Rare Plants & Spring Food Festival, Waddesdon Manor

Being a big fan of food markets and after an enjoyable visit to Vale Harvest Market in Haddenham, my ears pricked up when I heard there was to be a market at Waddesdon Manor Plant Centre the following weekend. Looking at the list of stallholders, the range of produce looked enticing: handmade chocolates, fresh fishcakes, wine, confectionery, biscuits, cheese and.... well, plants.

On arrival at the Plant Centre, we were a little confused by the lack of clear signage for where to go. We stumbled our way through the gift shop, then on into the Cafe... Still no market. Off we wandered, following signs to the toilets, eventually spotting a large greenhouse/barn (but no toilets?!), et voilà! Here the market was.

As a side note, I found the toilets - on leaving the market and turning right, there was a portakabin containing the loos. I wasn't quite so pleased to find them though when I smelt them (a rotten ash tray is the closest description I can think of).

Back to the market. Sadly, there was no impressive stall to greet you head-on as you entered - as you may see I wasn't inspired to take many pictures. There was a stage area to the right for talks and demonstrations, some plants immediately to my left, then the food stalls further round to the left and all down the left side.

So, what and who caught my eye this time?

WESSEX PANTRY

www.wessexpantry.co.uk

With an impressive array of big, beautiful pies, Wessex Pantry was a huge draw. We purchased one large Beef & Red Wine Pie and one large Game Pie. The Game Pie is yet to be eaten but the Beef & Red Wine was glorious (see pic below). Travelling all the way from Devon, Wessex Pantry had by far the most impressive stall - with a long list of Awards to boot (see further pic below)

'Glorious' Beef & Red Wine Pie from Wessex Pantry

Wessex Pantry's long list of Awards!

SUPREME SAUSAGES LTD

@SupremeSausages | www.supremesausages.co.uk

Straight after Wessex Pantry, were Supreme Sausages - quite the meaty corner of the room! Hailing from Chalgrove, in Oxfordshire, Supreme Sausages were displaying a large selection - one packet of Cumberland (my sausage of choice) and one pack of Venison purchased, we were on our way. Having since sampled the Cumberland, they were too sweet for my taste, however I am yet to cook the Venison (we tasted a small sample of it at the market and it seemed very pleasant).

Sadly, whilst there was a fairly interesting mix of products on display, I wasn't tempted to make a further purchase - although I may have lingered longer at Gastro Nick's if I was able to eat Charcuterie at the moment! It seemed like most of the stallholders had quite small stalls, packed fairly tightly together, with maybe a little too much on them. It meant there wasn't much room for meandering slowly and taking it all in, without coming to an outright stop and getting pounced on by an eager stallholder - not that I blame them of course, as there weren't many people there... Maybe everyone got lost in the Cafe?

There also seemed to be too much overlap - three handmade chocolate makers placed closely together, and two pie companies slap bang right next to each other - one selling savoury, the other selling sweet and savoury. Sadly, the general theme becoming apparent here seemed to be poor organisation by Waddesdon itself - the lack of clear signage, the poor layout of the market, the below-par toilets, and, on doing further research when I got home, several astonishing typos in their marketing material.... including some producer's websites listed incorrectly - poor show Waddesdon.

So, after a disappointing and brief visit to the market, we decided to take solace in some lunch at the Cafe. MrF chose the Rosemary Focaccia with buffalo mozzarella, beef tomato and homemade pesto, served with a salad of roasted peppers, olives and roasted courgettes. For my Parents, the Glasshouse Platter - hand raised pork pie, pickles, home cooked ham, salad, roast tomato, peppers, cheddar and crusty baguette. I opted for the duck salad - shredded confit duck, warm potato and onion salad with plum dressing, baby salad leaves and mustard seed croutons.

