I’ve been following the career of Chef Anand George, since discovering him in the early days of Mint and Mustard. In fact I first reviewed M&M back in September 2008, when I was still randomly posting on Blogger.com (click here to read). You can tell it was early days as you got three chocomosa for dessert as they hadn’t fully sorted their portion sizes out.

After leaving M&M Chef George appeared at a few food festivals and pop-ups until launching Purple Poppadom back in early December 2011. I was very pleased to be invited to the launch party, but in keeping with my normal policy of allowing all new restaurants a settling in period I didn't review it at the time. However, I have to say that apart from the obvious issues of trying to serve a fine dining menu to 80 plus people simultaneously, the quality of the food that night could certainly have stood up to a review.

Instead we waited a few weeks and then went back, giving the kitchen the chance to have bedded itself in and us the opportunity to catch up with my old mate Chef Steve Bennett, who MrsA and myself hadn't seen in ages.

We met up on a quiet Thursday lunch time, during the holiday period for a leisurely lunch and a catch up.

We knew from the launch event that a number of staff (7 I think) from Mint & Mustard had followed Chef George to the Purple Poppadom, and ascending the stairs to the dining room it was nice to be greeted by the familiar and friendly faces of Restaurant Manager, Prashant Shankar and General Manager and also Director, Raman Bijalwan. The fact that so many old staff have chosen to give relatively secure employment (Mint and Mustard not only continues but won a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the latest guide some 7 months after George left) and follow him to his new venture is an glowing indication of their belief in his ability to make this a great success.

Steve had arrived before us, so we took our places at the table and ordered drinks whilst perusing the menu. There's a Chef's Taster Menu offering four courses for £39.00 for a minimum of two people, or a more traditional, in style if not content,  À La Carte menu. We opted for the latter in order to see a good representation of the dishes on offer.

The some of the dishes bear interesting titles that are not always self-explanatory, this isn't a problem though as each dish has a good menu description and the staff are only to pleased further explain and/or recommend if required.

I decided to start with Boef à Trois - “Dainty spiced beef samosa with spices. Chapli kebab of minced beef accompanied by our Billimoria beef and Cobra beer pie”.

This was a very nice way to start lunch. I thought the star of the dish was the pie and was surprised at how much of a flavour enhancer a light beer, such as the Cobra, was. The pastry too was excellent! The samosa packed a lovely spiced punch; although if I'm nit picking, it could have done with a slightly thinner batter.

Steve opted for Prawns in the Pink – “Crispy tiger prawn; Kafir lime marinated tandoori king prawn accompanied by prawn balchao – a Goan style pickled tiger prawn.” 

MrsA went for Crab from the Pot – “Crispy soft shell crab dusted with curry leaves and garlic. Nandu Pillow, spiced cake of crab encased in crispy Japanese breadcrumbs. Warm salad of crab meat and sweetcorn spiked with turmeric and coconut.”

All three were beautifully prepares and delicately seasoned so that the crab shone through.

After a complementary palate cleansing sorbet (sorbet's pop up quite regularly on the dishes and we later found out that Chef George had just bought himself a Pacojet with which he was obviously having fun), for main course I ordered Nawabi Chicken – “chicken supreme marinated with creamy cheese, with a touch of cardamom and mace and finished in the tandoor accompanied by a boneless bhuna chicken thigh served with makhani sauce and mint sorbet.”

I have to say this is an extremely well executed dish. The chicken was moist, flavourful and exquisitely spiced. I was a little apprehensive of the cold mint sorbet, but it really worked and cut through some of the richness of the other components whilst still bringing a mouth refreshing zest to the plate.

Chef Bennett plumped for Chef George's signature dish, the Tiffin Cup winning Tiffin Sea Bass – “sea bass, pan seared and served on a bed of curry leaf infused mashed potato; in a tongue tickling raw mango, ginger and coconut sauce with beetroot pachadi.” He seemed quite taken with it.

MrsA, was in a lamb mood and so chose Raan Akbari – “slow braised lamb shank marinated with spices and finished in the tandoor, served with a curried pumpkin mash and a spoon of mint sorbet.”

The lamb shank was fork tender, and very aromatic.  It also had a bite of chili which was nicely balanced with the mint sorbet.

Moving on to the desserts, Steve picked the Deux Crèmes Brûlée -“Side-by-side presentation of green tea and a rose petal Crème Brûlée.” Now I'm not a fan of Crème Brûlée and would never order it through choice, but on the launch night the rose petal version was served for us to try. Although mine was just on the edge of splitting it was a taste sensation, so I was interested to see how this version was.  Well texturally it was spot on, the more controlled service of a normal day meant it had been cooked perfectly and was a smooth as smooth could be.

I of course ordered the Chocomosa Anand, a firm favourite since that first taste of Anand George's cooking way back in 2008. It didn't disappoint!

My dear wife was feeling a bit full after all her lamb and so kept it nice and simple with two scoops of Home Made Sorbet and making Chef happy by giving him another chance to play with his new Pacojet.

