Exclusive herb-farm gala dinners with Jekka McVicar and Berry Blue

We are extremely excited to reveal that starting in March we will be hosting, in collaboration with ‘herb queen’ Jekka McVicar, a series of Silver Jubilee Gala dinners in the grounds of her organic herb farm in South Gloucestershire. These exclusive events, which celebrate Jekka starting her organic herb farm at the site in Alveston 25 years ago, will encompass a five-course tasting menu created by our chefs using seasonal produce and herbs from Jekka’s farm.

Put simply, these are to be very special events, each held on one Thursday evening in March, April, June, July and September this year.

Jekka's Herb Farm in Alveston, South Glos

Berry Blue has been catering at Jekka’s Herb Farm open weekends for the last two years, offering a wonderful accompaniment to the open days. Not only are people able to smell, see, buy and learn all about the herbs from Jekka, they are able to taste and experience those herbs in a whole range of dishes created by our chefs. The Berry Blue café is open from 9am-4pm on each open weekend (which run Fri-Sun) Dates of which are available on Jekka’s website.

The gala dinners will take this whole notion a step further and give a selected few an opportunity to really experience these herbs at their very best in the tranquil surroundings of the farm.

Berry Blue scallop dish

The unique evenings will begin with time to take a private wander around the herb farm where Jekka and her team will be able to answer your gardening questions and show you some herbs that you may not already know. This will be followed by canapés and, while you sip a glass of bubbly, Jekka will expound about the merits of a few chosen herbs before everyone sits down to the meal.

Tickets cost £100 and include the meal, wine and bubbly, as well as a fantastic goody bag to go home with, put together by both Berry Blue and Jekka. Tickets must be booked in advance and more details about how to buy tickets can be found here.

 

 These events are limited to 42 people per evening.You have the opportunity to book per person or for a table of 6.

If you are not able to come along to the gala dinners then you can still visit the farm and sample our food at any of the open days. For all the dates visit our website.

Also – see what Jekka has written about us on her blog here.

Choosing the perfect wedding day meal

Your weddings day is one of the most important days of your life – so it’s not always easy to make a decision on the food you want to serve. That’s why we offer our brides and grooms-to-be a wedding tasting at our farm to ensure they are 100 per cent happy with their selection.

Assiette of desserts

Sometimes when you put your choices together on paper they don’t work together as well as you’d hoped and the tasting is an opportunity to ensure you get the perfect three course meal.

Last week we did a wedding tasting for a lovely couple, due to wed this May. They had chosen Chew Valley smoked salmon with capers, Horseradish crème fraiche and rocket and mushroom, thyme and parmesan tarts for starters.

Salt Marsh Organic Lamb

Salt marsh organic lamb in herbs, with seasonal spring vegetables (for May), goats cheese dauphinoise and a red wine reduction for main course and a vegetarian option of roasted Mediterranean vegetable and pesto Mille Feuille with pan-fried halloumi cheese.

Then for dessert an assiette of desserts; raspberry sorbet, homemade ice-cream both served in tuile biscuits and a mini meringue with cream and home-grown berries.

We pride ourselves on being flexible and we made some alterations to the menu to suit the couple’s personal tastes, so that they went away feeling that their wedding dinner was going to be as special as their big day.

We hope they have a lovely wedding.

Let’s get the community growing and cooking

As many of you know we are opening a café and bistro in the heart of Cam village in Gloucestershire this spring. Complementing our catering business the café will serve delicious freshly cooked cakes, breakfast, lunches, snacks and evening meals.

The aim of the project – in conjunction with Cam Parish Council – is to make it a community café, a place where the community can get together, meet and engage.

Louise Brown, owner of Berry Blue, inside the cafe as work progresses

We are taking that a step further by looking at ways to encourage younger members of the community to grow and cook seasonally with local ingredients. Our whole ethos at Berry Blue is about creating menus around the seasons, using local produce and in many cases growing our own fruit and vegetables at our farm.

This morning we had meetings with two fantastic community groups in the local area.

Children from the LKMC allotment group with their produce

The first was the Lower Kingshill Management Co-operative children’s allotment project, a fantastic scheme in the heart of the Kingshill estate where children get together each week to work on their allotment. This is exactly the sort of experience we think all children should be getting and we hope to be able to offer the children the chance to visit our farm and see the way we grow fruit and vegetables as well as teach them how to turn their produce into delicious meals.

The second group we went to see was the GL11 Community Project, a fantastic organisation that does a whole range of things from running courses to children’s clubs, mother’s groups and drop-in centres. We will be taking on their idea of having a community noticeboard or leaflet stand in the café to allow local, charitable or community groups to put their leaflets and brochures in.

If you are a local community group and would like to get involved or you are a local resident and would like to offer your opinions and ideas on the café in general (menu/food/drinks/facilities etc) then we would love to hear from you. Email Claire Marshall on claire@berry-blue.co.uk

Back at Jekka’s Herb farm in 2012

We are really pleased to announce we will be catering at Jekka’s Herb Farm open days again this year. The open days are a special opportunity for the public to visit the farm, owned and run by ‘queen of herbs’ Jekka McVicar. Chelsea Gold winner Jekka has published many top-selling books on herbs and has appeared on several of Jamie Oliver’s cookery programmes.