Pretty, but just plain weird, Duck Salad from Waddesdon Manor Plant Centre Cafe

I was informed MrF's Focaccia was very good, but the salad far too oily. The Glasshouse Platter shared by my parents looked appealing, if a little bread-heavy. My Duck Salad was without doubt though, the weirdest duck salad I have ever eaten - and I LOVE duck salads. With a minuscule amount of duck, an over-abundance of sautéed salad potatoes, way too much roasted red onion and a tiny heap of salad leaves, I would certainly not price this dish at £8.50. You can order a small version for £4, but I imagine you'd only get a sniff of duck. By far the weirdest thing about this dish though was the overall mismarriage of Mediterranean and Oriental. Needless to say the combination just did not work.

Bad day at the office for Waddesdon? Difficult to tell, but I won't be rushing back to revisit.

Waddesdon Manor Plant Centre
Waddesdon Manor
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP18 0JW
Facebook: @WaddesdonManor
Twitter: @waddesdonmanor
Website: www.waddesdon.org.uk
Phone: 01296 658586

Try This - Steak Platter at The Port Mahon

The Port Mahon took me somewhat by surprise. It's a traditional pub, not very big and doesn't look like anything fancy, apart from a few twinkly fairy lights and a log fire when it's cold. When MrF took me here for a meal I figured it would go one of two ways: either the food would be distinctly average, or it would surprise me and be totally knock-out... Turns out it was the latter!

The Phenomenal Steak Platter

Having ordered the Steak Platter to share between us, our jaws hit the floor when it arrived, A) because it was huge, and B) it looked AMAZING!! Cue our looks of awe, followed by 30 minutes of unintelligible praise while we feasted on the bounty.

If you were ever on death row, ordering your 'last meal' - this should be it. If you want to wow your Dad for father's day - this is what you feed him. Damn, if you just want a glorious plate of food - well, you know the rest.

The cut of meat is onglet (aka hanger steak), served pretty blooming rare (don't ask for it to be well done, this cut of meat should always be served like this), and brilliantly seasoned. Accompaniments to the sensational steak were: some very good chips, perfectly cooked asparagus, divine cabbage and bacon, salad, béarnaise sauce and crusty bread. The result was utter food porn, and frankly, one of the best plates of food I've eaten... and I do not give that praise lightly! I've been lucky enough to eat in many fantastic places around the world, but in my list of all-time favourite dishes, this is most definitely in my top 10 - along with the Wagyu Beef with Truffle Mash and Foie Gras Sauce I ate in Bangkok (*drool* - will blog about that one too!!).

I've eaten this dish several times now, and it's been stunning every time. I'm having to hold off eating it while I'm pregnant, but you can be damn sure I'll be there from September, newborn in tow, tucking into this glorious plate of food!

The Port Mahon

82 St. Clements Street

Oxford

OX4 1AW
Facebook: @Port-Mahon
Twitter: @Port_Mahon

Website: www.portmahon.co.uk

Phone: 01865 790970

Vale Harvest Market, Haddenham

You weren't imagining it folks, we finally got some sun this weekend. It might have lasted a week, it might have lasted a day. Hell, it might have only lasted a few hours! So what better time to get out of the house, into the fresh air... and over to a brand new food market.

I'd been chatting on Twitter to local food producer Lucy, from Made by Mums, about the new Vale Harvest Market. Held in the large Buckinghamshire village of Haddenham, on the first Saturday of every month, and with the promise of producers from within a 10 mile radius of Haddenham and Thame, I was eager to check out the markets delicacies.

Armed with a hungry MrF and a pocket full of readies, we hopped in the car and headed on over. On sniffing out the market (I was surprised to see no signs), I was pleased to find there were a good number of stallholders - 25 on this occasion, as I understand. You see this market is in its infancy, at only three months old, it is yet to reach full maturity. Gladly, popularity doesn't seem to be an issue, there were plenty of visitors to the market - in fact it was the steady stream of people, carrying bags of goodies, which assisted me in navigating correctly (ask MrF, this is no mean feat!) to the neat cluster of stalls.

