Jenny’s chutney and jam: tried and tested

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Jenny's raspberry jam. photo:Emma Chapman

Jenny's raspberry jam. photo:Emma Chapman

Jenny has been producing jams for the last six years. I sampled her award-winning raspberry jam and faradays chutney to taste her success.

You can see why Jenny’s raspberry jam has been so successful, every sense sprang to life with enjoyment whilst indulging in this treat.  

The initial experiences after popping the lid are mouth watering; a strong smell of ripe raspberries and a rich, glistening red content meeting the eye. 

A thick, sticky jam packed full of seeds and flavour spread onto fresh white bread or even on toast is perfect at any time of the day.  This jam is made with butter which gives an added richness and the tangy-yet sweet fruit of this preserve bursts onto your taste buds with every mouthful.

Spreading the faradays chutney you could see it was packed full of flavoursome juicy rasins.  Once tasted, the apple content gave it a silky texture with the just the right balance of acidity.

The chutney proved to be good with or without an accomplice, however a mature cheddar complimented the flavours perfectly. You can get you hands on Jenny’s Jams from her website.

Myers plum loaf is fit for the Queen

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Myers Bakery in Horncastle. Photo: Samantha Viner

Myers Bakery in Horncastle. Photo: Samantha Viner

In 1977 the Queen tasted Lincolnshire plum loaf from Myers Bakery based in Horncastle. The fruity bread proved so popular that a request was made for more.

The business was born in 1901 when Charles Myers purchased a mill and village shop in Alford. Charles and his sons, Lewis and Reginald, then milled flour, baked bread and became known locally as Myers Mill.

In 1932 Lewis moved his family to Southery where they set up their own bakery and shop. After several successful years they moved to Mareham Le Fen where they bought the village shop and mill.

Lewis’ son, Derek, took a keen interest in the business and baking. So much so that he went to Grimsby College to study the craft of baking where he was awarded with the Renshaw Cup for being the best student. In 1970 Derek opened another bakery, to run alongside the Mareham shop, in Horncastle.

After 10 years, the decision was made to close the Mareham shop and concentrate on the business in Horncastle. Myers is still a thriving business 110 years later.

Walking around Horncastle you see numerous paper bags with the Myers logo splashed on the front. The bakery is so successful that there is also a cafe and a deli next door.

When you taste the savoury pastries and sweet delights it’s clear to see why Myers Bakery is so popular. The family are dedicated to running a successful business with locality being key.

Video: The Secret Supper Club in Lincoln

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The Secret Supper Club at Mount Pleasant Windmill
The Secret Supper Club at Mount Pleasant Windmill. Photo: Channel 4

The Secret Supper Club at Mount Pleasant Windmill. Photo: Channel 4

In this first episode of Channel 4’s The Secret Supper Club, Olly Smith heads to Lincolnshire to re-invent our regions much loved traditional dishes.

Mount Pleasant Windmill is the selected venue for this secret supper and the working mill is transformed into a small restaurant for the night.

Olly and his team create a three-course menu from award-winning Goose Lincolnshire sausages to a bread & butter pudding made from Lincolnshire plum bread.

The Lincoln Red beef takes centre stage with slow-cooked shin and the Lincolnshire food producers invited to the Supper Club declare it a definite success.

View the episode on YouTube here.

Nocton’s super dairy plans withdrawn

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Dairy cows
The plans for nearly 4,000 cows at Nocton Heath have been withdrawn. Photo: CETFA

The plans for nearly 4,000 cows at Nocton Heath have been withdrawn. Photo: CETFA

Nocton dairies today announced that it had withdrawn it’s plans for the US-style mega dairy at Nocton Heath.

The plans have reportedly been abandoned because the Environment Agency said that the farm would create an unacceptable risk to pollution of groundwater.

According to an article in the Guardian “the company said in a lengthy statement that the Environment Agency’s “precautionary stance and requests for new information reflect uncertainty with agriculture in general and the design of the modern dairy farm in particular”. It claimed that despite its best efforts to address the agency’s concerns, a “lack of relevant research” meant the company had been unable to provide the reassurances required.”

The withdrawal of the plans is a great relief for those who had been campaigning against the dairy but Nocton Dairies still own the land and their applications for a pipeline and reservoir are still in place.

Where do you stand on the mega dairy debate?

The fishy history of Grimsby’s ports

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

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.

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