Jekka's Herb Farm

She grows over 300 different varieties of organic herbs at her farm in Alveston, South Gloucestershire, and knows everything there is to know on the subject. The open days, held throughout the year are the perfect opportunity to browse and buy the herbs as well as book into workshops with Jekka.

For the last two years, and now for 2012, Berry Blue runs a café on the site serving a range of delicious herb inspired food. Using our own seasonal produce and Jekka’s herbs we create a range of dishes, from hot and cold sit-down lunches, to delicious homemade cakes and hot and cold drinks.

New menus will be drawn up for each open day to reflect the seasons, but to give you a flavour here are some of the dishes we served last year:

Asparagus Caesar salad with a deep fried poached egg

Thai red curry squash soup with coriander pesto; Home grown pea, mint and ham soup; Home grown courgette pakoras with chilli apple jam; Slow cooked belly pork with crackling, apple relish and fennel slaw; Damson cheesecake; Chocolate silk with caramel ice-cream, salted caramel and lemon thyme shards; Lemon and rosemary drizzle cake; Lemongrass tea; Rhubarb and ginger crush; Lavender cupcakes.

Entry is free on Fridays and a small fee is charged on Saturdays and Sundays. Gates open at 10am, as does the café, and closes at 4pm. Please be aware if you do attend that we are not able to expect card payment at the café. To find the dates of the open days visit our website

Merry Christmas everyone

Well Christmas is almost upon us and so it is time for us to take stock on a very busy year and an even busier year to come!

Last week we catered for a very successful Christmas Party for top law firm Clarke Willmott in Bristol. Over 120 people enjoyed cocktails, drinks, live music and food.

Berry Blue not only provided staff to run the event but a range of delicious food including our mini bowls and a cold-fork buffet, which included huge hunks of cheese with biscuits, delicious patè with homemade piccalilli and chutney, our roasted pumpkin and cumin seed samosas (see recipe below), cold roast meats and delicious canapés.

Clarke Willmott Christmas Party buffet

The mini bowls are literally mini main meals in small bowls that can be eaten easily with a small fork while standing. Of course at Christmas it had to be a mini turkey dinner, complete with crispy roast potatoes and cranberry sauce. But equally popular was the Asian salmon and rice.

Asian salmon mini bowls

Other highlights of the year have been the wonderful weddings we have catered for, charity events and open days at Jekka’s Herb Farm.

And expect to hear more from us soon about next year’s Jekka’s Herb Farm open days (in Alveston, South Gloucestershire), as we have some very exciting additions to the programme this year.

So a well-deserved rest for us all over Christmas before an exciting New Year.

New café in Cam at the half-way stage

Excitement is building at Berry Blue as our new café in Cam, Gloucestershire, gets closer to completion. The café is part of a wider development by the parish council in the centre of the village and as you can see from the photo work is well underway and is due for completion at the end of March next year.

Work at the half-way stage at the Cam Community Cafe

The ethos behind the café is very important to us, food will be sourced locally wherever possible and on many occasions we will be able to use fruit and vegetables from our own farm in Cam.

To extend that ethos even further we will also welcome gluts of fruit and vegetables from local growers and allotments in return for vouchers to spend in the café. We will then turn those delicious seasonal vegetables into tasty dishes to put on the menu – so you may well see ‘Alan’s carrot and coriander soup from Uley’ on the menu in the future!!

Our hope is to get the community involved as much as possible, particularly primary school children, teaching them about seasonal food and cookery skills.

The café will be open late on some nights to give teenagers a place to sit and chat and we also have plans to perhaps open for bistro evenings in the future as well.

Expect more updates on the progress of the build in the coming months.

Warming winter meals

It’s been so mild this autumn we haven’t really felt like to talking about our warming and delicious autumn/winter menu, but we are close to Christmas now and finally the leaves have fallen from the trees – it is finally time to start talking about stews, curries, roast meat, hot-pots, root vegetables, nuts and spices and hot desserts!

If you haven’t already, visit our website and have a look at our extensive winter menu, from hot and cold canapés to four course sit-down dinners,there is a whole range of dishes on there.

One of the menus we offer is a ‘bistro menu’, which caters for those times when you want an informal sit-down dinner – still with great food, but more cosy and home-style.

Starters include; home grown spiced pumpkin soup with bread, a salad of warm potatoes, proscuitto and parsley, chicken liver pate with home made chutney and ham hock terrine with our home made piccalilli.

As far as winter bistro food goes you can’t get much better than crispy belly pork, crackling and bubble and squeak, but equally delicious are our Italian meatballs with roasted home grown tomatoes, linguini and pecorino, slow cooked spiced lamb, chickpeas and roasted vegetable couscous or smoked haddock and petit pois fish pie with lemon and dill.

And, well….when you are talking about good’old winter puds you can’t do much better than a classic warm apple crumble with ice-cream. But we also have blackberry, cinnamon and almond tart, banana and toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and lemon posset.

