Members -- 8 days ago
Words: Holly Macnaghten
Last week we spoke to the Suffolk based farmer and television presenter Jimmy Doherty about his search for “the nation’s favourite local flavour”…
So why did you choose to get involved with Hotel Indigo’s Flavours of the Neighbourhood search for the nation’s favourite local food artisan?, I think it is really important to fly the flag for the fantastic local producers out there who work really hard to make their products fantastic. Whether they are a local butcher making great pork pies, a coffee stand blending a unique grind of coffee or somebody producing fresh salad bags – you can list hundreds, there is so much uncelebrated talent out there. The whole gist of Hotel Indigo’s campaign is to make heroes of great artisanal producers that are loved locally.
Why is local food sourcing so important to you?, Sourcing locally is really important to me because it means we maintain diversity in our food culture. Supermarkets are really important – everybody goes to supermarkets – but supermarkets get their ideas from and follow trends in food that have been introduced by small local producers.
Do you think the trend for artisanal food and local producers is growing?, Without a doubt! In fact, more and more, the trend for artisanal food is infiltrating a wider section of our society. It’s grown from being fairly trendy in bigger cities, such as London and Manchester, to smaller regions in the UK with weekly farmers markets and artisan stalls cropping up in every village. This is great as it means smaller home-run business can come into the spotlight.
Who is your favourite local producer in your area?, That would have to be…me! I am my favourite producer. We run a monthly farmers market at the farm, with anything up to forty stalls on a busy day. I’ve really enjoyed growing this side of the business. It’s very rewarding to have something you are so passionate about met with such success and encouragement from your local community. Aside from this, I really do love artisanal cheese producers.
What drove you to set up your farm in the first place?, I read a lot of books by John Seymour, including a complete guide to being self-sufficient. I also grew in a family that kept chickens and worked in a wildlife park so I have always been obsessed with animals. A friend of mine’s father used to breed Gloucester cattle, Dexter cattle and Ryland sheep, so I’ve grown passionate about our native breeds. This passion when mixed with academia turned nature into numbers. I wanted to get back to nature and I wanted to produce food that I was happy to eat. I didn’t want to do it as a hobby, or at the weekends, it had to be a business for me. That’s the reason I set the farm up from scratch.
Is knowing that restaurants source their ingredients locally important to you?, I like to know that the Head Chef, or whoever buys the food for a restaurant, has taken time to source locally. Above all, for me, it shows a lot more care and devotion to his end product. As a customer you’ll know that the dishes served to you will be great because they have spent time sourcing quality cuts and great locally grown produce. Taking time and making an effort in this way makes a huge difference to taste and how much you enjoy your meal. Dedication to detail is very important.
The team at Gentleman’s Journal would like to know which restaurant you would recommend in terms of local produce?, The Grain Store, that’s particularly good!
In London, where would you recommend going to find the best local produce?, London’s quite spoilt with markets. Everyone used to head straight to Borough market and, whilst it’s still a great establishment with such a diverse mix of vendors and producers, it has become a very big tourist attraction. What’s important is that people go and hunt out other little regional markets. I used to love Alexandra Palace’s farmers market, which I feel really had the essence of what a market because it always had a good spread of small producers with inspiring things on offer.
What are your favourite restaurants in London?, That’s a tough one as there are so many I admire! I went to Barbecoa last month which was very good because they cook only on charcoals and coals so the dishes have a really nice flavour. The thing I liked about that was that you could see the beef hanging in the chiller. The view was also amazing.
Of all the food trends, what excites you the most and which can’t you wait to see the back of?, I am a big fan of pulled pork which became very trendy last year and has since spread everywhere. I’m a pork producer so that’s been a great thing for my business! I’m not a fan of sundried tomatoes – they are overrated in my mind. They were huge about ten years ago but I’ve never really liked them. At the moment in London grilled stock is very exciting. A trend that I hope everyone catches onto is drinking milk as a drink in its own right! It’s the healthiest and most nutritious drink out there. I warn everyone away from drinking wheatgrass mixers – drink the real stuffy instead!
How do you feel about the lack of young farmers in the UK at present? How do you see this problem being resolved?, Interestingly, agricultural courses at Harper Adams have increased tremendously with the interest in farming. I think the big struggle is getting people into agricultural engineering. It’s a struggle getting people from non-farming backgrounds to see a future in farming. The biggest hurdle is the investment needed to start up farming in the industry.
Finally, what are you looking for in terms of the winner of the competition?, We’re looking for people that really have an attachment to their product, not just in terms of running a business that provides an income, but the idea that it is all-encompassing. So, from nose to tail and from field to fork, we want to see entries that have a lot of passion and love put into them. Ultimately, the product has to speak for itself.
So how can people get involved?, If you are a local food vendor, artisan or producer then we want to hear from you! Nominate your produce or dishes between now and Sunday 15 February via Hotel Indigo’s Facebook page. Alternatively, speak to your favourite local food producer and encourage them to enter! There’s a great prize to be won – £1,000, regional and national recognition, a photo-shoot for your company and inclusion into Hotel Indigo’s foodie guide to the neighbourhood. Between 16 and 23 February make sure you get behind your favourite entry and vote via the Facebook app. Share your stories using #Neighbourhood.
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