Feast.net

Those superstars over at Feast have sorted themselves out with a brand new website. For those who don't know, Feast work tirelessly supporting Farmer's Markets and Local Produce firms, organising events, training and publicity among other things. If your'e interested in supporting your local producers, from cheesemakers to brewers, then drop by. You'll find a permanent link here on The Good Stuff.

A Feast for The Eyes

Whilst browsing in Borders the other day, it occurred to me the cookery book section seemed to be growing. Fast. Cookbooks are getting bigger, more colourful, more specialised, more expensive – it occurred to me that in this current ‘foodie-friendly’ market, Cookbooks are big business.

And why not? After all, us amateurs love to write; even better to write about food. Call me picky; elitist even, but I think a really special cookbook should go above and beyond the mere nut-and-bolts (pots and pans?) of how to make a meal. I want humour, context, history – and, most of all – what makes this meal special.

So, to illustrate, I present to you my current faves. All should be pretty much available at your friendly high-street bookstore or internet site. Some are expensive, but again, as with food, sometimes you get what you pay for.

Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries; A Year in The Kitchen – Simply astounding; a captivating read as well as looking awesome and containing seasonal recipes, one for each day, that you actually would cook. The best cookbook I have seen since:
The Silver Spoon – To put it simply, you don’t need another Italian cookbook. It may be big, it may be rough, but it’s a godsend. Indispensable.
Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halle Cookbook – Not for vegetarians – if you like you meat and like it bistro style, this is for you. Everything is covered from basic knifework to planning a menu. All done in Anthony’s witty style.
Floyd’s American Pie – a great read and worth trawling the second-hand shops for. Some great stories and some great recipes, all classic American dishes from Po’Boys to Ceviche to Gumbo.

As for drinks, well, i'm yet to find a wine guide that isn't too dry (no pun intended) - but i can wholeheartedly reccommend 300 Beers To Try Before You Die!!! by Roger Protz. Colourful, info-packed and interesting. A vital reference.

Those are my main one at the moment. Keep your eyes out, especially in second hand stores. Let me know of any that are keeping you in the kitchen these days…

Joneva

Masham will be familiar to all those interested in local produce, in particular Beer, with both the Theakston’s and The Black Sheep Breweries anchoring this lovely market town.

If you head down to the market square, however, you’ll find another lynchpin of the community – Joneva. With almost too much stock to fit in it’s tiny premises, Joneva is a treasure trove for foodies – handmade chocolates, local preserves and sweets sit side by side with an excellent deli, serving such treats as terrines, fresh pickled fish, olives, biscuits…the list is endless!

Joneva truly is a shop-of-all trades but the chocolate is where it prides itself. And good it is, too. Always fresh, always delicious – I can recommend their praline-filled chocolate animals. Really.

Joneva has been open for over ten years now and to visit Masham without dropping by is a huge mistake – you will be unable to resist buying yourself a little treat, I can assure you of that. The obvious pride and passion of John and Mary Reah makes Joneva a wonderful example of gourmet independence that our region is so good at producing. We take our food seriously in Yorkshire, don’t you know!

http://www.joneva.com/
7 Market Place,
Masham

The Wellington Inn

... I was determined to get out of the house – I didn’t care where; all I knew was it had to be the opposite of the city. I wanted a drive, sunshine, English country air and, most importantly, a pub at the end of it. The week at work had been draining and dull; I wanted to feel good again.

We’ve all been here. Some of us have our favourite places to go; I know I do. It was onto one of those places once that we passed The Wellington Inn, which sits proudly nestled in Darley, just near Harrogate. I made a mental note. It looked good, and the carpark was packed - an excellent sign.

So it was with fierce Yorkshire determination that we headed out, through a couple of snowstorms (I’m not making this up), to sample what The Wellington had to offer. For the record, we're glad we did.

This is the kind of place you dream of stumbling across. I'm talking ‘Old English’ pub-style here – the roaring fire that greets you is huge and angry, the beers on offer are well-kept favourites and the place is full, but not too full, of smiling, red-faced locals.