The pineapple and saffron sorbet was the real treat out of the two. The saffron and pineapple married well.  The grape sorbet had an extremely concentrated grape flavour. It was refreshing but simply missing the wow factor of both the mint sorbet, flavoured with basil, that accompanied the main course and the pineapple sorbet it shared a plate with. 

After dessert Chef George came out of the kitchen and we were able to spend some time chatting to him about this venture and what his plans are. Whilst Purple Poppadom bills itself as “Nouvelle Indian Cuisine” it's thankfully, not Chef George's stated aim to serve the smallest portion of food for the highest price he can. Rather he wants to continue to refine his cooking techniques and keep pushing the boundaries in his quest to re-define Indian Cuisine. He's currently experimenting, not only with bringing plates of multiple tastes to the table, but also with different textures; something that British Indian Cuisine is not known for.

As we had dined with a professional chef, and pretty damn fine one at that, I asked Steve if he'd take a look at this review before publication and let me know if there was anything he disagreed with or would like to add. This is what he sent me back:

“Anand George's passion for the cuisine he showcases shines in the end product, with a level of thought and technical expertise rarely seen in ethnic restaurants. I was highly impressed by the depth of flavour in each of my courses, and pleasantly surprised by the presentation. My main course also contained one of the most perfectly cooked pieces of fish I have had in a long time.”

Well you can't say fairer than that!

With Purple Poppadom, Anand George now has an unrestrained opportunity to develop his innovative cooking style. Describing his career to date spanning India, London and Cardiff as his ‘5,000 mile culinary journey', he's certainly proved to us he can cook so I'm very excited to see how this next stage in his culinary journey unfolds. Here's to the next 5,000 miles Chef, I hope I can eat my way through most of it with you! 

Purple Poppadom
Upper Floor
185a Cowbridge Road East
Canton, Cardiff, CF11 9AJ
Tel: 029 2022 0026

http://www.purplepoppadom.com

Regular readers of this blog will know that I recently got the opportunity to attend the 2011 Wales The True Taste awards in Llandudno. As someone who is a regular visitor to Welsh restaurants, gastro pubs, farmers markets, farm shops and local producers I have been aware of True Taste for some time, mostly due to its logo. Whilst I knew it was some kind of award scheme that intimated there was some kind of merit in the establishment or product before me, I really had not grasped just how important Wales The True Taste is to the people in the Welsh food and hospitality industry.

So in October I found myself in Llandudno, sitting in Venue Cymru, with approximately 550 other people all in some way connected to the Welsh food and hospitality sector.  Before us lay an evening in which 41 awards across 15 categories would be presented. Everyone who had won either a bronze, silver or gold award had been invited.

The first mind boggling fact was that this year’s 10th Anniversary competition had attracted some 1,017 entries from 366 companies large and small. All of which had been independently judged in regional heats. To me this immediately gave the Awards some measure of authenticity. People will simply not take the time and effort or make the inevitable financial investment, to enter themselves in a competition if no one values the prize.

Sharing my table at the awards were Hufenfa’r Castell of Harlech, who took the Silver Award for their Rhubarb Ice Cream and Cnwd (The Welsh word for crop, cn-ood rhymes with food) who took Bronze in the strangely named “Other Added Value Meat Products” for their Pork & Pistachio Terrine.

Throughout the course of the evening I got the opportunity to talk to these producers in some detail and also to meet and chat with many of the other Award Winners, some of whom I knew and some of whom were new discoveries.  Two things stood out to me from all my conversations that evening 1) just how much everyone wanted to win that coveted Gold Award and 2) just how passionate these people are about their products and preserving the highest possible quality.

The food and hospitality industry seems to have no end of awards and prizes. Things like Michelin Stars, AA Rosettes, Catey Awards, Top 100, Best this and Best that seem to hang on the walls of just about every place I visit. So what is it that makes a True Taste Award stand out and allows it to drag over 500 people to North Wales on a school night?

Well, the first thing that occurs to me is that, unlike most of the other awards, the True Taste is all-inclusive. It covers food, drink and hospitality. Also it recognises the producer, the product and the provider. So whether you are the producer of an innovative food and drink product or simply excel in retail or hospitality you can be recognised by Wales, The True Taste.

Over its ten-year life span the True Taste Awards has become not only something recognised by consumers as a brand but also as a quality mark that helps to raise the awareness of the quality of Welsh Food and Drink both at home and abroad.

Currently we have

• the Welsh Government recognising that Food Tourism can and should be a major part of its overall Welsh Tourism Strategy
• a UK catering market worth in excess of £26 billion which presents a huge opportunity for Welsh producers
• and an increasing public interest in the origin and source of food.

Consequently initiatives such as The True Taste Awards can only do good for the people and producers of Wales. With over 55,000 people working in the food and drink sector in Wales it is vitally important that everything is done to not only to safeguard the industry but also to facilitate its expansion.

