By Rebecca Hay
FLORA TEA – for more information on the art of tea and the lovely tea and accessories for sale, log onto www.FLORATEA.com
MY morning cup of tea will never be the same again. Having a baby and toddler to look after can be quite stressful at times.
And that’s why I have to start the day with a refreshing cup to get the brain going. But ordinary tea can be quite drab and uninspiring.
Enter FLORA TEA. Named after Flora, the goddess of flowers and the season of spring in Roman mythology, the company serves up a very special product, which not only refreshes, but is good for you too, using nature at its best. |  | And with Flora’s festival, the Floralia, being celebrated from April 28th to May 1st, it’s a good time to try out the tea.
The festival symbolises the renewal of the cycle of life, marked with dancing, drinking and flowers, all beautiful and good fun.
As is the flowering tea which the company produces. Tea making is an art in itself and my children and I had fun trying out the range from Summer Love to Lily Fairy, Flower Lover, Jasmine with Love and Oriental Beauty.
Our favourite was Summer Love. In a crystal glass we placed our tea heart which is a bundle of green tea, topped with a carnation, which natural ingredients helps to regulate cholesterol and is good for the skin, eyes and liver, all things I need help with!
Then we slowly poured boiling water into the glass. The size of the glass is important for getting the most out of your tea.
It has to be able to resist high temperatures, be over 10 cm tall and 7 cm in diameter. Once the water has been carefully poured in, the tea needs to be brewed for three to five minutes.
It is amazing to watch the heart burst into a flower, with the petals spreading out as the tea brews. And the taste is wonderful. You can feel your body being stimulated with every sip.
Once the tea is drunk, cold water can be added to preserve the flower for up to a week. Coming in attractive, trendy packaging, FLORA TEA is what it says on the box – “a unique sensory experience.’’
REVIEW OF THE RED PUMP INN, BASHALL EAVES, NEAR CLITHEROE.
BY MARCIA MORRIS
IT may be cold outside, but it certainly is not in the Red Pump Inn, Bashall Eaves, where roaring log fires and wood burners make the cosy dining rooms the place to enjoy a menu to warm the iciest of tastebuds.
The richest of winter dishes are created in the kitchen and included on the menu. The Red Pump is famous for its extra matured steaks, local game and unctuous slow-cooked casseroles; followed by spiced Drambui bread and butter pudding, chocolate tart with kumquat marmalade and fabulous local cheeses, which all helping brighten the greyest of days.
The Michelin listed inn is also the ideal place to escape the madness of today’s commercial rush and this is what my husband Vic and myself did on a cold winter evening.
We were met by owners Martina and Jonathan Myerscough who gave us the warmest of welcomes who said that the winter months in the Ribble Valley is their favourite time when they get to bring to life the richest, warm, gutsy flavours that make everybody want to sit by the fire, relax and chill-out.
The menu at the Red Pump Inn changes to reflect the seasons and the whims of the owners and chefs, but is always true to good gutsy flavour. The full menu is supported by the daily specials' board which usually houses a swiftly changing choice of just that; "specials".
I chose a roast pheasant ravioli for starters which was of course hand-made and quite delicious, served with a warm buttery sauce. Vic chose a lightly smoked local goat’s cheese and home-made red onion chutney tart with beetroot and apple chutney which he said was mouth-wateringly crisp and flavoursome. He followed this by home-made Red Pump Sausage (a lovely blend of local beef and pork) and champ with caramelised onion gravy, again he enjoyed the tasty, warm feeling this gave him.
The menu included many game dishes as well as steaks, but I went for the fresh battered haddock, chips and peas. Lovely crisp batter encased perfectly cooked white flakes of fish, accompanied with chips and peas and a little dish of tartar sauce on the side. Unfortunately we could not manage a pudding but the choice looked amazing.
Jonathan and Martina live at the inn, one of the oldest in the Ribble Valley, and are proud of their achievements in the last four years with their small team who are passionate about good food.
The Red Pump Inn is approved and commended by the Taste Lancashire scheme with the Highest Quality Assured Award by Taste Lancashire, a proud member of the Ribble Valley Food Trail and has been hand selected by the AA Good Pub Guide and features in Alastair Sawday's Special Places Guide, The Best Pubs and Inns of Britain and Michelin Guide.
