It's always great to hear from Matti at Hedgerow Products . He embodies the spirit of locally produced food. Not for him using supermarket fruit for his jams - yes, some people do; he goes to great lengths to ensure that he uses ingredients sourced as locally as possible. He says:
Hello Phil,
It has been another bumper year in the hedgerow and there are some new product lines available. I have even had to purchase a second freezer to store much of what has been gleaned from the hedgerow and peoples' gardens.
Pear and walnut chutney has made a most popular comeback and the wild cherry jelly is fabulous. Hawthorn is so sought after I am having to put it into smaller jars so that it goes round further.
For those wishing to buy for Christmas see the website that is being updated and made more friendly.
Thank you
Matti
Monday 25 October 2010 at 5:49 pm
"I'm busy doing nothing,
working the whole day through,
Trying to find lots of things not to do.
I'm busy going nowhere,
isn't it just a crime,
I'd like to be unhappy,
but I never do get the time."
So sang Bing Crosby in the film, "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court". I know how he feels because although I'm up and about I've still got to "take things easy" - even though I'm raring to go!
So, just to have something to moan and go on about, here's a picture of the brisket of beef Pauline cooked on Saturday:
She browned it in the frying pan in a little oil, then browned onion, carrot and celery in the same pan, adding water when browned. The meat was sat on top of the veg and liquid in a sealed casserole and cooked at 140°C for about 4 hours - superb.
Now to climb onto my soapbox. To all you people who are still buying your meat from the supermarket - we bought two pieces of brisket from Joseph Morris's weighing a total of 2.95kg, each piece being just over 3lb. The cost, £7.83; the same amount of brisket would have cost £14.75 at the supermarket where you pat your back pocket. At the same time I bought 4.67kg of Pork Loin costing £16.49 - £3.53 per kg. At ASDA this would have cost £34.93 - £7.48 per kg.
Joseph Morris £24.32: ASDA £49.68. It's what the kids call a 'no brainer'; meat at half the price that tastes twice as good.
On the subject of saving money, if you're planning a trip to a PYO farm, check the prices before you go. I rang around for my Dad and found that the prices of raspberries vary from £1.20 to £2.50 a pound between farms.
I won't embarrass anyone by naming names but if the customer picks the fruit and there's no dealer's or retail shop profit to add on, how come the berries are dearer than the ready picked ones in the shops?
OK, I'll give you a clue, if you want good cheap berries, start with the PYO farms at the North of my map. Oh, OK then, I rang all but Seldom Seen Farm - cheapest were Wymeswold Self Pick and Scaddows Farm, followed closely by Cattows Farm - the rest lagged sadly behind.
A map of PYO farms is here.
Other things that have 'caught my eye' over the last couple of weeks include:
Nationally...
Jackie Schneider in the Guardian making a very good case for the money currently being spent on 'food campaigns' being reassigned to provide free school meals for all children.
EU restrictions on wonky fruit and vegetables are being lifted. It's ludicrous that they will still remain for some produce - give the consumer the choice and chance to buy them. Talk about a nanny state!
The Telegraph has a five-minute video recipe of Xanthe Clay preparing Bruschetta of haricot beans, lemon and chilli. That's a five-minute video of someone making posh beans on toast ...and they actually pay her to do this?
Locally...
'Matti' at Hedgerow products has been busy picking wild cherries - so look out for his cherry jelly.
Northfield Farm have added a new attraction - a farm walk - see all the animals and how a farm works.
...and finally, Mark at Rockingham Forest Cider has been cooking with chorizo, a new product from Ashley Herb Farm. At the moment they're only making fresh chorizo, but according to Mark, a cured version is also promised later in the year. I look forward to trying that.
Monday 13 July 2009 at 4:58 pm
Alastair 'Matti' Mattinson from Hedgerow Products has featured on this site a few times; mainly because he shares my view that, to be local produce, jams and pickles should be made from local ingredients
You may think that this is stating the obvious but it's amazing how many, so called, local producers don't use food produced locally.
Matti emailed me the other day to let me know of his latest innovation to be even more friendly to the environment. He says:
In my drive to be more environmentally friendly I have had a bit of luck. My new employee, Jackie Cheney, keeps Gloucester Old Spot pigs, the outcome of this is that all suitable waste material is now used to fatten their beasts at their farm in Countesthorpe before they head for Joseph Morris. Recycling at its positive best.
Sunday 03 February 2008 at 4:34 pm
Local Rapeseed Oil producer Welland Valley Oils now have there website online. Their list of stockists is unfortunately blank but the product is was available at the Langton Farm Shop when I visited in early December. I will add them to the main site when I have further details.
Monday 31 December 2007 at 4:10 pm
Dickinson & Morris have once again proved that commercially produced food can still be quality food by winning the award for best 'pie or pastry' at the Quality Food Awards 2007.
What with winning a '1 star Gold' at the Great Taste Awards 2007' earlier in the year, to add to the one they won in 2006; their trophy cabinet must be bursting at the seams!
Dickinson and Morris is owned by Samworth Brothers who also have a number of other brands within the company including Ginsters and Walkers Pork Pies. Visit the Dickinson & Morris web-site at www.porkpie.co.uk.
Friday 30 November 2007 at 1:20 pm
