0:00:28 > 0:00:30From picture-perfect coastline...
0:00:32 > 0:00:36..to the breathtaking Mendip and Quantock Hills...
0:00:39 > 0:00:43..Somerset really is a county with plenty to recommend it.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47With its lush, green, fertile landscape,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Somerset is well known for its produce.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57So it's no surprise to find that this county,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59with its passion for fine fare,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02is at the forefront of a field-to-fork revolution.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09I'll be meeting two mums who are redefining the weekly shop.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13The Food Assembly in Frome is fresh, local and friendly.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17While I'm here, I'll be looking back through
0:01:17 > 0:01:21a smorgasbord of Countryfile treats to tempt and delight.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22Oh, yeah.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25A true celebration of British produce.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Like when Adam got a taste for
0:01:27 > 0:01:30one of Britain's favourite seasonal vegetables.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Asparagus - delicious.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Matt plunged to new depths in his hunt for a free lunch.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41- He's quite young.- He's small
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and there won't be much meat on him either.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And Anita wasn't kidding when she got stuck into cooking British goat.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Why not just chuck saltwater on it and season it?
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Somerset, one of the jewels of the South-West -
0:02:06 > 0:02:08land of the summer people.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13I'm heading to the historic market town of Frome
0:02:13 > 0:02:15in the east of the county.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20It oozes charm...
0:02:21 > 0:02:24..with its cobbled streets and honey-coloured buildings.
0:02:27 > 0:02:33It has markets aplenty, supplied by local, independent food producers.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It's a place that likes to celebrate
0:02:36 > 0:02:39all that's good about British produce.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Some of which is free.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Step forward, Incredible Edible,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49a free-food movement.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Started in West Yorkshire in 2007,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55it's now spread to more than 100 groups across the UK,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57including one in Frome.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I'm hoping to pick up some ingredients for a platter
0:03:00 > 0:03:03of delicious local food I'll be making later.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Caroline Wajsblum heads up
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Incredible Edible's team of volunteers.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- Good morning, Caroline. How are you doing?- Hi, good, thank you.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- Good to see you. This all looks so wholesome.- Yeah, thanks.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20I've got a shopping list for some of your veg if that's all right.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- Brilliant. What would you like? - Whatever's seasonal.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24- Green, leafy veg?- Yeah. - What have you got?
0:03:24 > 0:03:27We've got some really nice kale at the moment.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28- Shall we get some of that?- Yeah.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32If you come just through here, that's it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34That's it, careful, there's a pumpkin just there.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- Don't want to ruin that. - We've got some nice crunchy kale.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Tell me about what Incredible Edibles is all about. How did it start?
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Well, it started up in Todmorden up in Yorkshire.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50Some amazing women just decided to make use of some public spaces
0:03:50 > 0:03:53that were underutilised and they just started growing food
0:03:53 > 0:03:55and people went, "Wow, that's great!"
0:03:55 > 0:03:57So we thought, "Let's do that here."
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Why do you personally involve yourself?
0:03:59 > 0:04:03I really think it's important in our society now to help people
0:04:03 > 0:04:06to understand where their food comes from
0:04:06 > 0:04:08because in this day and age,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11a lot of people just go and pick it out of the supermarket.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Do people literally come and help themselves to whatever they want?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Yeah, absolutely. It's free food for everyone to share.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Is this the only patch? Are there plans to expand?
0:04:20 > 0:04:23There are other spaces that are just derelict bits of land
0:04:23 > 0:04:25that aren't being used.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Often, we're looking at those to try and transform those.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33I think, for most people who walk past, yeah,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35an invitation is necessary.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It's nice to have something that says
0:04:38 > 0:04:40this is food that's for sharing.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- What a lovely sentiment. - Don't feel guilty.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- That looks incredible, thank you so much.- You're welcome.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52There we go, that's all the ingredients I need.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56All I've got to do now is cook it.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01This idea of free food is not just for landlubbers,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04as Matt found out when he took the plunge in the seas of Cornwall
0:05:04 > 0:05:07last summer, looking for a fabulous freebie lunch.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14For centuries, fishermen have eked out a living
0:05:14 > 0:05:16along this rugged coastline.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19But now there's a new generation with a whole new approach.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Ian Donald forages for food beneath the waves.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29And he does it by just holding his breath.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32They call it freediving, and Ian is going to show me how.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Ian, what exactly is the concept of freediving?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Basically, what we are doing is holding our breath
0:05:40 > 0:05:43for hopefully an extended amount of time.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48- Yeah.- Enough time to be able to get down, enjoy what's around us.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51What really started me in a lot of this was the fact that I could
0:05:51 > 0:05:56pick up my own sustainable, easily caught food - delicious seafood.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- You know, right here.- The whole point is to hold your breath,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- I guess that's where we start.- Yeah.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04What we're going to do is get you to try holding your breath
0:06:04 > 0:06:06and we'll see how long you can do now.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- Then we'll see how long you can do after some training.- Yeah.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11- Comfortable?- Yeah.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Right, in your own time.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20'No pressure, but I'm never going to make it as a freediver
0:06:20 > 0:06:22'if I can't hold my breath.'
