Emma Chapman – Page 2 – Yellowbelly Food

The fishy history of Grimsby’s ports

February 15, 2011 Emma Chapman

Grimsby's fishing docks and market. Photo: Roger Damm

Grimsby is linked worldwide with the sea fishing industry, which once gave the town much of its wealth.

In the late 1800s the fishing fleet was greatly expanded. In a rare reversal of the usual trends, large numbers of fishermen from the South-East and Devon travelled North to join the Grimsby fleet.

During the Second World War many fishing boats were used as warships, and then converted back to trawlers in 1945.

Grimsby reached its peak in the 1950s being the largest and busiest fishing port in the world.

As a result of the on-going Cod Wars with Iceland, the industry went into decline for many years. The cod wars were a series of controntations throughout the lates 50s until the the mid 70s concerning fishing territories.

However, today Grimsby is still home to the largest fish market in the UK, although most sold there is now bought overland.

Grimsby is recognised as the main centre of the UK fish processing industry. In recent years, this expertise has led to diversification into all forms of frozen and chilled foods including being the home of Young’s Seafood. Consequently the town is one of the single largest centres of fish processing in Europe.

Grimsby Traditonal Smoked Fish

Media interest has focused around Grimsby Traditional Smoked Fish and the product being awarded a Protected Geographical Indication by the European Union.

The process used for this particular smoked fish relies on the traditional natural method of slow smoking instead of the more widely used mechanical method.

Holding PGI status means any producers who wish to call their product Grimsby Traditional Smoked Fish must abide by strict quality standards established by the Grimsby Traditional Fish Smokers Group.

Feature
News

Sour milk? Cows have feelings moo

February 10, 2011 Emma Chapman

: Cows enjoy wide open space, something super dairies may be unable to provide. Photo: Samantha Viner

The proposal for a super dairy to be built on the out-skirts of Nocton, a small Lincolnshire village, sparked wide opposition throughout the country let alone the county.

The site is planned to house 8,000 cows and would be the first mega dairy in Europe.

There are surrounding issues with farming on this scale including environmental concerns, impacts on small local dairy farmers and the welfare of the cows.

Unfortunately, the concern over the cows welfare has received minimal attention. People have been voicing opinions over the smell that comes from farming 8,000 cows, the attraction of flies, pollution of ground water with nitrates and the downfall of the local economy. With all this in mind people have seemingly forgotten that living animals are in the middle of this debate.

Nocton Dairies told the BBC that the cows would be free to roam in open-sided sheds when they were being milked, and would otherwise be out to graze in dry weather, some are sceptical after observing some of America’s mega dairies.

Local butcher Kenny Roberts prides himself on free range produce, but when it comes to the super dairy proposed for Lincolnshire he surprisingly blasts claims about the cows welfare suffering. He said: “They’ve been done in America for long enough, nothing wrong with them cows, they’ve got the pastures, got fresh air, got grass, they got good food and they deliver good milk. Not plastic milk what you buy in supermarkets, I believe it should happen, but that’s Lincolnshire for you”.

Animal welfare groups have slammed mega dairies over cows being kept inside for most of their lives whilst being pumped full of growth hormones and excessive feeding. They’ve basically become cow robots machined for milk production. They have also warned that the system of intensive farming would produce cows suffering from lameness, poor body condition and infertility.

Can 8,000 cows all on one farm receive the same care and attention that small dairy farms give to their cattle? Small farmers hand-rear calves, know each cow individually and can tell immediately if one falls ill. How long would it take for someone to notice such behaviour at Nocton Dairy?

How many cows does it take for a farm to turn into a factory?

Campaign

Grantham: famous for it’s gingerbread?

February 7, 2011 Emma Chapman

Grantham's white gingerbread. Photo: kevandem via Flickr

Grantham is well known as being the birth place of Margaret Thatcher, but Grantham is also apparently famous for it’s gingerbread. So much so it has references of origin dating back to 1740.

This gingerbread is different however, to the regular gingerbread you or I know. The unique traits Grantham gingerbread has are reported to be a result of a mistake by a man called William Egglestone.

The wrong ingredients were added into the cake he was baking at his Grantham home. As such this special gingerbread is white because it does not have black treacle in it, as well as being creamier than other sorts.

