Local Produce Personalities
The New Forest is full of wonderful local produce, that is used by local pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels, bed & breakfasts, attractions and loads more businesses across the New Forest, making their dishes out of this world delicious and to make visitors experiences that extra bit special, by supporting local producers. Lots of local produce can also be bought in local shops for residents and visitors to buy and enjoy in their own time, whether as an afternoon snack or to take home and create their own masterpieces in their kitchens.
From local cheese and smoked meats, to farmers growing seasonal crops, local ales and ciders to sweet treats and savoury bakes, and behind every local produce company, big or small, are the incredible local producers that create the products!
That’s why this year, we’re celebrating these amazing people, who create these incredible products for everyone to enjoy!
See below to find out which local producers have been chosen and find out more about them with their interesting stories, photographs and videos…
Flora at The Forest Foodie!
The Forest Foodie create locally sourced New Forest hampers and picnics.
Read more about The Forest Foodie in this interview with Flora :
- When did you set up The Forest Foodie?
I launched The Forest Foodie in July 2021, in fact this week is our first birthday. So in the middle of lockdown, we like a challenge!
- What made you set the business up in the first place?
The main driver for setting up The Forest Foodie was to bring a taste of The New Forest to those visiting our uniquely special corner of England. To bridge the gap between so many incredible local suppliers and producers with not only those visiting but also to fellow locals. We wanted to make an impact, create foodie experiences whilst supporting the circular economy of The New Forest. To tell the story behind where the food comes from, how it’s prepared, how the meat is reared, and the people behind it. We wanted to set up something unique and sustainable whilst supporting as many local businesses as possible.
- What products and services are available to residents and visitors of the New Forest from The Forest Foodie?
We have three offerings: Gift Hampers, Picnics & Fresh Hampers, and Dine at Home experiences.
It goes without saying they are all packed with local produce. Our Gift Hampers can be sent UK wide and in gorgeous wicker Hampers we include goodies such as New Forest Shortbread, Honey made from New Forest Bees, Artisan Award Winning Chocolates, New Forest Tea, New Forest Wine and so much more. Our Picnics & Fresh Hampers can be delivered to holiday cottages, homes and yachts. Our Dine at Home Experiences are perfect for dinner parties, treats, anniversaries or nights you just don’t fancy cooking and fancy something a bit different to your standard takeaway
- Can you name some of the local produce that you use in your hampers and picnics?
Of course so they range from Surf & Turf – with Local Lobster, Fillet of New Forest Beef, with New Forest Sparkling Wine, to dressed Crab with a Mango Chilli Salsa. Our Beaulieu Hamper has local Cheeses and Charcuterie made from Pannage Pork (when commoners turn their pigs out onto the Forest to eat the acorns – the flavour is very unique). We helped to choose the blend for the 2020 Brook Hill White Wine based in Bramshaw in The New Forest – which has just won an award. Their wines are incredible and complement the seafood very well. Other Picnics & Fresh Hampers include a BBQ Hamper – perfect for glamping.
- What has been the most popular option so far?
Our seafood Picnic Hampers, in particular The Salterns Hamper. Local Lobster, Local Dressed Crab, Mango Chilli Salsa, Local Sparkling Wine, Salad, Garlic Mayo, Sourdough & Farmhouse Butter.
- Do you think there is a growing trend towards the use of local produce?
Absolutely, I genuinely think that one of the positives that has come out of lockdown and Covid-19 is that is has made people much more aware about where their food comes from and the importance of supporting your local butcher on the high street (not just the one time at Christmas for your turkey!) A big focus for us is to be able to bring to life and tell the story from behind the scenes of food producers locally, it’s an education piece. How can we change the mindsets of people shopping in supermarkets because they can be cheaper? Local produce can be more expensive but it is so much better, tastier, it doesn’t cut corners. You can truly see the impact of buying locally, as well as reducing food miles and eating far better quality food.