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Well done, that was good.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30So that's a baseline at around 40 seconds.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- Oh, right, that is pretty rubbish. - It's not that bad.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34I've had worse.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- How long can you hold yours for? - About seven minutes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Do you practise in the bath?
0:06:43 > 0:06:46'40 seconds. Well, I'll have to do a lot better than that
0:06:46 > 0:06:49'if I'm going to go in the water.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52'Ian reckons, with a bit of training, he can double my time.'
0:06:54 > 0:06:56'Here goes.'
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Slightly deeper than normal breath in.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Then full exhale, get rid of everything. Spit, spit, spit, spit.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Deflating.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Then into your chest. In that big, wide-open mouth.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17That's it. And hold and relax.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Just keep loose, keep loose. That's it.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31You're going to start feeling those contractions coming.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Just relax, don't shake. Relax, relax, relax. Loose, loose, loose.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39- Well done.- Wow!- D'you want to know how long you did?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42That is different. Yeah, go on.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44- Two minutes and one second.- Really?!
0:07:44 > 0:07:49- There's your splits. - Did I?- There you go.- Oh, man, wow!
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Before I hit the water, I need to get kitted out.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58But first I've got to figure out how to get the suit on.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02So, you're going to have to pull it down now, so head up, that's it.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05'I don't remember Spiderman finding it this difficult.'
0:08:05 > 0:08:06Keep going.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- That's it, well done.- Good job we did all that breath-holding earlier.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18The hooded suit and extra long fins make me more efficient in the water.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23Now to put my newfound skills to the test and go in search of lunch.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24That way.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37My first-ever freedive.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41And I think I'm going to like this.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53That felt great.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56It's so liberating, I can't tell you.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Just swimming along the bottom
0:08:57 > 0:09:01and the fish are coming up and having a little look.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08There's a lot of life down here,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11but we're looking for something we can eat.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18The freediving mantra is take only what you need
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and select animals of the right size and species.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- He's quite young.- He's small.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33- There won't be much meat on him either.- Right.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Brown crab is delicious, but this little fella is too small to eat.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40So we're going to put him back.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Now, this looks more promising.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46A full-grown lobster.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50It looks like it's been in the wars,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53but even with one claw, it'll put up a fight.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Got it.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05That's one claw for me and...
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Sorry, Ian.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11It's not a banquet, that's for sure,
0:10:11 > 0:10:16but I did manage to grab a lobster, quite a feisty little thing he was.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18A lovely way to get your food, of course,
0:10:18 > 0:10:19because you're face-to-face with it.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22You take it off the seabed and you're going to eat it,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24you have a lot more respect for your food that way.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25You know exactly where it came from.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32But it's not just from the sea
0:10:32 > 0:10:34you can get food that's fresh and free.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38I'm in Frome in Somerset where I've been gathering up ingredients
0:10:38 > 0:10:42to make a dish that's local, free and freshly picked.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48One person benefiting from this bounty is Mahesh
0:10:48 > 0:10:51who runs a vegetarian cafe with a difference.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It's in a former public convenience.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Wow, what a transformation!
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Yeah, people say, after 15 years in this country, I end up in a toilet.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- Come in.- Living in high places.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05- Hey! It's cosy, isn't it? - Yes, indeed.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Yes, it is very cosy. It gets really hot.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09People love it because so much smell goes outside
0:11:09 > 0:11:11and smell brings it out.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14We sometimes put the board outside saying, "Follow your nose."
0:11:14 > 0:11:16So, what's this all about?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I've got you some kale, curly kale, we've got a bit of lettuce in there.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Some chard, chives and even parsley.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26The kale, we can do pakoras. Chives, we could garnish that yoghurt.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28That could do with some garnish.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- This is my first time making pakoras. - It's very simple.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36I'm going to show you something my mum used to do when I was a child.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40'Mahesh regularly uses Incredible Edibles vegetables
0:11:40 > 0:11:41'to enhance his recipes.'
0:11:41 > 0:11:44What's your food philosophy?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I come from India, from Hyderabad, it's known for food,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50at our festival we eat a lot of good food.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51And my mum makes amazing food.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54I always chased my mother's taste.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58That's why we say we home cook and we cook with mother's love.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- Do you want to go for it? - Yes. Just mix it?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- Just put some gram flour. - How much?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- A handful.- Like this?- Yes.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07'We add some gram flour and red chilli powder to the kale.'
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Mix it in, yeah. Mix it well.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14You've got a bit of gram flour down there.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- It's actually good for your skin, so don't worry.- Is it?
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Yeah, a bit more water. And you are actually feeling it.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Why does local food matter to you?
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Local food matters because it's low carbon footprint
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and it's there, you can tell your customers where your food is from.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Do you realise it's just grown in that park,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32we just washed it and we're cooking it.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- So the full life-cycle of the food is met.- That's nice.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I think we are pretty much ready to go.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39So just a bit of that in there? Whee!
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- Is that too much, is that OK?- That's a nice amount. That's a nice amount.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47- Just, yeah, there you go. See what I mean?- Yeah.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- That's alive, that one. - It dehydrates kale really well.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55My neighbour came to me and said, "Manesh, I don't like kale."
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- But this way, he really likes it now.- There you go.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00And there's something about the way it dehydrates kale
0:13:00 > 0:13:01and then gives it a nice texture.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06That smells amazing.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11I am so ready for this, thank you.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Mmm!
