incorporated, season with a little sea salt and more lemon if necessary.
  5. Remove from the heat and keep warm till needed.
TIP: If you can't use the egg whites up from the Hollandaise recipe straight away they will freeze.

MEDIA CONTACT FOR SELECT MEMBERS

Hazel Donnelly recently approached Select Lincolnshire about offering her services as a Media Contact for member.

I am Project Director of New Media Lincs, which has been set-up as a Social Enterprise, to provide reasonably priced work for businesses, charities, local authorities and the community.

The business is affiliated with the Media Faculty at the University of Lincoln and we can provide students who will produce high calibre filming, photography, graphics, sound and music production, web design, animation, and social media.

We also have excellent facilities for hire in the form of HD TV studios, music recording and photographic studios, editing suites and conference facilities.

We have also expanded our equipment recently to include High Speed cameras, drones and Oculus Rift.

Please have a look at our showreel and website to see the range and calibre of work available.

http://youtu.be/p06NNLNIWck  degree show 2013


For more information, contact Hazel Donnelly on 07860435026 or email hdonnelly@lincoln.ac.uk


UNCLE HENRY'S LINCOLNSHIRE SAUSAGE WINS THE ONE SHOW

Matt Baker (Presenter), Emma Ward (Uncle Henry's General Manager), Alex Jones (Presenter), Sam Ward (Uncle Henry's)

Uncle Henry’s Butchery, 15 miles north of Lincoln, has won the Best Sausage Award for their Lincolnshire Sausage live on the BBC One Show.

On Wednesday, Uncle Henry’s attended the BBC One Shows’ Sausage Festival held at their studios in London. Throughout the day, Uncle Henry’s were selling their award winning Lincolnshire sausages to members of the public alongside 5 other butchers from across the country.

At 7pm, the One Show went live and Emma Ward, General Manager at Uncle Henry’s was interviewed live on the show by presenter Matt Baker and guest Harry Hill. When asked how the Lincolnshire sausage open texture is created, Emma said, ‘We are 5th generation farmers and butchers and we make our Lincolnshire Sausages with our award winning home reared pork. We use only the finest cuts, the shoulder and the belly to achieve the characteristic open texture of our Lincolnshire Sausage’. The Uncle Henry’s Lincolnshire sausage is flavoured with a secret combination of black pepper and sage to give it its great taste.

Uncle Henry’s Lincolnshire sausage was judged against the other butchers sausages by members of the public throughout the day and Harry Hill announced Uncle Henry’s as the winner at the end of the live show. In the closing credits, Emma said ‘we are so pleased to have brought the counties most iconic food product to the capital and to be going home with the trophy’.

The One Show trophy is now in pride of place back on display in the Uncle Henry’s butchery.

CHEESEMAKERS ARE ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Mary Davenport - turning Cote Hill Blue cheeses in the farm dairy
It’s official - Lincolnshire is home to one of the world’s best cheeses after one of Cote Hill Cheese’s specialities worked its magic on judges from across the globe in an international competition!

Creamy Cote Hill Blue, which was entered into two classes at the World Cheese Awards, scooped a Super Gold accolade and was named one of the World’s 62 Best Cheeses, at the hotly-contested event at London’s Olympia.

And a sister product, Cote Hill Lindum – which has a rind washed in Tom Wood’s ale - also scooped a silver award.

Cote Hill Blue was the first cheese produced by the family-run business from Osgodby, near Market Rasen, which is headed by Michael and Mary Davenport, who have more recently been joined by one of their four sons, Joe.

Cote Hill is no stranger to cheesemaking competitions, and its latest success follows a double win this summer when Cote Hill Lindum won gold and was also named Best New Cheese in the British Cheese Awards at the Royal Bath & West Show.

While that was great news – The World Cheese Awards, organised by The Guild of Fine Food and staged at the BBC Good Food Show – are even more prestigious and on a much bigger scale!

