Posted by Becs on Jun 20, 2009 in
Food Shopping,
Places 
Sorry but if this blog is turning into a homage to cheese however we all worship it and Britain has some of the world’s finest cheeses – really it does! Its rude not to share the news.
Again back at the infamous Lancashire Country Fair (next to the PotsnPies stall) was a very nice gentleman with a selection of cheeses that I could not walk past and ignore.
Arran’s cheeses are made by the Island Cheese Company on the Isle of Arran. They produce wax sealed flavoured cheddars such as Chilli Cheddar, Hebridean Herb and Hamilton’s choice which is flecked with chives. Or try the Balmoral which is laced with claret and which I bought intending it to be for my Dad but then ate it myself in secret – a true cheeseoholic. Or just have it naked without any flavours.
Anyway the Island Cheese Company sell at Wholesale, Farmers markets or (most convenient for us 21st century kids) you can buy online along with other Arran goodies such as oatcakes, smoked salmon and relishes. All I can say is their cheese is divine and delicious, my drug of choice and I relish the chance to scoff some more! Ha now that really is cheesy……
Posted by Becs on Jun 20, 2009 in
Food Shopping Do you even know what one is?
Well I’ll tell ya its potato, bacon and onion encased in a crunchy, buttery pastry that’s what!
I stumbled upon these little gems whilst at the Lancashire Country Show – a phenomenal treat of Country wares and games such as Ferret racing and grass cutting competitions. It was, of course, brilliant in a quirky old-fashioned-good-clean fun-manner and in between the local festivities I picked up a few of Britain’s best edible treats including the awesome Finkle Pie.
Pots and Pies are committed to producing quality pies made from carefully selected, locally sourced ingredients. Using old fashioned skills they convert traditional recipe fillings such as Pigeon and Pea & Wild Boar and Chestnut into delicious hand raised pies.
Try the minted lamb or the beef and ale with some mash and gravy on the side – yum yum I say!
Sadly Pots n Pies don’t have a website (which makes me love them even more!) however they can be contacted on 07515 652 611 or info@potsnpies.co.uk
Posted by Dunc on Jun 12, 2009 in
Food Shopping,
Places 
So, it turns out that the Farm that we were camping at (Trevalgan Holiday Park) rear their own free range beef…
We didn’t actually realise this till the very last day, so we weren’t able to sample the home made beef burgers or steaks on offer. Flippin Typical!
Luckily though, Trevalgan supply their St Ives Beef nationwide so I have placed an order and will keep you updated about how nice it is and whether it is as tasty as the Aberdeen Angus Beef from Cedar Barn in North Yorkshire.
A little about St Ives Beef…
St. Ives Beef comes from Trevalgan Farm which lies on the cliffs just outside St. Ives in an area of outstanding natural beauty. All the free range, traditionally reared cattle are born and raised within 4 miles of St. Ives. During their life at Trevalgan they are allowed to roam freely and graze naturally on grass and home grown forage crops. The lovely people at Trevalgan don’t believe in routine vaccinations or in the force feeding of concentrates to promote speedy growth so their bullocks are allowed to grow at their own pace. To quote them “It’s no wonder the cattle from here produce some of the finest beef we’ve tasted and you don’t just have to take our word for it!”
I certainly won’t just be taking your word for it…bring on that beefy box so I can have a taste 
What a load of bullocks…
As Trevalgan Farm is so close to the cliffs and coastal path, they have their own little nature trail which takes in loads of beautiful views and even an ancient burial ground. Lou and I set off across the fields following the signs and that’s how we found out about the St Ives Beef.
Infact we came face to face with it…
Lou’s a bit scared of cows so after ‘the stand off’, we made a hasty retreat over the fence and continued on our little adventure towards the sea and cliffs. As you can see from the photos below, the scenery is absolutely stunning and the weather was fantastic!
Uh Oh…
Did I mention Lou’s a bit scared of cows? Well you can imagine the look on her face when we walked over the top of the hill to be faced with this little lot. Oh Parp! Luckily there were a few fellow walkers on the cliffs that day so with a bit of trepidation, we made our way through the baying mob!
If happy, healthy cows are your thing…
then I can definitely say that this lot are having a loads of fun scampering around the cliffside hills and field’s (don’t worry – they are fenced in so there’s no chance of them making a beeline for the beach and coming a cropper on the cliffs!). They seem really happy even if they do look a bit grumpy up close.
Checkout the St Ives Beef website for more details about the farms and also to place an order for a box of beef containing a variety of cuts. Mooooo!
Posted by Lou on Jun 9, 2009 in
Food Shopping I have to just say I have tasted a cheese sensation.
I have had many beautiful and cherished moments with cheese but I must say this cheese is just AMAZING!!! Truckle cheese leaves that beautiful strong cheddar taste in your mouth that only a true strong cheese does. Sod Asda and their supposed ‘extra strong’ cheddars and give your mouth a real treat with this.
Oh and I have just spotted Creamy Blue Stilton Truckle. That little beauty means trouble..!
Posted by Dunc on May 26, 2009 in
Food Shopping,
Places 
Our second destination in Masham was luckily just over the road from the Black Sheep Brewery so it was only a hop, skip and a jump to sampling some more fine ales…
The Theakton’s Brewery visitor centre was much smaller and cosier place than the Black Sheep Brewery which was right up my street. Again, we opted to forego the tour and head straight to the pub (some things never change!)
A little about Theakston’s Brewery…
Way way back in 1827, it all started when Robert Theakston leased the Black Bull Inn and brewhouse in Masham. In 1875 his son, Thomas, built the famous brewery that still stands today on an area of Masham known as “Paradise Fields”, hence “The Black Bull in Paradise” named Visitor Centre.
It’s taken around 180 years for Theakstons’ range of classic and seasonal ales to develop into the legend that they are today.
The brewery has seen numerous changes during that time including ownership battles and development of many of the traditions still in existence today. Scottish and Newcastle took charge of the brewery for a stint, but now it is back in the very capable hands of the Theakston Brothers (Nick, Simon, Tim and Edward) – the fifth generation of Theakston brewers.
The beer…
Classic Ales
Seasonal Ales
Rather than write an account of each beer – please click on the links above to read the tasting notes from the Theakston website who perfectly describe the tasty range of flavours in each brew.
The verdict…
We had to sample a few different ales to try and reach a decision but in the end the panel was still divided. Surprisingly, Lou and Becs (who aren’t really bitter drinkers) really liked the full bodied strong and deep flavour of ‘Old Peculiar’ which is quite rightly known as a legendary ale. Gray was partial to a pint of Best Bitter and I really liked the fruityness of Theakstons XB. Basically, they are all pretty damn tasty and well worth trying!