0:13:16 > 0:13:17Oh, wow!
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- Manesh, that is gorgeous! The flavours are so strong.- Nice.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I love that. Right up my street.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Now, earlier in the year, Anita was equally impressed
0:13:27 > 0:13:30when she tried a meat that's not on everyone's menu.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Yum. That is so lush. You're not having any.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36THEY LAUGH
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Spring is a time for us all to enjoy the great outdoors.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53And for me, the sun's welcome return means one thing -
0:13:53 > 0:13:55barbecue weather!
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Time for a taste of spring.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I've been invited to Cambridge by restaurant owner
0:14:01 > 0:14:05and food writer Tim Hayward for some outdoor eats with a difference.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Quite unlike the traditional tea and cake in his restaurant,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Tim has a rather more unconventional approach to cooking at home.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18So we won't be celebrating the taste of spring
0:14:18 > 0:14:21with a bit of new-season lamb on the barbie.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23For Tim, there's a new kid on the block.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32- Hello, Tim.- Hello, how you doing?
0:14:32 > 0:14:36My chariot. Oh, this is brilliant.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- Climb in.- What's on the menu? - We've got goat.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Lead the way. Off we go.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45That's right. He said goat.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47They may be the world's oldest domesticated animals,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50but the UK is only just beginning
0:14:50 > 0:14:52to embrace the trend for eating goat meat.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55We're off to John the butcher's, Tim's supplier.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- Hello, John.- How're you doing? - Have you got a goat for me?
0:14:58 > 0:15:01'I've eaten it before, mostly abroad,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04'but I'm intrigued to find out more about home-grown goat meat.'
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Look at the size of that! Is there a market for goat?
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Yeah, we get more and more people asking for goat.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14When we do get them in, which is about every two to three months,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16it all goes within a matter of a week.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19So, the way you butcher it, is it the same as lamb?
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Pretty much. That way, it's familiar for people as well
0:15:22 > 0:15:24so it's not too much of a shock.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's a beautiful thing, John, thank you so much.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- My pleasure.- It's a large thing. Thank you.- Thank you, sir.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34'Let's get this goat on the barbecue.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36'Tim is no run-of-the-mill chef.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'He likes to make his own everything.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41'He smokes salmon in gym lockers,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43'makes DIY doners,
0:15:43 > 0:15:48'and you're just as likely to find salami as screwdrivers in his shed.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:49That's how you light a fire.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'So, today, we're cooking our piece of English goat
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'on an Argentinian-style wire frame.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58'Young goat meat is similar to veal.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00'When male calves and kids are born,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02'they're no use to the dairy industry,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04'so go into the meat market instead.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06'As the demand for goat milk produce increases,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08'Tim thinks it's time to make more of
0:16:08 > 0:16:11'one of the industry's most valuable by-products.'
0:16:11 > 0:16:12If we can convince people -
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and it's not even a tough job once you start eating it -
0:16:15 > 0:16:17if you can convince people this is just like good lamb,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19just like good mutton,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22then we save all of those animals and they get used,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24they don't get ground up and fed to other animals.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- That's how it should be.- Makes sense.- Makes loads of sense to me.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32'With the rack of goat fixed to the frame, it's time to get cooking.'
0:16:32 > 0:16:35So, you've just attached a goat hanger.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- I'm sorry.- OK, that's what I've done, yes.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Sorry. You must stop me from bleating on.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43THEY LAUGH
0:16:43 > 0:16:47- And so it begins.- It's going to be a long, long day.- OK.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51- Hook under there.- Yeah.- Right, you hold the top there...- Got it.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- ..while I link this up to the chain.- Isn't this fantastic?
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- It's bonkers, isn't it? - I've never done anything like it.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Why not just stick it on a barbecue? What's all this contraption about?
0:17:01 > 0:17:02That's about controllability.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05It pivots there, we can lower it down over the fire.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07You've got the thicker piece of meat at the top,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09thinner piece at the bottom, a lovely fat layer on the back.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12We just lower it down and then we can control easily
0:17:12 > 0:17:15right through the cooking process exactly what the temperature is.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21OK, watch carefully as it goes down. We don't want to burn the thing.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- OK, you've got it.- I got it.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27'We leave the meat to its own devices for an hour or so,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30'giving Tim time to whip up some seasonal sides.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38'We season the goat with saltwater brine.'
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It also moistens it, stops it burning.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It also is the perfect way of seasoning meat
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- because look at how we're cooking the thing.- I know.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Why not just chuck saltwater on it and season it?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50'And check the temperature.'
0:17:50 > 0:17:54- It's 42.- 42, OK, so for rare, we want it to be 56.6.- OK.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So we're doing pretty well right now.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05There's just one more ingredient needed -
0:18:05 > 0:18:08friends and family to share our taste of spring.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12And John, who butchered our showstopper, is our guest of honour.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13It's not elegant cutting,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- but you see how John did all the work at the butcher's first.- Yeah.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Careful not to burn your fingers. There you go, guys.
0:18:20 > 0:18:21Is that delicious?
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Oh, Tim, delicious!
