Charlotte Pike

Award-winning food writer Charlotte Pike
Recipes, foodie guides and news from my kitchen

Charlotte Pike

A Foodie Guide to Suffolk & The Waveney Valley

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The Waveney Valley, Suffolk

The Waveney valley is home to some of the most innovative and delicious food and drink producers in the country, and I had the pleasure of visiting several on my recent visit with the Guild of Food Writers. My intention with this guide is to share some of the wonderful food and drink products in the area, as much as where to go and what to do.

Dulcie Crickmore of Fen Farm Dairy on the farm with an enormous Baron Bigod

What to eat

First stop was to Fen Farm Dairy in Bungay. This lovely farm, sat in the lush, green fields of the Waveney valley is home to the Crickmore family farm. Now run by Johnny and Dulcie, third generation farmers, it is home to their Montbeliarde cross cows, who graze the lush fields down the lane from the farm. If you’re passing through Bungay, be sure to stop, as Fen Farm Dairy have a wonderful self service shop, selling their delicious raw milk, cheese, butter and fresh ground coffee using their raw milk. They were in fact pioneers in the raw milk vending machine world, with their first machine currently on exhibition at the V&A Museum.

Graham Crickmore with the Montbeliarde cows on Fen Farm

Fen Farm are probably best known for their cheese and butter; both of which are sublime. Frustrated with the ever-squeezed milk prices, the Crickmores decided to diversify, and identified a gap in the market for a British Brie-style cheese. They discovered that their herd producer a higher fat and lower protein milk than was optimal, and over the Montbeliarde cows came. Such is the success of this truly delicious cheese, Fen Farm Dairy have added a raw cultured butter to their range, and there is a qvark coming very soon. Their products are sold in their farm-gate honesty shed, local food delis and specialist cheesemongers, including Neals Yard Dairy.

Bungay raw cultured butter from Fen Farm Dairy

Also situated on the Crickmore’s farm is Whitewood Dairy, run by Julie Cheyney, producing her equally sublime St Jude and St Cera cheeses, and a – sadly for me – wholesale only curd cheese. Julie is a multi-award winning cheesemaker, with serious pedigree, and she also operates on the farm, with a small production unit and using the same raw Montbeliarde cross milk in her cheesemaking. Both cheeses are truly exquisite and I urge you to seek them at any opportunity you can. They are also sold at Paxton and Whitfield and Neals Yard Dairy.

William Hudson of Hodmedods on the farm

Our next stop was to Wakelyn’s research farm, which used by Hodmedods, growers of pulses and grains, who are best known for growing and producing pulses and grains including many varieties that we have, to date, imported from overseas. 

Pulses growing in the fields at Wakelyn’s research farm

They grow a core range of pulses and grains on small British farms, using sustainable methods, selling them raw and prepared in a variety of ways, such as fava beans, that are sold dried, roasted to form a savoury snack and cooked into a daal – Vaal Dhal, in fact. This is a really interesting business, in fact, they won Best Food Producer at the BBC Food and Farming Awards in 2017. This is such an interesting company that really cares about pioneering growing in the UK, and working sensibly with the land, and their wide range of products is really innovative and delicious.

A selection of Hodmedod’s products

Other outstanding finds from this trip were pies from Truly Traceable, who make sumptuous homemade game pies. Lynn and Steve are a man and wife team – Steve shoots and butchers the meat, and Lynn makes the pastry and assembles the pies. As the name suggests, this is a food business with a real focus on provenance, and the results are absolutely delicious. Lynn’s thick, crisp and buttery pastry is seriously moreish, and the fillings are generous and well-balanced. We made some salads and side dishes to accompany our pies for supper. I made a sort to tabbouleh with some smoked quinoa from Hodmedods and Linda Duffin made her stunning asparagus lasagne – see details on her website, Mrs Portly’s Kitchen – it’s delicious. We also had some sensational breads – focaccia with dinner and amazing sourdoughs for breakfast from John at Penny Bun Bakehouse. Based in Lowestoft, this bread is absolutely world-class and worth a special trip for this, alone. Be sure to track some down if you’re in Suffolk. Our meal was accopanied with wines from Adnams in Bury St. Edmunds, which included their truly excellent Prosecco DOP, Champagne and House White Burgundy — all superb.

Pies from Truly Traceable

Hales Hall

The next morning, we visited Flint Vineyard for a tour and tasting with husband and wife owners and winemakers Ben and Hannah Witchell.

