Chop Idol

Ilkley butcher David Lishman is to appear as a judge in a new BBC TV programme "Young Butcher of the Year 2009", to be broadcast this month.

The show is part of a new series showcasing talented yet unsung young British professionals in more mainstream occupations, including mechanics and hairdressers.

Talking in the latest issue of Lishman's Newsletter, David said: "We had a tough task, as more than 100 apprentices entered the competition, but we eventually found our Young Butcher of the Year, who looks sure to become a future star in the industry.

"Butchering has not been seen as the most glamorous of jobs in the past and the programme can only help raise our profile."

The winner will be announced on the programme when it is broadcast on Monday 16th November, at 10.30pm on BBC3.

The programme is presented by George Lamb. Yes, really.

Honey-lovers forage for borage

Sweet, light and runny, borage honey has emerged as a favourite variety among connoisseurs of the sticky stuff in recent years. So why have the shelves suddenly emptied? Some do say that designer yoghurt may be to blame.

An unpretentious annual herb with attractive blue star-shaped flowers, borage has been grown across swathes of East Yorkshire since its healthy nutritional qualities were first harnessed commercially thirty years ago. Its tiny black seeds are pressed to extract oil which, as Starflower Oil, is sold in capsule form as an aid to blood circulation and to alleviate skin disorders.

Farmers who grow the herb allow hives to be placed directly in the borage fields. The bees pollinate the flowers, while up to 100lbs of honey can be collected from each of the dozen or so hives in every field. 

However producers are reporting a sudden glut of borage oil, and consequently demand for the crop has plummeted. Without contracts from the oil manufacturers, farmers can’t afford to grow borage for the honey alone, so borage honey supplies are all but exhausted.

Insiders point to one major event that rocked the market.

In 2007, French-based yoghurt manufacturer Danone introduced its Essensis range, claiming that a daily pot would “nourish your skin from within”. Aimed primarily at affluent young women, Essensis was infused with a blend of nutrients which included borage oil.

After some early success, the recession bit and designer belts tightened. Demand slumped so drastically that Danone withdrew the range from the UK market in February 2009, leaving acres of borage already growing and vast quantities of oil in cold storage, all surplus to requirements.

Chris Houghton, Managing Director of one of the biggest UK borage oil producers, Northstar Lipids of Lincolnshire, said “If Essensis had succeeded, global demand for borage oil would have virtually doubled. When it failed, the impact on the market was substantial”.

“To be fair to Danone they have honoured their commitments to suppliers in a professional manner. However the market is now left with a glut of oil that I estimate will last for 12-18 months”.

Oil and honey producers are worried that farmers may be reluctant to start growing borage once the market recovers, earning a better income from other commodities.

Lester Quayle, from East Riding Honey, of Beverley, East Yorkshire said “The market price for borage hasn’t changed for years, whereas oilseed rape, for example, has gone through the roof. There are barely 100 acres of borage being grown across East Yorkshire now compared to 5000 previously. There’s tremendous competition to get your hives into these fields”.

Meanwhile Chris Houghton is working hard within the industry to promote borage’s home-grown eco-friendly credentials and find new uses for the oil, the cosmetics market being a particular target.

And help may also be at hand from an unlikely source. With borage oil thought to promote healthy blood circulation, it is being mentioned in online medical forums as a natural remedy for erectile dysfunction in men. Borag-ra, anyone?

© Ian Taylor October 2009 An edited version of this article has appeared in The Big Issue in The North

Newcastle Brown Ale to be Brewed in Yorkshire? Noooooooooo!

Now I'm sorry to shatter your illusions, but The Yorkshire Foodie didn't grow up in Yorkshire. I spent my youth in the next county up, County Durham, in a town which then became part of Tyne & Wear in the local government reorganisation of the mid-seventies.

So I am well familiar with the lethal soup of the devil that is Newcastle Brown Ale. It is a north-east institution, like stotty cake, The Likely Lads, whippets and the fog on the tyne. Every red-blooded male who has grown up in the north east will have had a Brown Ale epiphany. They will either have been weaned on it like mother's milk, and find its gaseous bitterness a warming comfort on a cold winter night, or, like me, they will have puked up half a gallon of it down a back alley at 15 years old and sworn never to drink the stuff again as long as they lived.

Against that background, today's report that the loopy juice is now to be brewed in Yorkshire, is hard to comprehend. I've been looking into the background to the news.

Newcastle Brown Ale was first produced in the 1920s by Newcastle Breweries. It is said that the police requested a reduction in its strength after cells immediately became full of marauding drunks. If you go down the Bigg Market on Saturday night you'll see that nothing much has changed.

