After Christmas, the harsh month of January brings about a distinct need for creative culinary construction. It begins with the craving for spring. Soon after the Christmas items disappear, just as the Easter eggs start filling the supermarket shelves my heart yearns for oranges. There’s something wonderful about those Spanish oranges which conjure up the…
Author: Hannah R Freeman
I am a food writer, photographer, food stylist and author living in the absurdly beautiful Wye Valley (with the more-than-occasional foray to my family's second home in Gascony).
A member of the Guild of Food Writers, I have been a freelance food writer for over 10 years. My particular interests include the history of food, low carb living, French cuisine (particularly that of the South-West), European cuisine and all aspects of British food and drink. I also blog about country living, homemaking, travel, fashion and lifestyle.
I have always championed regional food, particularly that of my native Welsh borderland and am passionate about sharing my love of food with others, and encouraging the next generation to try new foodie things.
Festive Goodies from The Wye Valley and The Forest of Dean
Every year, I do my very best to source my Christmas foods locally – and living in such a fabulously foodie area, it’s surprisingly easy to do. Restaurants place such an importance on food miles and rightly so, but it’s not just about the environmental impact, it’s about supporting those small businesses who a passionate…
Win 2 Ticket to Abergavenny Food Festival’s Christmas Fair on Sunday 10th December
I have teamed up with the wonderful Abergavenny Food Festival Team to give my readers the chance to win a pair of wristbands for this year’s Abergavenny Christmas Fair, allowing access to the yuletide markets and demo stage in the Market Hall, for the whole day. All the details are below so hop over to Twitter then…
Christmas Markets and Making Merry – All the fun of the festive fair!
This week heralds the beginning of the Christmas Market season and we are spoilt for choice in Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. I really enjoy visiting Christmas food festivals, they help get over the post Bonfire Night hump and provide the ideal excuse for a cheeky mulled wine or two, not to mention huge present shopping…
Bangers and Bonfires #UKsausageweek
Bonfire Night; the air is filled with woodsmoke, a hint of sulphur remains from the recently released fireworks. The sparklers have sparkled and now, hunger strikes. What better warming winter dish to turn to than the humble British banger? A childhood favourite, steaming from the barbecue and tucked into a pappy white roll, maybe a…
Autumn Recipes: A Roast Golden Beetroot Mezze, with Honey and Pomegranate #nationalhoneyweek
Roast Golden Beetroot Mezze with Honey and Pomegranate We are now firmly in Autumn’s grip and what’s left of the leaves are falling fast. One of the most vibrant and plentiful winter vegetables in the Beet, be it the rich red of the classic Beetroot or their bright, vibrant orange and yellow cousins, far less…
The Pheasant Philosophises: Part 4: Queen Victoria’s Pineapple
In a society of sexual equality, I often think to the past and wonder what stories lie behind others. In childhood, I was always regaled with tales of my Great Great Great Grandfather, an interesting character who had, apparently, owned an Italian Fruit Warehouse in Bath during the 1840s and 50s. As a man he…
The Monmouthshire Food Festival – Fit for a King (or the son of one anyway!)
Last weekend, Thomas of Woodstock’s once splendid castle at Caldicot played host, for the second time this year, to The Monmouthshire Food Festival. In general the weather held and there were some moments of dazzling sunshine, as visitors were treated to two splendid days of food, drink, demonstrations and workshops. Although not the biggest in the…
Answering a few of my own questions about Clotted Cream….
What do Tolkien’s Hobbits, the Cornish Giant Blundabore, and Edmund Spenser have in common? The answer; Clotted Cream. Clotted cream is at the heart of every quintessentially British Cream Tea. Slavered onto scones, melting unctuously beside a warm sticky toffee pudding or just in a bowl alongside a pile of freshly picked, fragrant, seasonal berries….
An ancient dish which has moved with the times – #worldporridgeday
Oats have been cultivated since at least 2000 bce, they are sturdy crops, keep well, are filling, full of minerals and have saved many a country from starving to death in harder times. They have been used in soups, stews, breads, oatcakes, gruel and most famously in Porridge. Following on from my previous article about…
Seasoned with Slow from The Pheasant Philosopher 