Mike Causey – Wrecclesham and Rowledge
Waverley Borough CouncillorArchive for Food
Fresh (and I mean very) Fish
At Smith & Causey we serve our food as fresh as possible, but we never get quite this fresh!
Tonight there was about 20 minutes between these photos and us sitting down to eat at Seafood International on the South East coast of Singapore… The motto of the restaurant is “If it swims, we have it”
Farnham, Food and Fudge
What a wonderful day for the Farnham Food Festival. After yesterday’s horrendous downpour, I was pretty worried that whilst I’d be dry myself under a nice umbrella, there would be no customers to buy our cakes!
However, it’s turned out amazingly, and so far we making steady trade. The major problem is going to be whether I can keep my hands off the fudge, made by my wife, and incredibly gorgeous and morish…
Festival in Farnham
Having a great time at the Farnham Maltings today. It’s the Festival of Gardening and like last year, we decided to have a little stall, as we’ve found that at lots of small events in the area, visitors love to grab some cake at some point during the browsing. Smith & Causey benedict shortbread seems to be always the most popular!
Today might be a little slower than last year, but we’re still doing pretty well. I’m also (don’t tell anyone) trying out the coffee in the Riverside Cafe right now. Not bad, although there’s a certain hardness to it, and another taste that I’m not too sure about.
However, it’s a great location. Just on the river, looking across to meadow on which there’s a lot of children’s activities today. A lovely place for the family.
The Big Lunch
Continuing yesterday’s theme of food in the fresh air, I’ve been getting ready for ‘the big lunch‘ next Sunday. This is a great idea from The Eden Project, and has been running a year or so now.
It’s an opportunity to get together with everyone in the street and eat and drink together. And it resonates massively with us a family and small business as a major reason why we opened our coffee shop was to build more of a community in our local village: a place for family, friends and neighbours to meet and chat and get to know each other better. To continue building those relationships upon which our lives our built and supported.
This ‘big lunch’ is a similar opportunity, and if you think it sounds like fun, visit the website, register your lunch, and set it up! Or, join one that’s already arranged: search the website (there’s another one at the Farnham Pottery nearby actually, run by the West Street Potters) – it’s very easy.
It really is simple, and like us, if you just keep it to the few houses nearby, it really will be a manageable event. With everyone pitching in with food and drink and a few extra chairs, it will be a great time.
Well, I’ll report back next week, hopefully with a few photos, and maybe even a bit more of a tan if the sun stays out. I’ll just have to try and keep the hens away from the BBQ otherwise we’ll have more meat than we intend…
Milford Farmers’ Market
It’s a lovely way to spend a morning – running a stall of coffee and cakes at Milford Farmers’ Market and meeting our customers. We’re enjoying being regulars at the market and it all seems to be going down well.
I was able to sneak in my pork roll from the Hog Roast stall across the way, as well as a steady flow of our own coffee. And, I saw a few fellow councillors other stall holders: it’s delightful to see others working hard in the community in their own way.
Fantastic Farnham Food Festival
What a phenomenal day. I can’t say too much how it seemed to bring Farnham alive. It was a joy to see so many people, especially families, enjoying the lovely atmosphere (and food of course).
The event seemed to embody the whole of Castle Street, and I lost count of the number of customers who asked why this was doesn’t more often – the use of Castle Street for what it is crying out for – a local market.
I know that the consequences for local roads, and residents of Castle Street particularly, must be somewhat stressful, but I can only think that a more frequent and regular timetables of markets would lead (quickly!) to solutions for this.
My support goes to any endeavour in this direction.
Taking in the air
Had a great meal this evening at The Spotted Cow. I was with a colleague from Houston, and wanted to find something authentically local, but also great style. And it didn’t disappoint. I can safely say that it’s been vastly improved by the present owners, and my belly of pork was delicious, tender, and yet phenomenally crispy.
However, I should say that the most remarkable thing of the evening was the air. On exiting the pub, it was overwhelmingly delightful to take in clear, crisp air, and to hear the voices of children playing, to the background of birds singing. It couldn’t get much better.
