Post Food Festival sampling

Well, we've devoured, digested, ooh'd and aah'd through mouth's full of food from my purchases at Saturday's Norwich Food Festival.

Saturday evening's tea was a late affair in front of a film.  The coffee table was groaning with bread, home grown tomatoes, chutney, crackers, crisps and cheese, all washed down with apple juice, tea and coffee.  What a Saturday night!

Firstly the bread, from Pye Bakery, Norwich, www.pyebaker.co.uk.  I bought a long Ciabatta loaf, a cheese and onion loaf and a granary seeded loaf (which has gone in the freezer).  We ate the majority of the ciabatta and cheese and onion loaf.  I loved the cheese and onion loaf, cheesy with plenty of onions within it, if I have one criticism it is that I thought it could stand more cheese.  The loaf itself was soft and light, a springy texture, that lent itself well to cheese and pickle, it would make a great loaf for a picnic.  The ciabatta was again soft and springy with plenty of holes as befits a ciabatta, my husband preferred this to the cheese and onion loaf, but then he prefers to have something plain to eat with a flavourful cheese.  It made fabulous toast this morning for breakfast, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle and those holes let the butter melt down - my tummy's rumbling again, shame we've eaten it all.  Which brings me onto the jam.

Or should I call it a conserve?  Sorry but I'm originally from Yorkshire, so it's jam to me.  I bought the raspberry and cranberry jam from Sarah at Essence foods - www.essencefoods.co.uk.  Now my favourite jam is raspberry in all its forms and this one didn't disappoint.  It was packed with fruit, which you could see when I spread it on my toast.  The cranberries were evident too, again showing up whole when it was spread in all its glory.  It tasted sweet, but not mouth cringingly sweet, if you get what I mean, just right.  I shall look forward to having some more tomorrow, shame the jar isn't twice as big really!

The cheese bought from Norton's Dairy www.nortonsdairy.co.uk, was just lovely.  Rich and creamy and very flavoursome.  It was the plain version of their soft cheese, as they do one with apricots in and one with lavender.  I did taste the lavender one at the festival, it wasn't for me I'm afraid.  But the plain one, I could eat all day.

The obvious thing to eat it with the cheese was a good chutney and the one I bought from Norfolk Finest Foods was excellent.  I purchased the Red Onion Marmalade; it was sweet and sticky with an abundance of red onions in.  It was just the ticket to go along with the cheese and bread.

I must say I was extremely pleased with my purchases, none of this stuff is cheap, but then I wouldn't expect it to be, as these products are premium products, love and care and passion has all gone into these to make them taste as good as they do.  I shall be looking out for these products at the next foodie 'do' I go to, but have also asked to do some interviews with some of these people in the future - check them out right here - I'll let you know when they are coming up.

Stats today -

Eggs produced = 9

Sales -
1 dozen eggs £1.80

Expenses -
Nil