Landing on the doormat at SuffolkFoodie HQ last week were a couple of sample cartons of the new limited edition Apple, Mint & Lime juice drink from The Cracker Drinks Co. Forever sceptical about anything labelled as low calorie, with no added sugar and ready made in a carton, we got stuck in. We are happy to say that we were more than impressed. With deliciously sharp lime and true flavours of mint and apple, this is a brilliantly blended ready made virgin mojito, and a perfect base for a quick, easy peasy rum cocktail ... now you're talking!

 

A saucepan of meat bones boiled up to make a tasty stock and suddenly we have bone broth, the latest nutritional elixir to hit the high street. Well here is a recipe from my 1921 Edition of The Daily Mail Cookery Book or you may prefer the gruesome twosome Hemsley and Hemsley who tag their recipe under 'gut and psychology syndrome'.

 

 

Do you fancy yourself as the Chief Taster for Loch Fyne Seafood and Grill? You get paid in fish! Details here...

Following the success of last year's The Great Gusto Plate Challenge all children who eat at The One Bull, The Cadogan or The Crown are invited to take part in this years #TheGreatGustoGarmentGame to design a new uniform for the Gusto team. There are two categories. 5’s & under. 6’s & over. The competition runs from 30^th July – 4^th September. One entry per visit and a prize of a £50 voucher for the winner of each category at each pub. Winning entries will be displayed at each pub. Favourite pictures will be tweeted using #TheGreatGustoGarmentGame throughout the competition. Here is one of the first entries from Amy aged 4.

Lleyn are a Welsh breed of sheep raised by 18 year old Annie Marschalek in the Gipping Valley, Suffolk. Annie bought three sheep four years ago and now has ten ewes and one ram (called Gordon Ramsay)  Clever Gordon and his girls produced 17 lambs in April.  Annie keeps the sheep outside on grass and will be selling the meat towards the end of August.  Half and whole lambs are £8 a kg (half a lamb is about 10kg and you get 2 leg joints, 2 shoulder joints, chops and minced lamb.) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. And there is more ... Annie's brother Jim raises pigs and her father Rolf raises Red Poll cattle. So you can buy beef too!

• click here for beef price list
• red poll cattle
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• snaffle
• pow
• mingle
• wowzer
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I can barely bring myself to shop in Holland and Barrett anymore. Who is paid to come up with the cringeworthy names like 'mingled mixed raisins' 'yum yum cous cous' 'polenta paradiso'?  Even more annoying, Waitrose have started doing it too.

I'm thrilled to be on the panel of expert judges for the East Anglian Daily Times Suffolk Food and Drink Awards. Every year the judging gets harder with the quality and range of food and drink produced in Suffolk being ever more impressive. Keep an eye on #SAFA website for the categories. In the meantime if you fancy being a category sponsor let us know.

Wah Gwaan? Every Thursday night is Nyammings Night at Dutchie and Grill. Suffolks best (and probably only) Jamaican Restaurant.  Marie cooks everything herself in this small restaurant and takeaway. Thursday night is all you can eat, including dessert for £15.00. One Love!

 

The Cafe never fails to impress and close enough for me to nip in for an early lunch of Cromer Crab Benedict.

As I was so well behaved at the opening night of Giggling Squid I was invited back to review dinner. I took Scarlett who has been to Thailand, travelling extensively and returning with tales of delicious food. Bury St Edmunds folk are always very good at supporting new restaurants and four weeks on from opening it was packed on a Thursday night. It got a big thumbs up from both of us both for food, service and atmosphere. We sat at the back of the restaurant by the bookshelves which are full of second hand books so between courses we got stuck in to a little reading...

• How to build a mud oven
• you will find interesting books!
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We started our meal with Seafood Streetfood, which looked rather posh for street food; with a plump scallop and a few prawns cooked in chilli flake, lime, ground roasted rice and nam pla. I could imagine buying the grilled marinated pork skewers, Moo Ping, on the streets of Thailand - the dipping sauce was light with a gentle chilli kick. We ordered a Jasmine and an Egg Fried rice to eat with our main courses of Tamarind Duck, which arrived sizzling on a griddle plate. Lovely piquant flavours and none of that thick cloying that is usually associated with sweet and sour sauces. Squid Gra Pao was more fiery chilli with tender squid, and lots of it too. I always try the dessert; there is always a little room to squeeze something in. I had the Caramelised Mango cake and Scarlett had the Mint and Lychee Sorbet. We thought that the sorbet was the best of the two puddings, very luxurious with fresh mint flecks. So now off home to build a mud oven.

• Caramelised Mango Cake £4.95
• Moo Ping £6.50
• Seafood Streetfood £7.50
• Mint and Lychee Sorbet £4.95
• Squid Gra Pao £14.50
• Tamarind Duck £14.50
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