IN my final column of the 2016 I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas surrounded by your families and friends.
At this very special time of the year, the majority of us are looking forward to some welcome relaxation, good food shared with our loved ones and some wonderful gifts.
But we should also remember those whose circumstances are less fortunate than our own, particularly the lonely, and those whose jobs keep them busy over the holidays so that we can enjoy ours.
Last year I urged you all to make sure your Christmas tables were weighed down with British farm produce. This year I urge you to do so again but to go a step further and make sure, where possible, that your festive fare is local.
Earlier in December I had the honour of being a guest at the annual Flavours of Herriot Country awards at Tennants in Leyburn, the annual celebration of the best that this area can offer in hospitality and produce.
What struck me was the wealth of top quality food produced in the Richmond constituency and what a fantastic Christmas feast you could source from within its boundaries.
For the main event on Christmas Day, whether your choice is turkey, goose or beef, all our High Streets have excellent independent butchers. But we also have very good farm shops – like Roots at East Rounton which won the best butcher category at the awards, or Mainsgill on the A66, Berry’s at Swinithwaite or Langthorne’s at Brompton.
For the vegetables, an organic veg box from Riverford at Newby Wiske or Bluebell Organics at Forcett, near Richmond, doesn't get any fresher.
A traditional Christmas pudding from Lewis and Cooper is a must and, as an alternative to brandy butter, why not some clotted cream to go with it from Sue and Angus Gaudie’s Stamfrey Farm near Northallerton?
Stilton cheese will be on many Christmas tables but I find it too sharp and will be having the milder Wensleydale Blue from the creamery at Hawes and paired with Raydale Preserves’ Blue Cheese Lover’s Pineapple Chutney manufactured just over the hill from the creamery at Stalling Busk. And for those who really don’t like blue cheeses, it has to be the creamery’s buttery Kit Calvert Wensleydale.
Christmas isn’t Christmas without chocolate and we are blessed with fine chocolatiers. My favourite would be the Leyburn’s Little Chocolate Shop and their hamper of all the goodies they produce including the famous chocolate shoes. Mocha at Richmond, winners of the specialist category at the Flavours awards, also have a fabulous Christmas range.
To drink, there would be Mason’s Gin of Bedale for a pre-lunch sharpener and Rounton Coffee for their specialist roasted blends. Beer aficionados are spoilt for choice. Take your pick from all the ales produced by Wainstones Brewery at Stokesley, the Richmond Brewing Company, the Wensleydale Brewery and the Yorkshire Dales Brewery at Askrigg.
These are just a selection of my foodie favourites but there are many more excellent local producers in the constituency – indeed the food and drink sector is one of our economic strengths employing thousands of people.
Sourcing your Christmas locally makes lots of sense. You’ll have first-class fare, food miles are reduced and the local economy benefits. Everybody wins.
The column returns on January 13th. Have a great holiday and here’s to a peaceful and prosperous 2017.