Suppliers

Within five miles of the Anchor we are blessed with a larder rich in game which last year included Chinese Water Deer, Muntjac and superb red deer. Partridge and pheasant are shot regularly as are mallard and teal with occasional woodcock and snipe. Rabbit is abundant and hare occasional. The Chantrys graze their well bred sheep on fields with breathtaking views of the Blyth estuary and may attempt some salt marsh lamb in the near future. The Butlers rear excellent free range pork in Blythburgh and in nearby Wenhaston and Thorington the Barhams and Chantrys respectively rear the justly famed ‘Red Poll’ beef. Our principal butcher, Cleveleys, produces a range of very good sausages.

From West Mersea we take oysters, natives and rocks from the peerless Richard Haward of ‘Company Shed’ fame along with clams. The North Norfolk coast yields sweet, delectable mussels from Brancaster and crabs from Cromer. Cod, the firm-fleshed under sung staple of the North Sea is being caught in good numbers by the in-shore fishermen and exciting Sea Bass line caught fishing regularly produces 4-8lb beauties for the table. Skate and slip soles have been good this year and we look forward to the return of the herring in the autumn. Lowestoft’s fish smoking traditions are best illustrated by the iconic ‘Red Herring’, long smoked with innards in situ and even tastier when carrying roe.

At Rendham in the upper Alde Valley David and Colette Strachan of Marybelle are real food heroes producing top quality crème fraiche, yoghurt, milk and cream and a range of ice creams. Jason & Katharine Salisbury in Coddenham farm a herd of Guernseys and are having fun with Suffolk Blue and Gold cheeses. Margaret Reeve of Church Farm, Friston presides over a robotically controlled milking parlour for her herd of Friesians and makes a firm waxed cheese Buxlow Paigle (a dialect word for cowslip) and the delicious curd cheese ‘Wonmil’ – again from a dialect word for a cheese made from full-fat milk. Added to nettles it makes a delicious stuffing for ravioli. From further afield a love affair with Colston Bassett Blue Stilton means this Nottinghamshire classic is always on the menu and our organic cheddar is supplied by the ever Greens of Glastonbury.

We have just harvested crops of local apples ,pears and peaches for chutney and jam making and will be looking forward to elderberry and rowan jellies, damson jam and sloe gin.

Breads naan, pizza dough are all made at the Anchor mainly from Chelmsford miller Marriage & Sons flours but also occasionally from Letheringsett Mill, Norfolk and William & Miranda Kendall’s Maple Farm flour from Theberton just down the road.

Chocolate is invariably from the great producer in the Rhône Valley – Valrhona.

Coffee – our coffee is supplied by Jeremy Torz at Union Coffee Roasters in Canning Town London. Jeremy used to advise Starbucks and Seattle Coffee before striking out on his own in 2001. The founding principle was to “delight customers with the most exceptional quality coffee sourced at fair and sustainable prices from the farmers we work with…” The quality and freshness of their coffees is exceptional and we use their ‘Revelation’ (used to be ‘Revolution’) blend by the cup and their blend of Rwandan Arabica beans for cafetières.

 

Supplier List: February 2010