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Monmouth Women's Festival Friday 2nd - Sunday 18th March 2012

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Our Food

Real food is mentioned a lot on this website, so what's it all about?  The simple answer is: real food is what has sustained our species for thousands of years.  For the last hundred years or so, these foods have gradually been replaced by manufactured alternatives, and the health of our species has suffered accordingly.

Call us anarchic, but we simply don't believe all the hype, slick advertising and clever marketing that have persuaded most people that basic foods like butter, mature cheese, red meat and unpasteurised milk are bad for us.  Neither do we believe that processed pseudo-foods like margarine spreads, factory chicken breasts and standardised homogenised skimmed milk are far healthier than the real alternative.

At Aspen House, we consider that real food is nutritious and thus sustains our health and wellbeing.  Real food is also what you might call traditional food, so it doesn't need a factory to produce it.  Real food is fresh and seasonal, grown in (or raised on) healthy uncontaminated soils.  It is good for the planet as well as us, and ultimately it is the kind of food we need to think about producing for our future food security.

This is not the place to become too political, but our wider views on food issues can be seen on our blog.  Alternatively, ask us about our day courses or our Real Food Discovery Weekends, and find out more about why real food is local food.

Meanwhile, if you come to stay with us, you will be rewarded with food that tastes as it should.  Some people say that the food is outstanding and that we have either gone to a lot of trouble to source it or paid serious money for it.  Neither is true.  The kind of people that produce this food are all around us, and probably all around where you live too, though they might take a bit of finding!  As for the price, we can tell you quite honestly that, if you compare like-for-like quality, the price of locally sourced, fresh, seasonal artisan produce is well below the nearest mainstream equivalent - and that's assuming it is actually possible to find real food in a mainstream retailer.

Taste is everything and, if you want to find out how food should really taste, come to stay with us for a few days.  You won't regret it.

Local suppliers

Carey Organic, Whitethorn Farm, Carey : 07831 277623 www.whitethornfarm.co.uk
Superb range of organic fruit and vegetables – best garlic this side of France! Plus the most delicious Oxford & Sandy Black pork, fed on all the surplus vegetables, strawberries and apples.

Field Fayre, 18 Broad Street, Ross-on-Wye : 01989 566683 www.field-fayre.co.uk
Everything organic from milk and butter to porridge oats and wine

Fodder Wholefoods, 27 Church Street, Hereford : 01432 358171
Wholefoods, fresh fruit and vegetables and an irresistible array of plants for sale on the pavement outside

Munday & Jones, 10 Church Street, Monmouth : 01600 772242
Their impressive and mouthwatering range of fresh fruit and vegetables is extended to an attractive display outside the shop

Pengethley Farm Shop, Peterstow : 01989 730430 www.pengethleyfarmshop.com
Our local farm shop – fresh fruit, veg, bread and dairy produce, game, rare breed beef, pork and lamb, plus some wonderful dry goods from local suppliers.

Shared Harvest, Woolhope : 01989 740312 www.sharedharvest.co.uk
Rye, wheat and spelt grown and milled on the farm.

The Market Garden, 26 Broad Street, Ross-on-Wye : 01989 564609
Stocked over 10 varieties of apple on Apple Day.  Has a wealth of knowledge.  Can advise you on the best sort of potato to grow for your area.

The Mousetrap, Hereford : 01432 353423 www.mousetrapcheese.co.uk
A huge range of artisan cheeses, many of them local – all of them real!

Treberva Fruit Farm, Much Birch : 01981 540306
Almost the last stronghold of pick-your-own! All manner of soft fruits, plus plums and a good variety of vegetables

Truffles, 46 High Street, Ross on Wye : 01989 762336 www.trufflesdeli.co.uk
The local deli – lots of local products (and supplier of Polish sausage!)

Wyedean Wholefoods, 4 Gloucester Road, Ross-on-Wye 01989 562340
Wholefoods and environmentally friendly dry goods

Primary producers

All the meat we use is traditionally farmed.

Beef

Chicken

Duck

Hogget (one year old lamb)

Goat and kid

Pork (including sausage and bacon)

Smoked products

Wild Boar

******

Apple and Pear juice
Carey Organic, Whitethorn Farm www.whitethornfarm.co.uk
Jus, Ledbury www.jusapples.co.uk

Beer
Wye Valley Brewery, Hereford (Dorothy Goodbody’s) www.wyevalleybrewery.co.uk
Spinning Dog Brewery, Hereford www.spinningdogbrewery.co.uk
Freeminer Brewery, Forest of Dean website.lineone.net/~freeminer.brewery

Butter
Netherend Dairy Farm, Lydney, Glos. www.netherendfarmbutter.co.uk

Cheese
Monkland Dairy, Leominster www.mousetrapcheese.co.uk
Neals Yard Creamery, Dorstone www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk
Lightwood Cheese, Cotheridge www.lightwoodcheese.co.uk
Cothi Valley Goats www.cothivalleygoats.co.uk

Cider and Perry
Broome Farm, Peterstow www.rosscider.com
Gwatkin, Abbey Dore www.gwatkincider.co.uk
Oliver's Cider and Perry, Ocle Pychard www.theolivers.org.uk

Cream
Bower Farm, Grosmont, Monmouthshire

Jess's Ladies, Hardwicke, Gloucester  www.theladiesorganicmilk.co.uk

Crème fraiche
Neals Yard Creamery, Dorstone www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk
Bower Farm, Grosmont, Monmouthshire

Duck eggs, goose eggs
Colin Smith’s [Market Garden, Ross] duck and goose egg suppliers!

Eggs
various suppliers, all superb!
John Edwards, How Caple
Carey Organic, Whitethorn Farm

Fish
Dave Benjamin’s fish stall, Hereford market
mobile fish stall, Ross Thursday market

Flour
Bacheldre Water Mill, Montgomery www.bacheldremill.co.uk
Shared Harvest, Woolhope www.sharedharvest.co.uk

Shipton Mill, Tetbury, Gloucestershire www.shipton-mill.com

Herbs
From our own garden, or from
Carey Organic, Whitethorn Farm

Honey
Colin Pavey, Brockhampton
Wye Valley Apiaries
Ross on Wye Honey

Milk
Jess's Ladies, Hardwicke, Gloucester www.theladiesorganicmilk.co.uk

Beaconhill Farm, Bosbury, Herefordshire www.beaconicecream.com

Soap
made in the Forest of Dean, supplied by Hempish, Monmouth www.hempish.com

and Hereford hand made soap in peppermint, lavender and calendula

Tea, coffee, sugar
though no local growers, all are Fair Trade and bought from local independent shops and The Fairground www.fairgroundcoffee.co.uk