Life is full of new experiences and I had one just yesterday. Never before have I been served popcorn at the end of a meal – unless you count the time I scoffed a bag of the toffee variety after a hot dog on a visit to the cinema – but there it was, served in a little copper pan after dessert and in place of petits fours. And it was quite the nicest popcorn I’ve ever tasted, sort of sweet then salty, which is obviously what diners at Odette’s in London’s Primrose Hill think when they ask for a bag of the stuff to take away.
Head chef Bryn Williams makes it with vanilla sea salt from Halen Môn, one of the Welsh producers showcased in the brunch to promote the Welsh Assembly Government’s ‘Wales The True Taste Awards’ that I was attending. Bryn uses lots of Welsh produce on his menus and champions it tirelessly. I can see why.
We had a selection of the most delicately smoked meats from Black Mountains Smokery with a very tasty jus of elderport from Celtic Country Wines. Smoked salmon, also from Black Mountains Smokery was served on blinis made with Organic Stoneground Strong Malted 5-seed Flour from Bacheldre Watermill which gave them a wonderful nutty flavour so uncharacteristic of blinis which I often find rather bland. The Durok pork, beautifully moist and tender having been first poached then roasted by Bryn, came from the Rhug Estate in North Wales, which is committed to an environmentally sustainable way of farming.
A selection of Welsh cheeses from Caws Cenarth Organic Cheese included Organic Caerffili, Perl Las and Perl Wen and easily rivalled anything from the Continent. For dessert, Bryn used natural yoghurt from Llaeth Y Llan Cyf to make a rich and creamy panacotta.
It just goes to show what a wealth of excellent produce we have right here in the UK and how proud of it we should be. Anyone else like to champion some regional producers?