- Explain a bit more about your initiative 'Dinner at Home'
This very much stemmed from lockdown, and the demand for something a bit more special than a Chinese or Indian takeaway. During many, many months of people not being able to go out for dinner, those who don’t feel comfortable going out and those who are vulnerable, we wanted to be able to bring a dinner party to them to be able to finish at home with super simple instructions. With lots of birthdays, anniversaries, date nights they have proved incredibly popular and something we will continue to offer year-round. Our most popular 3 course dinner is our Coquilles Saint Jacques (Local Scallops in a white wine, cream sauce, topped with Gruyere & Breadcrumbs grilled in their shells), Beef Wellington – made with New Forest Beef with Truffle Mash, followed by Lemon & Passionfruit Possets with New Forest Shortbread.
- How important is it to use sustainable practices in your business?
It’s truly ingrained within our DNA. Where possible, all of our packaging for our Picnics & Fresh Hampers is fully recyclable, compostable or reusable. We work with Woolcool – so our boxes are lined with sheep’s wool and ice packs to keep the food fresh, and the wine cold. For us it’s not just about making a profit, it’s about the people that we work with and our planet. In the future we would like to become a B-Corp certified business (a global movement where business leaders seek to redefine success in business, so that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but to be the best for the world.)
- Are there any new ideas in the making for the future for The Forest Foodie?
We are incredibly overwhelmed with all of the support from our suppliers and also our customers (majority of who are repeat customers) over the past year. So yes, we have big plans… we are on the look out for a bigger unit, we are hiring, and we are growing.
- You go around and meet a lot of local producers, if you had to choose one, which local company that you’ve met is the most interesting?
Indeed, I have personally met and been to every single supplier, baker, maker, producer that we work with. Yes, this includes all the tasting too! For us to represent them and their food I feel it is so important to understand as much as possible about their story and how they are unique.
It’s a tough call – but I would have to say Sarah & Andrew Parry-Norton who run The Commoners Larder, they are commoners (people who farm the land on the New Forest and have the right to turn their animals out onto the land) and live on their farm near Cadnam. Having been invited up to have a look around their farm it was just incredible. The key take away for me is knowing that their Ruby Red Devon Cows are not only bread for beef, they have a very important impact on the land too. Their hooves poach the land, and create perfect little pockets of water for rare flowers to sprout. Without the cattle grazing on the land – farmers would have to resort to huge heavy machinery, tractors etc. This would also have a big impact on visitors to The New Forest – as the cattle and ponies are a key part of what makes the Forest unique. Back to the farm – their meat has incredible flavour, it’s lean, and the beef is hung for 45 days – perfect for our beef wellies!
Find out even more about Flora and The Forest Foodie in the video below...
Ian, Sunnyfields Farm
Sunnyfields Farm was started by Ian and his wife, Louise, in 1990. Since then, they have grown the farm into a popular community hub offering local produce, live music and family events. Ian, his family and everyone who works at Sunnyfields Farm are incredibly passionate about farming, the environment and community education.
On-site at Sunnyfields Farm, you will find the Farm Shop, which is full of over 2,000 local products, the Production Kitchen, Butchery and a new Bakery which is opening very soon! In the summer months, Sunnyfields Farm open The Pyramid Field, an outdoor food and live music space showcasing local artists, and this year put on their very first Sunflower event for all to enjoy.
During October, Sunnyfields farm turns orange for their brilliant pumpkin event - Pumpkin Time! From 2 – 31 October, you can explore the fields, view incredible pumpkin displays, and pick your own pumpkins to take home and carve as a spooky Halloween decoration, or to eat!
Find out more about Ian and Sunnyfields Farm in the video below…
Ben Jackon, Fluffetts Farm
Fluffetts Farm have been supplying the finest eggs for the past 20 years. Ben is passionate about free range eggs and that eggs should be produced in the traditional way, by small carefully managed flocks and without compromising the welfare of their chickens.
Ben hand collects the hens eggs twice a day and they are then batch graded by the date of lay to ensure customers always get the freshest eggs available!
There are many locations across the New Forest where you can purchase Fluffetts Farm’s eggs, including local farm shops and a few small convenience stores in the New Forest too. They also offer a brilliant local delivery service of their eggs too.