Fortunately this has been recognised by the producers themselves. They understand the value of the prize and the recognition it gives them for their hard work, innovation and passion.

It was impossible, as both a Welshman and a Food Lover, to be at the Awards and not feel both a tremendous sense of pride over the quality of our produce and also not to feel in awe of the dedication and hard work of all the producers, retailers and providers involved.

In the New Year I shall be taking up some of the invitations that were extended to me on the night and since. I shall be travelling to visit some of the winners to find out more about them, their products and services, and the effects that winning a Wales The True Taste Award has had.

Watch this space!

If you are reading this and would like me to visit a specific True Taste Award Winner (the full list is here) then drop me their name in the comment box below and I’ll see what I can do.  Conversely if you are an Award Winner that would like us to visit then please leave me your contact details.

I recently had a bad tummy bug…don’t worry I won’t go into details! To help me recover from the upset stomach, I ate a bland BRAT diet, that consists of Banana Rice Applesauce & Toast, until the worse was over. After the BRAT diet, you are supposed to gradually go back to your normal diet and you start by introducing easily digestible foods such as chicken, eggs and yogurt prepared in a very simple and bland manner.

Well, a girl can only take but so much of bland and boring! My challenge on day 4 was to make a dish for supper that was within the Life after Brat guidelines but delectable. For this challenge, I turned to fond memories of my life in the Middle East and Persian cuisine which has a heritage of ambrosial rice dishes.

Rice is an important staple in Persian cuisine. It is not necessarily a side dish but a main dish. In Persian cookery, contrary to European cookery, the main component of the meal is well prepared rice, not meat. Rice dishes can be infused with herbs and spices such as dill and saffron, with vegetables and pulses such as broad beans and lentils, dried fruit such as dates and barberries, and meat such as chicken or lamb. There are a myriad of fragrant rice dishes and I hope that one day you will try one.

I decided to cook Tah Chin which is a rice cake with chicken and yogurt. I used the recipe in The Persian Kitchen, Home cooking from the Middle East by Neda Afrashi (p.95) as my guide. To prepare this dish, first braise some chicken. This recipe calls for chicken legs and as I had some chicken thighs from Bryn Derw, I decided to use them. You can use whatever cut of chicken you like but you want the chicken to still be moist after braising, as it gets steamed with the rice afterwards. After removing the skin, I braised the chicken thighs for about 1 hour in a small amount of water in which turmeric, saffron, carrot, salt and bay leaf were added.

I use a heat diffuser over the lowest flame to keep the heat very gentle. After the chicken was cooked, I let it cool and then picked the meat from the bones which I then discarded. The chicken was very moist, tender and infused with the flavour and colour of the rich turmeric and saffron.

Whilst the chicken was cooking, I soaked 600g of basmati rice for 1 hour, boiled it in about 2 litres of water in a very large pot until al dente (about 4 minutes) and then drained it. The dish was assembled by mixing ½ of the rice with 2 eggs, a tablespoon of plain yoghurt and saffron which had been soaked in hot water. This mixture was spread in a pot which had enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. The shredded chicken was put on top, and the plain rice on top of that. I wrapped the lid of the pot with a tea towel, put the lid on the pot ensuring a tight fitLife, and let the rice cook on lowest heat (I use the heat diffuser), for about 80 minutes.

The rice on the bottom of the pan forms a golden crust called tadiq. You then get ½ of the rice which is fragrant with the saffron, turmeric and chicken and a plain steamed fluffy rice.

The dish is presented inverted on a platter, cut in wedges and served.

This dish is not only fabulous for life after BRAT but for any occasion.

I had venison once as a child. My next door neighbour, Mr Hughes went hunting for deer every autumn and brought home his spoils for Mrs Hughes to cook for the family.  Mrs Hughes is of Italian descent and I have very fond memories of her cooking. I had Mrs Hughes’ venison stew.  All I can remember about it now was that it was very tasty.

Flash forward to the present.  When venison is sold at the Farmers Market I do buy it, but I tend to buy the loin, pan fry it quickly and make a sauce with a seasonal theme.  For tonight’s supper, I thought I would try something different and make a slow cooked venison casserole.  I bought the venison from the Welsh Venison Centre where I often buy venison, but not this cut.

As I have never cooked venison in a stew, I needed to turn to my trusty cookbooks for guidance as, alas, I lost contact with Mrs Hughes a long time ago. I turned to Leith’s Cookery Bible. Leith’s Cookery Bible falls into the category of cookbooks that I term ‘instructional’ and is of the type I will turn to when venturing into new culinary territory. I decided to follow her venison casserole recipe (p. 428).

Leith advises the reader that as venison has very little fat it has to be cooked carefully. Her recipe calls for the venison to be marinated overnight in a mixture containing aromatic vegetables, juniper berries, red wine and a splash of vinegar. The following day, the venison is removed from the marinade, browned in small batches, and returned to the pot to cook slowly with the marinade liquid along with onion, garlic, button mushrooms, whole chestnuts and cranberry jelly. The casserole cooks at 170c for 2 hours.

