Speciality-Food-June-2025

47 LAST WORDS The final word on fine food S’MORE ‘A’ LICIOUS DUBAI CHOCOLATE BAR The newest addition to this rapidly expanding gourmet marshmallow brand’s range. Dubai Chocolate is everywhere, but many of the types we’ve tried have been too sweet or artificial tasting. This, though, is dreamy. Belgianmilk chocolate, tempered beautifully, is filled with a crunchy pistachio cream and piped with ribbons of S’more ‘a’ licious’ ethereally light handmade marshmallow fluff. Very indulgent indeed. smorealicious.com EAT REAL, LENTIL CHIPS GREEK CHEESE, TOMATO & HERB Eat Real has had a facelift, launching several new products alongside the brand refresh, including these tangy, tart little nibbles. Plant based, gluten-free, andmade with only natural ingredients, not only do they deliver on today’s consumer’s conscious buying credentials, but they pack a punch. Despite containing no cheese whatsoever, these really do emulate the flavour of a Greek salad, being piquant, sweet and a touch creamy. They’ve got a great crunch, too. eatrealsnacks.com FOREVA FARMERS SPICED APPLE COLA We sampled the whole Foreva Farmers range at FarmShop & Deli Show this year and were blown away by the quality of their tonics and sodas. Sustainably made, and naturally lower in sugar than conventional soft drinks, theymight be crafted with less impact on the environment inmind, but they absolutely deliver on taste. This variety particularly struck a chord, combining the unmistakeably warmprofile of cola with tart, sharp, sweet apple. Fabulous alone or mixed over ice with rum. forevafarmers.com PARTNER CONTENT THE INDEPENDENT SHOPPER Farm Produce, just down the road, specialises in growing premium quality berries, cherries and asparagus. It’s an amazing addition to Lichfield, and only a 15-minute drive away! Different meat suppliers cater for different needs. When the lamb is not our own, we use Aurox at Lyon Hill Farm in Dorset, which focuses on traditional breeds and regenerative farming. Chicken and pork are purchased from Packington Free Range, whose animals enjoy the best possible welfare. For the chicken and pork, I buy from Packington Free Range, whose animals enjoy the best possible welfare and who are committed to providing high animal welfare and have a genuine care for the environment. On the drinks menu, we stock some of Pattingham Vineyard’s wines. Situated just 40 minutes from the restaurant, the vineyard is nestled in O ver the last eight years we’ve transformed what was a pub into a restaurant and micro- farm, with much of the produce used in the kitchen grown on-site. The farm is my ode to sustainability and is constantly evolving to make our business more self-sufficient. In its current iteration, it includes give beehives to provide honey and help pollinate the rest of the garden, pigs reared for their meat and to reduce food waste, 24 hens providing a plentiful supply of eggs, vegetable patches and polytunnels, where produce is grown year-round, including unique crops such as cicely and wasabi. Additionally, our aquaponics project has been a long time in the making – it’s a full ecosystem that farms trout/ carp, using the bi-product to feed and grow crops. In a totally landlocked county, The Boat now plans to grow trout to use in the restaurant that is fed with organic feeds. We work with as many local suppliers as possible too. New LiamDillon, chef patron, The Boat, Lichfield TRIED & TESTED the lush, picturesque patchwork of the Staffordshire countryside. The wines are the result of a passion for creativity, the great outdoors and a love for wine. It’s a relatively new vineyard, having only started winemaking in 2018, but what they’re doing is excellent and it’s great to be able to offer wines on our menu where the vines are grown so locally. IT’S THE SEASON FOR SAUCE Quick, simple and delicious. A plate of pasta is the key to easy summertime entertaining I t’s the summertime, when the weather is fine and there’s nothingmore special than being able to kick back, relax, and sink into a lazy, long, lingering evening. Formany, intrinsic to the experience is beingmore hands-off in the kitchen – after all, whowants to slave away at the stove for hours when there’s sunset-watching to be had? Salads are, of course, a go-to. But when somethingmore substantial is required, you absolutely cannot beat a bowl of pasta. The beauty of pasta is not only its versatility, but the speedwithwhich you can have it on the table. Most varieties take around 10 minutes or less to cook – the sauces that gowith themwhipped up in roughly the same time. As wemove into the high summermonths, it makes sense to prepare sauces that reflect the beauty of the season. Pesto, heady with peppery, sweet basil and oodles of sharp, tangy Parmesan, is not only easy towhizz up fromscratch in a food processor, but delivers a flavour far beyond the sumof its parts. There’s been a craze in recent years (fuelled by Tik Tok) for tomato sauce infusedwith vodka. Home cooks, inspired by actor and devout foodie Stanley Tucci’s Italian TV odyssey have been rustling up Campania-style Pasta alla Nerano using homegrown or seasonally- bought courgettes, which are fried until golden, and turned into the dish with lashings of Parmesan and butter. Then there’s Pasta alla Norma – the Sicilian classic, cooking aubergines until yielding and silky, letting themmelt into a tomato sauce and toppingwith umami ricotta salata. Nduja – the fiery, spreadable Calabrian sausage that’s everywhere – endures too, making a sprightly addition to a classic tomato sauce. Of course, the beating heart of any of these dishes is great pasta. That means varietiesmadewith the finest wheat, processed through bronze dies, which give a porous surface, ensuring not a single drop of that precious sauce is wasted. Much of the produced used in the kitchen is grown on-site specialityfoodmagazine.com