Hampshire Farmers’ Markets Producers have found success at this year’s national Great Taste Awards, the benchmark for speciality food and drink in the UK.

From more than 6000 products blind-tasted, our producers came out on top with fine food retailers, chefs, restaurant critics, food writers and other industry experts.

Three star Gold Award winner was Lyburn Cheese with their delicious Stoney Cross, which also won a 2^nd prize at the Great Yorkshire Show. The cheese is made at their creamery at Hamptworth just outside the Hampshire border.

Two star gold Great Taste winners were Hill Farm, based in Swanmore, who won gold for their Cloudy Apple Juice, as well as Pollen True Taste of Bramshott Chase, who won the prestigious two-star gold for their Fresh Basil Pesto, ideal with pasta.

One star winners are The Chilli Jam Company of Emsworth near Portsmouth with their deep red, Oil Fired, made from local  Rapeseed Oil infused with chilli, just the thing for giving a kick to summer salads.

Also winning one star Gold Great Taste Awards are Scarlet Bakes who won two awards for their Triple chocolate Chip Cookie mix and their White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookie Mix. They mix up their cookie dough at Knowle near Fareham.

Alresford-based Cresson Creative also took a one-star gold award for their gently spiced Thai Butternut Squash Soup.

Andover’s My Chocolate Bar also won two one-star awards for their Orange Honeycomb Crunch and their Madagascan Vanilla Truffles, a particular triumph after just one year of trading.

And finally, Sussex Charmer and Sussex Charmer Macaroni Cheese made with their pasta, butter and Susses Charmer both won one-star awards  for Bookham Fine Foods. This is the sixth year running they have won a gold star award.

Meanwhile at the Nantwich Show in Cheshire, Loosehangar Cheese and Rosary Goat’s Cheese both won awards in the International Cheese Awards.

Hampshire Farmers’ Markets Business Development Manager, Alex Handford, offered her congratulations to all the winners, “It’s a fantastic showing for our producers and just rewards for the care they put in. It just proves that some of the best and tastiest products in the country are available at Hampshire Farmers’ Markets and I hope people will take the time to try out our winners’ products next time they’re at one of our markets.”

Upcoming market dates in August are the Romsey Food Festival on 1^st August; Petersfield on the same date; Alton Farmers’ Market on Saturday 7^th, Winchester on the 8^th and the 29^th; Southsea and Andover on the 15^th August; Chandlers Ford on 22^nd and special Bank Holiday Markets at Hythe and Odiham Food Festival on the 30^th.

July 13, 2010

Andover-based confectioners, My Chocolate Bar, have won two 1 star Gold Great Taste Awards after less than a year of being chocolatiers.

One award was for their unique Orange Honeycomb Crunch and the other was for their Madagascan Vanilla Truffles. My Chocolate Bar’s products feature Venezuelan chocolate blended with Hampshire-sourced ingredients and do not use preservatives or additives.

Of all the UK’s food award schemes, the GREAT TASTE AWARDS is the most important. Completely independent and uncompromisingly rigorous, it is trusted by retailers, buyers and consumers. Great Taste is to speciality food and drink what Michelin is to fine dining.

A record-breaking 6017 entries this year were tasted blind by panels of food experts, writers & producers.  Before gold is awarded, a minimum of eight experts (more often sixteen) taste, discuss and agree.

Categories  entered by My Chocolate Bar this year were: flavoured truffles, without alcohol in white, milk or dark chocolate and milk chocolate bars, plain or flavoured.

My Chocolate Bar’s Pauline Donner said, ‘‘Winning these awards just nine months into trading is truly amazing and is a reflection of the hard work, long hours, (increased waistlines) and wealth of local produce we use that have allowed us to create these winners.’’

My Chocolate Bar can be found at Hampshire Farmers’ Markets at Andover and Winchester as well as at Petersfield in December.

Event Date: Saturday July 17^th 2010

This year’s Port Solent Food Festival will for the first time feature the finest fresh produce from Hampshire Farmers’ Markets.

The market will come to the The Open Kitchen event on Saturday 17^th July 2010 on the Boardwalk.

Hampshire Farmers’ Markets is accredited by FARMA, the Farmers’ Markets certification body and only offers food and goods that originate in the county of Hampshire or ten miles of its borders. This means that as well as buy delicious, locally grown or produced food, the money they spend directly benefits the local economy.

Artisan breads, cakes, jams, wines, cheeses and BBQ packs are all on offer from producers such as Fonthill Glebe Wines, Lyburn Cheese, The Old Granary, Hampshire Game, Cresson Creative, Cakes by Juliet, Beceries and plants from Butterfly and Cottage Garden Plants and The Smallholding at Tufton as well as many more.