I used the haunch of venison for this recipe. The venison casserole recipe did not specify what cut to use but her braised venison recipe, which is cooked in a similar manner, called for the haunch and so I thought I’d give it a shot.

I found the casserole sauce to be very rich and satisfying.  As the meat is very lean, the sauce itself was not fatty, which may please some. However, due to this leanness, I felt the meat itself was very dry. The braising did not cause it to become soft and unctuous as it does with beef.

This is not a dish I would prepare again as I prefer to choose to braise a meat that has some fat to keep it moist  and succulent. I may however be tempted to retry if I discovered a way to keep the venison juicy and tender.

If anyone has any suggestions as how to achieve this or on a better cut to use for a venison stew, then please leave me a comment below.
 

I wasn't aware of Red Hot World Buffet until I got invited to the October 26th launch event for their new Cardiff Restaurant, which was to open the following day.

I must admit that fixed price buffets are not normally high on my list of places to eat, although I'm a firm believer that everything has its place, especially in this these economically trying times. So I decided to ignore my preconceptions and go check them out.

I was very lucky this week to be invited to attend the 10^th Anniversary Wales the True Taste Food & Drink Awards 2011-12, in Llandudno.

Over the next week or so I'll be posting some of my experiences of the event itself, and conversations with some of the producers I was lucky enough to meet. Some of them have been kind enough to extend open invitations to go visit and hopefully these will turn themselves into a series of posts showcasing them and their products.

In the meantime I'm going to start you off with a quick post and a list of winners from information kindly supplied by Johara and Mathura from Four bgb, who kindly invited me along to the event.

Held at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, the 2011-12 Wales the True Taste Food and Drink Awards ceremony showcased and rewarded some of the best and most innovative food and drink products from Wales, and recognised excellence in the retail and hospitality sectors. This year there were some 1,017 entries from 366 companies large and small.

The 10th anniversary Awards ceremony was hosted by BBC Wales presenter, Jason Mohammed, and S4C presenter Heledd Cynwal.The Awards were held in association with leading organic dairy, Aberystwyth based Rachel’s.
 
Rachel Rowlands, who founded the company with her husband Gareth, was named True Taste Ambassador at the inaugural Awards.
 
Said Rachel Rowlands, “The True Taste Awards are something very close to us, we have seen them grow to become among the most prized and prestigious food and drink awards in the UK; and I wish all this year’s winners every future success.

Among the evening’s top awards was the Product of the Year trophy, which went to Emma and Mark Baravelli for their tangy Lemon Marmalade with Brecon Welsh Gin. The couple, who run The Little Deli in Llandudno, also received trophies for their Vanilla Salted Caramels, and their Raspberry Ripple Dairy Ice Cream.
 
The 2011-12 True Taste Champion is Conrad Davies, Managing Director of the Eurospar stores in Dolgellau and Blaenau Ffestiniog, and the Spar store in Pwllheli. The fifth generation of his family to be involved in the retail trade, Conrad is an ardent supporter of local and Welsh produce and stocks a wide range of produce in his store.

WALES THE TRUE TASTE FOOD & DRINK AWARDS WINNERS 2011-12
 
LAMB
 
GOLD
Cig Mynydd Cymru – Rack of Welsh Lamb
 
SILVER
Graig Farm Organics – Organic Sirloin of Lamb
 
BRONZE
Welsh Venison Centre – Rack of Welsh Lamb
 
BEEF
 
GOLD
Cwmcerrig Farm Shop and Grill – Sirloin Steak
 
SILVER
Castell Howell Foods Ltd – Bone In 711g Welsh Beef Rib Eye Steak
 
BRONZE
Ifor's Welsh Wagyu – Quick Fry Steak (Rump Tail)
 
PORK
 
GOLD
Dawn Meats (UK) Ltd – Pork Belly Joint with Smoky Barbecue Glaze
 
SILVER
Welsh Venison Centre – Welsh Belly of Pork
 
BRONZE
Rob Rattray Butchers – Sweet Cured Bacon
 
POULTRY & GAME
 
GOLD
Hooton's Homegrown – Free Range Chicken Breast
 
SILVER
Bethesda Farm and Coffee Shop – Garlic and Smoked Bacon
 
BRONZE
Blas ar Fwyd Cyf – Chicken and Welsh Ale Soup
 
OTHER ADDED VALUE MEAT PRODUCTS
 
GOLD
Edwards of Conwy – Pork, Black Pudding and Egg Pie
 
SILVER
Trealy Farm Charcuterie – Beech-Smoked Air-Dried Ham
 
BRONZE
Cnwd – Pork and Pistachio Terrine
 
BURGERS & SAUSAGES
 
GOLD
Gorno's Speciality Foods Ltd – Spicy Chorizo Sausage
 
SILVER
Saloni – Saloni Chorizo
 
BRONZE
Castell Howell Foods Ltd – Gourmet Welsh Pork with Honey and Mustard Burger
 