Find out more about Fluffetts Farm and Ben in the video below, or head to their website. And make sure you follow them on social media too, to keep up to date with news and updates about their happy hens!
Sandy Booth, The New Forest Fruit Company
Sandy Booth at The New Forest Fruit Company
Sandy is owner of this well-established local producer, which specialises in the commercial growing and packaging of soft fruit and asparagus. The farms are located between the Solent and the New Forest National Park, giving an ideal microclimate for growing the best strawberries in the UK, also growing Asparagus and other small soft fruit. Growing, packing and distributing fruit to the leading UK supermarkets, as well as local shops too.
Read more in this The Forest Foodie Meets The New Forest Fruit Company interview (April 2021) :
Last week we were invited to meet Kate & Laura from New Forest Fruit Co in East Boldre. I imagine some of you might have (naively) had the same initial images in your head as I did – some poly tunnels in a field with lots of lovely Strawberry and Asparagus…. Maybe a smallholding on a farm. How wrong was I!
On arriving at this farm (1 of 3) I was overwhelmed! A few things really stuck with me – 1) the expanse of what they are doing. 2) How incredibly, meticulously well-kept and maintained it all was. 3) How peaceful it was with only the sound of birds. A truly eye opening and wonderful experience – so thank you for having me.
As we wondered around (it took an hour and a half – to give you some idea of scale) I took lots of notes are thought I’d share our ‘interview’ here with you:
What do you grow here and what are the seasons for you?
The majority of what we grow here is Strawberries (March-December). Thanks to being able to grow plants in controlled environments in glasshouses we are able to extend the season on both ends. We grow 5 main varieties: Malling Centenary, Ania, Murano, Favori and Sweet Life.
We grow Asparagus from the end of February to the end of April, which is much earlier than the traditional English Asparagus season – we can do this by protecting it with tunnels and covering with fleece.
We also grow Raspberries (June-October), and Blueberries (June-August) – but on a much smaller scale available for local sales.
What makes what you do so special?
We grow our Strawberries in ‘Coir Bags’ (a by-product from Coconut – dry husks) which we import from Botanicoir in Sri Lanka – they are similarly a very sustainable company. Once the strawberries are finished with the Coir (1-2 years) – we then use it to plant the Asparagus Crowns. We also add sand to the Asparagus beds to make it more akin to their natural environment and it keeps the spears clean when they emerge.
Once picked it takes between 6-24 hours from field to shelves.
We are also members of LEAF (Linking environment and farming) which promotes sustainable food and farming. We actually will participate in LEAF Open Farm Day on 27th June 2021. Come on down!
What part do you play in helping the environment?
We try and encourage as much nature as possible to come here. You have probably noticed how peaceful it is here. We have our own reservoir and we are building more. We collect the rain water and also catch any waste water to make sure we are working as sustainably as possible which we use to water the crops. We plant trees, hedges and specific flowers to encourage wildlife. We also put bat boxes, bird boxes and beetle hotels up.
We encourage as many natural insects as possible and work closely with a local beekeeper Sylvan Apiaries. We have bee hives on all farms but we also have additional helpers – bumble bees which we buy in. They forage for nectar and pollen earlier in the spring, earlier in the day and during cloudy weather unlike honey bees.
I can see some garlic amongst the Strawberries, what does this do?
Yes, that is garlic, it’s actually a natural deterrent from pests – we call this companion planting. We are working with the nature through the use IPM (Integrated Pest Management System) – using natural predators present on the farm as well as releasing nematodes, parasitic wasps and using traps.
When I arrived, I couldn’t believe the scale of your wonderful farm here. How much do you grow?
Since 2018 we have planted 180,000 Asparagus Crowns, and this year we are planting another 70,000. We will pick between 30-35 Tonnes of Asparagus spears this year. When we stop picking – al of the spears are left to grow into fern to help the plants to store energy for the following season.
‘In the right weather conditions Asparagus can grow up to 10cm per day!’