Farmer Michael Davenport checking on the Cote Hill herd of dairy cattle
Mary Davenport said: “The British Cheese Awards are restricted to entries from Great Britain. At the World Awards, we pitted out blue cheese against about 2,700 others from 33 countries, including America, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, France, Croatia, Austria and Italy, so it was a real thrill to get a Super Gold certificate.

“More than 250 expert judges from 26 countries travelled to the event and they had to pick the medal winners and the 62 Super Golds from the thousands of entries.”

Michael Davenport said: “Cote Hill Blue is the first cheese we made and launched it commercially in 2005. It is the most popular and our best-seller. We know it has a distinctive quality and we call it our signature cheese, but the Super Gold award raises its profile even further.”

Typically, the Davenports’ have little time to reflect on their phenomenal success, because their latest accolade has come at a time when they are busy meeting rising demand in the run-up to Christmas.

Shoppers can buy their favourite Cote Hill cheeses at farmers’ markets in Lincoln, Sleaford and Brigg, at farm shops and in selected retail outlets. Cote Hill Cheese also supplies selected restaurants.

Michael and Mary Davenport are proud to call themselves artisan cheesemakers, and produce their range of products using the creamy morning milk from their 70-strong herd of Friesian and Red Poll dairy herd.

Monday 8 December 2014

FRESHTIME WINS TOP AWARD FOR FOOD TO GO


Lincolnshire snack salad and vegetable specialist Freshtime UK scooped first prize in the Food To Go category at the Quality Food and Drink Awards in London last night (Thursday).

Freshtime won for The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Hot Smoked Salmon Salad, which it makes at its headquarters in Boston.

It was the firm’s second national award in a matter of weeks – Freshtime also won a national prize at the Wholesale Quality Food and Drink Awards when its SPAR Sweet Chilli Noodles came out on top in the Delicatessen category in September.

“It was fantastic to win another prize last night,” said Bryan Nelson, National Account Manager at Freshtime, who collected the award. “These two awards are a tremendous boost for everyone working in our business.

“We’re delighted that the judges have recognised the care we put into preparation and the emphasis we place on the high-quality ingredients we use in our products.

“Food to go is a really important and growing category for us, so to win this award against some really excellent competition is a terrific achievement.”

Freshtime, based on the Riverside Industrial Estate on Marsh Lane in Boston, is a leading supplier of chilled, value added, ready-to-eat salads, snacks, prepared vegetables and sandwich fillers to leading multiple retailers and food service operators.

Celebrating Britain’s greatest food and drink producers from around the country, the Quality Food and Drink Awards brought together over 900 guests, 1,200 entrants and the UK’s leading supermarkets. Eighty-seven products were awarded the coveted QFA and QDA trophies.

The 35th Quality Food and Drink Awards were presented by comedian Andy Parsons and The Great British Bake Off’s 2012 winner John Whaite at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London.

All the winners were chosen by a judging panel comprised of experts and influencers from the food industry. The Quality Food and Drink Awards celebrate the success of food and drink products that are on sale in grocery outlets throughout the UK.

To find out more about the Quality Food Awards, visit www.qualityfoodawards.com, become a friend on Facebook: www.facebook.com/QualityFoodAwards or follow them on Twitter, @QualFoodAwards.

HOW EASY IS IT FOR BUSINESS TO ACCESS FINANCE?


Can you access finance to enable your business to grow?

That’s the question being asked by the Local Enterprise Partnerships in the East Midlands and South East Midlands, who are are conducting an online survey of businesses in the region.

The survey aims to find out to what extent businesses in the East Midlands can access finance, and the results will feed into the development of a new financial product for Lincolnshire businesses.

“We would like to know about your experience if you have sought funding recently or if you plan to seek funding for future investment projects,” said Samantha Harrison from Lincolnshire County Council, which is co-ordinating the survey.

“We would also like to know if you have experienced any barriers to growth.

