Do you find yourself yearning for the old days when life was simple and we ate good wholesome proper food? Or is this just me getting nostalgic again?
Even if you’re not an oldie, a little too prone to reminiscing, you’ll still thank me for introducing you to Tracklements Chutneys. They’re based in Wiltshire, where the founder, William Tullberg, discovered an old recipe for Wholegrain Mustard in the 1970s. He not only had a go at making it, but started selling it in his local pub, then not long after, unbelievably, Harrods took it on.
But he didn’t stop there. He searched out recipes for different savoury jellies, chutneys and sauces (even using a 17th century recipe from an old book). And now, half a century later Tracklements have over 50 products and export to 24 different countries, and his son, Guy is continuing the family tradition.
So what’s their secret? Well no secret really, they simply choose the best ingredients, sourced from farms and small businesses across England. A fabulous example is the fruit for their crabapple jelly. Primary school children help pick them – the children learn about making traditional English preserves, and the school receives 50p per kg of apples collected, plus 25p per jar of crabapple jelly sold – win win. But it’s not just the fruit, vegetables and herbs which are grown locally, Tracklements have an arrangement with Aspell Cider company – another family business – to make a high quality cider vinegar for their preserves; the beer for the Beer Mustard is made just a few miles from Tracklements in Wiltshire, and the Cider Brandy for the Apple and Cider Brandy Chutney is from Dorset. How brilliant is that? (I’m getting nostalgic again).
But the part I love most is that, despite having grown over the years, everything is still made by hand, in small batches using traditional recipes.
Well, I don’t know about you, but having read the Tracklements story, I couldn’t wait to see if the local ingredients and careful production meant great taste. Happily Tracklements provided their Special Edition Coriander and Chilli Chutney for me to try. What can I say? Wow- Just Wow. I have never tasted chutney like it. The coriander was so fresh it was as if it had just been plucked from my herb garden and the flavours blended perfectly with a subtle bite from the chillie to balance the sweetness. The cider vinegar was delicate, complementing, not overpowering the natural flavours. It would go great with Indian dishes, also with a barbeque or even a mild cheese.
Amazingly, despite being hand-made from specially sourced ingredients, it cost just £3.75. I just loved it and I’m scrolling through their on-line shop with credit card in hand as I type – I may go for the chilli jam next.
Do follow this link to their website – you’ll be glad you did.
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By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q
http://faitobooks.co.uk
Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.