Ben and Hannah Witchell of Flint Vineyard

Flint is a relatively new vineyard and wine maker, established by Ben and Hannah after travelling the world making wine and Ben studying at Plumpton College. Meticulous research led them to Earsham to plant their vineyard, due to its optimal conditions for growing. Their superb, multi-award winning wines are outstanding, and the range currently includes a Charmat Rosé, Silex Blanc (my favourite), and a Pinot Noir Précoce. Flint are producing some seriously good wine and, fortunately for us all, it’s being sold through several retailers, including Berry Bros, so do be sure to try it if you can.

Flint Vineyard Silex Blanc

Our wine tasting was accompanied by delicious charcuterie by Marsh Pig, who produce some excellent high-quality charcuterie in Suffolk. A former chef, Jackie makes top quality charcuterie in small batches by hand, using free range pork from Suffolk. Jackie’s charcuterie is also made using the best cuts of pork and beef, giving a much leaner, more tender result. The range of charcuterie is completely delicious and very unique to Marsh Pig. 

Jackie Kennedy of Marsh Pig

Our final stop of the visit was lunch at the Fox & Goose, Fressingfield. This lovely pub and restaurant sits in a former Guildhall building, first built in the early 1500s. It’s a very popular spot for lunch and dinner, featuring delicious local food and drink and a very warm welcome. We enjoyed a delicious and good value set lunch in their private room. This was the pork tenderloin dish, with millefeuille potatoes and a signature cube of Binham blue cheese mousse. Highly recommended.

Lunch at the Fox & Goose

Where to stay

My base for the trip was Hales Hall, which is across the border into Norfolk, just outside Loddon. Hales Hall and 15th Century Tudor hall, The Great Barn, is an astonishingly beautiful spot that can be hired out for parties, events and weddings.

Drinks al fresco at Hales Hall

The approach is quite astonishing, across a rural common and through the gates, straight into wonderful manicured lawns, topiary hedges and impressive historic buildings. There are several cottages nestled against each other, which would be our base for the visit.

Hales Hall Gardens

Rooms vary from cute country cottage, to grand en suite four poster bedrooms, but all were extremely comfortable and very tastefully decorated. There is plenty of space, inside and out, for relaxing, reading, dining, whatever you fancy.

Ready for dinner

It was a glorious evening when we stayed, and we enjoyed drinks outside until it started to get dark, and headed inside to the substantial dining room for our dinner. There is a great kitchen, both spacious and well-equipped for cooking, so it was a doddle to cook and clear up after a two course meal for 14 people. This would be a great set-up to employ a cook during a stay, too.

The Great Barn can be used for large parties and weddings, or the property can be hired out for a larger group for a very special break.

 

Thank you to the Guild of Food Writers, Linda Duffin and Tessa Allingham for organising this trip and all the suppliers who welcomed us and for their generous hospitality. I paid to attend this trip but some elements were kindly provided by the suppliers.

A Foodie Guide to the Mourne Mountains

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Slieve Donard

The Mourne mountains are Northern Ireland’s highest mountains, situated in County Down in the south eastern corner of Northern Ireland, not far from the Irish border. Known for its dramatic scenery, this is a truly beautiful corner of the county that is really worth exploring.

Northern Ireland is fast gaining increased recognition for its outstanding food and drink, and its vibrant network of enormously talented chefs and producers who are harvesting, producing and cooking some truly exciting and innovative food.

Slieve Donard Hotel

Where to stay

My base for this trip was the small seaside town of Newcastle in County Down, around an hour’s drive south from Belfast.

I stayed at the leading luxury hotel in the area, Slieve Donard in Newcastle, a large luxury hotel on the seafront with a well-regarded spa and swimming pool. Slieve Donard is named after the nearby mountain, Northern Ireland’s highest. Originally built at the end of the 19thCentury, Slieve Donard has been extensively modernised by current owners, the Hastings Hotel Group.

Slieve Donard Hotel

Slieve Donard is a big, busy hotel, with room situated over three floors, and guests staying from all over the world, on holiday, business and plenty to play golf at the adjacent Royal County Down Golf Club.

Dining rooms, lounges and bars are all on the ground floor, mostly looking out to see and across to Slieve Donard, which at 850m high, it creates an imposing backdrop. Rooms are generously proportioned and very comfortable, with large bathrooms and plenty of space to work and relax. The swimming pool and spa area are very pleasant, and I managed to pack three swims into a two-night stay. Hitting the pool first thing was a lovely experience, watching the sun rise across the sea and mountains as I clocked up my lengths was a very special start to the day.

During my stay, I only spent one evening in at the hotel and, anticipating the feasting to come, opted for a seafood chowder and glass of red wine for dinner in the bar, rather than a full dinner.