“By completing the survey you will be helping the LEPs in the East Midlands and South East Midlands to decide how to use their funds to help small and medium sized enterprises.”

To complete the survey visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AccesstoFinanceSurvey2014.

To find out more about the Greater Lincolnshire LEP visit www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk.

Friday 21 November 2014

BEHIND THE SCENE – EMMA WARD, GENERAL MANAGER, UNCLE HENRY’S FARM SHOP, BUTCHERY & CAFÉ

In the second of our new series called Behind the Scene, we took a trip to Grayingham, near Gainsborough to Uncle Henry’s Farm Shop, Butchery and Café.  


The award winning Farm Shop, Butchery and Café based in the Lincolnshire countryside, and showcases the best in local and regional food and drink.

Winners of over 100 industry awards, the family run business continues to go from strength to strength every year.

We caught up with Emma Ward, General Manager (and the next generation of the family learning the ropes), to find out where her passion for local food and drink comes from – and to find out why the business was called Uncle Henry’s? 


Tell us about your background and how you came to the role you are in?
My passion is great tasting local food! Growing up on a pork and potato farm, I have always had an interest in food. I’ve spent the last few years exploring various aspects of food industry, from manufacturing to large scale retailing before returning home to run Uncle Henry’s Farm Shop, Butchery & Café, our family business. Our mission is to be the heart of good food; we aim to provide an exceptional customer food shopping and eating experience, making us the destination of choice for local people.

What does Lincolnshire mean to you?
Lincolnshire to me means wide open spaces, the rolling hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds, glorious sunsets and of course prime agricultural land producing much of our countries cereals, vegetables, ornamental crops, pigs, eggs & poultry, prime Lincoln Red Cattle & Lincolnshire , sheep.

How did you get started?
We are a family run farm shop, butchery and café, just off the A15 near Kirton-in-Lindsey. Uncle Henry’s was started by my parents in 2006 although we’ve been producing and butchering top quality food in our family for five generations. The business takes its name from our family friend Henry Wright who used to live in the house behind the farm shop which is still visible from our outside dining courtyard. The name of the business was taken from my brothers & I asking our Mum if we could ‘go and visit Uncle Henry’s?’ as we used to love playing in the then derelict barns when we were younger! The former agricultural barns have now been converted into the farm shop, butchery and café, retaining and enhancing many of their existing features.

Team – Tell us about your team.
All of our efforts would not be possible without our dedicated team of 24 full and part time staff members. All of our team are local people themselves, and they are essential to our business success. We are Investors in People and we invest in our team’s training and development but above all else, we make Uncle Henry’s an enjoyable place to work.

Tell us which local producers do you use
Uncle Henry’s majors on sourcing fresh, local and seasonal products. We produce and make many of the products that we sell ourselves including our award winning sausages and bacon and we’re always developing new lines to add to our range. We use as many local ingredients in our home produced added value products as we can – for example our Argy Bargy Sausage is made using Mr Huda’s Curry Paste from Scunthorpe.

We are proud to support over 40 Lincolnshire producers; our local food heroes! We see ourselves as a hub for Lincolnshire food and an outlet for local food businesses to showcase their product. We have some fantastic local producers from Primrose Free Range Eggs from Goltho, to Pollybell Organic Vegetables from Epworth, Myers Plumbread in Horncastle and local Croft Apiaries Honey from Bishop Norton whose bee’s hive on our farm.

Do you engage with local community groups or put on events?
We strive to make a positive difference to our community, whether that be through our support of other local food businesses, educating children through over 40 school visits per year, our work with local charities and groups or just being a fun destination for local people to meet, greet, relax and enjoy!

Our calendar of events is action packed and ever expanding. Some of our events have been so popular that they are now annual calendar fixture. Our annual Open Farm Sunday attracts both young and old with over 3,000 attending this year. It is a free event and a fantastic opportunity for us to bring together both the farm shop and farming side of the business and for our customers to learn more about how their food is produced. We run the event in conjunction with our local Rotary Club and all proceeds go to their chosen charities – this year, we raised £2,576.86.