The range of produce was extensive - beef, pork, bread, jams, cakes, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, oils, biscuits, gelato, coffee..... Where to begin?! I felt like a kid in a sweet shop, so who caught my eye?

CORNFIELD BAKERY

www.cornfieldbakery.com

Slap bang in front of us was a large baked goods stall belonging to Cornfield Bakery. All of the bread here looked gorgeous, all plump and fresh. MrF snaffled a Sausage Roll for his lunch (he tells me it was thoroughly enjoyable), and we're still working our way through a very enjoyable Tomato Bread.

GYRE & GIMBLE TEA, COFFEE & CHOCOLATE EMPORIUM

@mrgyre_mrgimble | http://gyre.coffeevagabond.co.uk

Despite the sunshine it was still pretty chilly, so coffee from Gyre & Gimble was next up. Unfortunately there was no decaf available (boo), but I happily tucked into a truly tasty Hot Chocolate (yay). We also grabbed a couple of packets of Propercorn Sweet and Salty Popcorn while we were there - if you've not tried it yet, TRY IT, it's awesome!

THE EGG HOUSE CHARCUTERIE

@bangersandspits | www.egghousecharcuterie.co.uk

Hopping along to the next stall, I landed at The Egg House Charcuterie, another producer I was aware of from Twitter-land. With some fresh bangers being cooked alongside, the stall had been continuously surrounded by eager customers since I arrived. Unfortunately for me, but less so for them, they had sold out of Smoked Bacon. One packet of Unsmoked Back Bacon selected, plus a Sausage Selection Pack (consisting of Traditional, Cumberland and Breakfast), we cooked them up for a delicious Sunday brunch. Whilst the bacon wasn't particularly large, it was well flavoured and a perfect thickness - with no shrinkage when cooked. Having a good old sampling session with the sausages, the Cumberland was my favourite, but all were well seasoned, plump, and a gorgeous soft texture inside - again with zero shrinkage.

MADE BY MUMS

@mbmums | www.made-bymums.co.uk

Based in Haddenham herself, the lovely Lucy who brought the market to my attention in the first place, was here selling her delectable range of cakes, jams and chutneys. One sweet and tangy slice of Lemon Drizzle, two crumbly and gratifying portions of Millionaire Shortbreads, plus one piece of rich and moist Chocolate Pecan Brownie later and I was well stocked up for the weekends sugar cravings!

KIRSTY'S KITCHEN

@kirstyskitchen

Kirsty is another Haddenham local to have started up her own food business. You may have spotted Soft-Centred Scotch Eggs popping up on many a gastro-pub menu these days - enjoying a resurge of popularity, the good old Scotch Egg has become a more gastronomic feast since going soft. Kirsty's Kitchen produce an impressive selection of Soft-Centre Scotch Eggs including Original, Black Pudding, Smokey Bacon, Kedgeregg, It's Thyme Deer and Mature & Mitey, along with a range of sausage rolls. MrF tried a Kirsty's Original egg on my behalf (I'm avoiding soft cooked eggs while carrying a bun in the oven), not a man of many words he gave a thumbs up!

THE FINAL HAUL!

Happy with our booty, we bid farewell to Haddenham. Would I recommend visiting next month's market? Absolutely - you'll likely see me there too. The selection of stalls was varied and appealing, the stallholders genial, and the location convenient and spacious. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself - the market runs on the first Saturday of every month, from 9am to 1pm.

Vale Harvest Market

Banks Park

Haddenham Village Hall

Haddenham

Bucks

HP17 8EE

Twitter: @valeharvest

Website: http://valeharvest.weebly.com

Review - The Magdalen Arms, Oxford

I'll start by saying this was far from my first visit to The Magdalen Arms, on Iffley Road, nor shall it be my last - for The Magdalen Arms is walking distance from my house, and I am a huge fan. It's one of my favourite places to eat locally, but also one of my favourite places to take visiting friends and family.