0:18:27 > 0:18:30I'm not just saying it.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31That is gorgeous.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36I've never had it cooked this way before and it's...sublime.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39It's just home-grown, British goat, bit of salt,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- cooked in the outdoors, do it yourself.- Absolutely perfect.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44- Can't argue with that.- I'm sold.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50- It's delicious, absolutely delicious.- Our work here is done.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08The Somerset town of Frome sits amongst rich, fertile farmland.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12It's a place full of artisan markets, shops and eateries.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15And it's now adopted a brand-new way
0:19:15 > 0:19:18of buying great, local British produce.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22The Food Assembly is online shopping with a twist.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26It's where sellers and shoppers get to meet and chew the fat.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It may not sound like the stuff of revolution,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32but later on, I'll be finding out
0:19:32 > 0:19:36how this innovative idea is taking this area by storm.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44Last year, John visited a dairy farm in Kent equally as forward-thinking
0:19:44 > 0:19:47in its approach to producing a great, British edible delight.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54The Kentish countryside, a landscape shaped by farmers and growers.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Fertile soil and a warm climate
0:19:56 > 0:19:59create perfect conditions for their produce.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Kent has long been proud of its foodie reputation.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08There's no denying that the Kent landscape really is
0:20:08 > 0:20:11good enough to eat. It produces some fantastic food
0:20:11 > 0:20:13and drink as well.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16But I'm going to be finding out about a new product
0:20:16 > 0:20:18that is produced entirely on one farm...
0:20:20 > 0:20:21..Kentish blue cheese.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Steve Reynolds comes from a long line of dairy farmers.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28He bought this 250-acre farm
0:20:28 > 0:20:32in the heart of the Kent countryside 25 years ago.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33It's a family business,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36with sons Archie and Frank helping out whenever they can.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Come on.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43With dairy farming having a rough ride over the past few years,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Steve and his wife Karen wanted to add value to the milk.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50So they started making cheese.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54By diversifying, they hope to secure the farm's future for the boys.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57I think dairy farming is a good industry to be in.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59I think the dairy farmers have got to look,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01particularly smaller family farms,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03we've got to look at our end product
0:21:03 > 0:21:05and how we sell our end product,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07rather than just selling it to the supermarket.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- Why blue cheese? - Purely because I love it.
0:21:12 > 0:21:1520% of the herd's milk is pumped straight from the udder
0:21:15 > 0:21:19to the cheese vat, so no food miles here, just a few metres.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21We want all that warm milk to come.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24We use it straightaway from when it comes out of the cow,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27it just goes through the filters, straight into the cheese vat,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30it's much better like that - it's the raw, natural product.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34The warm milk gets mixed with a powdered culture
0:21:34 > 0:21:36called Penicillium roqueforti.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39This is the mould that makes blue cheese blue.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Then, rennet is added, which curdles the milk.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Finally, the liquid, the whey, is drained off
0:21:46 > 0:21:48and you're left with the curds.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51- Can I have a taste?- Have a taste.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54It should taste quite sweet.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- Mm. It's not like cheese, is it? - No, no.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59It's more like scrambled egg.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03- It is, it's kind of like cottage cheese texture.- It is, yeah.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Now, did you know anything at all about cheese-making
0:22:06 > 0:22:08before you started?
0:22:08 > 0:22:10No, we were complete novices.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Steve went on a couple of cheese-making courses,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15but the most important thing
0:22:15 > 0:22:19is that you learn on the job and trial and error.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Are you tempted to go really big time?
0:22:21 > 0:22:24No, we're happy as we are.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27We don't want to be supplying supermarkets or anything like that.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30We're a family farm, we want to be able
0:22:30 > 0:22:34to pass it on to our children and just enjoy what we do.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38With just the two of them making it, Steve and Karen produce
0:22:38 > 0:22:40only around 80 wheels of cheese a week,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44which they sell at farmers' markets and to local businesses.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46After about seven days,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48the culture that was added starts to work its magic.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50But it needs a helping hand
0:22:50 > 0:22:54for the distinctive blue veining to develop inside.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56And that's eldest son Frank's job.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00- Gosh, there's a strong smell in here, isn't there?- Yeah.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02- Ammonia.- It's not good. You get used to it after a while,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05but when you first come in, it smells.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07What's your role in this family business?
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Where you're stabbing, you're putting holes in the cheese to let oxygen in.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14It allows the mould in the cheese to develop.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17How many stabs do you have to give each cheese?
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Roughly each one gets about 80 holes, but 40 stabs.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22So it takes quite a while.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26And how long are the cheeses in here before they're ready for sale?
0:23:26 > 0:23:28They come in here for five weeks.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32When they develop, the outside gets quite furry, the mould develops.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- Yeah.- And after five weeks, when they're eight weeks old,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37they go off for sale.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Tell me, honestly, do you just do this for a bit of pocket money?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Or do you have a long-term interest in cheese-making?
