Food: The South of England Show ’16

In a previous post, I wrote a review of the South of England Show in June 2016, an agricultural fair designed to promote and celebrate rural lifestyle and produce. The show boasted an abundance of food stalls, so I took a bunch of photos and  ate some samples and have compiled them into this article.

Let’s start with the sweet food. The photo to the left highlights just how spectacular and colourful some of the stalls were, urging you to approach and purchase one of the scrumptious goodies. My love of fudge drew me to the extensive fudge displays, of which there were many, perhaps one of the most impressive displayed on the right. It’s so difficult to stop buying food at this show, there is such variety you just want to buy a nibble of everything! The frozen yoghurt van was particularly refreshing and tasty, I went for the strawberry and raspberry combination and was not disappointed with my frozen treat. The homemade pastry and bakery stalls were also incredible, with beautifully displayed crates of layers and layers of crumbly cheese straws, pastries and cupcakes. Every year, I try to seek out the mediterranean food counter where you’re hit in the face with baskets of vibrantly-coloured Turkish Delight or a delicious selection of cashews and roasted nuts. My favourite are the honey-roasted cashew nuts, a perfect blend of a sweet and savoury snack, though the customer service was inexplicably poor. 

After you’ve had your sweet fix, though if you’re like me that might take some time, you should definitely have a savoury bite for lunch. As I mentioned earlier, cheese straws were a fantastic choice, made by Truffles Bakery. There was a fantastic selection of pies and scotch eggs of various flavours too, amongst wraps and seafood selections. It’s important to go for something that looks fresh and homemade, I think: the show aims to promote local foods and it’s great to be able to enjoy what you’re eating whilst supporting British businesses. It was fun to try all the different oils and vinegars too, there were so many great sauces everywhere, particularly ‘Must Chup‘. This sauce is a mixture of mustard and chilli ketchup and is a great variation on the original.

Lastly, alcohol. My favourite display for an alcoholic drink went to Pinkster gin. It was such a brilliant stall, see the picture below, with a pink theme and minimalistic feel. I’m not a gin drinker but was assured the flavour was good too, so if you’re looking for something a little feminine but very alcoholic then grab some of this. There were plenty of local cider stands which was nice, all too often it’s easy to get hung up on the common ciders you get in supermarkets, like Bulmers, but some of these small farm-brewed ciders have a unique taste which is pleasant to experience. Perhaps try Wobblegate Cider, produced in Sussex, for a change of cider. Back to the spirits, Thunder Toffee Vodka always appears at the show. It’s very yummy, the mixture of toffee and vodka works really well especially when it’s served cold. I always enjoy the tasters they hand out. As a drink, I think it makes a novel gift for someone who likes alcohol, or vodka specifically, yet wants something different.

Overall, farm shows and fairs in general tend to produce a lot of great food, some of which you just can’t find elsewhere. Both the flavours and displays at the South of England Show were of a high standard and make a nice change from supermarket alternatives. I would definitely recommend heading along to local fairs or farm shows to scour for locally produced food, it’s often fantastic and unique.