IN SEASON Love Local Food
Jo Hayers, market co-ordinator at Somerset Farmers Markets, gives us her verdict on this summer’s local produce.
What local produce should we be enjoying this summer? Of course we are biased and would say “everything and anything you can get your hands on!” Go for seasonal fruit and vegetables – eating seasonally means you eat produce when it’s at its freshest and most nutritious. Right now Somerset strawberries are in season and fi ngers crossed should continue to be available through most of the summer, whilst cherries should be appearing in the middle of July. Also local salads, beans and peas are available; the list could go on.
Hosting a barbecue or summer party? Pick up local meat from a farmers’ market; slow grown, grass fed and properly hung, the diff erence in taste and texture is noticeable.
Similarly, brill, gurnard, hake and lobster are all in season now too.
And pies, bread, cheese, cakes, jam, chutneys and chocolate – they’re delicious all year round!
What are the biggest benefi ts to the customer when it comes to choosing local produce?
T ree key benefi ts are: Freshness – there’s a good chance your food was made or picked the previous night or early that morning. Low food miles – your food hasn’t travelled half way around the world to land on your plate so the impact on the environment is smaller. Traceability – you can speak to the person who grew / made / bottled your food & drink and they will know where all the ingredients came from, you may even be able to visit the farm!
How easy is it for FOODLOVERS to buy local produce in your area?
Very easy! We run local markets at 10 locations across Somerset, 9 monthly and
1 weekly so there is a market almost every weekend. T ere are also markets run by other organisations and local councils across the region, and it’s worth checking the Visit Somerset website for a full list.
Isn’t buying local far more expensive than using supermarkets? Not necessarily! For many things it can be the same price or even less, and it’s worth investigating. Of course, some items may cost a little more than the equivalent in a supermarket due to the economies of scale that the supermarkets can off er, but by buying local produce you are helping to support the local economy whilst aiding small UK farmers at the same time; and we think that there is no comparison in taste and quality!
Do you have any favourites when it comes to West Country produce? Where to start?! Of course the here in the West Country we are well known for our cheese and our cider and for very good reason. However, at this time of year it’s got to be the strawberries for me as they are the fruity fl ag bearers of British summertime.
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FISH & CHIPS|CURRY KITCHEN
RICK STEIN FISTRAL | FISTRAL BEACH | NEWQUAY | CORNWALL | ENGLAND
www.rickstein.com/fistral
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