MILK, YOGURT, BUTTER & CREAM – SMALL PRODUCER
 
GOLD
Sanclêr Organic – Melys Strained Yogurt with Seville Oranges
 
SILVER
Ty Tanglwyst Dairy – Fresh Whole Milk
 
BRONZE
Derimon Smokery Ltd – Welsh Oak Smoked Welsh Butter
 
CHEESE – SMALL PRODUCER
 
GOLD
Holden Farm Dairy – Hafod Cheese
 
SILVER
Trethowan’s Dairy Limited – Gorwydd Caerphilly
 
BRONZE
Y Cwt Caws – Peli Pabo Garlic and Herb
 
ICE CREAM – SMALL PRODUCER
 
GOLD
Baravelli's – Raspberry Ripple Dairy Ice Cream
 
SILVER
Hufenfa'r Castell – Riwbob Ice Cream
 
BRONZE
The Patchwork Traditional Food Company – Vanilla Pod Ice Cream with Anglesey Sea Salted Caramel Ripple
 
MILK, YOGURT, BUTTER & CREAM – LARGE PRODUCER
 
GOLD
South Caernarfon Creameries – Dragon Welsh Salted Butter
 
SILVER
Proper Welsh Milk Company – Proper Welsh Milk
 
BRONZE
South Caernarfon Creameries – Dragon Whole Milk
 
CHEESE – LARGE PRODUCER
 
GOLD
Milk Link, Llandyrnog Creamery – Cadog Mature Welsh Cheddar
 
SILVER
First Milk – Pembrokeshire Mature
 
BRONZE
Carmarthenshire Cheese – Company Ltd
 
ICE CREAM – LARGE PRODUCER
 
GOLD
Subzero – Luxury Vanilla Dairy Ice Cream
 
SILVER
Forte's Ice Cream – Vanilla Ice Cream
 
BRONZE
Forte's Ice Cream – Clotted Cream with Peach & Raspberry
 
CAKES
 
GOLD
choc-o-art – Marbled Chocolate Orange Temptation
 
SILVER
Harvies Ltd – Raspberry and Almond Frangipane
 
BRONZE
The Village Bakery (Coedpoeth) Ltd – M&S Welsh Cakes
 
CONFECTIONERY
 
GOLD
Uncle Peter's Fudge Company – Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Fudge
 
SILVER
Cathryn Cariad Chocolates – Salted Caramels
 
BRONZE
Baravelli's – Vanilla Salted Caramel
 
OTHER BAKED GOODS
 
GOLD
Cradocs Savoury Biscuits – Perl Las Savoury Biscuits
 
SILVER
Cradocs Savoury Biscuits – Leek and Caerphilly Savoury Biscuits
 
BRONZE
La Crème Patisserie Ltd – Frangipane Mince Pies
 
NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
 
GOLD
Welsh Farmhouse Apple Juice – Egremont Russet
 
SILVER
Brecon Mineral Water – Brecon Carreg Welsh Natural Mineral Water – Still
 
BRONZE
Brecon Mineral Water – Brecon Carreg Welsh Natural Mineral Water – Sparkling
 
BEER, CIDER & PERRY (UNDER 10% ABV)
 
GOLD
The Celt Experience Ltd – Celt-Golden
 
SILVER
Monty's Brewery – Sunshine
 
BRONZE
Blaengawney Cider – Hallets Real Cider
 
WINE, SPIRITS & OTHER ALCOHOL (OVER 10% ABV)
 
GOLD
Celtic Spirit Co. – Danzy Jones
 
SILVER
Condessa Welsh Liqueurs – Sloe Gin
 
BRONZE
Da Mhile Distillery – Da Mhile Orange Liquer
 
FRESH FISH & SHELLFISH
 
GOLD
Welsh Seafoods Ltd – Brill
 
SILVER
South & West Wales Fishing Communities Ltd – Welsh Wild Line Caught Sea Bass
 