The whole ethic at the Red Pump Inn is a relaxed, informal, and friendly gathering place for locals and visitors alike with the catch line – “Three miles from Clitheroe. A million miles from hectic”
Duke of York, Grindleton
A PICTURESQUE setting, an elegant dining room, a warm welcome is all that is required for the perfect evening out. Just one more thing, delicious food.
All this was in abundance at the Duke of York, Grindleton, on Surf ‘n’ Turf night, one of chef/proprietor Michael Heathcote’s special themed evenings. To tempt his customers he has introduced wine club nights, where customers are given an insight into matching food with wine, and fish on Fridays, allow an array of delicacies from the sea to be experienced, his summer special menu can be eaten outdoors early in the evening on the garden patio, when warm.
“Good, gutsy flavoursome” food is how Michael describes his dishes and the Surf ‘n’ Turf menu was no exception. Before we began Michael introduced the menu and its intricacies.
On arrival delicious canapes were served, followed by honey roasted saddleback pork belly with queenie scallops, served with a carrot emulsion. Medallions of pan roasted monkfish with braised oxtail, girolles and shitake mushrooms was served next. The main course of chargrilled sirloin steak of Bolton-by-Bowland veal with langoustine ravioli, timbale of peas and a langoustine sauce, was a gastronomic experience while the dessert of baked egg custard with compot of fresh raspberries and strawberries was superb. Coffee and petit fours completed the picture.
Each dish was delightfully presented, the taste of each different food was delectable and the portions perfect for all appetites.
The atmosphere in the full restaurant was superb with everyone dining at the same time and each course was swiftly and expertly served. A memorable evening.
Marcia Morris
Coopers Micro-Brew Kit, reviewed by Rebecca Hay
WHAT is the one of the first things you give up when the credit crunch kicks in? Why booze of course. But not in the Hay household. With a Scottish husband, an alternative plan of action has to be found before he finds the tea in the whisky bottle!
And what better than trying your hand at home-brewing? It kills two birds with one stone. Provides the necessary beer and keeps the husband occupied too! But home-brewing has always been a no, no for me as I have childhood memories of my Dad muttering and grumbling as he tried to conjure up the perfect pint. Its a few years since Dad gave up the art and as anything, things have moved on. And thank goodness for Australian brewers Thomas Coopers. For they have created a nifty micro-brew kit which has everything you need to get the brewing off to a flying start!
Thomas Cooper started brewing ale in 1862 in South Australia at the tender age of 26 and his talents soon had him producing the world-renowned Coopers Sparkling Ale and Coopers Best Extra Stout. He delivered direct to his customers right up until the 1920s and today the brewery is still controlled by the Cooper Family and as well as still supplying ale and stout, the firm is one of the world's biggest sellers of the home-made brew kits.
The kit boasts it contains everything except a can opener and it is spot on. There is everything you need to brew the best beer and there is an easy-to-follow instruction booklet and video to ensure you don't make any mistakes.
So how did we get on? well as they say the proof is in the pudding and we have yet to taste ours as Coopers recommend you leave the beer for two weeks before you open it up. But I am pleased to report, that even with a two-year-old helper, my husband soon got into the swing of the brewing. Being a man, he followed the instructions to a T and sensibly allowed his wife to clean the equipment to ensure that it had been sanitised properly. Bad cleaning can lead to infection in the beer, so is a must to do properly.
Once the wife's work is done, she is banished the other room as the boys prepare the malt and add the yeast.Sealing the liquid is a must too and then its fingers crossed as you wait to make sure the fermentation has started as the airlock begins to bubble. A hydrometer is to used to measure the gravity of the beer to make sure it is ready to brew and then it is the fun part for the wee one, bottling, but first Dad has to prime the beer by adding some carbonation drops to the bottles to spark off second fermentation.
Then the young fella gets his chance and helps Dad fill the bottle and cap it. It did take this particular brewer a while to persuade the young man not to try the beer at such a tender age! And now we wait, only 12 das to go before we can celebrate the credit crunch with a natural Coopers brew, which due to its lack of additives, is good for you!
Then it is time to sit back, log onto the Coopers website www.coopers.com.au and look at all the other tasty treats it offers via the Coopers Club, brewery tours and pale ale racing. The kit is available from UK stockists, details available on the website. Have fun and raise a glass to Thomas Cooper. Cheers!