In 1960 following a merger, Brown Ale came under the wing of Scottish and Newcastle (S & N)Breweries. So when I was growing up, most of the pubs in the north east carried either the familiar blue star of S & N, or the red and gold livery of the now sadly defunct Vaux Brewery, from Sunderland. Alongside these was the network of affiliated Working Mens Clubs, serviced by the then independent Federation Brewery, on the south bank of the Tyne at Dunston, birthplace of Paul Gascoigne and my Mam's best friend Marjorie. The cry "Fower Feds Shirley Pet" would ring out every night over many a club bar across the north east's coaly wastes.

Following a decline in the popularity of the club culture, S & N bought the Federation brewery in 2004, and production of Dog* was transferred there the following year. Whilst brewing has continued there since, bottling of Newky Brown was actually moved to the John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire in 2007.

Yesterday's announcement that S & N planned to move the actual brewing of jurneyintospayus* to Tadcaster, however, very much represents the end of an 85 year era. S & N cite falling beer sales and rising costs forcing them to close the Dunston plant next year.

Geordies are already reportedly vowing to boycott Broon when production moves south. It remains to be seen whether this will have any effect on what is another sad example of big business economics taking priority over fine British traditions.

*Newcastle Brown Ale is often known locally as 'Dog', from the euphemism "I'm going to walk the dog" - meaning "I'm going to the pub". jurneyintospayus - Journey Into Space - is another local nickname, for obvious reasons.

Yorkshire Winemakers Expecting Good Crop

It's harvest time for the vineyards of Yorkshire, and expectations are high for a bumper crop.

A sunny June followed by a wet July and a relatively dry August means that the grapes have had near perfect conditions to maximise yield.

There are over 400 vineyards in the UK, and over 100 wineries. Global warming has steadily nudged north the optimum climate conditions for wine-making, and there are now four Yorkshire vineyards registered with the English Wine Producers' Association. While some English south coast wines are even competing with the best in the world, the north is not too far behind.

At Holmfirth Vineyards, situated on the side of the Holme Valley, high above the "Last of the Summer Wine" town, owners Ian and Rebecca Sheveling planted 7,000 vines in 2008, and hope to harvest their first crop this time next year, eventually achieving a 30,000 bottles a year yield. Their story was captured in an episode of Channel 5's 'Build a New Life in the Country' series, which aired earlier this year.

Meanwhile over at Westow, near York, Ryedale Vineyards have just harvested for the second time. The most northerly UK vineyard in production, Ryedale have already won awards for the quality of their wines, despite a small crop in 2008 enabling just 400 bottles of white and rosé to be produced. Owner Stuart Smith reportedly hopes to produce up to 3000 bottles this year, increasing to 20,000 in 2010.

Leventhorpe Vineyards of Woodlesford, near Leeds, are the longest established of the Yorkshire vineyards and is one of Rick Stein's food heroes. George Bowden established the vineyard in 1985, and has gained much recognition for his slightly off-dry Seyval and Madeleine Angevine whites, and his sparkling whites.

Leventhorpe have achieved the 'Yorkshire Regional Wine' quality status, as adminstered by the UK Vineyards Association. Leventhorpe wines are available to purchase online here.

Finally the Summerhouse Vineyard, at Skellow near Doncaster, had its first harvest in 2008, producing a Seyval Blanc and Rondo red this summer. They will be harvesting Pinot Noir and Madeleine Angevine for the first time this year, and hope to be producing sparkling white and rosé wines for summer 2010.

Its clear that as the climatic characteristics of the UK are becoming more suited to wine-producing,  things can only get better for Yorkshire wine-makers.

Yorkshire Mild is Champion Ale

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Champion Beer of Britain for 2009 is Rudgate Ruby Mild, from York. A year of local tastings panels and regional competitions culminated in a final judging at the Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, recently. The award marks an increase in the popularity of mild ale at a time when interest in real ale drinking generally is on the rise.

The York-brewed real ale was chosen as the overall winner from over sixty finalists in seven categories (Best Bitters, Bitters, Golden Ales, Milds, Speciality, Winter Beer and Strong Bitters) including beers from tiny micro-breweries to major regional brewers.

Ruby Mild, which has an abv of 4.4%, is described by CAMRA  as a 'nutty, rich ruby ale', and is a little  stronger than most mild ales.

According to CAMRA, milds are generally characterised as black to dark brown to pale amber in colour, and come in a variety of styles from warming roasty ales to light refreshing lunchtime thirst quenchers. "Malty and possibly sweet tones dominate the flavour profile but there may also be a light hop flavour or aroma. Slight diacetyl (toffee/butterscotch) flavours are not inappropriate".

Alcohol levels are typically low, less than 4.3%. Pale milds tend to have a lighter, more fruity aroma with gentle hoppiness, while dark milds may have a light roast malt or caramel character in aroma and taste. Some Scottish cask beers have mild characteristics with a dominance of sweetness, smooth body and light bitterness.