BRONZE
Gill's Plaice – Cardigan Bay Silver Mullet
 
ADDED VALUE FISH & SHELLFISH
 
GOLD
Aberdaron Seafood Ltd – Dressed Crab
 
SILVER
Llandudno Smokery – Kiln Roasted Oak Smoked Salmon
 
BRONZE
Black Mountains Smokery Ltd – Traditional Smoked Salmon
 
FRUIT
 
GOLD
Stubbins Marketing – Baby Plum Tomatoes
 
SILVER
Primrose Organic Centre – Tayberries
 
BRONZE
Primrose Organic Centre – Raspberries
 
VEGETABLES
 
GOLD
Puffin Produce Ltd – Rudolph Potato
 
SILVER
Llwynhelyg Farm Shop – Folia Fragrantia
 
BRONZE
Hooton's Homegrown – Asparagus
 
CONDIMENTS, SAUCES & CHUTNEY
 
GOLD
The Anglesey Sea Salt Company – Halen Môn smoked over Welsh Oak
 
SILVER
Sarah Cooks Your Homemade Pickles and Preserves – Mediterranean Chutney
 
BRONZE
Goetre Farm Preserves – Pineapple, Red Pepper and Roasted Cumin Chutney
 
JAMS, MARMALADE & HONEY
 
GOLD
Baravelli's – Lemon Marmalade with Brecon Welsh Gin
 
SILVER
Tropical Forest Products Limited – Welsh Chunk Comb Honey
 
BRONZE
Bryn Seiriol Preserves – Lemon Curd
 
OTHER SPECIALITY FOODS
 
GOLD
Harvies Ltd – Mince Pies
 
SILVER
Pennsylvania Farm Free-Range Eggs – Free-Range Duck Eggs
 
BRONZE
The Mushroom Garden – Antipasto Shiitake Mushroom
 
HEALTHY OPTIONS
 
GOLD
Welsh Venison Centre – Venison Haunch Steak
 
SILVER
Siwgr a Sbeis Cyf – Bara Brith
 
BRONZE
Sanclêr Organic – Cottage Cheese with Garlic and Chives
 
SPECIAL DIETARY OPTIONS
 
GOLD
Homemade Country Preserves – No Added Sugar Raspberry Preserve
 
SILVER
Homemade Country Preserves – No Added Sugar Damson Preserve
 
BRONZE
Coco Bean – Classic Gluten Free Brownie
 
ORGANIC
 
GOLD
The Anglesey Sea Salt Company – Halen Môn with Organic Celery Seeds
 
SILVER
The Anglesey Sea Salt Company – Halen Môn with Organic Spices
 
BRONZE
Holden Farm Dairy – Hafod Cheese
 
WALES THE TRUE TASTE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
 
Baravelli's – Lemon Marmalade with Brecon Welsh Gin
 
WELSH EXPORT ACHIEVEMENT
 
GOLD
Village Bakery Nutrition Ltd
 
SILVER
Capestone Organic Poultry Ltd
 
BRONZE
Randall Parker Foods
 
RETAILER OF THE YEAR DIRECT SALES
 
GOLD
Llwynhelyg Farm Shop
 
SILVER
Cwmcerrig Farm Shop and Grill
 
BRONZE
Hawarden Estate Farm Shop
 
ONLINE RETAILER
 
GOLD
Douglas Willis Ltd  www.douglaswillis.co.uk
 
SILVER
Pembrokeshire Produce Direct www.pembrokeshireproducedirect.co.uk
 
BRONZE
Gower Cottage Brownies www.gowercottagebrownies.co.uk
 
DELI/SPECIALITY STORE
 
GOLD
Ultracomida Ltd
 
SILVER
Leonardo's Delicatessen Ltd
 
BRONZE
Bradleys Deli
 
BUTCHERS
 
GOLD
Edwards of Conwy www.edwardsofconwy.co.uk
 
SILVER
Douglas Willis Ltd  www.douglaswillis.co.uk

BRONZE
T.J. Roberts & Son www.welshqualitymeat.co.uk
 
FISHMONGER
 
GOLD
Claws Shellfish
 
SILVER
Gill's Plaice
 
BRONZE
Pysgod Llŷn Seafoods & Delicatessen
 
LOCAL SOURCING INITIATIVE
 
GOLD
Llwynhelyg Farm Shop
 
SILVER
Hawarden Estate Farm Shop
 
BRONZE
The Village Bakery
 
EATING OUT IN WALES – RESTAURANTS (NO ROOMS)
 
GOLD
Cwtch www.cwtchrestaurant.co.uk
 
SILVER
Y Ffarmers www.yffarmers.co.uk
 
BRONZE
number eighteen www.number-eighteen.com
 
RESTAURANTS/HOTELS (WITH ROOMS)
 
GOLD
The Grove www.thegrove-narberth.co.uk
 
SILVER
Llansantffraed Court www.llch.co.uk
 
BRONZE
Tyddyn Llan Restaurant with Rooms www.tyddynllan.co.uk
 
CAFES & TEA-ROOMS
 
GOLD
The Award Winning Old Stables Tea Rooms www.chefontherunfoods.co.uk
 
SILVER
Caffi Florence www.caffiflorence.co.uk
 
BRONZE
The Hive www.thehiveaberaeron.com
 
CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
 
GOLD
Primrose Organic Centre www.primroseearthcentre.co.uk
 
SILVER
Lloyds of Penlanlas www.penlanlas.co.uk
 
BRONZE
Cwmcerrig Farm Shop and Grill www.cwmcerrigfarmshop.co.uk
 
TRUE TASTE CHAMPION
 
Conrad Davies – Eurospar

Growing up in the United States, we ate a lot of chicken; it was a bland, blank canvas that could be transformed into a myriad of tasty meals by combining it with a countless combination of ingredients. It was rare that chicken was simply baked…too tasteless for that. We had it soused, curried, steamed, fried, smothered, stewed and gumboed to name a few.