For Strawberries – our main crop – in peak season we pick on average 10-20 Tonnes per day and hope to harvest 4,000 Tonnes this year.
You must need a lot of staff?
Yes, in peak season we employ up to 350 staff, we have 70 full time staff and 20 office staff.
Where do you sell your produce?
Locally you can buy it in farm shops such as Shallowmead Farm Shop, Queensmead, Setley Ridge, Beaulieu Farmshop, Village Veg in Brockenhurst, Everton Post Office. Further afield we supply Waitrose, Sainsbury, Tesco, Aldi & Lidl.
Thank you so much to Kate, Sandy, Laura & the team for enlightening us. Do join them on their open farm day via LEAF on 27th June. Do taste their yummy produce and support this fantastic local business.
http://www.newforestfruit.com/
Flora | Founder of The Forest Foodie, Lymington | April 2021.
The Forest Foodie deliver Hampers & Picnics of Fresh Locally Sourced Produce from around The New Forest to homes, holiday cottages and boats around The New Forest.
Ian & Amanda, Brook Hill Wine
Brook Hill Wine is an award-winning family-run vineyard located in Brook, in the heart of the New Forest. They make a range of still and sparkling wines from their own hand-picked grapes.
Read more in this The Forest Foodie Meets Brook Hill Wine interview :
The Forest Foodie Team have been working with Brook Hill Wine for almost a year and have been involved in helping to finalise the blends for the latest vintage (lots of tasting!) and the bottling. Flora met up with Ian & Amanda, over a glass of wine, to give you more insights into this brilliant small New Forest Company:
What are your backgrounds and how did you find yourself making wine?
Although we’ve been based in the New Forest for many years, we have also lived in different parts of the world where we’ve always enjoyed visiting vineyards and trying the various wines that we have found. After retiring and moving to Bramshaw in 2011 we found ourselves with some land and wondered whether it would be possible to set up a vineyard in this part of the New Forest. Ian had been a biochemist and also, we both love gardening and working outside (and drinking wine...) so it seemed the ideal project!
Luckily, we knew some people at Vine-Works Ltd, a company which plants vineyards in the UK, and we asked them to come around to carry out soil analysis etc and give us some advice. A year later with their help we had 2500 vines in the ground ready to go!
There were three main aims to the project when we started:
a) can we successfully grow grapes here in Bramshaw
b) can we make wine that people would like to buy, and
c) can we see our wines recognised in UK wine awards and we’re really pleased that we’ve managed to achieve all three!
What grape varieties do you grow?
We grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (classic champagne grapes) which take up half the vineyard, and we also grow Bacchus, Ortega and Pinot Gris – white grapes - for still white wine, and Dornfelder (a German red grape) which we normally use for our Brook Hill rose
How many bottles do you produce each year?
We pick 3.5 – 5 tonnes of grapes a year and produce on average around 1800 bottles of still wine and 500 bottles of sparkling. A lot depends on the growing conditions each year – a prolonged late frost like this year, or very damp conditions later in the year can do some damage. On the other hand, a long hot summer like 2018 is perfect, and we had our first exceptionally good harvest then. We can manage a vineyard of this size ourselves, with some voluntary help from family and friends – a team effort!
Where can people buy your wine?
We’re pleased to say Brook Hill Wines are now available in a selection of outlets across the New Forest, including The Sett and the Forest Park Hotel, both in Brockenhurst; Woodgreen Community Store; the Gourmet Grocer in Fordingbridge; Pages in Lyndhurst; Shallowmead Nurseries and the Solent Cellar in Lymington – and of course Brook Hill wines are also to be found in hampers from The Forest Foodie….
What makes you unique in what you do?
We’re proud of the fact that everything is done here on-site at Brook Hill Vineyard – we grow our own grapes, hand-pick them and process and bottle them ourselves in our own small winery.
Our carbon footprint is incredibly low and there are no air miles involved in getting our wines to market!
Any exciting plans for 2021/2022?
This year we are experimenting with some new products – including our first red wine, which many people have asked for, and which we hope will be available in the autumn!