Breakfast is taken in the dining room and is a lovely, leisurely experience, if you have time to linger and enjoy the good views from window tables. There is a very strong focus on local ingredients on the menu, including local bacon, sausages, eggs, oats, bread, yoghurt, honey and even Bushmills whiskey to top a bowl of porridge.

Newcastle

What to do

Newcastle is a great base for exploring the area. It is a small, popular town with a wide range of places to eat and things to do. There are plenty of coastal walks along the seafront and up into the mountains starting from Newcastle, and for those feeling less active, there are plenty of small independent places to eat and drink, and hardly any chains at all. There’s a good deli and local butcher, The Cookie Jar bakery that has won Great Taste Awards for its wheaten bread and Morelli’s ice cream, which is also very well regarded.

The weather was unseasonably cold when I arrived, and so I headed to the Soak seaweed baths in Newcastle to try something new. These are the only seaweed baths on the east coast of Ireland and I managed to get a walk-in appointment. For those new to seaweed baths, it’s said to help detoxify the body and can help ease aches and pains. Aside from the health claims, I hoped for a relaxing hour ahead. The seaweed bath sessions are an hour long and one, quite literally, bathes with seaweed, albeit in a private room with a soundtrack of your choice in the background. The process involves a good steam, followed by a soak in a cool bath, filled with freshly harvested bladder wrack, then a shower to finish. A wonderfully unique and refreshing experience.

For those really wanting to get under the skin of the Northern Ireland food scene, then I really recommend booking Tracey Jeffrey of NI Food Tours. Tracey runs bespoke tours across the region and is such a lovely, knowledgeable lady, she will show you all the best spots to visit on a trip.

Whitewater Brewing Co.

Real ale lovers can taste and even make their own craft beers at the amazing Whitewater Brewing Co. site at Castlewellan. Owners Kerry and Bernard Sloan have been brewing craft beers locally since 1996, but have recently opened a new brewery and tap house, which offers charming, personal and relaxed tours and tastings with a really intimate sense of family and heritage, and they even have their own micro brewing room, in which you can craft your own beer. Do book in advance, and look out for Whitewater beers in local hotels and restaurants.

Shortcross G&T

Gin lovers can tour and taste at the amazing Shortcross Gin distillery on the Rademon Estate. David and Fiona Boyd- Armstrong run this slick operation, distilling delicious gin using botanicals foraged and fruit picked from their busy family estate at Downpatrick. They too have recently built a magnificent new extension to their distillery, and offer hugely engaging tours and tasting, including the opportunity to mix and pour the perfect Shortcross G&T.

Lunch at Montalto

And finally, we visited Montalto Estate for lunch and a tour. Montalto is a recently opened, privately owned estate just outside Ballynahinch. The estate was purchased by the Wilson family in 1994 and extensively renovated. It has been extensively renovated and is open to the public with a stunningly good café, beautiful shop, gardens and event venue, which is very busy hosting stylish weddings. Lunch at Montalto was absolutely stunning – such beautiful food made with great integrity and attention to the provenance of ingredients used. A visit here is an absolute must – it is such a beautiful spot to explore and enjoy some delicious food and stylish shopping.

Mill Bay Oysters

What to eat

This beautiful corner or Northern Ireland is rich in sensational produce. Seaweed, shellfish and dairy are all superb in this part of the world, and there is a whole host of innovation amongst small independent producers in Northern Ireland.

Some highlights from this trip include sensational Mill Bay Oysters – huge Carlingford Lough oysters with an amazingly fresh, clean flavour were very special indeed. Mill Bay Oysters are part of Rooney Fish based in Kilkeel, who harvest and export top-grade seafood and shellfish all over the world. I just hope more restaurants can serve it locally, so it can be enjoyed more in situ.

Simply Scampi

We also tried some fabulous scampi from Simply Scampi (@simplyscampi), based in Portavogie. Ryan and Ben take the sweetest, freshest langoustines fresh from the harbour and fry them in the lightest, crispiest batter. They are utterly scrumptious – do look out for them popping up at events all over Northern Ireland – they are unmissable.

The butter in this part of the world is sublime, and I urge you to track down (it’s not difficult) Abernethy butters. They are based in Dromara and hand churn and roll fresh cream to make these beautiful fresh, clean butters. They are sold widely in delis and independent shops across Northern Ireland. I always stock up on a stash to take home.

Sizzling Dexter beef from Castle Screen Farm

Castle Screen Farm at Downpatrick produces some seriously delicious Dexter beef, which is sold from the farmhouse and local farmers markets including Hillsborough, Downpatrick and Newcastle markets. This is a lovely farm, run by Damien and Jackie, and they produce some really great meat from well cared for cattle. Watch out for their farm shop, opening on the farm soon.