Whilst gingerbread is not celebrated by the town, local shops or people and isn’t produced commercially, it is apparently well known. If Grantham gingerbread is typed into a search engine indeed a lot of recipes are returned. However unlike another of the county’s treasures, plum bread, it doesn’t return pages upon pages of information, producers, debates over PGI status and mountains of recipes.

We wonder why Grantham gingerbread got lost in history and how many other treasures are we overlooking?

To have a look at why Grantham’s gingerbread is different view this recipe from The British Food Trust.

Feature

Jenny’s Jams – sticky with success

February 2, 2011 Emma Chapman

Faradays chutney and raspberry jam. Photo: Emma Chapman

Jenny Smith worked as a chef for over 20 years until 2005 when a strawberry picking session opened new doors. After picking too many she decided to make jam for family and friends.

It was so well receivedthat Jenny decided to take it further and Jenny’s Jams was born. “At first I was a little dubious, I continued working as a part-time chef until December 2010. At that point I decided it was going to be more than a paid hobby,” said Jenny.

Jenny explained, “The business has grown very well despite the very tough trading climate. At times it has been slow going however, the preserves seem to be very well received by those who taste them”.

With her business growing so successfully Jenny is grateful for her friends and family that have volunteered to help out with “various tasks such as paperwork, labelling, and doing deliveries”.

The jams and chutneys come from traditional recipes and Jenny’s experiences as a chef. She said “I always look in old recipe books for ideas”. Expanding into chutneys and marmalades, however, came from customer suggestions and experimentation.

Jenny's raspberry jam on fresh, soft white bread. photo: Emma Chapman

Jenny’s products have been so successful that she has won several Great Tastes Awards, saying, “They were one of my best moments so far. They are considered the Oscars of the food industry, so recognition by my peers is fantastic. A very encouraging moment”.

Jenny also appeared on BBC2’s Working Lunch programme in 2009, she said, “Any media attention is also welcome, as it is all good advertising for the company. I do find I get very nervous though”.

Jenny uses Fresh from the Fields, a company based in Lincoln, amongst others for her ingredients. She said, “As far as possible I obtain ingredients locally. If they are grown in Lincolnshire, so much the better”. As well as trying to keep her ingredients local, Jenny’s products are also free of preservatives and additives.

Jenny supports the Lincolnshire economy further by getting her jars from Patteson’s Glass, near Brigg and her labels designed and printed by printing.com in Newark.

Tetford Longhorn shin and Bateman’s ale stew

November 26, 2010 Emma Chapman

Beef stew can be a filling treat. Photo: babe_kl via Flickr

Peering through the counters at Meridian Meats Butchers, the comfort and satisfaction that came from witnessing the starting place of this fine produce gave a content feeling.

You could say I was biased in this review, and you’d be right. A chilly early start with mud, cow pats, freezers and hanging carcases I was definitely looking forward to tucking into the food I’d learnt so much about earlier that day.

I walked around the cattle sheds of the Tetford Longhorns, running a hand across their backs and feeling the warmth from their horns. To have seen where your meat comes from, to know which slaughter house and to select your chosen cut at the end is a fantastic experience.

Fancying a hearty stew, a selection of shin seemed a fine choice; cheap, perfect for slow cooking and oozing with flavour.

Every fact Charles, the owner of the Tetford Longhorns Farm, told us about the Longhorns’ life, feed, care, treatment can be tasted in this meat. Fine quality feed, attentive health care and genuine love from a farmer.

The qualities of the shin could match a fine sirloin without a doubt. My knife glided through with ease, slicing the tender juicy treat revealing its bursting flavour.

Here’s my own recipe for Tetford Longhorn Shin and Bateman’s Ale Stew.

Ingredients:

750g of shin
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 medium white onions
2 bottles of Bateman’s ale
6 flat mushrooms
2 tbsp of plain flour

Pre heat oven to 190C

Dice the shin in to even bite size pieces
Add a good pinch of salt and pepper to the flour and mix together
Lightly coat shin pieces in the seasoned flour
Heat olive oil in thick bottomed oven proof pan
Add the shin and cook until lightly coloured
Finely slice the onion and chop the mushrooms into slices and add to the pan. Cook for two minutes
Add 1 and ½ bottles of Bateman’s Ale and bring to simmer
Cover and put in the oven for 2 – 2 ¼ hours
Serve with creamy mash and seasonal vegetables for a hearty, warming delicious stew

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