What advice would you give someone else looking to follow their dream like you both did?
Don’t do it for the money. You must have a real interest and passion in what you are trying to do (preferably both of you!). For us it’s been a lot of hard work, with setbacks and successes but we’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it and we’re still learning!
Flora | Founder of The Forest Foodie, Lymington | April 2021.
The Forest Foodie deliver Hampers & Picnics of Fresh Locally Sourced Produce from around The New Forest to homes, holiday cottages and boats around The New Forest.
Check out this brilliant video below of Brook Hill Wine in action - watch Ian and his son Patrick bottling the 2020 vintage white wine along with Flora from The Forest Foodie and Amanda, who were were in charge of putting the lids on, quality control and moving the bottles into position!
Bart & Scott, New Forest Fish and Shellfish
New Forest Fish and Shellfish are a local company who catch fresh fish locally, using low impact methods, landed daily to ensure the best quality fish and shellfish.
Read more in this The Forest Foodie Meets New Forest Fish & Shellfish interview :
If there was ever a greater success story than Bart & his Father from New Forest Fish & Shellfish….
We have been fortunate to be working alongside these chaps for almost a year. We were totally sold by their incredible friendliness, knowledge, ethics, views on sustainable fishing, and two all round lovely guys! A Father who fishes, and the son who sells the fish…. Locally sourced, sustainably caught, it just doesn’t get much fresher. We met up with them to bring more insights to you.
New Forest Fish & Shellfish, where / how did it all begin?
New Forest Fish and Shellfish was started after my father Scott posted on his personal Facebook page just prior to the first lockdown. It was the time of panic buying and people genuinely concerned about securing food due to the looming pandemic. Dad simply wrote on his personal feed "hey guys, don't forget I am a fisherman, none of you will go hungry" - a post aimed squarely at offering a little food security if things really did get as bad as it seemed they would. A few of the family shared the post to their own pages which quickly resulted in a number of people asking for fish. I already had a dormant Facebook page for New Forest Fish and Shellfish that had previously been made to support an old business idea that didn't pan out. It was decided to let dad have the page to use for taking orders rather than his personal page. Initially my role was mainly helping on the social media side of things as I had a full-time job and could only help when I was not at work, dad fished and delivered his catch to an ever-growing number of people.
By the time the first lockdown came the business had grown and become so busy that it was a struggle for Dad to keep up on his own. Dad asked me if I wanted to join the new business and work with him full time, by then it had become increasingly difficult for me to stay at me job for a number of reasons, so I decided to join Dad and work with him.
As time passed Dad decided he wanted to concentrate on fishing and let me continue selling the catch, so I rolled my sleeves up and started offering the customers fish not just from Dad and local boats but other fish that we cannot catch locally. As the business grew it became apparent that there was now a need for premises, the main intention to be as a prep area to serve the deliveries and the requirements of what our customers wanted. We looked at a number of options but dad visited Danestream Farm to talk to the landlord after seeing the shop. Thankfully Dad knew the owner from many years ago which I think helped massively in such uncertain times for all.
It was at this point Dad suggested he step back from the sales side completely and leave me to forge my own way, clearly with his support but ultimately the shop was to be my business and my responsibility.
An incredible achievement, age 22, setting up and launching your own shop. When did you open the shop doors?
New Forest fish and Shellfish opened the shop in the middle of November 2020 after I undertook and massive amount of work to get it up to standard, this included building work and the fit out. As I previously said the initial intention was more as a prep area than a shop but after working on the shop it was clear that I had to focus equally on both running the shop and maintaining the delivery business. We used social media to show the ongoing development of the shop and prior to opening it clear we were going to be busy with everyone wanting to come along and have a look. Being frank the shop trade has been better than my wildest dreams. I know it sounds a little self-serving but I'm very proud of my little shop. The best bit is meeting all the customers and having them return time and time again. I consider my customers as friends and hope they feel the same about us.
Scott (And Buddy – their choccy Labrador) – you are in charge of the boat, and the fishing. How often are you out at sea fishing?
