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Crackling Christmas Pork

Quex Barn

Woods pork belly recipe

The Mulberry Tree

sff honey roast ham

The Coastguard

We are launching a sizzling pork campaign to bring some winter cheer to consumers across Kent during November. The campaign will run throughout November and kicks off to coincide with British Sausage Week (2-6 November). Consumers will have the chance to win a ‘Crackling Christmas Box’ of pork in time for Christmas, which will see one lucky winner delivered a box of the finest, Kentish pork joint, chops and sausages for a family of four during the festive season.
 
As part of the campaign we have created a colourful and informative recipe/competition leaflet, available from participating butchers, farm shops and restaurateurs across the county. There are three delicious, mouth-watering pork recipes from Ardennes Restaurant, Faversham, The Bell Hotel Sandwich and Woods Restaurant, Tunbridge Wells.

The pork recipe leaflet and restaurant table talkers also celebrate the outstanding health benefits of Kent’s free range pigs. Pork is now widely acknowledged as the best tasting and most mouth watering protein money can buy. Although traditionally thought of as a ‘fatty meat’,  the fat content of free range pigs reared in Kent has plummeted over the past three decades  thanks to modern farming techniques and can now provide sixty per cent lean protein-packed meat. Pork is also naturally low in salt, and high in B vitamins and minerals, whilst pork fillet tenderloin contains 40 per cent less fat than a skinless chicken joint. With the credit crunch biting hard, pork is a cost effective alternative to other protein sources for Kent shoppers. A price comparison revealed that free range pork steak weighs in at half the cost of beef fillet and is around £5 cheaper than chicken breast per kilo. The local food champions also say pork is one of the most versatile meat sources on the market.

As Julie Monkman, manager of Produced in Kent pointed out: “How incredible that one animal can provide us with everything from a delicious Sunday roast with crackling, through gammon and ham, to the ever popular pork sausages and bacon. Kentish free range pork is low in fat and salt and high in protein and vitamins, so we are celebrating its wonderful attributes during November.”

Produced in Kent retailers and restaurateurs will be running special pork promotions and tastings across the ‘Garden of England’ during November.  To coincide with ‘British Sausage Week’ Applegate Farm in Sittingbourne, a traditional butchery and farm shop, will throw open its farm gate on Saturday 7 November from 10am to 3pm for a fabulous Applegate sausage tasting day. Meanwhile, Yalding Organic Centre  is hosting a ‘Sausage Weekend’ from Saturday 7- Sunday 8 November with fun sausage tasting session and 20 per cent off all sausages bought during the weekend. There will also be a sizzling sausage theme to the meals in the centre’s café.

Quex Barn, the butchers, delicatessen and restaurant all housed within a stunning barn in Birchington will help customers celebrate British Sausage Week in style too. Already know for its ‘legendary breakfasts’, which include Quex Barn’s own bacon and sausages, during 2-8 November every diner will be offered an extra Quex-made sausage, whilst the company will launch the brand new Quex Barn Banger. Added to this, on Firework’s Night (5 November) from 5pm, and again on 7 November, Quex will be offering Sausage and Mash with red onion gravy for £7.95, plus any of the barn’s delicious puddings for just £2. Everything is made fresh at Quex and the pork sausages are made by Quex Barn’s own butchers, from pigs raised by the barn.

stephens fresh foods will be promoting its Kent Honey Baked Ham, via kent frozen foods during November and December. As Alan Davies, customer relations manager, at stephens fresh foods, said: “The pigs are all raised in the South East of England and are carefully prepared from scratch by our team of highly skilled butchers. The meat is brined with a traditional mix which remains a closely guarded family recipe, and is gently steam cooked for twelve hours. The meat is then lavishly coated with a thick layer of Kent honey from our local honey supplier. After a final double roasting the product is now much drier with a rich honey glazed coating and the delicious smooth texture that our customers have come to love!”

The Coastguard, on St Margaret’s Bay near Dover, might be better know for its seafood, but in November is adding a series of exciting pork dishes to celebrate Kent’s pork festivities. On the starters board, The Coastguard will be adding Kentish ham hock terrine with cider jelly and spiced fig relish, together with Terrine of Kentish pork, game and cobnuts with spiced Kentish apple and pear chutney.
Seasonal and autumnal pork mains at The Coastguard will include Mr John’s Kentish pork and Kentish hop sausages, served with Gadd’s real ale gravy, Kentish root vegetable mash and homemade beer mustard; as well as Medallions of Kentish pork loin pan-fried with a grain mustard, honey and cider cream, winter greens, Kentish russet mash and deep-fried sage leaves.

The Mulberry Tree in Boughton Monchelsea has started rearing its own pigs in the orchards surrounding the restaurant and two pigs are currently being prepared by head chef Alan Irwin in time for the November pork campaign. Customers will be able to try the Irwin’s ‘signature dish’ of Slow Roast Belly of Kentish Middle White pork, Spring Greens and Boulangere Potato throughout November. The dish received a great write-up in The Telegraph and is attracting a steady stream of customers in search of the fabulous roast belly of pork.

Competition
To be in with a chance of winning the fabulous ‘Crackling Christmas Box’ simply answer the following question: Which cut of pork contain 40 per cent less fat than a skinless chicken joint? The answer can be found in the pork recipe leaflet on line at www.producedinkent.co.uk or pick up a copy from your local participating Produced in Kent butcher, farm shop or restaurateur. Email events@producedinkent.co.uk with the answer before 1 December 2009 and put ‘Crackling’ in the subject box.