Visit Lancashire

Taste Lancashire Produce Evening at The Sparrowhawk, Fence

Lancashire food blogger Andrew Stevenson joined us at The Sparrowhawk in Fence for last week’s Taste Lancashire Produce Evening.
Here’s what he thought...

This was the last in the current series of Taste Lancashire evenings, where Lancashire restaurants have been teamed up with a local producer to showcase both the restaurant and the producer. On this occasion the restaurant was the Sparrowhawk in Fence, and the producer was Leagram Organic Dairy of Chipping. 

The Sparrowhawk had run a competition among the kitchen to design a menu for tonight, and the winner was eighteen-year old Junior Chef de Partie, Luke Payne, who became head chef for the evening to deliver his menu. There's no denying it was a very creditable performance on the night: congratulations to him and the management of the Sparrowhawk for giving him this opportunity.

smoked haddock rarebit with Leagrams Lancashire cheese

The Lancashire Foot is Lancashire's version of the Cornish pasty, once a staple meal for the county's miners. Here it was filled with Leagram's Lancashire and onions into a small starter-sized (phew) pasty. The other starter, which I had, also featured Leagram's cheese, here in a very tasty, but nicely balanced rarebit topping on a piece of haddock that was just a bit too thin. The menu doesn't say, and I forgot to ask, but I hope they were Lancashire tomatoes: Blackpool, Ormskirk, Southport etc. were all centres of market gardening in the 20^th Century, and still produce tomatoes commercially, as does Burney's of Clitheroe (just the other side of Pendle Hill).

Rag pudding is asteamed suet pudding, not unlike spotted dick, often traditionally cooked in a shirt sleeve, and served in either sweet, or (as here) savoury forms. Unfortunately, it was a steamy hot evening and nobody on my table had the rag pudding. On reflection, my gastronomic curiosity should have won the day, rather than the "safe" lamb option, as I suspect it probably wouldn't have been as heavy and hearty a dish as it sounded on first reading the menu.

This was some very good lamb, nicely cooked, though I thought that it could have been a little better trimmed. The minted pea purée was a delight, and beautifully cut the richness of the lamb and the gravy (which was, thankfully, not overly balsamic). For me, the "hash brown" didn't really seem to be what I think of as a hash brown, and was if anything closer to the classic pommes dauphine. A bit of work on the potato, and this would be a super dish.

Before dessert, platters of various Leagram cheeses were brought round for tasting.

Leagram Organic Dairy is based in the pretty Ribble Valley village of Chipping, one of the
newest producers of Lancashire cheese. Leagram are well known both locally and further afield, not just for their cheese, but also for Bob Kitching's cheese making demonstrations and his cheesy waistcoats and ties.

Bob runs the dairy along with his daughter Faye, and it was Faye who joined us at the Sparrowhawk to talk about the dairy and its products.

Leagram currently make some twenty eight varieties of cheese. They produce a wide range of what I call cheese with bits in, but also make the usual range of creamy, crumbly and tasty traditional Lancashire cheeses. I had always thought these were essentially the same cheese at different stages of development, but apparently that's wrong, and the cultures used are slightly different for the three styles.

My favourite of the traditional Lancashires (though sold in a less than traditional cone shape) is the 2 year-old tasty, sold under the name "Bob's Knobs". There is an excellent blue cheese, made in quite a creamy, Italianate style. But, besides the traditional Lancashires, my favourite of all the Leagram's cheeses are the really fresh one-day old curd cheeses (the Ramshackle sheep's milk version was here for tasting), which are pretty unique. As well as on their own, with fruit and/or honey, or grilled on a crumpet, or even bruléed as a dessert, they make a superb British replacement for the queso fresco used in many Mexican dishes. Well worth seeking out.

Spiced apple pie with Leagrams cheese ice cream - yes cheesy ice cream!

Both the desserts were unqualified successes. The apple pie was reported to have just the right hint of spices, and certainly looked the business. The ice-cream, made with Leagram's Lancashire Cheese, had everyone in raptures.

My rhubarb crème brûlée really couldn't be faulted. Great custard on lightly spiced (ginger?) rhubarb, with the thinnest, most delicate glassy brûlée topping. The two ginger biscuits served on the side were jolly good too. The Sparrowhawk needs to put
this on its main menu as soon as possible.

Obviously, this wasn't a "normal" meal at The Sparrowhawk, but the atmosphere, service and food all seemed to me a notch above their competition, and I hope to return soon.  

Thanks to Andrew for joining us, and for a great write up. You can read his personal blog here.

Taste Lancashire Produce Evenings will be back in the autumn.

 

 

SABBAT - A spell-binding drama inspired by the Lancashire Witch Trials 1612

Written by Richard Shannon, directed by Amy Leach and produced by The Dukes, Lancaster.

It could have been the long shadows growing across the solid stonework, the elongated pointed fingers of outstretched hands picking at the walls, the air thick with history in Hoghton Tower’s banqueting hall ... but Sabbat, The Dukes’ touring production about the Lancashire Witches, moved me more than any theatre piece has moved me for some time.

