Summer 2015

LOCAL TO LUDLOWMARKET QUARTERLY

WelcomeSpring has sprung and summer willhopefully shine on Ludlow Local

Produce Market, Ludlow’s favouritefarmers market. Often referred to as‘Local to Ludlow market’ or just ’thelocal produce one’ it really doesn’tmatter. What does matter is that wehave reached the very ripe old age offifteen years old, come this July. Weshall celebrate by having a big cakewith candles and serving cups of teaon the 9th July. So do come and wish

us happy birthday.

02AppetiserMeet the Producer:Joe and Sally Brandtfrom Pork and Two Veg

03Season-in’Cherries

Main CourseSausages in Ludlow Gold

04Extras10 Good Questions &A Focus on Blue Boar reopening in Ludlow

PlusCalendar Our Essential Dates foryour Summer food anddrink diary.

There was a breath of thesweetest and lightest of fresh airs,the day Tish Dockerty pointedsouthwards and headed towardsour friendly neighbouring countyof Herefordshire to catch up withthe Brandt’s, Joe and Sally, knownto their customers as ‘Pork andTwo Veg’. On a previous visit I had been met at thegate by the gambolling ‘Betty’, aSaddleback cross with Tamworth pig who’dbeen hand reared by Sally from birth andclearly a friend for life, who most certainlywon’t see the inside of a vacuum pack.That may sound rather blunt but that istheir game, rearing the richest of freerange, happy-go-lucky pigs for the tablesof discerning eaters. Betty now roams thefield after being banished from the housefor causing too much domestic chaos of a“bull in a china shop” kind. She now sayshello by rushing up and butting your legswith her snout, and as Sally says “She’ll bewith us for quite a few years to come.”On the brightest of blue sky days with

iridescent hedgerow greens, when I visitedthe seven acre smallholding, the lightnessof being was certainly in the air. Joe andSally introduced me to their fifty plusbrood, many of whom are named aftercharacters from the TV series Blackadder.This felt to be a happy home where littlepiggies are born and bred on site to thehighest of animal husbandry (and animalwifery) standards. The matriarch ‘Nursey’sadly passed away recently but movingcentre forward is , ‘Mrs Miggens’, themother and auntie of many of the sprightlyfooted piggies that tromp the hard groundof the Woolhope smallholding. Shelumbers around her pen keeping the littleones in order, and snuffling for treatsthrough the fence. The majestic ‘Bernard’the boar was keeping a low profile thatsunny day, sleeping off his courtship daysin the shade of the big oak tree. The smallholding boasts a farmshop, a

campsite, outdoor catering trailer and aspecialist tree services business.Originally from Kent, Joe, who’s from along line of farming stock, keeps an eye onthe day’s activities, answering his mobile

LOCAL TO LUDLOW

The BearLightness

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Season-in’Cherries are a fickle feature of theBritish fruit year, highly susceptible toour unpredictable weather with yieldsvarying greatly from one year to theother. Peaking in July, their season isshort but not one to be missed. A bagof sweet and juicy cherries when eatenin season, is quite addictive anddoesn’t last long for those that hankerfor something a bit different aftermonths of happy strawberryconsumption. British cherries arebecoming a rare species,supermarkets prefer the importedoption, usually from Spain and thereare few commercial growers in thiscountry. Worcestershire is one of themthough, so where better to head thanyour local farmers market or qualitygreengrocer to get a handful of them.Preparing them seems irrelevant, littlecan be done to improve on the sweetand tart flavour of a good ripe cherry.Flicking the stones as far as one canwhilst sat in the garden on a warmsultry evening is also one of the mostenjoyable pastimes of a Britishsummer.

to regular enquiries in between checkingon the animals, preparing feed, andserving ‘drop in’ customers. Now enteringtheir fifth year of rearing rare breed pigsthey feel they are almost there, anestablished and prize winning producer,with a farm shop that is stocked up andopen from Wednesday to Sundays, runningoutside catering and attending farmersmarkets scattered throughout theirworking week.

Joe loves to recount the commentabout their innovative pork and elderflowersausage that won a award from BritishSausage Week celebrity judge , PhilVickery, who said “the flavour of theelderflower combined really well with thetaste of the pork, it was so juicy, I lovedit!” He puts their success of their plump,tender sausages down to their use of highquality meat cuts rather than the leftoverbits that fill most supermarket bangers,giving them their hearty meatiness andperfect texture. The flavour was inspiredby the hedgerows that surround the farmwith elderflowers in abundance “we had ago at melding the flavours and bingo,people love it!” Sally takes great pride in the quality of

the pork that they produce, saying herhighlight is the buzz she gets whencustomers comment on the quality andrange of their exciting flavours. Apartfrom the sausages, Pork and Two Vegalso do a finger licking line in belly porkand ribs, which you will find starring on themenu in the Butchers Arms less than amile down the road where there’s a reallypiggy feast of belly pork, smoked bacon,black pudding and Parmentier potatoeswith apple sauce. As I left Joe and Sally to get on with

their many jobs and wished them farewell,Joe said with his grin and cheeky twinkle,how much he’s looking forward to his ‘dayoff’ attending Ludlow Local ProduceMarket and doing what he really likes bestand that’s chatting up the customers andtalking free range.Contact: Joe and Sally BrandtPork and Two Veg, Woolhope, Hereford, HR1 4QL. 01432 860839www.porkandtwoveg.co.ukJoe.brandt@btconnect.com

MARKET QUARTERLY

Recipe:Baked Sausages inLudlow Gold AleThis is a comforting one pan bake whichshows off Pork and Two Veg’s award-winning Pork and Elderflower sausages toa treat. Serves 4 - 1 Hour.

