STARTERS
MARION MCBURNEY FROM KINGFISHER FARM SHOP IN ABINGER HAMMER
Once upon a time, watercress beds were a common sight in Surrey but it’s perhaps only at Abinger Hammer’s Kingfisher Farm Shop that this healthy and nutritious leaf still takes centre stage.
“Watercress has huge competition for the salad plate,” says Marion. “Rocket has a greater shelf life, which is an important factor to the supermarkets. Our own wholesale trade for watercress saw its demise in the 80s with the decline of the High Street greengrocers. Dorking had five greengrocers at one point!
“Mixed salad leaves have become increasingly trendy, for their variation in leaf and colour, but these often overlook the huge health benefits of watercress. It is a superfood that is packed with minerals and vitamins.”
Make sure to add a little traditional watercress magic to your Surrey banquet, perhaps with a simple soup to start.
“Base it on potato, onion, garlic and stock and then put the watercress in at the last minute, stems and all for flavour, and then liquidise it. This gives the soup a fresh green colour,” Marion suggests.
“Or, how about a watercress roulade with Tillingbourne trout pate? It’s a winning combination.”
REAL BREAD
CHRIS ROBINSON FROM CHALK HILLS BAKERY IN HORLEY
You can’t have a proper meal without breaking bread and who better to advise for our local feast than the owner of Chalk Hills Bakery?
“Like all our bread, the Surrey Bloomer is born and, well, bred at our bakery in Horley,” says Chris. “It is a popular, traditional white loaf, made by hand, just like bread used to be made before the process was industrialised.”
It’s sourdough loaves, however, that are Chalk Hills’ best sellers at the moment. As nothing but flour and water is added to the starter to make it, it is also perhaps the most natural bread you can eat.
“The demand for natural, unprocessed food has risen sharply, and this is reflected in the demand for our sourdough,” says Chris.
“Our sourdough starters originally came from Australia, our head baker's home, nine years ago. Since then, the friendly bacteria in our sourdough starters have come from our bakery air and environment. Every time you tuck into a Chalk Hills Bakery sourdough, you are tasting a bit of Surrey (and a tiny bit of Australia!).”
Once upon a time, bakers would have used flour from local mills and, while our county does boast the small Imbhams Farm Granary, near Haslemere, Chalk Hills have to go further afield for the quantities they require these days.
Their story has seen a further twist in recent years, with Reigate’s Crumbs Brewing transforming Chalk Hills’ leftover loaves into a delicious range of beers. So, if you’re not one for slices of fresh crusty bread smothered in butter (are you mad?!), then you could always drink them instead.
MAIN COURSE
CHRISTIAN ARMSTRONG FROM THE SALT BOX IN REIGATE
Nature’s larder is all too often overlooked in conversations about modern food production, and yet game has to be central to any discussion about what constitutes a traditional Surrey dish.
Henry VIII was a fan and Reigate’s purveyors of cooking over open flames, The Salt Box, proudly uphold that tradition with the flavourful, versatile and underrated meats often taking centre stage at their supper clubs.
“We use wild meat as often as we can on our menus, often introducing people to it for the first time,” says Christian, who runs The Salt Box with his partner Beckie Wingrove.
“We think everybody should be eating more game, as we move in to a time where people are more conscious of where their food is coming from and searching for more sustainable meats.
“One of the health benefits of eating game is that it carries a lot less fat, having worked hard to forage for its own food during its life. It really adds to the taste and ‘terroir’.”
So, venison and crayfish surf ‘n’ turf anyone? It’s a dish you can imagine on aspirational foodie pub menus one day - a potential Surrey classic.
“Try a beautiful seared venison fillet steak with buttermilk fried crayfish (we get ours from the lakes of Priory Farm in South Nutfield, with their permission, but there are various sources around Surrey),” explains Christian. “Serve it with some homemade Bloody Mary ketchup and enjoy with a pint of locally brewed beer. Mouth-watering.”
ALTERNATIVE MAIN
IAN JONES FROM HILL HOUSE FARM NEAR DORKING
Based in the Surrey Hills, Hill House Farm is a family-run farm dedicated to connecting people to the countryside through food and rural experiences.
Putting their philosophy into practice, they’ve recently set out to create a Mole Valley quiche, which is a celebration of the district they call home and its producers.
“Many people regard Mole Valley as a commuter area and do not have much knowledge of just how much farming and food production happens here,” says Ian.
“I wanted to make something that celebrates the efforts of farmers and reminds residents and those further afield that there is more to Mole Valley than they might realise.”