0:23:44 > 0:23:49No, I plan to take over the business and work on the farm and cheese-make
0:23:49 > 0:23:52with my brother Archie who's very interested in the animals.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56So me and him working together, I think, would be quite good.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01Seems like the boys' plans are, like the cheeses, maturing nicely.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I'm in Frome in Somerset,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20a town where fresh food, grown on the doorstep, is top of the menu.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Now, as convenient as it is to shop at a supermarket,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26it's not for everyone,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28especially if you want to have more of a connection
0:24:28 > 0:24:30with where your food comes from.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33That's where the Food Assembly comes in.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38The idea is simple. It's like a farmers' market,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42except beforehand you order exactly what you want online from the farmer.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Being an independent-minded town, an Assembly has been set up in Frome.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Maybe just some backdrop.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57The people responsible for bringing the idea here are two locals,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Lindsay Downes and Pia McGee.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Have you got some good shots?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05What are the photos going to be used for?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07We're trying to do a Producer Of The Month feature
0:25:07 > 0:25:10for the website to help people engage with the farmer a bit more.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12How does the Assembly work?
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Customers order online and it's all local produce.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18In the case of Frome, it's all sourced
0:25:18 > 0:25:20from within 25 miles of the town.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23The farmer then knows exactly what they've sold
0:25:23 > 0:25:25before the night of the collection.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27So there is no wastage
0:25:27 > 0:25:30because they only bring exactly what people have ordered.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Why would someone do that rather than go to a farmers' market?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36The comparison I usually make is the veg box delivery scheme
0:25:36 > 0:25:38where you're not quite sure what will come in that box.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41But if you use the Frome Food Assembly system,
0:25:41 > 0:25:42you can choose what you put in.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45This model can be more expensive than standard supermarket stuff.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Is it that people care, do you think?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I think people do care and there's a recognition that
0:25:50 > 0:25:54if you are buying it directly from a small-scale local producer,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57it's always going to be slightly more expensive than the big boys,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59you know, buying from a supermarket.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02But what you're buying is better, so there is no comparison.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04We do have a fantastic farmers' market in Frome,
0:26:04 > 0:26:05but it's only once a month.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08So if you want to buy local food throughout the month,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11then it's the only solution, the only option people have.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- So it's quite easy - just click and collect?- Click, collect, cook.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Now, in a moment, I'm going to be getting to grips with
0:26:19 > 0:26:22the produce from these beautiful Jersey cows. But first...
0:26:22 > 0:26:26We've launched the Countryfile calendar for 2016
0:26:26 > 0:26:30and announced the winning photo from this year's photographic competition.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32No Jersey calves, sadly,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34but instead, the happy hedgehog
0:26:34 > 0:26:36which adorns the front cover.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And if you're the sort of person who likes to get ahead
0:26:39 > 0:26:42on your Christmas shopping, then this could be the ideal gift.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47The calendar costs £9.50, including free UK delivery.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51You can buy yours either via our website...
0:26:53 > 0:26:57..or by calling the order line...
0:27:03 > 0:27:08To order by post, send your name, address and cheque to...
0:27:18 > 0:27:21A minimum of £4 from the sale of each calendar
0:27:21 > 0:27:25will be donated to the BBC Children In Need appeal.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Last year's calendar was a record breaker,
0:27:27 > 0:27:31raising more than £1.5 million.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34But with your help this year, we hope we can raise even more.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I promise you can have a clean one.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44We're celebrating great British food and drink
0:27:44 > 0:27:48and taking a look back through a feast of Countryfile treats.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Earlier this year, Adam got a taste for a British seasonal vegetable
0:27:54 > 0:27:56that's gaining in popularity.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Perfect, thank you.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Asparagus - delicious.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06This year, we're expected to produce 5½ million kilos,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09or 5,400 tonnes of asparagus -
0:28:09 > 0:28:12a record-breaking crop.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14And not one box of it goes abroad.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16We gobble up every last spear ourselves.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20Gardeners amongst you will know
0:28:20 > 0:28:22that the key to growing good asparagus
0:28:22 > 0:28:25is free-draining, sandy soil.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Up here in Formby, they've been cultivating asparagus for 200 years.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And you certainly don't get much sandier than this.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37It's incredible to think that just 80 years ago,
0:28:37 > 0:28:41this sand dune system was home to a thriving asparagus industry,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44but now, there's just one farmer left.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49David Brooks is the fourth generation of his family
0:28:49 > 0:28:50to grow asparagus here.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55- Good morning, Adam.- Good to see you. I cannot believe this soil!
0:28:55 > 0:28:57- Or lack of it. It's just sand, isn't it?- Sand, yeah.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00- Would this have been sand dunes at one time?- It would have been, yeah.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Farmers in the 1930s, asparagus growers,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06have flattened this ground here and made it into asparagus fields.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11- How do you stop the wind blowing it all away?- Um, we struggle at times,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13and sometimes it does blow away,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15but we feed it with plenty of organic matter.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19- And you really want the sand to be warm, do you?- Yeah.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23If the sand's warm, like when you're on holiday on the beach,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26then definitely we can cut every day then.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29So what's the skill, then? Give me a lesson.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33We put a bit of weight on the spear, pull up, so you can feel it,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38and then you feel the cut and cut it off, like using a chisel.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40So is this a different tool for up here?
0:29:40 > 0:29:42We call this a Lancashire knife.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Also it helps you to miss some of the spears you're not cutting.
0:29:45 > 0:29:46Oh, I see, yeah.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50OK, so get hold of it. I'm not sure how quickly I'll fill a box.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53- Like that?- That's it.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Where do you send it all?