If you live in/around Oxford and haven't yet been... what the hell have you been doing? Open over three years now, The Magdalen Arms is popular for its warm and inviting vibe, but mostly for its simply glorious food. Most notably, they serve up stunning 'sharing' mains that will wow even the snobbiest of food connoisseur - think achingly slow roasted lamb, served with dauphinoise potatoes (drool), enough to feed 2/3 people and delivered to your table in its own cooking pot for you to carve up and serve from - truly marvellous.

On this particular visit, MrFoodie, MiniFoodie, his parents and I were looking forward to a casual lunch before the in-laws headed home. 

You never know what to expect from the menu when you get there. There have been times when nothing has jumped out at me, when nothing sounds all that appealing, but thankfully the end result has never been a let-down. They typically offer around 8 choices for each course, plus a homemade soft drink or two to accompany the normal drinks list. The food has a strong Mediterranean influence; I've been there before to witness someone peeling their way through a gigantic pile of garlic - I LOVE garlic so this was a wonder to see.

Back to the matter at hand... the menu on this occasion included an array of promising dishes, but I knew what I wanted as soon as I saw it. Having tried the Pot Roast Guinea Fowl before, it was calling out to me. It's not quite as spectacular as their Seven Hour Roast Lamb, but certainly something I could eat on a regular basis. So, Guinea Fowl ordered for myself and MrF to share, Angus Steak and Ale Suet Crust Pie for the in-laws, plus some crushed potatoes and greens between us all, we tucked into a small basket of complimentary bread and butter (you can pay an additional £3.50 for more).

The bread is definitely a welcome treat, as the food here never appears particularly fast - something a lot of people do find one of the negatives. I, however, don't think it's such a bad thing - sit back, chat, relax. The food will be worth the wait.

Service is a point which does need a mention, as it is a real sticking point for some. I completely understand this. You won't get any of the waiting staff coming to ask you how your food is, nor will you get them asking if you would like to order more drinks - I've experienced neither here so far. I have always found the staff pleasant and helpful, just not overly proactive. Maybe, as some suggest, this is due to arrogance. Maybe it's because the restaurant has always been busy when I've visited. Or maybe they just prefer a more relaxed style of dining. Whatever the reason, my recommendation is to eat in the bar area, rather than the often overcrowded restaurant - which is at the back of the building, separated by an old folding room divider. Either that or just don't go if you're in a rush, as I can't see the service changing any time soon.

Just at that 'OK I'm pretty damn hungry now' moment, the food arrived in waves. First a big pot containing the Roast Guinea Fowl, bathed in (I'm guessing) stock and Calvados or wine, along with crème fraiche, garlic, bacon and tarragon. Next to be delivered was the Steak and Ale Pie, beautifully golden on top. Last to follow were the vegetables. Carving knife and serving spoon in hand, having taken a little too long to appear, we dug in. The bird was cooked perfectly, the sauce it was bathed in rich, creamy and delicious. I'd eaten the pie on a previous visit, so can confidently tell you it's pretty blinding - third to the lamb then the guinea fowl though.

Bellies full and hunger sated, we relaxed in the afterglow of a good feed, for this is not a venue you feel overly rushed to leave. The warm plum walls and mismatched wooden furniture make it somewhat comforting. THIS is what a good friend feels like in the form of a restaurant - it makes you smile, and you always feel relaxed in their company. 

Overall score: 8.5/10

Not just an eating venue, The Magdalen Arms also has a large bar area along with outside seating. It's a lovely place to stop off for a summer afternoon drink or a slice of homemade cake.

The Magdalen Arms

243 Iffley Road

Oxford

OX4 1SJ

Twitter: @magdalen_arms

Website: www.magdalenarms.com

Phone: 01865 243159

Review - The Pointer, Brill

I first stumbled across The Pointer through Twitter. I don't know anyone who's ever been there and I've never read a review, for some reason though, I had a good feeling about it. The menu example on their website looked great and I was intrigued to find out they had a butcher shop on site too. I seemed to have built them up somewhat in my head before I made my first booking.