HFM’s Business Development Manager, Alex Handford, said, “We are delighted to bring our producers to the fantastic Open Kitchen weekend at Port Solent. We can offer the best in seasonal produce, all locally produced and sourced. We’re looking forward to a great market and hope as many people as possible will come to the market – especially those who’ve never been to a Hampshire Farmers’ Market before.”

The market will be open from 10am until 4pm. For more information, email alex@hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk or call 01420 588671.

Hampshire Farmers Markets Facts:

• HFM is now in its 11^th year of operation.
• HFM is a non-profit organisation that enables local farmers and small producers to earn a living.
• FARMA Accredited.
• Website: www.hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk

Food Writer Nigel Slater’s show is filming scenes at the market which runs from 9am to 2pm.

Winchester is the biggest Farmers’ Market in the country and this time of year brings thousands of tourists to the market as well as regular shoppers.

July is bursting with tasty berries and cherries as well as a whole host of delicious vegetables and salad from watercress and tomatoes to courgettes and spring onions.

Also available are BBQ packs of bacon, chops and sausages for those summer cook-outs. Or why not try something different and opt for Water Buffalo meat on the grill – a delicious alternative to steak and Broughton Water Buffalo have a special deal on their steaks available with a voucher from the HFM website.

HFM Business Development Manager Alex Handford said, “We’re very pleased to welcome Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers to film at the market. July and August are our busiest times of the year and there is so much fantastic produce available at our stalls.”

Everything you buy at the Hampshire Farmers’ Market locations throughout the county are guaranteed to be locally produced within Hampshire or ten miles of its borders, meaning that money spent goes directly back into the local economy.

Shoppers will be able to take full advantage of all that the season has to offer with strawberries top of the menu along with a whole host of other sweet and juicy berries and cherries.

Hampshire Farmers Markets are also part of the annual Hampshire Food Festival which takes advantage of being at the height of the growing season, enabling HFM stallholders to offer the best of their seasonal produce.

HFM producers only offer goods that have been grown, reared or produced within the county or ten miles of its borders and the market is accredited by FARMA, the Farmers’ Markets certification body that attests to the markets’ high standards.

Business Development Manager for Hampshire Farmers’ Markets, Alex Handford, said “July is a terrific month for local food and we really want to encourage everyone in Bishops Waltham to make the best use of their Farmers’ Market. July is stuffed full of seasonal produce and I don’t think you can buy better or fresher than at one of our markets.”

Also this month in Hampshire, there are local Food Festivals at Alton and Port Solent and Hampshire Farmers’ Markets will feature heavily at both.

HFM has long championed the need for people to eat more local food that is not only fresher, has travelled fewer food miles but that also puts money back into the local economy, something that’s much needed these days. There is also a market at Petersfield this Sunday.

July Farmers’ Markets are:

July 4^th: Bishops Waltham

July 4^th: Petersfield

July 10^th: Alton Food Festival

July 11^th: Winchester

July 17^th: Port Solent Food Festival

July 18^th: Southsea

July 18^th: Andover

July 25^th: Winchester

Thanks to Manor Farm Pork for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 kg pork spare ribs
5 tablespoons apple juice
5 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
75g Dark Muscavado Sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
½ teaspoon Tabasco
Salt and Pepper

Method

Mix ingredients until smooth and then add pork spare ribs, marinate for about ½ hour.

Preheat oven at 200c, and cook ribs for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meat is cooked and sauce is reduced to a sticky glaze.

HFM Recipe 26 – Sticky Pork Ribs – Download as PDF

John and Penny Crossburn tend around 200 hives, each of which are home to 50,000 worker bees. The hives are situated from the edge of the New Forest and Test Valley in groups of twelve on a site. John says he still gets stung four to five times a day but says he’s just got used to it.

Roselea produce clear, set, comb and New Forest Heather honey, that latter of which is produced from bees who have, as the name suggests, been moved to the heather in the New Forest which gives it a different flavour and texture from regular honey – quite unique.

John says local food inspires him due to the very fact that it is from the same area and you can talk to the producers at the stalls about their produce. Particular favourites are Fonthill Glebe Wines and Lardy cakes from the Flour Shop.

Of his own bees, John likes his set honey the best; he has it on his toast in the morning just after walking his two dogs.

Broughton Water Buffalo also have an offer on their steaks if you fancy something different which are on special offer this month. If you’re vegetarian, you can get aubergine and courgettes for veggie kebabs and lots of salads from Godshill Organics.

To drink we have wines from Fonthill (who also have an offer on), apple juices from Hill Farm and cider from Mr Whitehead’s Cider Company.

That’s just a small selection – you’ll find lots more on offer for your event at the Farmers’ Market – have a great – and local – event!