The Berry Blue vegetable patch still has some growth here and there with cabbages and other winter greens, but mostly we are using stored root vegetables, pumpkins and squashes, apples and frozen autumn berries picked in September.

If you cook one seasonal meal this weekend try brushing sausages with a mix of wholegrain mustard and honey before roasted and serving with mashed butternut squash and wilted kale. Enjoy!

Seasonal harvest – squash and pumpkin

The end of autumn heralds harvest and storage time at Berry Blue HQ, the farm has given over most of its bounty from the summer months and something that shouts autumn/winter more than anything is the pumpkin (or squash).

At the farm we have harvested lots of varieties of squashes that can be stored for several months happily in a cool, dark shed.

Delicious pumpkins

You can make all kinds of dishes from squash, not just soup and stews. In our canapé selection we offer our special roasted pumpkin and cumin seed samosas with homemade chilli apple jam. A delicious spicy mouthful, they are the perfect seasonal party snack.

This is the recipe – makes 12

Roasted pumpkin and cumin seed samosa

12 sheets filo pastry

1 bulb of garlic, grated

1 red chilli, finely diced

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

2 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp garam masala

1 onion, finely diced

1 small pumpkin, skin and seeds removed, cut into 1 inch chunks

1tbsp sunflower oil

100g finely shredded fresh coriander

Drizzle the pumpkin with oil and season, roast in the oven at 180c for 25mins, until soft.

Gently toast the dried spices in a dry frying pan, place to one side.

Sweat the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli until soft, add the toasted spices and the roasted pumpkin.

Cool the mix and then add the fresh coriander. Season.

Unwrap the filo pastry and cover with a clean, damp tea towel to prevent it drying out. Brush melted butter over one sheet, place another on top and brush again with butter. Then add a final sheet of filo.

Cut the filo sheets lengthways into three long strips. Then cut each strip in half across the middle. Place a teaspoon of the pumpkin onto the bottom right-hand corner of each filo strip. Fold the filo over to make a triangle, then fold again, rolling up the strip. When the mixture is enclosed and you have a neat triangle shape, place on a baking sheet and brush with more butter.

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cook the rolls for 15-20 mins until golden and crisp. Serve with chilli relish or mint yoghurt and wedges of lime.

Canapé inspiration

Sorry to say it but Christmas is just eight weeks away, and I am sure some of you are already planning parties. Perhaps you are looking for a bit of inspiration for what canapés to serve, instead of frozen shop bought treats or sausage rolls and sandwiches. Maybe we can help…….

Mini versions of your favourite meals have become a popular choice for canapés. Who can resist a little portion of fish and chips or a tiny little burger in a bun? We serve our fish and chips in little cones with a slice of lemon, they can be fiddly to make but well worth the effort.

Mini beef burgers in buns

To make mini burgers at home, you will need to make your own burgers from mince and form into small patties. If you can’t get tiny burger buns then get a small round pastry cutter and cut out circles from full sized buns. It’s your choice what condiment to put inside, but you’ll need to put something in to stick it all together and stop the top falling off when you put them on a serving platter; tomato sauce, mayonnaise or mustard would all work well. A little lettuce leaf adds some colour for the final effect.

Here we have served our burgers on a wooden platter.

Simple combinations – such as the mozzarella, cherry tomato and basil skewers we have done here – are sure fire winners, they look good and taste delicious.

Mozzarella, cherry tomato and basil skewers with balsamic drizzle

If you want some really top tips and hands on practice of canapés why not sign-up for the special Berry Blue Christmas canapé cookery day on Tuesday, 6th December from 2.30 – 8pm. Owner of Berry Blue Louise Brown will share top tips for canapé combinations and talk you through a range of our favourites. You will get to learn new techniques and then taste all the delicious things you’ve made. For more details see the website http://www.berry-blue.co.uk/FAQ.html

Berry Blue to run golf club restaurant

We are pleased to announce that Berry Blue will now be running the Stinchcombe Hill Golf Club restaurant in Dursley.

This golf club, in a fantastic location in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), is a members only club.

View of Stinchcombe Hill Golf Club

However we can announce that the restaurant will now be open to the general public, so they can enjoy the stunning views with a hot meal or a drink. We hope ramblers will also enjoy stopping off for tea and a cake or a homecooked meal while walking the Cotswold Way.

We will be serving food in the restaurant from 10-4pm.

On Sunday, October 16^th we will be holding a special Sunday carvery lunch from 12-2pm, so why not come along and see the golf club for the first time?

Booking is essential, contact the Golf Club to get a ticket (01453 542015 or secretary@stinchcombehillgolfclub.com)

Berry Blue also has two positions going for the golf club – a chef (experience necessary) and kitchen assistant. To apply send CV to Michael Dart, head of food and events, at michael@berry-blue.co.uk

We’ll give you more details of the menu soon and hope to see you there!

For more details about the golf club visit www.stinchcombehillgolfclub.com/

For more details about Berry Blue Creative Food and what we do visit http://www.berry-blue.co.uk/