I fish locally all year round and as many days as it is possible to be at sea, the only thing that stop me is weather and the occasional breakdown..lol
Buddy joins me a little less these days as he is getting on a bit now and so I simply pick the days he comes based on the weather, if it's too choppy I leave him at home, although he is not very happy about that lol.
What local fish do you catch?
What we catch really depends on the season as it changes massively through 12 months. Through the year I can catch bass, bream, Dover sole, skate, Huss, red mullet, plaice, gurnard, grey mullet, crab, lobster, turbot, brill and founder and the few other bits and bobs.
What is the most impressive catch to date?
Although it's always lovely to catch a BIG bass or a BIG Turbot (pictured) I have to say what I consider the most "impressive catch" are the days when I have a really good mix of lots of different species. In the late Autumn this can consist of 20 different types of fish and at that time of year the fishing tends to be pretty good anyway.
We have loved your live cook along (check out on Facebook if you haven’t yet!) – what is your number one favourite fish dish to cook?
Sounds a bit rubbish but I cannot answer that with a single favourite fish, being honest I love cooking all types of seafood as there is always something stunning each fish can be used for.
Where else, aside from your shop and home deliveries, can people get hold of your fish?
We supply a number of local caterers and pubs/restaurants and are asked almost daily new business if we can supply them. Our commercial customers are truly important to us and like with our retain customers we consider them friends as well as customers.
Thanks so much to Bart & Scott. Fountains of knowledge and ideas. I, for one, have learned so much from them. Head on down to Danestream Farm to pay them a visit if you haven’t already. Sway Road, BH25 5QU.
Flora | Founder of The Forest Foodie, Lymington | April 2021.
The Forest Foodie deliver Hampers & Picnics of Fresh Locally Sourced Produce from around The New Forest to homes, holiday cottages and boats around The New Forest.
Ericka, From Salt to Smoke
Ericka at From Salt to Smoke
From Salt to Smoke are based just on the edge of the New Forest in Cranbourne, but they do use Pannage Pigs from Beaulieu in the New Forest! From Salt to Smoke deliver expertly handled meat from animals, that have been ethically reared, providing a sustainable resource for customers. They also supply some restaurants and pubs in the New Forest too!
Read more in this The Forest Foodie Meets From Salt to Smoke interview - Flora Richardson & Ericka Golding (April 2021) :
TFF: Hello Ericka! Thank you so much for letting me come to see From Salt to Smoke in action. What beautiful old building, and an epic job you have done so far.
We would love to find out a bit more about your new venture, how you work and the story behind it all.
What inspired you to set up From Salt to Smoke?
Ericka: Underpinning everything we do is the relationship we have to the food in our own lives. This includes the animals grown to produce this food we eat and to the people working to provide us with this produce.
I met Matt Clark (my business partner in FSTS) in July 2020. I was familiar with Big Inn France from the social media of my colleagues and we recognised our mutual desire to eat and serve good food. From Salt to Smoke was born from Matt’s desire to bring the very best meat to his enterprises. On my side of things, a high attention to animal welfare and the change in lifestyle, both with Maternity Leave and Lockdowns, lead to the perfect environment for our business plans to spark.
This spark was nurtured by our friends at the Book and Bucket Cheese Company, when they suggested we could become their neighbours at Number 5, Manor Farm. Friendships and good fortune were all factors in the equation that lead us to where we are at this moment, but our commitment to creating something unique and special is what we carry with us forward into the horizon.
TFF: What makes what you do so unique?
Ericka: To answer this, I can refer back to the 3 tenants of Produce, People and Philosophy I touched on at the beginning of the previous question.
Through working in and around the Forest, we’ve been introduced to quite a few of the producers and makers in the area who have shared with From Salt to Smoke some of their unique character. It is out of these relationships we discover: Beau, Cranborne Estate’s head gamekeeper who thins the Estate’s herd to our benefit, Peter Morgan, Book & Bucket’s Cheese Maker & Owner, our main point of call to direct us to our cull ewes and perhaps the odd cull cow, as well as Sonja and David Waite, the commoners who turn their pigs out to pannage, or Alex Moreton from St.Clair's and Tom Mitchel, the Warminster farmer with the contract to farm the herds on our very doorstep.