The 4 cast members owned the small performance space, with the room’s finery and antiques adding another character and dimension to the piece, slipping stealth-like around the audience and drawing us into the action. Such intimacy, when the performances are so equally matched, makes for truly engaging theatre but I have to admit (and I’m sure this is the skill of writer Richard Shannon and Director Amy Leach) that we are cleverly drawn to each of the characters in turn, have sympathy for them all and their social situation but ultimately know that some great wrong is being done here – and that wrong is meted most on Alice Nutter and Jennet Device.

Preston Passion

On Good Friday, 6 April 2012, I joined the crowds in Preston city centre to spectate and be a part of the Preston Passion - unique collaboration between the BBC and the Preston Guild, which was to be live on BBC1 that day.

The Preston Passion was a contemporary and dramatic re-telling of the Passion story hosted by Fern Britton.

It resulted to be a moving piece of theatre with a live choir and dancers, interpersed with three short films, each with a drama that brought the passion story to life. 

Brand New Slides at the Sandcastle Waterpark

We have been fans of the Sandcastle for many years. Our visits are always enjoyable and the kids think it’s the best thing ever! We were therefore very pleased to go and try out the brand new Aztec slides which opened to the public on February 4th  – we had seen the slides taking shape from the outside over the past few months outside the attraction.

These are 2 new slides which snake their way from the roof of the building (you’re still indoors – don’t worry!) down to 2 new splash zones back in the main area.

First we tried the Aztec Falls tube ride – took a double ring, entered through the smoke and up the stairs to the top for launch. The atmosphere built with Aztec music playing and themed paintings and footage on the monitors. As we sat there awaiting the green light we were both scared and excited at the same time as the ride set off into the pitch black.

Celebrate Lancashire Day at the Museum of Lancashire

What connects the man who invented the term ‘dinosaur’, a 16 metre long First World War trench, an archaeological dig and Les Dawson?

Believe it or not, all of them feature in the brand spanking newly re-opened Museum of Lancashire in Preston which celebrates all things great in Lancashire. And what better time to visit than on Sunday 27^th November – Lancashire Day!

Of course we know Lancashire’s great, but I didn’t really appreciate the breadth of scientific discovery, heritage and culture in Lancashire until I’d visited the Museum of Lancashire this week.

Finding out about Lancashire through the discovery of ancient artefacts was a personal favourite, and Lancashire’s history of law and order had me muttering in disbelief at the
sentences served to what seem to be very young offenders. The sights, sounds and smells of the First World War trench are thought provoking and chilling to experience, but on a lighter note, the fun of seaside holidays and music hall entertainers brought a smile
to my face.

I enjoyed listening to authentic ‘lanky’ dialect in the Lancashire’s people gallery and the ‘What I love about Lancashire’ exhibition was fascinating (apparently Lancashire’s countryside is a firm favourite with most people).

As a bonus the whole museum is completely free, so you can dip in and out at your whim. And with a new trendy cafe (I just love the chairs) and gift shop I can see it being a popular for all ages.

Sally

 

Monster Machines Powered by Jet Engines

The recent Bank Holiday weekend saw Wyre play host to the Tractor Pulling Championships at Great Eccleston.

For anyone who doesn’t know, these are monster machines powered by jet engines – yes, the ones you will find in aircraft!

In a nutshell, they “pull” a weight at the back of the tractor called a sled as far as they can down a track and the one who “pulls” the furthest is the winner.

‘ave an horrible day at Blackpool Tower Dungeon

A preview of the new Blackpool Tower Dungeon before it opened to the public was not a decision taken lightly (I usually require someone to hold my hand when faced with the average fairground ghost train) but there I was in the brilliant Blackpool sunshine standing outside the entrance, waiting for the scariness to start.  

The Blackpool Tower Circus

My husband and I and our two grand children aged 11, visited the Blackpool Tower Circus this month. We were not too enthusiastic and were half expecting the same old drawn out acts and slap stick clowns we had experienced with our own children many years ago. We were also concerned that the children, more used to modern forms of entertainment may have found the performance tame. How wrong we were. The show was vibrant, exciting, breathtaking and continually full of surprises. There was never a dull moment with Mr Boo and Mooky, their antics had us all laughing. It is so refreshing to see a class act which is good family entertainment.

Merlin & The Legend of King Arthur - walkabout theatre from The Dukes

A few of visit Lancashire team saw Merlin last night.... this is what we all thought.

"After a busy day in the office you don’t always fancy going out – or is that just me?  But last night I was so glad I headed (with some friends) to Lancaster for the Duke’s walkabout production of Merlin  in Williamson Park. The threat of rain having passed and with clear, stunning views over Morecambe Bay we embarked on a mini adventure around this enchanting park.

Leyland Festival Fever

Only days to go to the Leyland Festival 2011 and the preparations are in full swing. I’m running round helping my Regeneration Team colleagues and our partners on the Festival Committee to put the last minute arrangements in place to make sure that everything will run smoothly on 9th & 10th July.

One of my main tasks has been to spread the word and make sure that as many people as possible know about the Festival through flyers, posters, papers and websites etc - not forgetting Twitter and Facebook.

This week, I’ve been getting information out to help people book places on the Leyland Trucks factory tours, enter their dogs in one of our Paws in the Park dog show classes and take part in the Lancashire Bushtucker Trials, eating pig’s trotters and other interesting things. Yuck!