With friends and family gathering over Christmas, it’s worth considering wild game for a special meal. We have a huge selection at this time of year, and game is healthy, sustainable and delicious. It’s also surprisingly easy to cook: Venison can be eaten like beef, and if you can roast … Read More
This year the pannage season has been fairly short, despite huge amounts of acorns in some areas of the New Forest. Richard has had his pigs (rare breed Middle White / Landcross) out on the acorns fattening nicely. They’ve enjoyed the relatively mild weather this autumn and have been hoovering … Read More
Wet Walnuts are a true seasonal specialty – they describe walnuts that have just fallen off the tree – the kernel inside has not yet dried, but is soft, a bit juicy and with a milder, more delicate flavour. They are also local, unlike the dried supermarket varieties that are … Read More
We have a great selection of wild meat available this week, natural, sustainable and delicious. With wild rabbit that has been ferreted from Cobnor, this is a pre-war favourite dish that is gradually coming back into favour. It is lean and healthy white meat, that works best in a stew … Read More
Time for Wild Venison The venison season has started up again and there are several reasons why you should be sitting down to enjoy a meal or two of this delicious wild game. With historically high populations of both fallow and roe deer across the South Downs, as well as … Read More
Every hedgerow and wood side seems to be heaving with Elderflower at the moment – and now is the time to pick some blooms and make some wild Elderflower cordial Elderflower fritters, or your own Elderflower wine. While we’re on the subject of drink, elderflower cordial also combines with gin … Read More
The woods and hedgerows are springing to life and you can enjoy the bounty with foraged St George’s Mushrooms and wild garlic. You can also enjoy nettle tips (very healthy and surprisingly tasty stir fried with garlic, chilli and pine nuts!). We will have a small amount of wild garlic … Read More
Local Honey – an Amazing Natural Product. Every jar of Sinah Common Honey contains beautiful rich, natural and local golden goodness. John Geden is the Bee Farmer who set up the company in 2013 after retiring from a combined career in the British Army and Hampshire Police spanning 32 years. … Read More
We have some pheasant eggs in this week – a great seasonal delicacy, the yolks are comparatively larger than a hen’s egg, deep yellow with a glorious, rich flavour. You can treat them like gull’s eggs for a treat, or simply as you would hen’s eggs for breakfast. Gavin will … Read More
Pannage Pork is pork that has fed off the woodland floor of the New Forest. It comes from Richard’s farm on the edge of the forest and the pigs trot out from their barn every morning to graze in the forest on whatever takes their fancy. Their favourite are acorns … Read More
We have some Forest of Dean Wild Boar available this week, and as there seems to be an abundance of apples, then this recipe should go down a treat. Loin is best, but this would also work with a leg joint, although cooking times will vary. Serves 4-6 1kg boned … Read More
One of our local farmers, Trevor, shoots pigeon whenever he has the time. Unfortunately for the farmers, but luckily for you, Trevor is not harvesting wheat due to the atrocious weather. Instead he has been sitting, well hidden, shooting pigeon that has been fattening on the wheat, early blackberries and … Read More