Looking for an out-of-town spot for some pub lunch with the visiting in-laws, The Pointer sprung to mind. Eager with anticipation and intentionally early, we parked up in the pretty village setting, right in front of the pub.

First impressions positive, we made our way round the side to the butcher shop. Small but perfectly presented, the shop displayed a small selection of meats, along with fresh bread, pork scratchings and bottles of their locally brewed 'Pointer Pint'. Their brew isn't the only local link, The Pointer do need to be praised for their belief in using as much local produce as possible:

When we say ‘local’ we mean it. We breed our own English Longhorn cattle, Kune Kune and Tamworth pigs and most of our meat – the very best free-range British beef, pork, lamb and chicken – comes from our own farm or from the surrounding area – so expect to find some surprises on the menu from time to time.
That is not to say we won’t sometimes source meat and produce from further afield. We couldn’t be further from the sea in Bucks, so obviously our fish, wild and sustainably caught, has to travel. Roger just makes sure our man gets up early so it’s on your plate the same day.

Half a dozen sausages and rashers of bacon purchased, we were ready for lunch...

Once inside, we were welcomed by a décor I can only describe as straight out of Homes & Gardens - warm neutral colours and natural materials, plus a homely lit fire - all finished to a very high standard (I might ask them to decorate my house for me!). Drinks ordered we were shown to our table, past the open-plan kitchen, to a separate dining area. 

Four months pregnant, I had to pass on the steak option on the menu (I can never bring myself to order or enjoy well done steak) and opted instead for Fish & Chips. MrFoodie also chose the Fish & Chips, Mother in-law went for Haddock Risotto and Father in-law for Gammon Steak. Being quite the carnivore, I was a little disappointed to see there were no further meat options. There were two other fish dishes available but I rarely choose fish unless I'm planning on more than one course.  

Food delivered, just in time to stop this pregnant lady getting 'antsy', we were ready to tuck in. All the dishes were presented in a very attractive 'restaurant style', the Haddock Risotto and Gammon Steak both receiving thumbs up from the in-laws (phew). So, onto the Fish & Chips... my first impression was that the fish looked small, but on cracking it open I was hugely impressed to see a generous thick chunk of steak, rather than a gigantic flat fillet more familiar to the dish. The batter was a little denser than I had expected, in a very good way, and was beautifully crisp and well flavoured. Mushy peas and tartar sauce were, I assume, both fresh and home-made - to a high standard. Chips were served separately, pleasing to the eye and also to the taste buds. Overall, a very good dish, I couldn't get away from a feeling though that it was lacking a bit of 'tang' that the sauce and lemon did not provide alone - MrF disagreed, so each to their own.

Lunch consumed, we left a mostly satisfied bunch. There weren't any complaints, but there weren't any gushes of praise either - I felt a bit like I hadn't got to know the place fully. Yes, the food was very good quality, yes the décor is gorgeous, yes the staff were polite, yes I'd like to revisit - so why was something niggling me? I still don't know, but I do wonder if it was because I felt like I was in the home of someone I needed to be on 'best behaviour' around. Maybe the finish on the restaurant is a little too perfect. I'm not completely sure, but I feel I made an acquaintance in The Pointer rather than a comfortable friend. I would like to go back though - just to see if the 'acquaintance' could become a 'friend'... I'd also love to sample some more meat dishes.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

As a footnote, the bacon and sausages from the butcher were spot on. The bacon thick and tasty with no shrinkage, the sausages plump and flavoursome with, not just no shrinkage, but I could swear they actually grew!

The Pointer

27 Church Street

Brill

Buckinghamshire

HP18 9RT

Twitter: @thepointerbrill

Website: www.thepointerbrill.co.uk

Phone: 01844 238339