Food, glorious food. Today was the last day of a new two week event
held in Kenilworth and I popped along to see the activities taking place.
A Foodie Market had been set up where the
regular Thursday farmer’s market is normally held at Abbey End, by the Clock
Tower. Even before
we had
turned the corner,
enticing
smells of hot food wafting from the stalls were enough to set my
mouth watering.
There was plenty on offer - chicken in wine and tarragon sauce,
Cotswold roasted
lamb
with a Salsa Verde, artisan breads, Kenilworth honey, olives, quality meats, pies
of all sorts, sausages
of numerous
variety with or without onions, hand-made burgers, pancakes.
The traditional Pye maker’s stall took my
eye with its rabbits and pheasants hanging from the frame of the canopy and a
stuffed squirrel on the counter and such a variety of home-made, hand-raised
pies.
There were pies of rabbit, pork,
venison, wild boar and pigeon and pea pies. He even sells squirrel and
crow pies, as well as Homity ( a traditional open vegetable pie) and Fidget pie
(a traditional Shropshire pie of gammon, apples, cider and cheese). I couldn’t
resist some small Medieval style pastries of
pork and black pudding, pork and stilton and one of garlic and hot
chilli, along with some Stilton scones and some pig's pudding.
The Taiko drums were setting an fervent
rhythm, with no shortage of audience participation.At one stand where you could place an order for your Christmas turkey or goose there were two live turkeys and further along the British Hen welfare Trust had an adopt a hen stand with a brood of hens to meet ,and some fresh eggs for sale .
At the Kenilworth honey stall they were
also selling beeswax in a variety of forms, some most delicately carved and some live bees. The Almanac were giving away tasters of
their puddings and there was advice on how to go green. Another stall selling hand made pies had a
delicious looking salmon and broccoli as well as a rather meaty shepherds pie
but by
then the aromas meant I had to sample a sausage batch loaded with two sausages
and a stack of onions which was very tasty and peppery.
In Talisman Square, a little along down
into the town, there was face painting and a Make and Bake activity ,and the
Talisman Theatre, who are celebrating their 70th
anniversary were in costume and had costumes for youngsters to have their
photographs taken in.
Restaurants all over the town, including
the old town and even the castle, had been putting on special food and wine
offers for Foodie
Fortnight which
coincided nicely with the Oktoberfest
Beer
festival at the Virgins and Castle last
week, where they had 30 beers to taste,
cider, food and music. A
thick booklet detailing the events and activities along with information about
the restaurants and pubs taking part, and their offers, were distributed at the
beginning of the fortnight, which kicked off with Kenny Bear and the Mayor and
food samples and music at the Almanac on Sunday the 30th .
This looked to be a good annual event so
I will be watching out for it again this time next.
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