Food4Macc 2nd Show of Produce

There were over a hundred entries to judge at this year's produce show

Giving the judges quite a challenge to reach decsions in just one hour.

 

So contestants were given a tour of the farm animals that are cared for by the students at All Hallows.

Food4Macc Direct Bread Club in the News

 

Click on the image to read how Macc Express reporter Chris Slater fared at the Bread Club.

For more details see the Bread Club Flyer

Bourne's Cheese Visit

In 1931 Bourne's were one of 153 cheese makers in Cheshire.

Today they are the only one left. So we were very privileged to see the cheese making process here and have John Bourne himself explain it to us.

 Above, you can see the curd being passed through a mincing machine prior to being poured into the cloth lined moulds, before being taken for pressing.

After the tour we were treated to a cheese tasting, which included their soft "Camembourne", Cheshire Blue, and a ginger cheese designed to complement Christmas cake.
You can learn more about Bourne's and cheese making in general at their website, but note that it has not been updated for some time.

Visit to L'Endroit Honey, Congleton.

Today (Sunday 5th Aug) as one of the F4MD member events we were able to visit Eli from L'Endroit Restaurant in Congleton and his bees who make the L'Endroit honey on our produce list.
He has 65 hives, 6 of which are in Congleton and the others spread over 19 locations. 

We donned our protective clothing and started off near the restaurant where he has his young 'Nursery Bees' then walked just 5 mins away to see the other group of mature hives. As you got nearer you could hear the hum of thousands of busy bees.

The pics show the filled honeycomb which is very heavy and the queen bee with a blue marker on it. The queen can live for up to 5 years but during the summer the worker bees only live for 6 weeks and in winter, 6 months. The queens are pedigree and often sent through the post if purchased.
Last year Eli was able to produce approx. 2.3 tonnes of honey which is about 6000 jars! When the honey is harvested there is always plenty left behind for the bees to have, approx 25kg over winter. We all really enjoyed the visit and none of us were stung!

Teggs Nose Bilberry Pick

F4M were invited to join Ranger Martin James who took a group of nearly 40 people around Teggs Nose pointing out the Bilberry berries and the best sites where the berries can be found. It was easy to spot them once you knew what you were looking for. The black bilberries are quite small (a bit smaller than a blackcurrant) and taste a bit like blackberries. 

It takes a while to pick them, I picked 450g in about 1 hour and a half! See picture. They can be used in pies or for making jam. We met other pickers and one man who had made his own Bilberry 'comb' for faster picking. There are more pictures and events listed on the ranger blog via www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/rangers . We hope to join up with them again next year.

Official Opening at Gilchrist Avenue

Volunteers have been working with Cheshire Peaks and Plains Housing Association to convert the former café into a venue suitable for food distribution and also for a community bread club and cookery workshops to give people the opportunity to learn how to make tasty meals with local ingredients.
After refurbishment the hub was stocked with local produce and members of the community were invited to celebrate and sample the local delights.
The Mayor George Walton and Mayoress Veronica Walton of Cheshire East and the Mayor of Macclesfield Alift Harewood cut the ribbon and declared the hub officially open on 6th July 2012. David Rutley MP also commended the initiative and spoke of the benefits of supporting local farmers and suppliers, providing benefits to the local economy. David Gooda, Chairman of Peaks and Plains Housing Association, said that they were delighted to be able to support this social enterprise which combines community engagement with sourcing of local food, a cause he is clearly passionate about. Local residents attended the event and were interested to learn more about Food4MaccDirect.

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Graden Share Press Coverage

The Macc Express kindly gave us some excellent coverage of Jess Womack's work on our Garden Share scheme this week.