We took our seat near the aforementioned fire, and spent the next ten minutes reading the food-boards. It takes that long. Every taste is catered for; it’s a huge menu that serves both the general dining area and the restaurant toward the back of the pub. I plumped for a roast belly of pork on red cabbage and my partner for a simple sausage sandwhich with onion marmalade.

The pork, a burnished slab of juicy meat, was just enough to fill; tender, sweet and sticky, with a good amount of crackling. The red cabbage it lay upon only enhanced the dish with a sharper jamminess. Wonderful. The sausages were good also, real and with a good, porky taste that we all know can be so woefully absent from sausages these days.

All the meat and produce on the menu is sourced locally, and this was evident in the quality. Talk about ‘food miles’ all you want – the meat on my plate probably only travelled a matter of yards to the kitchen here!

This, my friends, was a real good Sunday lunch. A dessert of espresso-flavoured crème brulee rounded the meal off on a note that little bit higher than your usual Sunday-pub-lunch fare;
add to this the most helpful and genuinely happy staff that i have encountered and you have a real pearl in the Yorkshire countryside.

The Wellington Inn

Darley, Harrogate

North Yorkshire

HG3 2QQ

Telephone: (01423) 780362

www.wellington-inn.co.uk

Question Time with Sean Franklin, Roosters Brewery

Rooster's Beers have been a firm favourite of mine for a long time. Now widely available at such pubs as The Maltings in York, The Old Bell in Harrogate and The Palace in Leeds, Rooster's in already a firm favourite in Yorkshire.

That's not suprising - Rooster's range is all wonderful - hoppy, smooth ales that are obviously produced with pride and a respect to the craft.

Sean Franklin, founder of Rooster's, took some time to answer a few questions.

The Good Stuff: Why did you set up Roosters? Has brewing been a passion all your life or was there a moment where you thought '...This is something i have to do'?

Sean: I used to be in the UK wine business. I started as a cellerhand in Wapping in the East End of London and after two years got up to head office to work in the sample room. Eventually I ended up as a Quality Controller. We did tasting and simple lab work under a great guy called Bill Warre. Went over to France a few times, worked at Louis Latour in Aloxe Corton for a few years then went to Bordeaux University to study Oenology and tasting. One of the profs was a guy called Emile Peyaud. World famous and a great taster. He changed the face of Bordeaux Wine quality in a generation.

I set up the brewery because I got back to the UK and started working as a cab driver (no QC jobs) One day went to the Turkey Inn at Goose Eye near Laycock, Keighley. Early Spring day, sun coming through the windows, flag floor, early doors. I had a pint of Goose Eye and decided I could do it. From then on it took 18 months to open Franklins Brewery. That was right at the very start of the new micros. The brewery was at the Gardeners Arms in Harrogate. After a couple of years I got tired of the high rent and sold to Tommy Thomas who runs it now (but does not brew)


Did you have to give up a 'day job' as such to do it? If so, how was that?
Sean: I drove the taxi and delivered the beer in the same vehicle until I bought a pick up. Quite soon I concentrated on the brewing and sold my Black Taxi plate.

What's your favourite Rooster's and non-Roosters beers/Breweries?
Sean: New Belgian in Fort Collins Colorado for the philosophy and management attitude. Sierra Nevada in Chico California for the dedication (second to none) to making the very best beer. There’s lots of heroes in the brewing business. I like the Crouch Vale beers and Harvestoun too. There’s lots of great beers out there. I like any beer that has complexity and intensity of aroma, balance of ‘primary tastes' and a long ‘finish’. There’s too many to mention.

Do you find much opposition from pubs/bars to stock artisan brews these days, or has the current 'foodie' climate made things any easier to get your wares stocked?
Sean: We only sell on draught so it’s pubs only we sell to. Things got a lot better since some of the tied houses began to take micro brews. Make no mistake that it is the major breweries and the pub group that control how much of the market is open to us. The halving of the duty rate for small brewers helped a lot financially.

Where do you drink?
Sean:Old Bell Tavern in Harrogate is one of my favourites. The Maltings in York is another.