So the Mole Valley quiche was born, featuring Hill House Farm’s dry cured ham from their Gloucester Old Spot herd; watercress from Kingfisher Farm Shop in Abinger Hammer to add a peppery zing and bring a vivid green colour; raw milk from W Dale & Son at Aldhurst Farm, which is only one mile from Hill House Farm in Capel; and eggs from Etherley Farm, at the foot of Leith Hill, which has been farmed for three generations by the Keen family.
“Serving wise, it’s fabulous hot or cold, and I would suggest you couple it with a glass of Rose Hill from Denbies Wine Estate for maximum enjoyment,” explains Ian.
SALADS
GREG SECRETT FROM SECRETTS OF MILFORD
Growing up to 30 different varieties of salad leaf, from pak choi to baby leaf kale, at any one time during the summer months, Secretts remains a powerhouse of Surrey food production.
“We often invite local chefs and buyers to see what we’re growing at the farm and we work with a wholesaler to get our produce into the capital, which has led to a large following of well-known chefs such as Nathan Outlaw,” says Greg.
Secretts’ leaves are hand cut at a maximum of six weeks from planting, so they are tender and full flavoured, and these are then sold to trade customers and in their award-winning farm shop. But it’s not just about the leafy vegetables.
In recent years, sales of Secretts bunched heritage carrots and beetroots have grown significantly too. They bunch these with their tops still on and have seen a growth in recipes for pesto and other culinary applications for using the tops in recipes rather than discarding them.
“Secretts leaves are used extensively as a garnish by chefs because they are attractive and add a fresh element to a plate,” says Greg.
“They also stand alone really well too. They benefit from being tossed in a good light dressing just before they are served. We would suggest combining some good extra virgin olive oil and some fresh lemon juice plus a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.”
As an added bonus, for those of you planning delicious salads and sides in the coming weeks, Secretts are set to open their asparagus fields to the public again for the first time in three years.
CHEESE AND WINE
FRANCIS GIMBLETT FROM GIMBLETT CHEESE IN HASLEMERE
Having just finished a ‘100 cheesemakers in 100 days’ adventure that took him wild camping around Britain to discover what the future holds for our nation’s cheese industry, food and drink aficionado Francis Gimblett has got Cheddar, Yarg, Stinking Bishop, Stilton et al on the brain.
“While the trip was research for my book, as well as inspiration for my wine and cheese talks, I can now get back to focussing on making my own cheese as half of Haslemere’s Gimblett Cheese,” says Francis.
“While Surrey Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the cheesemakers that we do currently have in Surrey, it also highlights the potential for so much more. As things stand, you could add our Floyd, which is a soft, washed rind, cheese, and Norbury Blue Cheese’s synonymous blue and their Dirty Vicar to your Surrey cheese board - and, well, that’s that (at least commercially).”
Of course, we’d all love to see more in the long run, so perhaps a few aspiring dairy farmers and cheesemakers will be inspired to produce their own creations in the near future.
“Before the cheese, I started my food and drink life as a sommelier and, while our county’s cheese offering may be a little limited, our vineyards are flourishing,” says Francis.
“How about trying something award-winningly sparkling from Greyfriars near Guildford; be swept off to the Surrey Riviera by Albury’s delightful Silent Pool Rosé; or bask in Denbies’ deliciously decadent Noble Harvest dessert wine?”
There are plenty more to choose from and, suffice to say, we’re spoilt for choice with tasty tipples. What better occasion than Surrey Day to try a few and raise a toast to home?
DESSERTS
LAURA SCOTT FROM HOW TO COOK GOOD FOOD IN EPSOM
With The Championships at Wimbledon on our doorstep every July, vibrant and juicy strawberries are an essential part of any menu celebrating Surrey.
One of the best places to get them in our county, throughout the summer months, is Garsons of Esher, which is home to the UK’s largest pick your own farm and a well-stocked farm shop.
And who better to whip these delicious berries into a couple of desserts that Surrey can be proud of, than chef Laura Scott who runs How to cook good food?
“I think a Surrey Strawberry Sando would be amazing,” says Laura. “Inspired by the Japanese tradition of Western influence on Japanese cuisine, the strawberry and cream fruit sandwich has a cult following which could just catch on here in Surrey.
“Fresh strawberries and whipped cream sandwiched into crustless white bread make for the perfect afternoon tea accompaniment. My version would also include elderflower syrup to transform it into something truly British.”
Alternatively, how about a strawberry elderflower tart? It’s a classic pairing of strawberries with deliciously aromatic elderflower cordial flavoured creme patisserie. So moreish, and a fittingly sweet finale to our Surrey feast.
Tags: venison
bread
wine
cheese
salad
watercress
quiche
strawberries
