“Why we buy local and how you can waste less”
Head Chef at The Angel Inn in Wangford, Suffolk, Sam Taylor, shares his advice on creative deals to bring in more customers and how to make the most of favourite ingredients
The best food and drink in East Anglia
For our first Tour of Britain stop, we visit the home of some of the UK’s best produce. Have you tried these specialities from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire?
The counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire are full of quality food and drink – from ciders and ales to asparagus and turkey. Agriculture is a big part of the local economy. The NFU says: “Farmers there harvest more than two thirds of England’s sugar beet crop and one third of its potato crop.” Plus, a huge 2.2 million eggs are produced each day by the region’s hens. We’ve picked out three of the area’s best exports to include on your menus.
Pork
The conditions in East Anglia are perfect for pig farming so it’s no surprise that some of our tastiest pork comes from the region. Blythburgh free range pork is prized for its flavour and succulence and is cooked in outlets across England and Wales. Ask your meat supplier for this great option to enhance your menu.
Seafood
One of the region’s most famous stars is the Cromer crab, renowned for its fragrant flavour and ratio of white meat to brown. The Norfolk crab is best served simply with lemon juice, black pepper and mayonnaise, or add it to pasta or crab cakes. Brancaster mussels are a strong addition to any menu. Mussels in a garlic and white wine sauce with chips on the side is hard to beat!
Cheese
East Anglia might not be the first place you think of for top cheeses. However, its reputation is on the up with accolades and awards piling in. Off er your customers Baron Bigod, a Brie de Meaux-style cheese with rich, mushroomy notes. Another favourite is Mrs Temple’s Binham Blue, which won the gold medal in the blue cheese class at the 2021 Artisan Cheese Awards.
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