There are some delicious apple-based products in this part of the world, and some fantastic Armagh apple juices and ciders. We tried the delicious Kilmegan ciders made by Andrew Boyd, who has a really lovely crisp style of production, which is made using native apple varieties, sourced from counties Down, Armagh and Tipperary, and make using a traditional rack and cloth press in Dundrum. Andrew has won a whole host of awards for his delicious ciders.

Lunch at the Harbour Inn

We had a delicious lunch at the Harbour Inn in Annalong – a sweet little fishing village. This water-front inn was utterly charming – with the warmest of welcomes and delicious local seafood on the menu. This was followed by a very nice dinner at Brunel’s in Newcastle. This is a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant – a really lovely destination for a special dinner – cooking local produce with imagination and ambition.

Dinner at Brunel’s

I can’t recommend a trip to the Mourne Mountains enough. It is such a mesmerizingly beautiful, charming and spirited corner of Northern Ireland. We left enchanted. I do hope to get back to this most special place very soon.

Thank you so much for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Food NI for inviting me on this trip. Some of the experiences were covered by them, and some were paid for my me personally.

A Foodie Guide to Belfast

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Belfast City and docks

I have recently returned from another delicious trip to Belfast. It’s been nearly two years since I last visited, and this time, I spent a weekend in the city on my own to relax and enjoy some seriously good food and drink. This is a city experiencing a boom in tourist numbers and enjoying some redevelopment that goes with it. Every time I visit, I find there is a wealth of new shops, cafes and restaurants to visit. But what I love so much about this vibrant city is the energy and creativity. There are so many interesting developments on the food scene, it is so worth a visit, if you haven’t been already, and if you’ve left it a while, you’ll find so much to see and do here that may have opened since last time.

St George’s Market

What to do 

Ask anyone what a foodie should do in Belfast and I’ll bet St. George’s Market will be the first suggestion. This market runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week, selling fresh produce, including fish, Broughgammon goat, cheeses, breads, seaweed, fruit and vegetables and hot food stalls, selling breakfast rolls, sweet treats, burgers and curries. This is not exclusively a food market though. You’ll find all sorts of other things for sale here alongside food, from pictures to clothing to crafts. This is a great spot to visit for a wander to acquaint yourself with some lovely local food producers, stock up some shopping and some food on the go.

St George’s Market

Belfast city centre is pretty compact, and easy to walk around. Take a look at City Hall, head over to Victoria Square for some shopping, or even walk out along the river to the new Titanic Quarter to see the superb Titanic Belfast museum and Game of Thrones Exhibition at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, which runs until 1stSeptember.

Evening entertainment options are plentiful. Try the Crown Bar for a drink in this very special pub, or visit the Opera House, as I did, as the National Theatre were in town on tour. 

Belfast city centre, as seen from Grand Central

Where to stay

Belfast city centre has seen a significant increase in the provision of luxury hotel accommodation in recent years, so this time, I decided to visit Grand Central, which had not opened on my last visit two years ago. Grand Central opened in 2018 on Bedford Street, following extensive renovation of the site and the construction of a 23-story tower hotel.

Owned by the Hastings Hotel Group, this is the newest hotel in their portfolio of hotels in Northern Ireland. It is certainly impressive – the slick, modern and opulent ground floor reception sets the tone nicely. I was welcomed very warmly by the charming door and reception staff and whizzed up in the lift to my suite on the 22ndfloor – the highest floor on which bedrooms are situated.

The birds eye view of the city, docks and surrounding hills was really special and must be one of the most commanding viewpoints in all of the city. In fact, I pulled up an armchair and sat down to take it all in with a cup of tea – it is that good!

Suite at Grand Central

My suite at Grand Central was wonderfully comfortable, with, frankly, more room than I could ever need on my own — a huge, comfortable bed, desk, sofas, kitchen area and more. The bathroom was small, but very smart with a good shower, bath and lovely ESPA toiletries to enjoy.

I had a free day ahead of me in Belfast to enjoy, and I was able to check in early and drop my luggage, and, being located so centrally, I could pop back throughout the day to drop shopping off very easily. I had a great day walking around the city, and popped back for a relaxing soak before heading up to floor 23 to the Observatory for a cocktail to start the evening.

Observatory

Set on the top floor of the building, tables need to be reserved in advance. My reservation was quite early (6:30pm), and there were some guests lingering after enjoying afternoon tea when I arrived for a cocktail. The views are really wonderful, and this is a very elegant, atmospheric space that is made for celebrating a special occasion, or just a treat. I sat in the window, looking at the lights across the city and sipping my delicious tequila cocktail. Staff were extremely friendly, helpful and well-acquainted with the menu. Cocktails are well made and attractively presented.

