Wednesday 4 October 2017
Food and Drink
Eating seasonally is such a simple but brilliant way to ensure you get the best food available at that time of year. While fruit, vegetables and meat are increasingly available to be bought frozen all year long, nothing matches the freshness of seasonal food.
I spoke in our last British Food Fortnight blog about the nutritional advantages of this practice. Food contains all the good stuff that helps prepare our bodies for the elements it will face during the different seasons For example, now that we are heading towards winter, vegetables and fruits available now will contain lots of vitamin C to help protect you from the cold.
One of these is the blackberry. These contain 35 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C allowance and they’re everywhere at the moment so are easy to get hold of. They are also a very versatile ingredient. Blackberries can be a special addition when served along with game meats, but also have a home in just a simple crumble.
Another of my favourite foods during this time of year is grouse. The season for them to be shot is very short - between 12 August and 10 December. Despite this, they are a highly sought after bird thanks to their delicious flavour. Roasting them whole on the bone gives them an extra nice taste. If you try this though, be sure not to overcook the grouse and to let it rest before cutting and serving it. British game is a great alternative to other meat as it is lower in fat than many of the other choices, yet it still contains a lot of protein and vitamins.
British food seasons might seem like a difficult concept to get your head around at first. All the information is out there to be easily found though, and I hope the benefits of sourcing our produce seasonally are obvious to anybody who eats with us at the Old Stocks Inn.
Our restaurant is open for lunch from 12-2.30pm and dinner from 6pm. Click here to book a table