0:29:55 > 0:29:57We're well known in the local area for it,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00so your local Formby people come to the farm shop for it.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02We'll have that one.
0:30:06 > 0:30:07- On there?- Yeah, please.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Wonderful. Well, I hope the rest of the season goes well for you.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14- Cheers. Thank you very much.- All the very best. Bye-bye.- See you soon.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19These days, demand for asparagus is booming.
0:30:19 > 0:30:20Production is moving
0:30:20 > 0:30:23from the small-scale cash crop sold at the farm gate
0:30:23 > 0:30:25to a huge commercial activity.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Down in the Wye valley in Herefordshire,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Chris Chin is growing a thousand acres of the stuff,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36producing around a fifth of all British spears
0:30:36 > 0:30:38bought in our supermarkets.
0:30:39 > 0:30:40So just take me through the process.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43How are they deciding which ones to cut and which ones not to?
0:30:43 > 0:30:45So these guys... Basically, asparagus grow so quick.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49It'll grow a spear in a day in nice conditions.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51So it grows almost while you're looking at it?
0:30:51 > 0:30:52Yeah, almost, yeah.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54If you leave a stick in the ground next to it
0:30:54 > 0:30:57and go back a few hours later, it'll grow a few centimetres an hour,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59so you'll be seeing the growth.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Traditionally, you never pick asparagus after Midsummer's Day.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08That's because the plant needs time in the summer months
0:31:08 > 0:31:11to carry on growing into a fully formed fern.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14This has to happen
0:31:14 > 0:31:16so that the plant can photosynthesise the sun's energy,
0:31:16 > 0:31:21feeding the roots, which will then throw up more spears the next year.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27But Chris has now found a way of harvesting asparagus
0:31:27 > 0:31:29well into the autumn and it's all about getting
0:31:29 > 0:31:32energy into those roots earlier in the year.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37It's this that is storing the energy.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39This is the real crop that we're growing.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42And the spears that are coming up through are the asparagus spears
0:31:42 > 0:31:45that you know and love.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47At this time of year, this is what we're expecting.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50But here you've got ferns, so what's happening here?
0:31:50 > 0:31:54These spears started to grow in the spring time when it got warm enough.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57And instead of cutting them off at the point where
0:31:57 > 0:31:59they look like an asparagus spear, we've let them grow.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01And they've started to branch out and they're in fern.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05So we're now getting the sun's energy into the root system
0:32:05 > 0:32:08at this time of year, and then at the end of August,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11we'll chop that down and in September and October,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13we'll get a harvest from them.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- There's quite a science behind it, isn't there?- Yeah, there really is.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19And I've actually got something else that's new to the UK
0:32:19 > 0:32:21that I want to show you now.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23It's all go here, isn't it?
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Beneath these sheets is something being grown
0:32:26 > 0:32:30commercially in the UK for the very first time.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34So here we are. That's some white asparagus.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35If you pull this cover over...
0:32:36 > 0:32:40These little babies are asparagus, exactly the same as the green
0:32:40 > 0:32:42but buried in a heap of earth
0:32:42 > 0:32:44and with a little plastic cap on the top, black plastic,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47to stop it photosynthesising so it still stays white.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51So to harvest this... You see the spear, dig down a little bit.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Get this long asparagus knife right in...
0:32:54 > 0:32:56And just pop it off and there's your spear.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- Goodness me. It's quite an art, isn't it? Can I try that?- Yes.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00Absolutely, yeah, go for it.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- Is this quite exciting and new, then?- Yeah, this is really new.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05It's very, very popular in Holland and Germany,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08but here, this is the first white asparagus.
0:33:08 > 0:33:09- Does that look about right?- Yeah.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11- Looks like it.- Oh, look at that! Like an expert!
0:33:11 > 0:33:13- A little bit short, but... - HE LAUGHS
0:33:13 > 0:33:16You've got a bit more to practise on now.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Thank you.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20But how does it taste?
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Chris' mum has set up a barbecue
0:33:21 > 0:33:25with freshly picked white and green asparagus for me to try.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26- Have a try.- Shall I?- Yeah.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Let's try a little bit of white and a little bit of green.
0:33:28 > 0:33:29- These ready to go?- Yep.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Ready to go and I'll be interested to see what you say
0:33:33 > 0:33:34about the flavours.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39Mmm! That's delicious. Really lovely.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41A first for me. I've never eaten white before.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44No. No, it's got a lovely asparagus flavour.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47I think it's got more asparagus flavour than the green,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50but the green is a bit sweeter.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52- Mm, much sweeter.- Yes. - Very different.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56And there's a lot happening with asparagus, really, isn't there?
0:33:56 > 0:33:58We've moved from a position where we were
0:33:58 > 0:34:01only about 2% of the population ever eaten asparagus, to now more
0:34:01 > 0:34:05and more people are enjoying the joys of British asparagus,
0:34:05 > 0:34:06so it is really exciting times.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Something that goes very well with fresh asparagus
0:34:17 > 0:34:19is a bit of melted butter.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22And that's where dairy farmers like Geoff Bowles come in.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- Hello.- Nice to see you. - And you.- You all right?