Could you give any advice to any aspiring young brewers out there?
Sean:Just go for it.

What will 2007 hold for Rooster's & Outlaw?
Sean: More and more hop aroma and individuality in the beers. There's no news for the present other than the beers coming out next week, see - http://www.roosters.co.uk/monthly.htm
We alsohave a bottler coming which should allow for the sale of some pretty original beers at the brewery door.

www.roosters.co.uk

Salt's Deli

Hidden away not a stone’s throw from The Adelphi at the bottom end of Leeds sits Salt’s – a real foodie jewel in the crown of Leeds.

Firstly, the shop itself is heaven for gastrophiles – polished woods and an ornate tiled floor give the place the feel of Andalusia or Tuscany, and the sheer range of foods, both hand-made and imported do nothing to quell that vibe. Hams and meats hang from the ceiling; pates, cheeses, preserves, breads and pastas in every shape and form line the shelves and cabinets.

Friendly staff, importantly, seem to know what they are serving; the sandwich menu ranges from such staples as Cheese and Yorkshire Dales pickle, to the more rare and artisanal varieties such as Pastrami with sauerkraut on Rye bread. Certainly beats the high street bakers over the road!

Add to that tartines, soups, salads, and a hamper service, and you’ve got a wonderfully unique shop that, in my mind, certainly represents the lush, European – style deli that secretly, we all wish we owned.

Salt’s Deli
14 Swinegate, Leeds
LS1 4AG
Tel 0113 2432323

www.saltsdeli.co.uk

North Bar, Leeds: From Hell to Heaven via Pink Floyd

It’s Sunday, just after one o’clock, on a typical may day in Leeds. Outside, rain is battering the pavement, and inside I’m draining a bottle of Anchor Porter. There are few places I would rather be than North Bar.

Fact: North Bar is one of the best places to drink in Leeds. It’s easily my favourite, anyway, at least in the ‘city bar’ stakes, anyway. However, I didn’t always feel this way; in fact, the first three or four times I visited it I hated it. ‘It’s full of pretentious idiots’ I would moan, ‘…and I only like about two of the fifty or so beers they have there’. In those days (many, many moons ago) , all I knew about ‘World Beers’ was that they were all weird, cloudy beverages with enough alcohol in them to strip paint. ‘Too strong to drink all night…’ I would complain, as my friends got more and more smashed as the prospect of yet another early night due to the alcoholic horrors of North Bar loomed.

This was my opinion of North Bar circa the turn of the century. For a couple of years I stayed clear, and then, inevitably, I got into food, wine and beer -I mean really got into food, wine and beer. I discovered a whole world of boozing that didn’t even acknowledge the horrors of ‘Generic Beers’ and ‘Alcopops’; a world where taste and pleasure were the main reasons for drinking, and getting drunk was a happy side-effect of this. The world of fast-food drinking and chain-bars was one I had left behind, and I was never going to look back.

I found a small, yet highly trained crack team of aficionados to share this epiphany with. I became enamoured with American craft breweries in particular, and slowly, but surely, decided to go back to North.

Home, Home Again...
Rediscovering North was like that third or fourth spin of Dark Side of the Moon – where it al clicks into place. You realise that what you have is a masterpiece, not because of individual performances, but al the little things added up. North is the drinking equivalent of DSOTM; mysterious and pretentious to the uninitiated, adored by the regulars and the people who hold it as a benchmark for modern drinking. I was wrong, but now I am right.

I wonder if Bigfoot listens Pink Floyd?
Ok, the reasons why North is great;

Rotation. Every time I go (on average once a week), there is an element of surprise – a new beer on tap, two new bottles in the fridges, ones I haven’t yet tried. Given the amount of beer I have tried/know about, this is some achievement.

They have their own beer – North Bar Ale. It’s brewed by the Outlaw Brewing Co, and comes in an old-school glass tankard with those square knobbly bits on. It’s great – smooth and too drinkable for its own good. Tastes like Tim Taylor Landlord but fruitier. Lovely, although seasonal.

