Buy local this British Food Fortnight – Yorkshire and proud!

It’s British Food Fortnight – two weeks dedicated to celebrating all that is wonderful about British food.

And it is wonderful, we’re so very lucky to have a wealth of amazing and talented farmers and producers within our shores. Not only that, we’re even more lucky here in Yorkshire, because we have a multitude of them on our very doorstep.

We’re very proud that here in Hunters at least 70 per cent of our products are sourced within the region. Why would we not when there’s so much delicious food and drink made here? We (as in Chris and Christine Garnett, the owners) both come from farming backgrounds and believe the quality of food and where/how it is produced is vital. It’s key to the Hunters’ philosophy that local farmers, producers and suppliers are supported and championed where we can.

We have formed very strong relationships with local suppliers: bread and cakes are made at the Malton Bakery just 15 miles away; cheeses come from nearby dairies such as Shepherd’s Purse; drinks from Ryedale Vineyard and local breweries including Cropton and Hambleton; and Johnsons of Thirsk and The Original Baker provide the delicious pastries and pork pies. The highest quality local meats are sourced from several local farms and cooked daily on the premises, ready for our amazingly deep-filled sandwiches (bring your appetite!)

Hunters even has its own range of products, all made locally, just outside York. The range includes condiments, sweet and savoury biscuits, pates and chocolates, all made with top quality ingredients – they have to be good to bear our name!

There really is so much amazing work being done across the region to produce the very best food and drink out there. We adore Lauden chocolates, made in Leeds – you won’t find a prettier chocolate, but they taste amazing with such intricate flavours. The delicious Rosebud Preserves are created in Masham and the popular Cartwright & Butler savoury and sweet  biscuits are made near Beverley

We have over 40 locally brewed bottled beers, cider made by the Monks at nearby Ampleforth Abbey, wine created at the Ryedale Vineyards and gin distilled just outside York.

Some of our other Yorkshire favourites include the most delicious gift chocolates made in Leeds by Lauden Chocolates. Flavoured chocolate bars from Choc  Affair in York, voted best chocolate brand in the UK 2019.

 

 We also love to encourage local organisations to work together. We approached local cider-makers Ampleforth Abbey and pie-maker Yorkshire Baker, to work together to create a brand new pie - Slow Roast Pork and Ampleforth Abbey Cider pie - which is available exclusively at Hunters. We did likewise with Sole gin producers SLOEmotion and Brymor Dairies, to create the world’s first Sloe Gin Ice Cream – delicious! 

British Food Fortnight is the ideal time to make a conscious effort to buy local. And we’re always happy to recommend some items which we know will quickly become firm favourites! 

Rice or roast

This next week marks the start of two foodie ‘awareness weeks’ (not that we think either of these things need awareness – they’re pretty well known!)

Launching on 18^th September, National Rice Week aims to highlight the nutritional benefits of rice, and ways to cook it. We have to say, rice can be an understated staple – you can get stuck doing the same old boiled rice as an accompaniment to bulk out a meal, rather than enjoying it in its own right. So maybe it’s a good thing to have a week celebrating rice and all the things you can do with it! Hot or cold, sweet or savoury – they’re all good…

How about using it to make some sushi? We have everything you need in store to create your own nigiri or maki rolls. Or why not try some sticky jasmine rice with a fresh thai green curry? Maybe it’s a good incentive to make your own instead of opting for a take away this weekend.

Risotto is always a winner – and we have the easiest, tastiest ready-to-go risottos going! Simply add water to the packs and simmer for 10-15 minutes for a quick, satisfying supper in no time! Choose from Mediterranean  vegetable and mushroom varieties.

As rice week comes to a close, British Roast Dinner Week kicks in on 24^th (of course it would have to start on a Sunday!). Who doesn’t love a roast dinner, but it has to be said they’re a lot of hard work. If you’re going to go to all that effort, you want to make sure it’s the best of the best. You can’t have roast beef without horseradish or mustard – we think Baytree's hot stuff horseradish  is perfect for the job. Roast lamb? Got to have some mint sauce. Tracklements do a lovely fresh mint jelly, or  a perfectly balanced traditional mint sauce. Just the thought makes your mouth water! Roast pork – bring on the apple sauce. We love Stokes brand brambly apple. And then we come to chicken or turkey. Of course, cranberry sauce is a well-established favourite, and we do a great variety. But we also do a

delicious, Hunters’ brand chilli jam which tastes amazing with poultry. Maybe not so much with gravy, but perfect for using up those leftovers with some delicious fresh bread and butter or a salad.

If whipping up a roast dinner is going to take more time than you have, why not pop in for one of our famous deep-filled roast beef sandwiches? We perfectly roast the beef on site, so it’s still slightly pink – the smell is enough to get your stomach rumbling! Served with your choice of accompaniments, choosing one of our best-sellers will definitely never leave you feeling hungry. In fact, you wouldn’t be alone if you could only manage half and had to share the rest with a lucky friend (or save it for later if you’re not feeling that generous).

So, whatever this week inspires you to eat, pop in to Hunters and let us help you make an ordinary meal extraordinary!