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- Yeah, very well, thank you.- Good.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Geoff recently signed up to supply his produce
0:34:32 > 0:34:34to the Food Assembly in Frome.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- This is the butter-making area. - Oh, right.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- And we'll hopefully show you how to make a bit of butter.- Yeah.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51- So that's the cream made from our own cows.- There it is.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53- Cream goes in.- Yes, double cream.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55And how long does this churn for once it's in here?
0:34:55 > 0:34:59It's about ten minutes, quarter of an hour.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Just make sure it's secure.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05MACHINE WHIRS
0:35:06 > 0:35:10- You can actually start to see the butter churning already.- Amazing.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13What was it, then, that got you involved in the Food Assembly?
0:35:13 > 0:35:16The Food Assembly was a very good opening for us
0:35:16 > 0:35:19because it allowed us to get direct to market,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21100% sale in a very short time,
0:35:21 > 0:35:26and there's no wastage because we make what the customer wants.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29After ten minutes of churning, it's ready.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32If you'd like to transfer the butter onto the tray.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Ooh! Don't waste any.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38- Now what?- Right, here we go.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40I can do this in my sleep.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47That looks nice. And it's got that very much home-made feel to it.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Uh-huh. Right, now it's over to you. You've got to keep up, mind.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- Oh, I know. Right, I'm going to start with hands.- That's right.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56So...sort of around the...
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Well, I tell you what, it's not as easy as it looks, is it?
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- There we go. It's got some semblance of...- Oh, there you go. I think so.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06- You've done a little better than me. - There we go.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- Let's pop this one on there. - All of this is traceable.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12We can tell you where the cow was grazing
0:36:12 > 0:36:15- when the cow produced the milk that's made the butter.- Wow!
0:36:15 > 0:36:17- That is traceable! - The ultimate traceability.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21As a farmer, what does it mean that it's kept local like this?
0:36:21 > 0:36:22Well, it makes a huge difference.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26It provides local employment, but actually, you get the feedback from
0:36:26 > 0:36:29your customer that a conventional farmer doesn't normally get.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32You get somebody saying, "I had one of you products last week,
0:36:32 > 0:36:33"and it was lovely."
0:36:33 > 0:36:36So you get the reward that we don't get in modern-day farming.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39It is a bit more of an expensive product, though, isn't it?
0:36:39 > 0:36:40Yeah, well, it's bound to be
0:36:40 > 0:36:42because it is produced specifically for the customer.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46We haven't got machinery to do this job, it's all done by hand.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48So the economy's of scale go,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51but you do end up making the bespoke product that the customer wants.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53So he orders the butter, he gets the butter,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56he knows what he's going to pay before he starts - no surprises.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00We get paid instantly through the internet links
0:37:00 > 0:37:03- and we're all happy bunnies. - That's good.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Can I just say, these are mine and this one's Geoff's.
0:37:07 > 0:37:08Mine, Geoff's.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10I'm afraid you have got a point there.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12- I'll have to give you that one. - Hee-hee!
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Have I got a job?
0:37:14 > 0:37:15Well...
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Ah, and I thought I was doing really well.
0:37:28 > 0:37:29I'm in Somerset,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32where I've been finding out just how accessible
0:37:32 > 0:37:33great local produce can be.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36That is amazing!
0:37:36 > 0:37:40In a moment, I'll be visiting Frome's innovative weekly Food Assembly,
0:37:40 > 0:37:41but before that,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45let's continue our celebration of Great British produce with Anita.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Last summer, she visited a farm in Herefordshire
0:37:50 > 0:37:53where they're putting a whole new spin on a very British fruit.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00I'm on a farm that's a little bit different to the rest -
0:38:00 > 0:38:03a farm in the north of Herefordshire
0:38:03 > 0:38:05that's moving in on traditional French turf.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07All thanks to these...
0:38:07 > 0:38:08blackcurrants.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Not to be outdone by the more trendy berries on the market, this farm
0:38:14 > 0:38:19is flying the flag for the British blackcurrant in more ways than one.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Farms like this boomed during the 1940s.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27The government backed the British blackcurrant as a way
0:38:27 > 0:38:31of getting much-needed vitamin C into people's diet after the war.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35The humble berries packed a punch so healthy
0:38:35 > 0:38:38that blackcurrant syrup was given as a supplement
0:38:38 > 0:38:41in schools, hospitals and nursing homes.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Due to the amount of hot, sunny weather we've had,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48the sugar levels are very high and the berries are very juicy.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52I'm bursting to find out more about today's blackcurrant bonanza
0:38:52 > 0:38:53from farm manager James Wright.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57So after the Second World War, there was
0:38:57 > 0:39:00- quite a big business in blackcurrants in the UK.- Yes.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04But what is - I'm so sorry about this - the CURRENT state of affairs?
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- HE CHUCKLES - Sorry!
0:39:06 > 0:39:08The current state of affairs, Anita,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11is there are about 40 blackcurrant growers in the UK.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15However, there used to be hundreds
0:39:15 > 0:39:18and so the actual farmed area has reduced, I think,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20by about 50% since wartime.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25Much of the market has moved abroad, where land and labour costs are
0:39:25 > 0:39:28cheaper, but James and his staff are trying to change the tide,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30using the highest of tech.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34This is basically state of the art, isn't it?
