In spite of its name, Old Scotland Farm is a lovely dairy farm whose only connection with the Highlands is its location on the North Downs with fantastic views towards Guildford Cathedral in one direction and the distant City skyscrapers in the other. There they make a really first rate hard cheese in a neat grey rind. It has a nutty, mature flavour not unlike cheddar, but it is less crumbly. They also make a soft cheese, Tillingbourne named after the local watercress stream, which creates its own brie-like crust. Unfortunately there's never been any left for me to taste. Their cheeses are widely available at specialist cheesemongers and good grocers.
On the banks of the Tillingbourne itself is a trout farm where they smoke their own fish and sell game, it's just outside the pretty village of Gomshall, halfway between Guildford and Dorking on the A25, in the heart of Surrey rambling country. Next door is a new restaurant that serves traditional British food, called Mad Dogs (as in Noel Coward's song Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun). I haven't yet tried it, but so far I have not heard particularly good reports.
A very genial gentleman from Barkham Manor Vineyard in East Sussex was displaying a fine range of table wines made from grapes grown exclusively from his estate at Piltdown. As his leaflet says "Home of the Piltdown Man, Barkham Manor with it's (sic!) 35 acres of vines, idyllic gardens, duck ponds, 18th century Great Thatched Barn and ultra modern winery has won numerous awards both for it's (sic!!) wines and tourism."
Prehistoric Piltdown Man was later revealed as a clever piece of forgery, skullduggery even. But Mr & Mrs Lambert's wines are the real thing! They range in price from 3.99 for the floral, nettly Premium Estate, 4.70 for a very attractive Rivaner-Kerner 1993 with good citrus overtones, to 12.95 for the very outstanding, but some would say overpriced, Barkham Manor Elegance. But they don't make a lot of it, so they are quite right not to give it away. Mr Lambert told me with justifiable pride that this wine had recently been selected by M. Raymond Blanc for his famous Michelin starred restaurant. "Our wine is preferr'd", as Bottom the winemaker might rapturously have cried! You can visit Barkham Manor Vineyard, it's open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays. Location, just off the A272 midway between Newick and Maresfield. Tel: 01825 722103
Alternatively you can taste a whole range of English Wines from many local properties at The English Wine Centre, Alfriston Roundabout, East Sussex. You can't miss this farm with its mini-zoo on the A27 towards Eastbourne. Tel: 01323 870164
Not far from Barkham Manor, is Putlands Farm, Duddleswell where they make Halloumi Cheese from their herd of Sussex High Weald Dairy Sheep. Why anyone should want to make Greek cheese in England beats me when you can buy the real stuff for nearly half the price in the supermarket down the road. Perhaps it's one of those challenges that's there to be beaten - almost like trying to make good wine in the English climate. In fact, their Halloumi is extremely good, as good as any I've had in Cyprus, and better than some! Fried or grilled Halloumi cheese is particularly tasty.
P.S. - they also make feta and ricotta. I think I'd prefer to go and live in Greece and make it there, at least until global warming kicks in a bit more. Putlands Farm, Duddleswell, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 3BJ Tel: 01825 712647
Over in West Sussex, at Lurgashall (aren't the names wonderful!), there's Gospel Green Cottage where James and Cathy Lane make sparkling cider using the Methode Champenoise, except of course they mustn't call it that. The beastly Champenoise have already forced Thorncroft Vineyard another member of this little consortium to stop calling its refreshing sparkling elderflower cordial Elderflower Champagne.
The Lanes use only selected local apples and they ferment the must using wild cider yeasts in stainless steel tanks. This is followed by ten to twelve months bottle fermentation using (sshhh! Champagne yeast), and the usual processes of remuage and dosage. It tasted beautifully fresh with a goodly touch of autolysis on the finish. Because mainly dessert apples are used rather than cider apples, flavour that is produced is more vinous and less like actual cider. But at 8.00% alcohol, it's stronger than most cider and weaker than most wine, so you have to be a bit careful. But at Stg 4.50 a bottle you won't be knocking it back like scrumpy, so you should survive intact.
Gospel Green Cottage Cyder can be bought for Stg 36.00 + VAT from the winery at Lurgashall, West Sussex, GU27 3BH Tel: 01428 654120. Shops where you can buy it include Clarke's in Church Street Kensington, the lovely food shop next to her eponymous restaurant.
Thorncroft Vineyard is at Highlands Farm, Headley Road, Leatherhead, Surrey. Tel: 01372 372 159
Since the rain was well set in and there was no shelter from which to watch the showjumping, we went into the WI tent. For foreign readers, and I know there are many thousands of you, I should explain that the WI is the Women's Institute. The less I say about it the better, as whatever I say will be sure to offend somebody. Suffice it to mention that I heard a recent radio programme where a spokesman (I'm sure the WI holds truck with neither spokespersons nor yet spokeswimmin) claimed that they were moving with the times and casting off their old "Jam and Jerusalem" image. Oh alright, I'd better explain, they make and sell jams, amongst other things, and at their annual rally they sing Parry's setting of Blake's song, Jerusalem. It is sung at the last night of the Proms as well, and nobody with any sense complains. So I hope very much that the WI still sings it.
In their tent was a table with prize winning cake and pastry exhibits. I must say I was bitterly disappointed. Unlike in the Taste of the South tent, it was strictly hands off in the WI tent. Nothing so frivolous as a morsel was offered. Also the scones and tarts looked terribly boring. No colour, no variety of texture. Where were those filigree flans with their myriad coils of finely sliced apple? These sensible tarts may have tasted delicious, but were devoid of pezazz, decoration or just style. This was North of the Alps alright - dour and Protestant and raining outside.
I bought a jar of home made Seville Orange Marmelade, and I thought I'd better just try it now. Thank you Mrs Nunnely, of Shamley Green, Surrey your Marmelade is preferr'd!
Apparently the set piece for that particular competition was the Bakewell Tart, to Mrs Beeton's own original Victorian receipt. The competition exhibits are all one-offs, so public tastings wouldn't be appropriate. If you want to try a wide range of home made jams, preserves and pies both savoury and sweet, the thing to do is to visit the WI Markets, which are held on weekday mornings in over 500 mainly rural locations up and down the land. Innovation is positively encouraged, and many participants (men as well!) use the markets to try out ideas that may, in time become a commercial reality, like some of those in the Taste of the South. To see if there's a WI market near you, telephone 0118 939 4646. If you go to the one that's held in Cranleigh in the Band Room, Village Way, on Friday mornings from 9.30 to 11.00 am, you may even find a jar of of Mrs Nunneley's preserves awaiting you!
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