Outstanding in the Field

Well my trip to Wales went really well.  The only issue I had was finding the place.  Once I arrived at the hotel I decided to leave early so that I could relax once I had found the farm, but finding it proved more tricky than I had anticipated.  After driving around for about 20 minutes I stopped and asked a guy working on house to which he said "Dai, its another one" like I was one of those people from the add that fall from the sky and land on a bale of hay to have their cereal bar.  In other words a townie - either way they couldn't help.  In total I must have spent an hour and a half looking for the place driving up and down the same road and any other road I thought might get me there. The thing is I could see the table and marquee set up on the side of the hill but couldn't figure out how to get there.  I drove up and over, over and around and all I managed was to drive myself crazy and use up petrol.  In the end I gave in and rang the mobile number I had and low and behold I must have passed the entrance 20 times!

What a fantastic event Outstanding in the Field was.  I think that there were about 50 people altogether including suppliers and producers at Trealy's farm.  It was a wonderful bright evening, the food was lovely and I haven't had beetroot that good since I was a child.  I only took one photo and should have taken more because it all looked so fab, but I got carried away eating the stuff.  We had antipasti of Trealy Farm cured meats to start, with a fish course of hot and cold smoked salmon from the Black Mountain Smokery served with varieties of beetroot.  The main was loin of lamb and slow cooked shoulder of lamb from Pen-y-Wyrlod Lamb.  Even cold it was delicious not at all claggy as lamb can be.  A selection of cheeses for the cheese course which included a wonderful little welsh blue, called Perl Las (I think).  And for dessert summer fruit pudding.  Each course was accompanied by English wine from the Ancre Hill Estate.  I thought the Pinot Noir was particularly good. The food, scenery and atmosphere combined to make a superb evening on a hillside in Wales.  At the table, I sat in between the perry producer who supplied pear cider and the sheep farmer who supplied the lamb and who also happens to a vegetarian - go figure.

Picture courtesy of Outstanding in the Field.

 The view.

 Just before we all sat down

 One end,

The other end.

My plate, which I forgot to collect at the end of the evening.

Gorgeous cured meats from Trealy Farm with roasted garlic and pea shoots.