All the December food news, facts and views from Hampshire

Food news from across the county

An award winning banger

Hampshire butcher, Simon Broadribb, is celebrating after being awarded the coveted British Banger Award at the London and South East finals of the British Sausage Week 2013 national Discovering Britain’s Greatest Sausage competition. Simon owns Uptons Butchers of Bassett in Southampton and was selected as one of the nine regional finalists from hundreds of entries.

The London and South East final was judged by a panel of experts from British Sausage Week who were joined by celebrity ambassador, chef and restaurateur Simon Rimmer. After a fierce cook-off the judges decided that the Traditional Pork Sausage from Uptons Butchers of Bassett was the tastiest of them all.

Simon Broadribb was proud to accept the award from Simon Rimmer, saying: “I am delighted by our win. I was eager to do the very best I could today so I’ve been experimenting with the sausage to make it as flavoursome as possible whilst keeping it traditional. I came up with a special technique involving using ginger in the preparation process. It added a subtle zing to the final sausage which was much admired by the judges! Our Traditional Pork Sausage is made using local pigs, Hampshire is a great sausage making county and I am proud to be taking this award to its deserving new home!”

In Hampshire we are fortunate to have plenty of local farmers and butchers passionate about producing proper sausages from quality local meat. To find out where you can buy quality local sausages and for news, events and recipe ideas celebrating British Sausage Week visit the county food group, Hampshire Fare website, www.hampshirefare.co.uk and follow on twitter @Hampshirefare.

Festive fayre

With locally produced seasonal gifts, tasty hot food and Santa’s grotto, the New Forest Christmas Fair is perfect for getting into the festive spirit this winter.

After last year’s successful inaugural event, which attracted over 4,500 visitors, the Fair is returning to the site of the New Forest Show, New Park in Brockenhurst from Saturday 7 to Sunday 8 December.

The gates are open from 10am until 4pm, with an expanded number of stalls, food outlets and activities. Visitors can purchase their Forestry Commission Christmas tree, enjoy a glass of mulled wine, browse for interesting and unique locally sourced presents, or sample delicious festive food.

Many of the traders are members of the New Forest Marque, a quality assurance scheme supported by the National Park Authority (NPA). The Marque promotes authentic New Forest fare of the highest quality, and encourages people to shop locally.

If you are a local trader, the NPA would like to hear from you, as there are still some stalls available. Make sure you join the many businesses that make the most of this prime opportunity to sell their goods during the build-up to Christmas. For more information on the fair, or to reserve a trading stall at the event, email sarah.hunt@newforestnpa.gov.uk or phone 01590 622400.

Cause for celebration

Following on from the news that the Montagu Arms Hotel in Beaulieu has successfully retained its position as the only Michelin Starred establishment within the New Forest, the team are once again celebrating having been nominated in the highly acclaimed, National Restaurant Awards.

In a glitzy ceremony at The Brewery, London, the Terrace Restaurant was recognised as one of the top destinations to eat out in the UK.

Judged by a panel of leading industry experts, the awards, now in their sixth year brought together leading chefs and restaurateurs from around the country to celebrate the best of what the industry has to offer.

The restaurant, known both locally and nationally for its use of fresh, locally sourced, seasonal produce and its award-winning service is one of the most popular destinations for food lovers on the South Coast.

Having been awarded the prominent spot in the National Restaurant Awards, Restaurant Manager Pierre Rizet Mosser, expresses his delight: “Being nominated as one of the top restaurants to eat out within the UK is a fantastic testament to everyone involved at the Terrace and the Montagu Arms Hotel.

“We are delighted to have been nominated in an award which celebrates some of the most well-known chefs and internationally renowned restaurants in the country; and is widely recognised as one of the most credible and respected rankings in the industry.”

Where to buy your turkey

If you’re cooking a traditional turkey this Christmas, make sure it’s enjoyed a good life on one of our great Hampshire farms

The Norfolk black and bronze turkeys at Hyden Farm Originals (hydenoriginals.co.uk) in Clanfield are free to explore the farm and can often be found chasing apples around the pasture. Sizes range from 3.5kg – 10.5kg+: Order now and collect from the farm on 22nd or 23rd December.

Order your turkey from Tatchbury Manor Farm in Winsor (07786 697919) and let them take care of all the seasonal trimmings with their hand-made home-reared bacon, pigs in blankets, sausage meat and much more.

The free-range bronze turkeys reared by Newlyns Farm Shop (newlyns-farmshop.co.uk) are hand-plucked, hung for 10 days and dressed by hand before being packed in presentation boxes. Pick up the rest of your ingredients at their well-stocked shops in North Warnborough and Weyhill.

Noah’s Ark Farm in New Milton (noahsarkfarm.co.uk) personally rear their free-range bronze turkeys on a cereal-based diet with no growth promoters. Order now and pick up from the farm or their collection point in Winchester.

Laverstoke Park in Overton (laverstokepark.co.uk) rears organic turkeys on the farm’s rich pastures sown with 31 herbs, clovers and grasses. The birds are hung in the traditional way for over a week to let the flavour fully develop.

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Support StreetSmart

As the StreetSmart Campaign comes to a close for another successful year, we are urging you all to book these fantastic establishments for any last minute Christmas parties or meals out.

They have all agreed to add £1 to your table bills throughout December to donate to the Society of St James, a Hampshire charity that supports the homeless.

£17,000 was raised through the campaign last year and we want to beat that for 2013 so please take a look at the list below when considering restaurants and pubs to book.

Limewood Hotel, Lyndhurst, 02380 287177

The Chestnut Horse, Easton, 01962 779257

The Globe, Alresford, 01962 733118

Lainston House Hotel, Sparsholt, 01962 776 088

Hotel Terravina, Woodlands 02380 293784

The Old Vine, Winchester, 01962 854616

The Plough Inn, Longparish, 01264 720358

Careys Manor, Brockenhurst, 01590 623551

Montagu Arms Hotel, Beaulieu, 01590 612324

The Purefoy Arms, Preston Candover, 01256 389777

The Bakers Arms, Droxford, 01489 877533

The Chesil Rectory, Winchester, 01962 851555