Ten Surprising Food Facts About Suffolk
Themed breaks are a great way of exploring a region. Choose your favourite pastime or subject and undoubtedly you’ll discover more, get a whole new perspective and learn more the locals and the area.
Food is a hot topic with more and more people considering where their food comes from and educating children about exactly where food comes from – not just the supermarket!
A short break in Suffolk is an ideal choice for food lovers. From visiting local farms and vineyards to tasting delicious, homely meals in award-winning pubs and restaurants, a food-themed short break will tickle and tantalise the taste buds. To whet your appetite, we’ve compiled a list of ten surprising food facts from Suffolk.
1. Pork Production
It’s estimated that an incredible 20% of the UK’s outdoor reared pork originates from Suffolk and very good it tastes too! Many people followed the highs and lows of one of the county’s most famous pig farmers, Jimmy, and you can visit Jimmy’s Farm to see traditional farming in action.
2. Royal Sausages
With a history of sausage making dating back to the 1880s and some famous royal consumers – including the Queen — one Suffolk town is the King producer of Sausages. Newmarket is home to Musk’s and Powter’s, two world-renowned producers.
3. Award-winning beers
The brewery Adnams is synonymous with Suffolk creating a range of real ales and eclectic wines, served in pubs around the country. Always coming up with new beers and ales look out for their latest edition ‘East Green’ – the first carbon neutral beer from the coast.
4. English vineyards
Suffolk is a great producer of wines and there are also some very beautiful vineyards to explore. The ancient estate of Wyken is a great example with its patchwork fields and woodlands making the perfect home for award-winning wines.
5. Local produce sold locally
Surrounded by rich farmland and with a wealth of talented producers including farmers, fruit growers and honey producers, Suffolk is alive with markets and farm shops. Rick Stein is a great advocate for the region and its great local foods.
6. Hot stuff
It’s not just traditional fruit and vegetables that can be grown in the fertile soil in Suffolk. Turning up the heat, some adventurous producers have been growing chillis!
7. And wild too
Raring and providing great produce is what Suffolk farmers love to do – and if you get a chance to attend a class then you’ll be inspired by their incredible passion and enthusiasm. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the Wild Meat Company that prepares game, rabbit, hare and venison while also running butchery classes.
8. A great Suffolk tradition
The heritage coast of Suffolk is truly stunning and here you can sample some of the great British favourite fish and chips. What could be better than eating freshly caught fish while overlooking the sea.
9. The perfect dessert
The perfect follow-up to fish and chips has to be ice cream. Using local, organic produce award-winning Suffolk ice creams and sorbets can be sampled in the region, at anytime of year.
10. And an even sweeter ending
Satisfy your sweet tooth with something truly delicious from nature’s larder. Freshly pressed apple juice, jams and honey are all specialities in Suffolk that can be enjoyed at local farmer’s markets.
To get your food-inspired short break off to the best start then you’ll need to stay somewhere that relishes local Suffolk food and superb cooking. One hotel from the varied ‘place to stay’ menu is Bedford Lodge Hotel in Newmarket, which has an award-winning restaurant with all sorts of delights to eat and drink, of course.
Lindsay Chapman is the author of this article. Suffolk is a great producer of wines and there are also some very beautiful vineyards to explore.To find out more visit http://www.bedfordlodgehotel.co.uk or call 01635 663175.
