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Sunday 13 November 2011

Campaign to use real blood !

Black pudding, Morcilla, Boudin Noir, Blutwurst whatever you wish to call them, they have been part of our food heritage for thousands of years. Yet today here in the UK they are made from a dried blood powder mix, this being produced from indoor reared pigs from the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia.
OK, you may not have known, but now you do, what are you going to do about it ?
I can tell you what I do, I choose to only eat black pudding made from real blood and blood only from locally free range pigs. Also as a Judge I no longer award products using this dried blood mix.
I have friends who commercially produce black puddings for a living, they were forced into this type of production with dried blood powder during the foot & mouth era. But that is behind us now and we need to encourage them to go back to using real blood before we lose this artinsal craft.
Jay Rayner the food critic and journalist has mentioned about this food plight several times including giving it some air time on the BBC's television programme "The One Show", now when he mentions a plight like this, you know we have to listen at the very least. However it is up to us to decide wether we continue to eat these puddings with the knowledge of what goes inside them.
A campaign sounds a bit strong I know, but to encourage the chefs and food businesses to use artisan producers of black pudding, we'll list those producers who still use real blood here on this blog post.
So if you know of such a producer, then let us know to include them on this undermentioned list.
List of producers who use real blood in their black puddings are:

You know a good start up business for someone is to procure all the blood from an abottoir and sell & deliver it to individual black pudding producers.

1. http://www.jackmccarthy.ie/shop/
2. www.dukeshillham.co.uk/
3. http://www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk (John the head butcher explains that dried blood is sometimes used when real blood is out of stock, he will happily advise you at your time of enquiry or purchase if requested.) Thank you for being so honest John.
4. http://foragers.net/
5. http://www.partridgefarmtiverton.com/
6. http://www.laverstokepark.co.uk/
7. http://www.pigandco.com/
8. http://www.thebutcheryltd.com/
9. www.dorsetcharcuterie.co.uk
10. http://www.thewildfoodlarder.co.uk/
11. http://www.fruitpigcompany.com/  (some of the best I've ever tasted)
12. www.rustypig.co.uk
13. Lidl supermarket - Hazelmeade Farm (brand)

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Where to buy Le Charcutier Anglais Book


Where to buy the book “Le Charcutier Anglais”.

Marc-Frederic has thought long and hard as to where he should retail his book, the larger online bookstores were the first to show an interest, some of them were dictating the terms on price and how it should be sold. Some of them had already priced it up on their websites at a price less than wholesale even without his knowing, a bit like the supermarket power.

That approach alone was enough for him to decide he would choose to go the scenic route and retail his book via the many farm shops, cookery schools, small online businesses and all other similar good foody orientated stores and places of interest we have in this country.

The pleasure of the thought that someone is browsing a copy of his book in a small shop where the shopkeeper appreciates both the book and the additional business it may bring. Also the interaction between the storekeeper and purchaser who may discuss the contents of his book rewards him with fulfilment.

If you know of such a small business that may like to stock the book, then please do let us know, hopefully we can add it to the list below.

ENGLAND
www.sausagemaking.org                                  Lancashire
www.sausagefans.co.uk                                    Norfolk
www.bertrams.com                                           Norfolk
www.empirefarm.co.uk                                     Somerset
www.hotsmoked.co.uk                                      Devon
www.fly-fishing-tackle.co.uk                            Devon
www.dartsfarm.co.uk                                         Devon
www.lecharcutieranglais.co.uk                          Devon
www.exevalleyfarmshop.co.uk                          Devon 
www.provencalspice.com                                  Surrey  
www.severnviewfarm.com                                Gloucestershire
www.thymeatsouthrop.co.uk                             Gloucestershire
www.paganum.co.uk                                          Yorkshire
www.yorkshirechorizo.co.uk                              Yorkshire
www.weschenfelder.co.uk                                  Yorkshire
www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk                             Shropshire
Castle Bookshop                                                  Ludlow, Shropshire
www.gardners.com                                              Sussex
www.gwct.org.uk                                                 Hampshire
www.waterstones.co.uk                                        U.K. over 40 shops
The Kew Bookshop                                              Kew, Richmond Surrey
http://www.oakchurch.net/                                    Herefordshire
http://www.westmorland.com/farm-shop-0          Cumbria
www.ascott.biz                                                     Wiltshire
http://www.pynethebutcher.co.uk/                        Somerset
www.cannonandcannon.com                                London
www.jaffeandneale.co.uk                                      Oxfordshire
www.schoolofartisanfood.org/                             Nottinghamshire

 
SCOTLAND
www.accidentalsmallholder.net            Angus

IRELAND
www.jackmccarthy.ie                          Kanturk  

WALES
http://www.bodnant-welshfood.co.uk/en/

     
USA
www.omnivorebooks.com                   San Fransisco
http://kitchenartsandletters.com/          New York

AUSTRALIA
http://www.booksforcooks.com.au/      Melbourne

CANADA
http://www.cook-book.com/                 Toronto  
www.goodegg.ca/                                 Toronto


Can I thank you for all your support and patience whilst this book has been in the making, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Marc-Frederic