Chef Will Holland (L) with Ellie Harrison and Adam Henson of BBC1's Countryfile

BBC One’s Countryfile have been filming a Michelin-starred chef experimenting with local Ludlow produce to create a dish using “the most free range chicken you will ever find,” from the Welsh borders at Brinda Farm, writes Kieran Ward. 

Chef Will Holland’s, of La Becasse restaurant, list of ingredients included strawberries to add a sweeter taste to the chicken, almost like honey, and to contrast with the strong flavours of the pink peppercorn paste. Tarragon oil was used to marinate the chicken and soak up the complementary sweet and spicy flavours. 

Speaking at the market, Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, said that the rural food economy is under huge pressure from modern supermarkets and global warming which is making the ground infertile resulting in smaller crops. 

The local food availability is failing since more farmland is being lost and more food is imported from abroad, he added.

Sarah-Jane Brough of The Ludlow Jam Pan Company

Held twice-monthly, the Ludlow Farmers’ Market celebrated its 10^th anniversary with stallholders offering a wide range of goats cheese, bread, meats Wenlock Edge Farm and fish were on sale and even homemade pies of which I ate a salmon and goats cheese pastry.  Delicious.  Beer and cider were on offer from the Ludlow Brewing Company and Berriew Cider.

If you’ve missed the demonstration and market, the Countryfile episode featuring Will and Ludlow will be shown on BBC1 TV on Sunday, 29^th August.

 www.labecasse.co.uk

 www.localtoludlow.org

www.bbccountryfilemagazine.com

The art of smoking with Ludlow Food Centre butcher, Tamas Borbas

The butchery team at a Shropshire food centre have been spending a great deal of time and effort smoking behind the building.  John Brereton and his team at the Ludlow Food Centre have acquired a surprisingly healthy smoking habit by spending time developing a range of smoked meat products.  In just the last 4 months John and his team have worked on smoking an alarming array of smoked meat including local, free range chicken and duck, estate reared venison, Gloucester Old Spot pork and even locally sourced trout. 

John says, “We started by smoking our own bacon and its grown from there.  We are now working on more unique smoked meat such as spiced turkey breast, pastrami and even smoked garlic.”

The Food Centre invested a small amount of money in a hot smoker with the view of smoking a small range of meats to increase the product range their butchery offered.  John had found it difficult to find the variety of smoked meat locally and so decided that it would be best to try himself with meat from the Food Centre’s, Earl of Plymouth Estate. 

John says, “We use Oak chippings and meat from the Estate whenever possible but it’s the attention to detail that makes the difference.  We smoke chicken differently to pork and have tailored the process to get the right length of time and heat for each product.  This means that we keep the moisture in the meat whilst still achieving a rich smokey flavour….Everyday is different, we are always having to make allowances for the change in weather such as heat or humidity to get the best product.”

John admits that smoking has been a passion of his for a long time and that only recently has he had time to embrace his passion at work. 

He says, “Even my wife likes me to smoke because the smell is nicer than raw meat!”

www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk