On a voyage of discovery in the area near my mother's place in Yorkshire, we visited Holmfirth Vineyard. They make wine from their own grapes as well as producing from grapes from their other vineyards. After wandering into the winery where we weren't supposed to be, we chatted to the knowledgable and friendly winemaker about the vine varieties and sampled the four wines made from the local grapes. We purchased our favourite, the Seychal which is a medium white with plenty of ripe apple and pear notes. Outside we sat drinking in the fabulous view of the Pennines and watched the group going off for a guided tour. What an amazing place to start a vineyard tour, perched on a Yorkshire hillside overlooking the verdant fields and characteristic stone houses of the region. Instead of joining the tour we decided to sample the cuisine instead. Delicious sandwiches, Aberdeen Angus with gravy and onion marmalade and bacon, camembert and cranberry sauce - totally yum. After drinking in the sun and the wine for a few hours we motored on to the centre of Holmfirth. Strolling around the boutiques and crossing the river we ended up at the pub to round off the afternoon with a latte. A splendid way to spend a sunny day.
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Horsham was alive with bells today - the ones on the ankles of the numerous Morris men and women thronging the town for the English Festival. It was fascinating watching all the different brightly coloured groups walk around and then perform in the Carfax and other sites throughout this delightful medieval market town - the perfect setting. There was plenty to see as there was the Farmers Market/Medieval Market as well. Venison was being sold alongside jewellery and organic vegetables. The town was abuzz with shoppers and revellers. Pubs and cafes were alive with Morris Men, Horsham residents and visitors. Ye Old Stout House was particularly popular with the dancers. Wonder if the chicken went in there too! I had never watched clog dancing before (even though my family are from Yorkshire) and that was really interesting. The whole day was a celebration of English folk dancing traditions and long may it continue.
Despite the deluge on Saturday afternoon, we had a successful day at the Foodies Festival in Brighton. A group of tents, buses and a giant teapot faced the sea at Hove Lawns. Packed with everything to do with food and drink it is a gourmand's dream. Demonstrations from top chefs were mixed with wine tasting classes and stall after stall of goodies. As we walked in our first sight was Aldo Zilli serving Italian street food to the crowd. I also got to meet Emma Spitzer, Masterchef finalist and a personal favourite with her Middle Eastern fusion style cookery. What a thrill, she was so nice, even given my stammering explanation of needing chefs to talk about culinary history on Tasteful Travel tours. Here's hoping! We rounded off our trip with a cup of tea, buying some gourmet sausage rolls and resisting a gorgeous bottle of wonderful Silent Pool gin. Maybe next time... Visiting Brighton always gives us a buzz but it was made even more fun with the Foodies Festival.
Hope you can make it to your local Foodies Festival, best wishes Sarah. |
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