AS the economy rocks from crisis to crisis it is good to see that tourism in the Ribble Valley is fighting hard to survive and prosper with the opening of a new Food Visitor Centre at Bashall Barn, Bashall Town, near Clitheroe, earlier this year.
As many shops in the main street of Clitheroe stand empty and despite the current economic climate, the likes of Bashall Barn has created an experience in the countryside to take their place.
It has created 15 new jobs in its restaurant, coffee shop and ice-cream parlour. In addition to this there are another 10 jobs on site with the other businesses that have developed their food production units within the complex from butcher to baker to brewer to ice-cream maker to honey producer you can see food being made, talk to the source and eat within feet of its origin. There are magnificent views of the countryside from the restaurant window overlooking the majestic Pendle Hill at one side and Longridge Fell on the other together with a glimpse of 100 cows in the adjoining barn and a peek inside the Bowland Brewery.
In the huge expanse of the restaurant general manager Henk van Heumen organised a fine dining experience with wines provided by John E. Fells, who supplied wines to Bashall Barn, and the people of the Ribble Valley turned out in force.
The evening began with tasty Dolphinholme goats cheese crostini accompanied with a Pepi Pinot Grigio wine from California, followed by a “Taste of salmon”, home-smoked salmon, gravadlax and a delicate salmon mousse. The wine with this was a 2006 Kendall Jackson chardonnay, light, fruity and perfect with this beautifully presented dish of a very tasty trio of fish.
A pasta course featured black ink linguini, served with Manx quinnie scallops in a saffon cream. This unusual pasta dish was also tasty, but a little difficult to eat without splashing clothes. However, the 2004 La Crema Russian River chardonnay which accompanied this, helped to control the flying pasta.
The main course of Bowland rack of spring lamb was absolutely delicious, served pink with rosti potato and deep-fried courgettes and perfectly matched with the 2006 Kendall Jackson Vintner’s reserve pinot noir.
The finalé was a Callebaut milk chocolate terrine to die for, served with a 2005 Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Zinfandel, rich dark fruity and chocolatey flavours make this Zinfandel one you either love it or hate it.
Probably because of the numberous food and wine television programmes, customers now want to know the provenance of their food, stare the butcher in the eye and ask him how he raises his animals, watch the chef in the kitchen cooking shepherd’s pie for the restaurant, and all this can be achieved at Bashall Barn.
Early Bird Spring Hop Ale
I WAS back at work last week after my holiday. That first week back is never the best, so I was looking forward to the weekend and, in particular, going to watch Supergrass in Manchester on Friday.
The gig was great, had a few beers, but then we missed the last train home and I was forced to kip on a mate’s floor.
So after waking up on Saturday with a crick in my neck and a mild hangover, I decided to dull the pain by cracking open a bottle of ale.
Early Bird Spring Hop Ale is a very lively beer, lots of fizz and flavour make for an extremely refreshing drink. A lovely light-coloured ale with a luscious sweet aroma and a hint of hops.
This 4.5% beer has a fresh crispness a bit like a quality lager, but with a lot more body and flavour.
This is a great drink, perfect for the season, just a pity the spring weather isn't as good as this ale.
Cracking tipple!
Ben Parsons
Mahou Lager
OLA! It’s a hard life. I’m happy to say this week I’m testing my tipple in warmer climes.
Yep, that’s right, it’s Sunday and I’ve just arrived in sunny Spain. We got to the villa, unloaded the suitcases and then headed for a supermarket to stock up on essentials (beer!). Now that’s what I call dedication to the job, going on holiday and the first thing I do is work.
Anyway, after filling the trolley with the usual holiday tipple of San Miguel I stumbled across some small cans of Mahou Lager which I thought would be perfect for this week’s tipple. A 5.5% lager, Mahou is a really refreshing drink, very lively and you really get that maltiness coming through when you taste it. I’ve just enjoyed the first can by the poolside enjoying the sea view with the sun beating down, and I’ve got to say I’d have it no other way.
This would be an ideal lager for a warm summer’s day at home. I’d tell you more about it but my Spanish isn’t the best and I can’t understand a word on the can. But there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s a good ‘un.
Adios amigos. Wish you were here.
Ben Parsons |  | |