As far as food miles go, one cannot get much closer to the source than where we are at currently and I do say this with a mind of "fresh is best". Cranborne Estate is home to several herds of Roe, Fallow and some Sika deer. We currently are using the Roe and Fallow in our venison burgers and for our cuts of venison (loin and haunch). Our pork come from David and Sonja Waite in Brockenhurst and enjoy a pastoral life in the very heart of the New Forest. At pannage season, these pigs are turned out to eat the acorn fall, outside of pannage they enjoy a happy life and range freely. We’ve been delighted to share our pork with Darren Broom from Pythouse Kitchen Garden in Salisbury to highlight in his demonstration for Farms not Factories. Our neighbours, who I might have mentioned before, are cheese makers and it is through Peter we made the connection to Buckshaw Milk Sheep. These ladies are a cross between Dorset and Herdwick breeds, and are the same sheep that provide Peter with the milk for his amazing cheese. Tom is breeding a variety of Dairy breeds interbred with classic beef breeds such as Angus & Hereford (also to mention his 2 beautiful Irish Aubrac bulls the only 2 of their kind in the country to date), taking them through to a finished product that is of high value and enjoying a natural life in the fresh air
Now when I speak of philosophy, it is my opinion at this stage of the game (as humans on the planet with access to a broad variety of data and Sir David Attenborough) we should have a firm handle on the impact our choices have on the planet. Animal agriculture, as the business it has been in the last decade, has been one of the prime contributing factors of the current sixth massive extinction. It is past time we address this imbalance and change the conversation. Learning more about holistic land management and ecology was the game changer for me, personally. More than allowing yourself a treat in a Sunday roast or a bacon sandwich, it’s about building the soil fertility of the environment by old fashioned mixed-farming arable rotation. We can acknowledge the power of grassland to sequester carbon. When we understand how an ecology functions, we can work within it and find a balance in its harvest. You can enjoy our bacon and know it has played a part in cleaning up the acorns in the forest or has had the happiest life it can be given. You can cook a Sunday roast from one of our cull ewes, secure in the knowledge she has had a great purpose in her life, producing milk and cheese for our neighbours.
TFF: You mentioned before about working with Pannage Pork – can you tell us more about that?
Ericka: This is a favourite because it is so versatile. We cure our pork into guanciale, bacon, pancetta, ham, coppa or lomo. Lee butchers the rest into joints of meat, with a small amount ending up as diced pork or mince.
TFF: You age your meat in Salt Chambers, can you tell me more about how this works?
Ericka: The salt chamber is what takes the philosophy further to a physical realisation, it does this by taking an already great product and concentrating flavour by the ageing process. Ageing in the salt chamber also naturally tenderises the meat as the enzymes and microbes break down. Herve This has written some brilliant essays on the effects salt has on food and exactly how it breaks down bonds. I’ve also read about the de-ionisation of the air inside the salt chamber and the scientist inside me loves to revel in these facts. Practically, though, the salt wall in our fridge allows us to age meat to its utmost expression without fear of spoiling. Generally, it is common place to age meat to a length of 28 days but we can take ours to 100+ days.
TFF: How do you support local farmers?
Ericka: We support our local economy as patrons of their produce. We buy their beasts and connect them with a route to market.
TFF: You are making some incredible charcuterie; can you talk to us more about your curing process?
Ericka: For instance, with our pancetta, we make a salt and spice dry cure and rub it into the meat, then vac pack. We leave it in the fridge a minimum of 2 weeks to cure, turning every day. Once it’s cured we remove it, net and hang in our curing room to dry cure for a minimum of 2-3months (or until it has lost between 20-30% of its weight).
TFF: Where can we buy your wonderful produce?
