- 9th December 2019
- Posted by: Steve Lewis
- Category: Pembrokeshire Lamb
The aftermath.
Things have calmed down a little since the Good Food show in Birmingham. I don’t think either Steve or myself realized the enormity of it until we were “in too deep”. Saying that though it is an experience that we would be keen to repeat.
Although I remained at home looking after the farm and our five children (who all decided to be poorly), I was still kept involved, running competitions, dealing with online orders and social media.
It was reassuring to be reminded that many people still care where their food comes from, where and how it is produced and ultimately how the final process is dealt with. Being able to physically meet people and explain our processes really engaged people, hopefully reconnecting them with their food.
In order to showcase our lamb we decided that providing hot samples better than a heavy chiller full of stock that people would not want to carry around. Our ethos of selling meat boxes is to reduce waste and food miles, but the boxes are heavy. Orders were taken for home delivery at the show as well as online.
The two hot samples I devised were a slow cooked Pembrokeshire Lamb stew made with lamb shoulder and breast, to highlight what can be done with the less popular cuts. Second was a Lamb Tikka Masala using diced lamb leg, again to highlight the versatility of the meat. What I wasn’t prepared for was the feedback we received, it was truly mind-blowing and humbling at the same time. I never in my wildest dreams thought the reaction would be so positive, so thank you to all that made the effort to contact and compliment me. I truly appreciate it. This has also given me some , pardon the pun “food for thought” about product development and hopefully being able to incorporate local businesses in the future.
Steve returned home laidened with goodies from many of the small businesses showcasing their produce up at the NEC, ranging from spices, coffee and chocolate. All of these were far superior to anything we would buy in a supermarket. I believe that we have become used to cheap, mediocre products often (not always) found in these shops. The products that I sampled were flavourful, often ethical and more importantly created with a passion by small businesses, keeping money in the local economy.
This Christmas I challenge to visit local food and craft fairs, soak up the festive atmosphere and sample the produce on offer. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
