I know that this particular blog – celebrating my Foodie Top Ten of 2017 – may seem a bit late. But with Dry January, Vegan January, Blue Monday, Have No Fun in January and all the other negative aspersions associated with this month, there didn’t seem much point in whetting your appetites for some of the most fantastic foodie offerings that there are in Norfolk. Yes, I do agree that we should all drink less and have more meat-free days but the total ‘new year, new me – in with the blender, out with the slow cooker’ – drives me…
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Continue ReadingI never understand how time can race past so quickly. It only seems like yesterday when I wrote my blog on the Loddon Swan; it is now over a month later and while much wonderful food has passed my lips, not a word or a syllable has been written here about it. For that, I apologise. However, while I have been busy travelling and working over the past few weeks, Norfolk has been on my mind. To be more explicit, Norfolk’s incredible food and its drink, all of which combines to make up the heart of this wonderful region. There are…
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Continue ReadingIn spring, you cannot have failed to notice that Norfolk’s fields were gold. Driving through the beautiful countryside found in this wonderful part of the world, at every turn, you can see field after field of golden flowers, gently swaying on the breeze. It is these flowers that produce one of our native oils – rapeseed oil. As someone who is a big fan of using local produce wherever possible, what can be better than rapeseed oil? Grown here in Norfolk, harvested and pressed here, it is straight from field to shelf with none of the miles. Compared to olive…
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Continue ReadingHello my wonderful Delicate Diners. I am sorry for my absence. I had a bad accident at the end of February and that, combined with a very intense deadline for my publication, The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine, resulted in blogging being the last thing on my mind. But there is so much to write about! March saw me enjoy an afternoon tea at The Assembly House, Norwich, all in aid of Marie Curie. Then there was dinner at Morston Hall, part of Galton Blackiston’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Wild Knight vodka launched their new delicious drink, and I enjoyed lunch with my…
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Continue ReadingI have long been a fan of Crush Foods. It was, curiously enough for a company who specialises in rapeseed oil, their granolas that first caught my attention. Naturally sweetened, instead of full of added sugars, their granolas include honey from Norfolk and apple juice from Suffolk. For me, their delicious cereals have been the morning choice for those that care about what they put in their breakfast bowls first thing. And, in case you are wondering, the honey, apple and cranberry is my favourite. I then became familiar with their oils. Rapeseed oil is certainly one of Norfolk’s greatest products and…
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Continue ReadingFriday afternoon, and the winter fog is drifting down outside once more. It is 30 December, and it is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of another year. It certainly doesn’t feel like it – I am not quite ready for this year to be over in many ways. It has been one of so many incredible moments. That said, I very much have enjoyed recharging my batteries the past few days, a chance to rest and reset before all the delights that 2017 will very quickly bring. For many, this time of year is one for…
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Continue ReadingThursday night saw me go to what has to be my favourite restaurant in Norfolk – Relish. Located at Newton Flotman on the A140, Relish Restaurant has been the backdrop to the past few years of my life. I have been brutally sunburned on their patio, been left the keys to lock up as we leave, supported them when they were challenged by offensive locals, and often nipped into the kitchen to say hello and thank you. I have had first dates there – one guy I met at the restaurant actually made it into my top three of worst…
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Continue ReadingIt is almost time… At 10am tomorrow, the doors open once more on Norfolk’s premier gluten-free event – the Your Gluten Freedom Expo. Held at The Forum in Norwich, the Expo follows on from the last two high successful events, and is eagerly anticipated by many. The first gluten-free Expo was held last October to great success, and founder Sara Matthews, of Sara’s Kitchen, must be applauded for her vision. Since then, the team may have grown but it is still very much Sara at the helm. In a bid to keep things moving forward, there are a few changes this…
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Continue ReadingLike me, Tina has spent time in the Middle East and as such, she is very much into flavour. In fact, the biggest compliment I can pay Tina is that I would serve her own food at my own parties, it is that good, and the flavours that she uses are ones that I love.
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Continue ReadingSaturday morning. I am feeling a mixture of emotions – tired, anxious, excited, and full of Olympic energy. The sun is shining – as always, too brightly into my window in the morning – and I spend a peaceful half hour reading, the world outside and the birds singing as they encourage their young to take flight. Autumn is closing in. Already, the milkman is having to use the lights on his truck as he comes hairing down the driveway, waking me. For the last few months, he has been accompanied by the dawn chorus. Now, it is the darkness…