When I moved to the UK, I tried the local supermarket chicken simply baked and decided that this chicken as well needed to be soused, curried, steamed, fried, smothered, or stewed in order for it to have some flavour.

Well one day, I went to my local farmers market in Penderyn and there was this nice man, Mr. Buck, from Glaisfer Uchaf Farm, near Llangynidr, selling chicken. Well someone at the market said that “yes his chickens are a little dearer, but they are delicious”. I bought one to see if it was any different than a supermarket chicken. Glaisfer Uchaf's chickens are free range, home reared and a slow growing variety, Hubbard and Sasso. They take upwards of 90 days to mature and so I was assured by Mr. Buck, that they would, indeed, be flavoursome.

That evening, I cooked a simple roast chicken. I put lemon, garlic and ginger inside the cavity and rubbed the outside with butter and seasoned it with salt and pepper. The chicken was full of flavour. It was not a blank canvas waiting for flavour, it was simply delectable in and of itself. The taste was so much richer than the supermarket chickens I have had and therefore needs less fuss. As a home cook, I am grateful for ingredients that help me save time in the kitchen.

When I start with a chicken that has been bred to be full of flavour, I tend to cook it as simply as possible to just enhance that flavour . I absolutely adore Stephan Renaud’s recipe for “Poulet Roti Tout Simplement “ found in his cookbook, Ripailles. Stuff the chicken with Boursin, lemon, garlic and tarragon, oil the skin of the chicken and season, bake in the oven and baste regularly. Add a little wine in the pan and the giblets for a rich gravy. The Boursin keeps the chicken moist and as it melts, it enriches the pan juices. I also love to simply roast a good chicken with lemon garlic and fresh herbs in the cavity; whatever I have on hand. I don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to make a chicken tasty if the chicken was reared well.

But what about costs? Well it is true that a bog standard supermarket whole chicken is cheaper than one from Glaisfer Uchaf. At my local supermarket it would fall in between the price of a Free Range Whole Chicken and an Organic Whole Chicken. However the top of the range organic bird is still only reared for a little over 70 days, against Glaisfer Uchaf’s 90 day average.

When one starts to compare a whole Glaiser Uchaf bird against supermarket chicken portions a different picture starts to emerge as the portions come at premium prices but not necessarily premium qualities.

If you’re looking for a chicken with bags of flavour, that requires the minimum of effort, then maybe it’s time you gave your local producer a try.

You can find more information on local producers and markets at:-

http://www.farmersmarkets.net – UK Farmers Markets
http://www.farmacymru.org.uk – Local foods in Wales
http://www.bigbarn.co.uk – reconnecting consumers with their local producers

Glaisfer Uchaf Farm
Owner/Manager: Kate Buck
Llangynidr, Crickhowell Powys NP8 1LN UK.
Phone: 01874730876
http://www.glaisferfarm.co.uk

"Never trust a skinny cook" it used to say on an apron hanging in my mother's kitchen. I, like Mr. Kerridge, have little danger of being described with the adjective "skinny". Although I'm sure that this similarity wasn't the only reason that I wanted to eat Tom Kerridge's food pretty much the moment I saw him on TV.

It was Great British Menu that first brought him to my attention, in 2010, when he went through to win the main course with Slow-cooked Aylesbury duck with duck fat chips and gravy. In 2011 Tom won again and became the first chef ever on Great British Menu to cook the main course twice, as well as being the first to cook a main course pork dish with his Hog Roast.

Having decided that Tom's food was high on our list a quick Google led us to Marlow as being the home of his Michelin starred pub, The Hand & Flowers. Unfortunately Marlow is a long way for a night out and so the Hand & Flowers joined the "maybe one day" list.

Then we had some good news. MrsA's mother was coming over from the USA on her first visit to us, and the UK, and her arrival time meant that we needed to be at Heathrow fairly early one morning to meet her. The sensible option was to travel up the night before, stay over somewhere close and be at the airport without having had an early start and a 3.5hr drive before breakfast. Those nice people at Travelodge had yet another one of their 15 quid deals on and so accommodation was sorted, but the prospect of 'dining' at Heston Services gave rise to the idea of a slight detour.

One quick phone call later and a table for two, at the Hand & Flowers, was secured.

We had left plenty of time for the journey from South Wales to Marlow, which was just as well as the radio gave us advance notification on long delays ahead due to an accident. We opted for a detour and a more circular route, in order to keep moving. So we arrived in Marlow pretty much bang on time.

The Hand & Flowers is a 17th Century, low beamed, pretty, roadside ex-pub on the main road through the town. We pull into the car park and I look at the attendant in his Hi Viz jacket and wonder if this is a municipal pay and display. No, he's an employee making sure that it's patron's only and tending to the outside seating area which, being a balmy evening, is in use by more than the usual between course nicotine addicts.

The atmosphere inside is very relaxed, the decor simple; low ceilings with exposed beams, plain tables without tablecloths and a wooden floor. Service is friendly, helpful and happy to describe and recommend dishes.