Ericka: As lockdown eases and restaurants start opening, visitors to the New Forest will be able to experience our products on the menu at the Pig in the Forest and at the Pig on the Beach (although that is not technically the New Forest!). You guys at The Forest Foodie with your charcuterie and with your three course dinners. We are also supplying The Fleur de Lys in Cranborne, which is also our resident collection point for local online order. I’ve met with Mark Young, the New Forest Chef, who is planning to include us in his menu at The Gun Inn in Keyhaven. Mark Hartstone, at La Fosse in Cranborne, will also be including us on his menu.
TFF: What are your personal favourites?
Ericka: Of course, I love the Pannage. The season is short, so we can appreciate it all the more and the product is great.
The 100+ day aged T-bone is stunning, because it delivers a cross section of flavour over the cut of sirloin and fillet. It’s also very tender.
The cull ewe shoulder was very enjoyable, we did it on the barbecue in a spicy rub. I am also looking forward to making a Shaanxi dish with the cull ewe as well as rolling the breast for a Korean style barbecue.
Flora | Founder of The Forest Foodie, Lymington | April 2021.
The Forest Foodie deliver Hampers & Picnics of Fresh Locally Sourced Produce from around The New Forest to homes, holiday cottages and boats around The New Forest.
www.theforestfoodie.com
Mike Smales, Lyburn Farm
Mike from Lyburn Farm
The Forest Foodie Meets Mike from Lyburn Farm
We love working with Lyburn Farm – who provide delicious cheese for our Hampers, but we wanted to bring a little more insight to you about behind the scenes.
White coat, hair net, white wellies on, Flora from The Forest Foodie met up with Mike Smales (the main man) to chat all things cheese.
Flora: How long have you been farming here in Landford in The New Forest?
Mike: We have been here at Lyburn Farm since 1969.
Flora: How much cheese do you make here per day?
Mike: We use 3,000 litres of cows milk per day which makes 350KG of curd cheese.
Flora: Can you talk me through the process?
Mike: The cows are milked at 5am, the milk then goes straight into the tanker, uncooled (which saves energy when heating up in the pasturiser), the milk then flows by gravity into the pasturiser, and then into the cheese vat which is then temperature controlled to within 0.5 centigrade. Then after 3 hours, we have split the curd for the whey, and the curd is then placed in the cheese moulds. At 6am the following day, the young cheese is then brined for 24 hours, and then to the drying room for 1 week (turning often to ensure the whey is evenly distributed), and finally they then go through to the ripening room for 8-9 weeks. The Stoney Cross goes into a much damper, colder ripening room where it grows the velvety mould, which is then brushed on a weekly basis
Flora: How many variations of cheese do you make?
Mike: We make Lyburn Gold, Garlic & Nettle (both of which remain mostly in Hampshire), Old Winchester which is by far our most popular. It’s matured for 18months+. We have Stoney Cross which has won more prizes than the Old Winchester recently, and has a velvety mould rind, and a Lightly Oak Smoked. Our smoked cheese is smoked at a week old, by The Dorset Smokery. Our Garlic & Nettle flavours are added at the end of the cheesemaking process to incorporate the ingredients into the curd.
Flora: Where do you sell your cheese?
Mike: We deliver to the Co-Op (Southern branches), Waitrose take our Stoney Cross (again Southern parts only), lots of restaurants, local pubs, local suppliers like you guys at The Forest Foodie, we also work with the Cruise Liners that run out of Southampton.
Mike then kindly showed me around the milking parlour, an incredibly high tech new system has been installed to milk 170 cows. When each one goes through the barriers to be milked the chip activates the computer to tell the machines exactly how much feed needs to be dropped to their trough whilst they are milking, depending on their lactation cycle and how much milk they can produce.
It was a pleasure visiting, and to see more from behind the scenes. They work incredibly diligently. The whole place is immaculate. This is what it’s all about for us – knowing exactly where our food comes from and the brilliant people behind it. Thank you Mike!
Flora | Founder of The Forest Foodie, Lymington | November 2021.
The Forest Foodie deliver Hampers & Picnics of Fresh Locally Sourced Produce from around The New Forest to homes, holiday cottages and boats around The New Forest.