The word “picturesque” is a mild descriptor for the tranquil beauty of the Suffolk coast, and foodies or not, visitors can enjoy water views. An incentive of dining on organic produce and fresh seafood doesn’t hurt the experience, either, and chefs and cooks thrive in this food mecca.
Suffolk’s Seafood
Orford fishermeneven use sustainable methods of catching fish to help maintain the ecological balance that many large trawlers ignore. Drift nets, lines and pots are used to catch fish without raking in so many that quite a few die in the process. The fresh catch is sold to the public at the end of the day, eliminating the middleman. Local restaurants in Orford are delighted to serve the catch of the day, and diners are more delighted to eat such fresh fare, prepared well to bring out the best flavors.
Suffolk Game
Suffolk is a source of fresh game meat as well as delectable seafood. Robert Gooch, owner of the Wild Meat Company, points out that game is free range, lives in its natural habitat and is low in cholesterol and fat. Some game meats are high in protein and iron, and pheasant and partridge are alternatives to chicken which has more fat than game birds. His website has information about where to find his company’s game meats around Suffolk.
Suffolk’s Chefs
Staying in different areas of Suffolk is part of the fun, and the White Lion Hotel in Aldeburgh has lovely rooms and fine dining. Head chef, Jason Shaw, took a 300-mile tour of restaurants in France, tasting 128 dishes, and brought back new ideas for the hotel restaurant, La Florida. Using local produce, and fresh fish obtained on the beach just steps away from the hotel, Jason likes to create dishes reminiscent of authentic home cooking. Veal, rabbit and duck confit are also on the menu at the White Lion, and classic dishes made in the traditional manner are well-received, including creme brûlée. For more relaxed dining, Kesgrave Hall Hotel is what you could call boutique, 23 individual rooms with informal dining that lends itself to a tranquil afternoon. Head Chef Stuart Oliver and his brigade of chefs champion all that is great about Suffolk produce, plus there is a daily specials board allowing them to make full use of seasonal produce.
Suffolk’s other Delights
Who wants to make their own gin? Well, who doesn’t? Adnams Copper House Distillery in Southwold makes it happen. Select your own tasty botanicals and label a personal bottle to take home for about £70.00 per person. Set up a Friday or Saturday gin-making date on the website and impress your friends at your next party, or blaze through the bottle in the hotel, celebrating your accomplishment with traveling mates.
Don’t miss The British Larder in Woodbridge for delicious dishes from local food purveyors. Many entrees are made of pork, chicken or oysters procured within ten miles or less. Local farmers and fish catchers, men and women, take pride in raising and retrieving these animals in the healthiest environments possible so that we can all eat food without toxic additives. Tasting the pork is highly preferable to tasting the, well, not pork, or unknown parts of less healthier pig meat.
The thought of leaving Suffolk is beginning to seem unwise when pondering the next eating experience. Various food suppliers all over Suffolk support each other in helping to create the cleanest, healthiest and tastiest foods available. The public buys unprepared foods at farm markets to cook at home, and dining establishments buy them to prepare dishes for customers. This is most reassuring when searching for nutritional food sources.
Seasonal fruits and vegetables are available throughout the growing season, so if you’re eating oranges, they’ve obviously come from somewhere else. This is not wrong, but if you want a good hard cider, vinegar or apple juice, then Suffolk it is. Aspall has produced these delicacies from their own orchards since 1728, and eight generations of the family have kept them in award-winning form. A good, hot mulled “cyder” sounds good on a cold day, and a refreshing cool glass of cider sounds equally rewarding on a warm day. What goes well with cider? Local, high-quality dairy cheese, for one, and locally-made fresh bread rounds out a mouthwatering snack.
Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses, since 2004, has reared award-winning pigs, bull calves and cows for pork, beef and dairy products. Raising most of their own natural cow feed certainly helps keep healthy, happy animals in prime form. Suffolk farmers are serious about providing clean products in all forms, from soil to table, for you.
Tim Capper has been in the travel and hospitality industry for over 15yrs. A passionate advocate for locally produced foods and country living in the UK