Main Ingredients3 Red onionsRapeseed oil for drizzling300g Waxy new potatoes (such ascharlotte or anya)1 pack of 500g Pork & Elderflowersausages250ml Ludlow Gold Ale50ml Red wine vinegar100g Sugar snap peas1 tsp sweet smoked paprikaSalt and pepperSmall handful fresh parsley

MethodPre-heat oven to 200°C/fan190°C/gas 6. 1. Peel and quarter the onionslengthways so each segment is still heldtogether at the root end. 2. Place the onions and sausages in aroasting tin and drizzle with rapeseed oil. 3. Roast for 20 minutes, turning halfwaythrough, until sausages are browning and onions are softened and beginning to crisp.4. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into bite-size wedges then add them along withthe sugar snaps to the roasting tin withthe ale, vinegar and smoked paprika. 5. Season, then cover tightly with tinfoiland pop back in the oven for 25 minutes.6. Remove the foil and bake for a final 5minutes until the potatoes and peas aretender and the sausages cooked through.7. To serve, spoon the contents outonto warm plates with the pan juicesand tuck in!

rables of Being

Mmm, as you follow your nose along Mill Street on a Sunday towards the allnew Blue Boar you can pick up the scent of the slow roasting joints that youknow will melt in your mouth. The Blue Boar is being reborn as a properpub with floor boards, good cask ale and home-made porkscratchings. Harking back to the days when the pubwas full of artists of the theatrical kind, Adam, itsnew manager, wishes to recreate some of thismagic in what will be Ludlow’s new hotspot forevents including screenings and performance,commencing with the endorsement of the LudlowFringe which has moved centre stage forLudlow’s summer arts scene. Thiswill be complemented withfare from local food anddrink producers thattrade on the marketsquare opposite. Withan evolving menu thatchanges with theseasons and highlightsthe source of the food onone’s plate, this will bethe new place to be seenand to be eating.

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LOCAL TO LUDLOW

10 Good QuestionsMary from Victorian Farmhouse Butteranswers our questions this issue...So what do you produce to sell atfarmers markets? We churn doublecream from a local dairy to make butter,the old fashioned ‘end over end’ way in atraditional wooden churn.What gets you out of bed in themorning? It’s another day – up early withthe lark to make butter before attending abusy market or festival.How many markets do you do in anaverage month? Lots, around 7 or 8.Average number of hours in theday?Too many! I lose count.On those very cold market days howdo you keep warm? Layers upon layers...What one message would you like allyour customers to take home withthem? To learn how butter is made, youngor old, so many don’t know where itcomes from. I’ve been making it since Iwas 8 years of age. I only did it because Iliked drinking the buttermilk – which backthen was tangy. Nothing waspasteurised.... unlike today.What one thing would improve yourbusiness? Better weather, when it is verycold the cream will not churn, when it istoo hot I can’t pat the butter, it runs away. Work wise what’s been your proudestmoment? When I was very young Ientered the Young Farmers Club NationalPoultry Trussing competition and I won.Prince Phillip was supposed to present memy trophy – but I went for a walk aroundthe show and missed the award ceremony.Who would be your dream customer? Iwould like to meet my Mother’s cousinMary Walridge – she was a championcheese and butter maker. She used towalk from Nescliffe to Oswestry, pickingfrom the hedgerow to sell at the market.She used to wrap the butter in rhubarbleaves to keep it cool...I would like toshare butter making secrets with her. And lastly which is your favouritemarket? It has be Oswestry FarmersMarket – just because I know so many folkthere who have known me for years.

Ludlow Local Produce Market Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.For more information aboutstallholders please go towww.localtoludlow.org.ukJune 11th & 25th, July 9th & 23rd, Aug 13th & 27th

Summer Solstice Celebration Sunday June 21stA great way to spend a slowSunday afternoon – follow the snailtrail through town to arrive at oneof Ludlow’s favourite secretgardens, where there will be funand games including tug of war,egg and spoon, snail racing, peapodding, splat the rat and manymore. Tickets include food –summer paella and strawberriesand cream. £6 Adult £3 under 12sBYO rug, chair and drinks. 3–7pmTickets www.slowfoodludlow.org.ukor call 01584 878398.

Walk on the Wild sideWednesday July 1st Join Forestry Ranger Alan Reid fora walk through Mortimer Forest tolearn about the deer unique to thearea. Followed by a special mealfeaturing Mortimer Forest venisonby Andy Link from the RiversideInn. For more information go towww.slowfoodludlow.org.uk

15th Birthday Celebration forLudlow Local Produce MarketThursday July 9thFor customers and those that havesupported us over the years. Joinus to celebrate our milestone – teaand cake will be served from12pm - 2pm.

Ludlow Green Festival 2015Sunday 30 & Monday 31 AugustGreen Market and other eventsSee www.greenfestival.co.uk

Calendar: Our Essential Dates

Rhubarb words by Tish Dockerty Market Manager 07985218727. For more details concerning LudlowLocal Produce Market www.localtoludlow.org.uk and Ludlow Slow Food Group www.slowfoodludlow.orgLudlow Local Produce Market is part of Ludlow 21.

The Blue Boar, 52 Mill Street, Ludlow, SY8 1BB. Tel: 01584 878989. www.blueboarludlow.co.uk