Staff. Always happy, always ready to help you out with your choice of tipple should you come unstuck. Down to earth too – there are a couple of bars in Leeds that must recruit staff on a ‘must be pretentious’ policy. I don’t need my pint of Jever spun around like a top, please.

The Bar itself – come on! No contest. Loads of bottles, at least ten pumps, filled with distinct world beers. All the time. No generic beers ever. Local beers. Fruits, Lambics, and SIERRA NEVADA ON TAP. (Also worth a try is the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale – at 9% abv it doesn’t hide the alcohol in silk like, say, Duvel, - it kicks you straight in the face with a big, hairy claw.)

Music – never thumping, always tasteful. A few nights ago we had Hendrix tunes played by some jazz band. Folk, World, Jazz, Blues - all the great drinking albums. (Imagine if they played DSOTM - i'd just about lose my mind!)

A great selection of spirits; Hendricks gin, about 6 different rums, I could go on…add to that an Observer Food Monthly “Best Place to drink in Britain” award, along with the other accolades North has garnered throughout the last few years.. Not that I’m all about awards, but it’s not often the press get it so right. If it’s good enough for Nigel Slater, then it’s good enough for me.

Top Five; North Bar

Any Roosters ale - fast becoming a staple, Roosters brew simply fine beers. not tasted a bad one from thier brewhouse yet. light and ultimately quaffable.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap. One of the finest brews to come out of the States, tastes even better on tap.
Anchor Porter: want the taste of stout but none of the heaviness? Then try this. Second only to Sierra Nevada Porter.
Goose Island Honkers’ Ale – always good, wherever. Tastes of caramel and one is never enough.
Little Creatures Pale Ale: Wonderful Aussie brew – clean, crisp, but still manages to pack in a lot of flavour.

Today i am a total beer nerd and i owe it all to North.

North

24 New Briggate

Leeds

LS1 6NU

www.northbar.com

Saturday, 3rd Feb 2006: 16.00
Not even the concerned tone of voice from Sky Sports broadcasting legend Jeff Stelling could soften the impact of the news he was bringing me; my beloved Leeds United were being soundly beaten again, this week by the yellow and green onslaught of a toothless Norwich. Couple this with the slowly dawning realisation that this latest debacle could possibly lead to Leeds being relegated to the lowest tier of English football they have ever inhabited, and you have a fairly depressing Saturday afternoon for your dear writer.

Faced with such tragedy, there was only one thing to do; Organise some comfort food, some food that can warm me and melt this horrible state of mind away, food that makes me proud to be a Yorkshireman – something that my football team are, presently, uncapable of.

Yep - It’s time for Beef.

I first came across Bolton Abbey Foods at Skipton Autumn Food Fair in 2006, and the sheer sight of the meat they had on offer stopped me in my tracks. I’m a stickler for Rib of Beef; for me, the most majestic cut from the most majestic of animals. The rib they had on offer were not only visually impressive; dark, dark red with a ‘proper’ amount of marbling and fat, but also good value, too. I walked away that day with a little sample, shall we say...

Steve Crabtree, who owns and runs the farm, the animals and the business (With his family, of course!), is one of the many hard-working farmers and independent businessmen fighting against the onslaught of supermarkets in our region; but with produce that is as good as this, you wonder why someone would ever choose that way of shopping for meat. Bolton Abbey Foods not only supply many excellent gastropubs with meat (such as The award-winning Angel Inn in Hetton, and The Fleece in nearby Addingham), but their wares can be found at many a famer’s market and selected independent retailers.

As for the meat itself; I can’t speak highly enough of it. I come from a family of butchers, and our speciality was the famed Aberdeen Angus; so you can believe me when I say that Bolton’s grass-fed beef is simply excellent. Simply rubbed with salt and pepper, sealed and roasted, it was pure heaven on a plate; paired with roasted spuds and a glass or three of red wine it really did make an unhappy Yorkshireman happy again. Want even more regional? Then try some Black Sheep Ale alongside, or one of my personal faves, Coniston Bluebird Bitter.