In July, we ran a curry night to raise funds for Lindsey Lodge Hospice where one of our expert Lincolnshire producers ‘Green Saffron’ were chefs for the evening and we raised over £150. We also support charity events held outside of Uncle Henry’s through donations of raffle prizes for example. This year to date, we have donated over twenty high tea’s for two for events such as Hibaldstow’s Scarecrow and Open Garden Day which raised £2,546.00 and Wise Owls Nursery in Kirton-in-Lindsey who raised £224.00.

On an international platform, where does Lincolnshire sit?
One of Lincolnshire’s primary industries is Agriculture, providing export products of all agricultural commodities.

Lincolnshire is becoming a great tourist destination and through our rail and air travel links, the county is highly accessible. Uncle Henry’s caters for this growing tourist market through our position as a one stop shopping destination.

What’s your favourite food fantasy/recipe and why?
It will probably come as no surprise (being pig farmers!) that we have chosen a pork recipe as our favourite. Coming into the autumn and winter months, this is a firm favourite for Sunday lunch.

What would you say to other Select Lincolnshire members?
If you’re a grower or producer, come and speak to us – we are always looking for new products & ideas!!

How do you channel your food passion within your business and personally.
We consider our USP to be our farm to fork experience, providing the very best in locally sourced produce whether that’s grown, made or butchered here at Uncle Henry’s or sourced from our Lincolnshire suppliers. We do however need to keep our shopping experience interesting and exciting for our customers and I channel my food passion through Uncle Henry’s by always looking ahead to the next new idea to ensure that we continue to delight our customers through our fantastic food offer which is great quality and affordable.

I channel my passion for food personally through cooking and I am an avid collector of recipe books! I will happily sit down in an evening and read a good recipe book and my favourite at the moment is Rosie Ramsden’s The Recipe Wheel. I love the concept of this cookbook which turns the style of a traditional recipe book completely around. Her book is based around a range of simple core recipes such as a risotto. From this core recipe, a bit like a mind map, leads different recipe options to suit your time, the occasion and your budget.

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UNCLE HENRY'S TRADITIONAL ROAST PORK WITH MUSTARD AND BALSAMIC GLAZE




A delicious Lincolnshire recipe which serves six people. 
Ingredients:
2.25kg Uncle Henry’s Lincolnshire Pork Lion, bone in
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 tbsp Rapeseed Oil (we love Ownsworth’s, made in South Lincolnshire near Grantham)
Sea salt

For the glaze:
3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey

For the stuffed apples:
6 eating apples
60g butter
1 medium onion peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 lemons, rind of, finely grated
1 lemon, juice
120g fine fresh breadcrumbs
Sea salt and black pepper

Method:

  • Pre heat the oven to 220/gas mark 7.
  • Rub the pork all over with the cut sides of the halved garlic cloves, drizzle with the oil and massage the sea salt into the rind.
  • Place the pork in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, reduce the temperature of the oven to 180/gas mark 4 and cook for a further one hour.
  • Mix together all of the ingredients needed for the balsamic glaze, remove the pork from the oven and brush with the glaze mixture. Return to the oven and cook for the remaining hour, basting every 10-15 minutes.
  • For the stuffed apples, cut the tops off all of the apples approximately 1/3 down from the top and remove the entire core. Heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft and golden in colour. Add the rosemary, parsley and lemon rind and stir well.
  • Remove from the heat and add the mixture to the fresh breadcrumbs and use the lemon juice to bind. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Generously stuff the apples with the mixture and place the lid of the apples back on top.  Drizzle with a little pork juice over the top of the apples. Cook for 30-40 minutes at 180 until soft.


Serve the apples around the roast pork and enjoy!

For more information - www.unclehenrys.co.uk