Dinner and breakfast were taken in the Seahorse restaurant on the first floor. I ate on my own, sitting by the window, watching the bustle in Belfast city on a Saturday night. Whilst I enjoy eating alone on the rare occasions I do so, my only disappointment here was that I had no-one to share with – it was genuinely difficult deciding what to eat from a very enticing menu.

The Seahorse

In the end, I chose a steak, because the steaks on the menu here are from Peter Hannan, of Hannan Meats in Moira, who I and many others, consider to be one of the finest meat purveyors in the UK. But, before that, I chose the roasted local scallops with a Jerusalem artichoke velouté and black olive oil for a starter. The scallops were served halved, and perfectly cooked, wonderfully sweet and juicy, and served with a savoury, richly flavoured velouté. A lovely combination of ingredients and a wonderfully light, umami-rich starter.

So, back to the beef for my main course. Hannan’s beef is Glenarm shorthorn beef, which is aged in his Himalayan salt chamber, which I visited on my last trip. This sirloin steak at the Seahorse was cooked perfectly, and served with an excellent green peppercorn sauce, lovely crisp chips and a superb watercress salad with fine slivers of red onion and a wonderful slightly sweet punchy dressing.

Hannan’s Sirloin steak at The Seahorse

When a classic dish is so well executed with such fine ingredients, it is far from a safe choice. I’m afraid I couldn’t manage a pudding. This was a fantastic spot for a great meal, and really manages to balance feeling special, yet informal. Service was friendly, professional and charming.

Sunday morning breakfast at Grand Central

Breakfast the next morning was also in the Seahorse. Again, staff were wonderfully friendly and chatty, welcoming me and settling me in with coffee and weekend newspapers. The breakfast is self-service, with hot food prepared in the kitchen and served from the pass. After an initial scan of what was available, I was amazed by how much local produce was on offer. Sausages, bacon, bread, yoghurt, apple juice, honey, oats and more are all from small independent producers in Northern Ireland. I was also really impressed with the quality of everything I ate – the fruit was delicious, at the right stage of ripeness and carefully cut into generous chunks. The Clandeboye yoghurt I had with the fruit was wonderfully rich and creamy. And the local eggs, sausages and bacon were really high quality and skilfully cooked. Juices were very high quality, including freshly squeezed orange and Armagh apple juices. Genuinely, it was a really excellent hotel breakfast and very memorable.

Honestly, I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Grand Central on my next trip – it made for a highly comfortable and relaxing stay, with some great local food and drink.

Where else to eat

There is plenty of choice in the city centre. My first stop for a cup of coffee is in the excellent Bullitt hotel café. Their coffee is first rate and it’s a very pleasant place to sit and have a break.

Coffee at the Bullitt

For lunch (or indeed dinner), I like Yugo for its delicious Asian flavours, from pho to dumplings. Coppi comes very highly recommended for its Italian chichetti, pizetta, pasta and risotto. The Muddlers Club is a great spot for dinner, with some seriously creative and sublimely delicious dishes on its ever-changing menu.

I have also really enjoyed visits to EIPIC, OX, Mourne Seafood, Deanes Meat Locker, Noble in Hollywood, Deanes at Queens, and SHU on previous occasions, and would happily visit any one of them again.

Co Couture hot chocolate

Where to shop for food

I am not known for my sweet tooth, but Co Couture is a must on every trip to Belfast. This amazing independent chocolate shop has won many awards, and makes an exquisite hot chocolate. Deirdre also sells some lovely fresh bread, pastries and chocolatey treats from this charming little shop.

Mike’s Fancy Cheese shop is a lovely new cheese shop on Little Donegall Street, selling his own cheese, Young Buck, and a range of excellent Irish cheeses and accompaniments.

Sawers

Sawers is a very well-established deli in Belfast city centre. I am not sure I have visited a deli with more stock than this one – it has quite an astonishing amount of choice, but it is a great place to visit to stock up on lovely local produce, including Abernethy butter, Suki Tea, Broighter Gold rapeseed oil, local charcuterie, local seaweed and much, much more.

Getting there

There are two airports in Belfast, and UK regional flights use both airports, depending on the airline. City airport is very close to the city centre, but International is around half an hour away. Taxis are usually easy to come by, and there is also a very good public bus into the city, which costs £2.50 a way from City airport and takes around 15 minutes.

My stay at Grand Central was generously provided as their guest, but I paid for everything else myself in full.