Experiments with Butter

We have had quite a few requests from customers about butter, so we have been experimenting.  Our butter is made simply by whisking our fresh extra thick cream until it separates into butter and buttermilk – nothing added or taken away (other than the buttermilk).  We have given out some batches of butter with different salt levels and getting as many opinions as we can.  We have had some very positive comments about the taste and creaminess of the butter.  Of course, everyone has different tastes regarding the amount of salt in their butter, but there has been a general preference for the samples with low salt.  We will be looking to produce a low salted butter in the New Year and also an unsalted butter too.  It may take a while to get it all properly tested, but do watch this space…

Smoked cheese anyone?

At Leigh Farmers Market we met Sid who runs the Old Barn Smokery at Hanningfield.  He  has  smoked some Bure’s and Chalvedon cheese for us. We are really pleased with the results and will have smoked cheeses ready for Christmas.

Do you make your own cheese?

Some of our customers have been telling us that they like to make their own dairy products at home for themselves and their friends.  We have heard about soft cheese, yoghurt and desserts being made from our milk, so we have started to supply milk in larger quantities.  We can do milk in 10 or 20 litre quantities.  Please contact us if this is something that you are interested in.  Apart from needing some really good, fresh milk you may need some advice.  We can offer pointers and there is quite a bit of advice out there on the web.  One that we spotted was from The Courtyard Dairy with their blog “I want to become a cheese maker… where do I start?”

Foodie photos

Back in September, Tina Wing from from Tina Wing photography took lots of lovely pictures of our cheese. This was after we won a Food Photography competition.  We have been using several of her pictures on the website and Facebook page.  Thanks again to Tina – we really like the pictures!

Farmers Markets

Since the Autumn, you will now find us regularly attending farmers markets.  At the moment we are at two - these are the markets in Rochford (on the first Friday of the month) and Leigh-on-Sea (on the third Friday of the month).  They are really good events with lots of local, fresh produce available.  We will be looking to do some more next year.  Any suggestions?

Order your cream and cheese for Christmas

Like you, we are making our Christmas preparations and we have a new order form so that you can make sure that you will get your cream and cheese for Christmas.  We are doing larger pots of our Extra Thick and Double Cream to go with your Christmas Pud and mince pies.  There are also some cheese gift boxes in different combinations.  Details are on the order form and paper copies are in the Farm Shop and an electronic form on the website.  Please order by the 17th December.

We are having three “Cheese and Chutney” days on 22^nd, 23^rd and 24th December, from 10.00am to 4.00pm where you can also collect your orders. We will also have chutneys and jams made by David from David's Kitchen from fruit collected from the Farm ... and more.  It should be a fun, festive day but you might want to bring your thermals!

On the Farm

Now that we are into the cold weather, the ladies at the farm Bradfields are bedded down in their Winter quarters. You can say hello to them in their covered barn when you pick up your milk.  

On a more serious note, many of you may have read on our website or in the Basildon Echo about a series of incidents over the summer culminating in a serious attack on the heifers at Little Chalvedon Hall at the start of November. The girls were very stressed at the time but were ok.

From CCTV footage of the incident and the response of the public, the Community Police were able to identify all of the youths involved and are dealing with the matter. We check the girls very regularly but if you live near Little Chalvedon Hall and you see anything suspicious please let us know so we can double check they are ok.  Everybody here at Bradfields Farm would like to thank you all for the continued support.