For more info:

www.boltonabbeyfoods.co.uk

Farmer's Markets In Your Area NOW!!

Farmer's Markets are fast becoming the new place to be when it comes to food. A good Farmer's Market will remind you of what you're missing in terms of individual, local foods - and you can now find one most weekends in most counties. Yeah, some of them may require a little drive into the country, but there's probably more in the cities than you think.

An excellent resource on the web is www.farmersmarkets.web - you could'nt really ask for more in terms of simply telling you where to go, week in, week out.

Coming up, I'll be visiting the Headingley Deli Market, and in May, making our annual trip to Leyburn for the market there - a huge event that is really one not to miss.

For more info on the Headingley Deli Market, visit: http://www.headingleydevelopmenttrust.org.uk/pages/deli.htm

Leeds Kirkgate Market

Right, I’m going to step up onto my soapbox for this piece and spend the next ten minutes acting as the official Leeds Market PR Guy. Why?

Because, quite simply, Leeds Kirkgate Market is a foodie’s paradise. Its easily the best place to shop in Leeds for food - and not enough people know this.

Ok, cast aside all those images of the market you have probably grown up with – cheap, nasty food, rangy market-traders flogging cast-off goods, overflowing bins, all that stuff and listen: In terms of food and drink, Kirkgate Market has everything you need, and more.

Did you know that Leeds Kirkgate Market has over 800 traders, and is actually the second largest covered market in Europe? Marks and Spencer started out here; its a grade one listed building, don't you know...

Take for instance, The Fish Row. As with the Butchers row, there's some great produce here. Scores upon scores of fresh, just-caught fish nestle side by side with any kind of crustacean you can wish for. Visit early enough and the fish are still moving; that’s what I’m talking about! There’s game, hot and cold meats, bakers, chocolatiers, cheese stalls and more fruit and veg stands than you can shake a stick at; all selling not only fresh, home made, and local foods.

The indoor market has certainly come a long way in the last five or six years. Now, it boasts not only one but two – yes, two polish delicatessens, but at least three carribean stalls selling the likes of salt fish, plaintains and jerked meat. A special mention goes to Kostas’ Olive Stall, a greek market which sells some fine cheese, meats and sweets all direct from Greece. And I mean direct – for a few pounds you can buy Olive Oil from his family and when youre’ done, bring back the bottle and get a refill. Excellent.

In terms of food to eat there and then, there are countless café’s selling hot food, as well as hot meats, fish and chips, sandwiches and a Chinese Rotisserie, where not only can you buy excellent roast duck with rice and green tea for under a fiver, but, if you wish, you can order a whole suckling roast pig, and pick it up three days later - I’m not kidding. A whole roast pig.

A few weeks back, my partner and I had a Tapas night, and every item on the menu (at least eight dishes) was bought fresh that morning from the market; peppers, rice, fresh king prawns, seabass, tortillas, vine tomatoes etc etc …the list goes on. I understand there is a farmer's market there every month also, although I have yet to attend one.

All right, you're not going to fill up bags and bags of shopping and cart it round town all day, I understand that. But, if you have a car and are willing to get into the market early on a weekend morning and get all that good, fresh stuff, you will be richly rewarded. Try it – for me, it’s a monthly trip.

Check out the website for more details - www.leedsmarket.com

Welcome!

Welcome to the first post of The Good Stuff.

Hopefully, if you've found the site, then i can assume you're someone who wants a little more from food and drink. You want to keep your shopping basket local, filled with fresh, unique food that simply cannot be beaten by the major suppliers. You want tips and hints on where to eat and drink that are off the beaten path. You want to support independent food and drink suppliers and producers. All this sound familiar?

Then you're in the right place.

The Good Stuff exists simply to promote the aforementioned causes. Starting off in my home county of Yorkshire, and my home city of Leeds, The Good Stuff will be a guide for those who demand more from thier food an drink than simple convienience and price.

Don't forget - as someone more famous than me once said; 'Good people eat good food.'

Thanks for stopping by.