ISSUE 130
This celebration of Suffolk’s thriving food and drink scene and the local producers who make it all happen is back for 2021. Taking place on the 25-26 September, this outdoor festival includes an interactive family area with a Saturday Kitchen-style panel, food photography and wild cooking for kids. The festival stages will feature live cooking demonstrations, talks and debates about subjects such as technology, health & wellbeing and farming. With all the usual stalls, hands on masterclasses, delicious street food and live music, this is a foodie event not to be missed.
Attending producers to look out for:
Agora
Carefully handmade in Suffolk in small batches using local botanicals, this vermouth uses a French Cabernet-Merlot base. Smooth with zesty flavours of dark Morello cherries and spices, this is a must-have in your alcohol cabinet to whip up classic cocktails such as Negronis, Martinis or Manhattans.
Barkers of Suffolk
The festival isn’t just for human foodies! Barkers of Suffolk produce a range of freshly baked, handmade treats for your canine friend. All products are made with natural ingredients and include fun flavours such as beef, peanut butter, cheese, turkey and cranberry and even chocolate biscuits (specially formulated to be safe for doggie consumption).
Bhaji Man
Ditch the takeaway and rustle up your own authentic, healthy Indian curries at home using Bhaji Man’s range of gluten-free curry kits, spice kits and easy mixes. All come with preparation instructions and a step-by-step recipe guide to take the hard work out of cooking this Saturday-night staple.
B Chocolates
As the name suggests, these artisan salted caramels and truffles are handmade with honey from Suffolk coastal beekeepers, along with local cream. The fresh truffles vary in flavour according to the seasons to incorporate locally grown and foraged fruit, herbs and flowers.
Crafty River
Water, but crafty – these hand-crafted, alcoholic sparkling water drinks are created using real fruit to give them a refreshing taste. Flavours include lime and cucumber, lemon and ginger (goes well with vodka and gin), and tropical orange and pineapple, perfect for those Indian summer evenings.
Valley Farm Vineyards
With over 3000 vines producing award winning wines including a sparkling rosé and a richly aromatic and floral this single estate vintage Pinot Gris, it is definitely worth checking out this excellent Suffolk producer.
Niche Cocktails
Based in Melton, Niche Cocktails offer premium classic cocktails in a can – with a niche twist. Made locally with all natural ingredients, this is mixology made easy. We recommend stocking up on the mocha martini, matcha mojito, wild strawberry daquiri or the manuka honey whiskey sour.
Jess Cooks
Founder Jess knows it’s difficult as busy parents to cook from scratch for your little ones, so has created her own homemade healthy frozen meals for kids. Bursting with delicious flavours and packed with at least three types of added veg and 100% British meat, these fuss-free meals contain no added sugar and are low in salt too.
Korean Kitchen
Kimchi lovingly created by hand near Woodbridge, with all vegetables freshly sourced from local suppliers. The kimchi is made to traditional recipes, so it’s full of authentic flavour – enjoy on its own, with steamed rice, as a side dish or pile it on top of some sourdough bread.
LA Brewery
This refreshing range of super-trendy kombucha is brewed, fermented and bottled at a micro-brewery in Suffolk. Non-alcoholic and packed with gut-friendly bacteria, flavours include Citrus Hops; Sparkling English Rose; Ginger; Strawberry & Black Pepper; and Lemongrass.
Brownie and the Bean
This husband-and-wife team use their secret family recipe to handmake the fudgiest brownies and blondies. Try to choose between the triple choc brownie; sour cherry, dark chocolate and sea salt blondie; lotus biscoff brownie; salted caramel and pecan brownie; chocolate orange brownie or bakewell blondie.
Essence Foods
With everything from conserves to chocolate spreads and mustards to marmalades you will find something for everyone. Montys – Mustards and Chutneys are a particular favourite, the Rib Tickler horseradish mustard is a special combination to tickle your taste buds.
Simon’s Table
Calling all marmalade lovers – Simon’s Table makes a rich, dark and tangy marmalade that is perfect on toast, a croissant or with cheese. This unique marmalade is also infused with gin to create a Marmalade Gin Liquer, which is complemented further by Simon’s wife, Nicola’s, melt-in-the-mouth shortbread.
Smally’s Billtong
Founded in 2015 after a two-year trip to South Africa, Smally’s Biltong have brought the popular dried beef snack known as biltong to East Anglia. Using local, ethically-sourced beef, products include chilli biltong, peri peri droewors and Smally’s own original biltong. All the products are available on subscription so you can get your biltong fix all year round.
Syms Pantry
If you like bacon, you’ll love the condiments on offer from Syms Pantry. Using Suffolk bacon, their relish, mayonnaise and mustard all work beautifully as an addition to anything you’d usually eat bacon with, or as a great way of adding extra flavour to bland dishes.
East Coast Chilli Company
Spice up your mealtimes with this award-winning range of homemade and bottled chilli sauces. Start extra mild with the Mango Chilli Sauce before moving onto a medium spiced Garlic and Habanero or Chipotle Chilli Ketchup. Then, brave the hot Carolina Reaper & Honey Chilli Sauce or the ‘made of fire’ extra hot Habanero and Naga Sauce.
Lickety Ice
Gourmet, handcrafted ice lollies. Packed full of delicious natural ingredients and real fruit – grown here in Suffolk whenever possible. Soon to be encased in entirely compostable packaging, they are the perfect feel-good treat. Mouth-watering seasonal flavours include blackberry and pear swirl; strawberry cheesecake; lemon, lime and ginger; and plums and English custard.
STILL PECKISH?
Tuck into some street food while you’re wandering the stalls:
Burger Jam
Serving messy gourmet burgers from a converted vintage horsebox.
Fitzroys
Homemade vegetarian and vegan food using local produce where possible.
Los Churros Amigos
Freshly made vegan churros using ethically and locally sourced ingredients.
Peck
Suffolk-reared, buttermilk fried chicken – in buns, as tenders or wings.
Tuk-In Street Cantina
Slow-cooked pulled meats in pretzel buns, loaded halloumi fries and sides, all served from a Tuk Tuk.
Wright’s
Posh cheese toasties and saad boxes. All ingredients are home grown or locally sourced.