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Yeah, this is the latest model.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39It works by driving over the top of the bush and there's two sets
0:39:39 > 0:39:43of vibrating fingers which shake the branches of the bush.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Berries fall down onto the conveyers.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49And then over this conveyer.
0:39:49 > 0:39:50And it's perfect, isn't it?
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- It's delicate enough not to destroy the bush.- It is.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54But it's releasing all the berries.
0:39:55 > 0:40:01Each year, the farm harvests 300-350 tonnes of these zingy pearls
0:40:01 > 0:40:06of goodness, mainly for blackcurrant squash and the frozen fruit market.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09But like so many farms, they've had to diversify to add value
0:40:09 > 0:40:13to their crop, bringing a taste of France to Herefordshire.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18We've started to make blackcurrant liqueur in the same style
0:40:18 > 0:40:22as French cassis and we've labelled that as British cassis.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- British cassis!- Yeah. - Who'd have thought?
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- Hello, Alan.- Hello!
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- Caught you at a crucial moment. - You have indeed.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31Here we go.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Into the juice goes yeast and sugar.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- Can I do the honours?- Please do.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38- In it goes. All of it?- Yep.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Then it's left to ferment for five to six months.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Alan Tucker is the farm's cassis king.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51So is anyone else producing cassis in the UK?
0:40:51 > 0:40:52Do you know, I don't think there is.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56I don't know of anybody else that brews it the same way as we do.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Wow. Well, it smells incredible. It looks beautiful.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02The colour is just bringing joy to my heart.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05And how does this process differ to the French?
0:41:05 > 0:41:07Well, this process is brewed.
0:41:07 > 0:41:12We add the yeast and sugar to the pure fruit juice
0:41:12 > 0:41:17and we keep adding sugar until it is completely fermented.
0:41:17 > 0:41:24The French actually macerate the berries or the currants in sugar
0:41:24 > 0:41:25and steep it in alcohol.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30- Oh. I think taking your time is what it's all about.- Yeah.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31What it's all about.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35- There we go. So...- We haven't done that one yet.- Oh! Failed.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- Just keeping an eye on my order. - That's right!
0:41:39 > 0:41:43I've seen the whole process through from bush to bottle.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45I think I deserve a taste.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48And if anyone knows how to get the best out of her blackcurrants,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50it's Julie Green,
0:41:50 > 0:41:55matriarch of the Green family, who have owned the farm since the 1880s.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Now the moment we've been waiting for.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Julie's laid on cassis-based puddings and cocktails for us all.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08- Oh, yeah.- Now then, would you like some of this lovely pudding?
0:42:08 > 0:42:09I would love some pudding.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12- What would you like?- I think we should just get stuck in.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16James and Alan are wasting no time tasting the fruits of their labour.
0:42:17 > 0:42:23So we are having summer pudding made with British blackcurrants
0:42:23 > 0:42:25right here on this very farm.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29British cassis produced right here - the best of British.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39We've got plenty to celebrate when it comes to British produce.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45And in Frome, it's no exception.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Here, buyers and sellers come together
0:42:48 > 0:42:50once a week in a foodie fest.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53And now is my opportunity to see it in action
0:42:53 > 0:42:57because it's the weekly Frome Food Assembly.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02It looks and feels just like a farmers' market, but it's not.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05There are no cash sales here.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08This is where buyers come to collect their pre-ordered food
0:43:08 > 0:43:11and get to chat to the producers face-to-face.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15- It's busier than I thought it would be.- It's buzzing.- It really is.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18- Good atmosphere.- Yeah. - It's almost like this every week.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Perhaps not quite as busy, but it's still bustling.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23So how important is it - to use the expression they have here -
0:43:23 > 0:43:26to shake the hand that feeds you? How important is that to you?
0:43:26 > 0:43:31It's very important. I love knowing the provenance of the food.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35I love the fact that it's completely fresh, very often cut the same day.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39And it's really important to me that the buyer does get a decent deal.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44- Do you have to go to the supermarket to stock up?- Yeah.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46Obviously, they don't stock everything,
0:43:46 > 0:43:50but I get most of my veg here and most of my meat and fish from here.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55And it's not just the buyers it's working for.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57- Can I try a bit of what we've got here?- Please do.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59- This is our goats' brie.- Ooh-la-la!
0:43:59 > 0:44:02- With a bit of breadstick?- Yeah.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04Mmm. Lovely!
0:44:04 > 0:44:07So as a producer, how does this work for you?
0:44:07 > 0:44:10We get to meet the customers face-to-face, which is fantastic.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12Do they give you quite honest feedback?
0:44:12 > 0:44:16Yeah, they'll say what they like and it's...
0:44:16 > 0:44:18You know, every now and then we do the taster evenings,
0:44:18 > 0:44:21so then you get new people trying different things.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24Erm, and then we get to order from different people as well.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26I guess it's quite nice to meet fellow producers
0:44:26 > 0:44:29- and kind of share ideas that way too. - Yeah, definitely, yeah.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Well, that is it from Frome in Somerset.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40I hope you've enjoyed our celebration of Great British produce
0:44:40 > 0:44:45and offered you a few ideas about how you can access fabulous local food.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Next week, we'll be in Dorset finding out about a school
0:44:48 > 0:44:51of architecture hidden deep in the woods.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54I'll see you then, after I've eaten every one of these.