Essex
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For centuries, Essex has harvested fish and shellfish from the coastline, fattened cattle and sheep on its grazing marshlands, worked the fertile lands of the interior and hunted game through its forests. Many towns and villages celebrated local produce with seasonal festivals - from sprats in coastal settlements, to Tiptree's Gooseberry Pie days. Bacon and ham were the focus of the Dunmow Flitch - still held every four years.
Colchester oysters have been cultivated in the tidal estuaries around the town since before Roman times. Enjoy them as part of a seafood platter at The Company Shed on Mersea
Island. The fishing town of Leigh-on-Sea is a great place to relax with a pot of locally caught
cockles with salt, pepper and vinegar by the side. Whilst at Maldon, award-winning natural sea salt is still produced in the traditional way - the present works dating from 1882. In the summer, you can also pick ‘the asparagus of the sea' - the samphire.
In any pretty village (and there are many in Essex), gingham and pine go with cakes and tea. But the ubiquitous Victoria sponge has been elbowed aside by more creative patisserie. Across the county there are cakes, puddings, biscuits, buns, jams and preserves to enjoy at traditional tea shops. The Essex Rose at Dedham (nr. Colchester) and The Lock at Heybridge (nr. Maldon) are a must.
One of the most famous Essex food brands is Wilkin and Sons at Tiptree. The first jams were made in 1885 - and you can visit their little museum, then try the unique ‘Little Scarlet' in the tearoom. Lathcoats Farm at Galleywood (nr. Chelmsford) is a specialist family fruit farm, one of the last remaining in Essex - their shop offering over 40 varieites of apples from their orchards.
Other farm shops, include Calcott Hall at Brentwood; Carpenters at Great Bentley (nr. Colchester); The Food Company at Mark's Tey (nr. Colchester); Hall Farm at Stratford St. Mary (nr. Colchester); and Spencer's in Wickham St. Pauls (nr. Halstead). Pick up a bag of Fairfields Farm Crisps (Wormingford, nr. Colchester) and you are enjoying potatoes grown
in the Colne Valley.
Meat lovers should head to Ashylns Organic Farm Shop at North Weald, which has products reared on their 1,500 acres of land. Heading east, Woodford Meats in Canewdon (nr. Rochford) is a mixed arable and beef cattle farm - which produces excellent meats with the distinctive 'marbling'. Poultry has been part of life at Blackwells Farm Shop at Coggeshall since the 1930's, with tradtionally reared geese and chicken. In the weeks before Christmas, there are often queues of customers waiting to secure themselves a Kelly's Turkey at Danbury.
Where there is meat, there is dairy produce: milk, buttermilk, cream, cheese and more recently, yoghurt and ice cream. The Domesday book records cheese-making from ewes milk at Canvey. Immigrants into East London and Essex have bought the best of their culinary expertise with them. Italians found huge local appreciation of their ice cream - and the Rossi family of Southend has trading at the Marine Parade for
100 years. Amato's Penny Licks - scoops of iced cream sold in re-useable glass dishes - were once the hallmark of the town's Golden Mile. Ice cream from Hadley's at Colne Engaine (nr. Colchester); milkshakes at Wicks Manor Farm in Tolleshunt Major (nr. Maldon); and 'Yoggipops' from Boydells at Wethersfield
(nr. Braintree) all have a formidable local reputation.
Wash it all down with a visit to a vineyard, such as New Hall at Purleigh
(nr. Maldon) - established in 1969, and home of the annual English Wine Festival in September. At Mersea Island Vineyard, they also produce the rich chocolate and black malt 'Mersea Mud' beer. Enjoy a pint or two.
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