Inside we peruse the menu. Winning the main course for Great British Menu two years on the trot and having that Michelin star over the door have brought a high level of expectation and the menu does not disappoint with both GBM dishes featuring. We start, as does everyone with an amuse bouche of a Cone of Whitebait. Delicious, salty, crispy, fresh Whitebait.

To start MrsA choses the "Maple Glazed Veal Sweetbread with Pearl Barley, Sweetcorn and Chives", whilst I opt for "Quail Tart with Green Olives, Chicory and Aged Gruyére."

Being a lover of Sweetbreads MrsA there is no way MrsA is going to to order anything else but Sweetbreads and Maple Syrup? How is this going to marry, let alone with the addition of Pearl Barley and Sweetcorn. Uncharted territory for sure. Of course she needn't have worried as it was a perfectly and expertly balanced dish.

MrsA thought the Sweetbread was a homage to America, well she would wouldn't she, with the Maple Glaze (Vermont) and the Barley and Sweetcorn being reminiscent of Succotash. This tongue in cheek, "tribute to America" was to become her running theme throughout the meal. Back in Britain I was very impressed with the Quail. Although I had been intrigued enough to order it I wasn't at all sure how all the ingredients would come together but I need not have feared. The unmentioned but underlying layer of pork pate being the glue that pulls it all together yet still allows the individual flavours to show through.   

For main course we both run up and down the menu looking at the 2010 GBM winning Slow Cooked Duck Breast, the Essex Lamb "Bun", the Cornish Plaice, but of course we really both know that we are going to join together as that Minimum 2 People and order the "Roast Hog with Salt Baked Potatoes and Apple Sauce".

On GBM they are forever going on about needing "Theatre" with the food presentation and it is easy to see how this dish managed to achieve that as even here in 2 person mode it is still a pretty impressive sight. For your £25 a head you get a trotter, a rolled joint with crackling and some cubes made of the meat from the head, together with apple sauce, jus and a mug of cider. Each of these three variations showed a different aspect of the versatility of the pig and the expert hand of the Chef.

The pork comes from Dingley Dell, the Hayward Brothers farm in Suffolk and is outdoor reared, welfare assured.  It's damn good pork and this dish is designed to show it off to perfection. The trotter is boned and stuffed to make something so rich and so intense, so packed with flavour it is hard to describe.  The loin showing the subtly of flavour that a beautifully moist piece of pork can bring, coupled to the wonderful crisp crackling. The cubes of head meat with their rich yet distinct flavour. The Gauls once held the pig as a sacred animal, I wonder if Tom Kerridge is descended from Gauls.

Then alongside this porcine wonderland we get a salad. A simple green salad. "Why?" I ask myself. Balance is the answer. A simple dressed salad perfectly judged to cut through the rich, fattiness of the pork. He's clever this Chef. Bloody clever.

The dish was accompanied by the salt baked potatoes. These are cooked in what appears to be a highly salted pastry casing, roughly wrapped round them and then tied at the top to create a bag.  We are advised that trying to eat the pastry won't kill us, but it isn't designed to be eaten and consequently doesn't taste very nice. Whilst it's good fun to untie the rope, break open the crust and fish out the spuds, I'm not really sure what this actually does to improve the potatoes. If I hadn't done it myself and they had just been put on my plate there is no way I would have thought them to be anything special. In fact to be honest I would probably have preferred a couple of nice roasties! MrsA disagrees! For her roasties would have meant more fat in the cooking. So the neutrality of the baked potato is the perfect accompaniment. She might just go with boiled but thinks that may be too wet for the dish. No, she'll stick with the baked but does conceed the method owes more to theatre than to taste.

I'm sure she was able to link this dish into her American Homage theme at the time but for the life of me I can't remember how now.

Dessert was a delightful "Glazed Cox's Apple Tart with Rose Water Ice Cream" for me and "English Blueberry Soufflé with Blueberry Sorbet and Verbena Sauce" for her.

I love an Apple Tart and there's only two ways to make one. You either have to go the deep dish route so there's lots of sweet pastry and lots of filling that can be slathered in cream, custard or ice cream (delete as appropriate) or you have to present something that is intensely appley. Here they have gone the latter route so we have something light but flavourful, which is just as well as that main course has made anything heavy out of the question. The Blueberry soufflé brings MrsA back with glee to her "Homage to America" whilst I just roll my eyes and say nothing.

As I sip my post dinner coffee and MrsA her fresh mint tea, we discuss the evening. The Hand and Flowers has been, we both agree, an enjoyable experience. Good food, served without pretention in relaxed surroundings. Highly recommended! My only regret? That I didn't book a room here so that I could just fall, replete into bed and into sleep instead of having to get back in the car and drive to Heston. Ah well, next time……

The Hand & Flowers
126 West Street
Marlow
SL7 2BP

Tel: +44 (0) 1628 482 277
http://www.thehandandflowers.co.uk