Roger Protz, Chairman of the final judging panel said:

'It's a tremendous boost for the mild category. It's good to see a classic British traditional beer making such a comeback in the age of golden ales and much paler beers in general. The judges were impressed by rich, fruity character, and the fact that it's quite hoppy and bitter for a mild ale. Its victory should invigorate the whole mild ale category.'

An elated Craig Lee, Rudgate's brewery owner, said:

'It's an excellent achievement, we've come close in previous years, and we are really proud to have won the Champion Beer of Britain. It's unbelievable, and we hope our beer helps popularise the cause of real ale.'

Rudgate's victory comes in the wake of new research from CAMRA showing 50% of adult drinkers have now tried Britain's national drink, real ale! This comes at a time when there are currently over 670 brewers in the UK, more than at any other time since the Second World War.

I'm currently researching an article for a weekly publication covering the resurgence of the real ale industry in the north (its a tough job but someone's got to do it) so I look forward to sharing more beer-related nuggets as my research progresses.

FarSyde Restaurant, Ilkley

The FarSyde for me is like the old friend who you don't see for months, or even years, but with whom you can always just pick up where you left off. Consistently in my top two or three local restaurants for many years, it had been quite a while since my last visit, and so I'd really been looking forward to picking up our acquaintance again and reassuring myself that we still had plenty in common.

I was never going to be disappointed. Just entering the restaurant and seeing familiar faces with sincerely welcoming smiles was enough to remind me why The FarSyde is a place I will always be drawn back to. It just gets everything right. That it does so without any fuss or apparent effort is a credit to owners Gavin and Zoe Beedham,  management and staff and, no doubt, the many long hours of blood, sweat and tears they've been through to get to that point.

Lovely simple, thoughtful touches pervade the evening. The complementary home-made antipasti in the relaxing bar area while the extensive menus and specials boards are perused. A selection of freshly baked bread with artisan olive oils and home-made tapenade brought swiftly and courteously to the table as soon as we're seated. The extensive but sensibly priced wine list with a good range of wines by the glass, enabling one to match wine to food course by course. The efficient, well-informed  but unobtrusive service and a genuine concern that the customer enjoys every aspect of their experience. And all that's before the food arrives....

And what food. I commented that I could have chosen blind any dish from the extensive menu and I'm sure I would not have been disappointed. The descriptions are evocative, but to the point. The choice was difficult, but we shared a seafood platter to start which at £9.50 was excellent value and piled high with sea-salty freshness. Two unctious oysters, fat prawns, scallops, squid deep-fried perfectly in a wonderfully light batter with a home-made chilli sauce to die for.

My main course of Fillet of Beef served on an Oxtail Rosti with Braised Pigs Cheek, Roasted Baby Onions and a Red Wine and Truffle Sauce was simply one of the finest plates of food I have ever eaten. The beef was full of flavour, succulent, and cooked to melt-in-the-mouth perfection, while the oxtail rosti presented a delicious contrast of gelatinous meat and crispy potato. The pigs cheek almost went unnoticed among the richness of flavours on display, but provided yet another contrasting texture, crowned by the sauce which was plentiful and rich in flavour.

My partner's Roast Rump of Lamb garnished with a Confit of Lamb Shoulder, Nicoise Vegetables in a Thyme Sauce was equally impressive, and we were left defeated by the dessert menu which on any other occasion would have been plundered with equal vigour. At around £65 for two including pre-dinner drinks and wine this was great value, with better quality food and service than places that would have cost twice as much. I could happily eat my way through the FarSyde's menu and never eat anywhere else.

So, friendship renewed and we left promising not to leave it so long next time. We simply must make more effort to keep in touch.

FarSyde Restaurant, 1-3 New Brook Street, Ilkley, LS29 8DQ. Closed Sunday & Monday. Tel 01943 602030. Booking advisable.

Nigel Slater's Pork Ribs with Honey and Star Anise

I'd picked up a pack of Spare Ribs from the Blue Pig Company at a Farmer's Market a few weeks back, (six ribs for a pound - what a bargain!) and frozen them for a rainy, home-alone, TV dinner kind of day. This week provided just such an opportunity and I adapted a Nigel Slater recipe (Pork Ribs with Honey and Star Anise) from his Kitchen Diaries, to provide the honeyed stickiness that ribs just cry out for.

6 meaty pork ribs
3 tbsps honey
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 star anise
sea salt and szechuan pepper

1. Make a marinade with the honey, oyster sauce, garlic, chilli flakes, star anise, salt and pepper.
2. Place the ribs in a roasting dish and cover them with the marinade. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, or better still overnight.
3. Roast at 180C for an hour and a quarter, turning and basting from time to time, taking care they don't burn.

Serve with rice - Thai is good - and salad or veg of your choice. Oh and a fingerbowl. And lots of kitchen roll.

Serves 1, happily!