Regional Foods of Eastern England
Go east across England and the landscape becomes flatter as the horizon slips into the distance. This is a land of wide spaces and cinematic skies and is home to the arable farmlands of Britain. The climate is perfect for a wide range of crops and animal rearing.
And this climate is what makes some of the gorgeous recipes and regional foods of Eastern England. Read more about what the East of England offers in our food guide.
Cheese
Our journey starts in the east Midlands counties of Derbyshire and Leicestershire, where high levels of dairy farming have stimulated the development of great cheeses such as flaky, tangy Red Leicester, green-tinged Sage Derby and creamy Stilton. This last takes its name from the village where an innkeeper first served the open-textured cheese to visitors, although, in fact, it was apparently made by his brother-in-law miles away in Melton Mowbray. This ‘King of Cheeses’ is delicious on its own, but can be used also in hot or cold recipes.
Fruits and Vegetables
Wander on eastwards and we reach the fertile, wide fields of Lincolnshire where early vegetables and crisp celery burst from the soil. We can range through more vegetable fields as we travel south and pause to admire the gooseberries and gages (delicious in fruit tarts) of Cambridgeshire. This fertile region, sometimes called ‘the food basket of Britain’ produces cereals, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Notable recipes include celery baked in cream, the bacon and apple-filled fidget pie (page 121), and Trinity College pudding (page 150), an early version of the Christmas pudding. The land is noticeably flatter as we head across the reclaimed fertile earth of the Fens to the Norfolk Broads. The mild climate stimulates farming of soft fruits such as strawberries, redcurrants, raspberries and blackcurrants, which create the wonderful deep reds and tender pinks of a summer pudding.
Summer Pudding
Why not try having a go at making your own Eastern England inspired Summer Pudding?
If you fancy trying out any of the recipes mentioned, use the page numbers provided for where to find the recipes in the Around Britain cookbook, which includes more regional recipes from across Britain.
Hot Roast Asparagus & Potato Salad
See how good asparagus can be with this Hot Roast Asparagus & Potato Salad!
Norfolk
Here rabbit stew and jugged hare were once popular choices for those who could not afford beef and lamb. Nowadays, though, Norfolk is famed for its huge production of turkeys, including the famous Norfolk Blacks. However, the fields of wheat, barley and rye and the flat fens host many game birds such as partridge, quail and woodcock. One notable Norfolk speciality is samphire, a juicy marsh plant sold all across the area. When boiled or blanched it tastes like slightly salty asparagus. This, of course, brings us to a more widely enjoyed seasonal crop: asparagus, served with hollandaise or white cheese sauce.
Fish
In days gone by, the port of Great Yarmouth would become so full of fishing boats unloading herring that it was said you could walk across the harbour just by stepping from deck to deck. The boats are gone but the smokehouses now cure red herrings and bloaters, mainly for export. However, grilled Norfolk herrings can be matched with another local crop, the yellow English mustard grown around Norwich, for a zingily spicy meal. All along this Eastern coast are villages specialising in harvesting the sea for some of its produce, such as cockles and whelks. The best example is Cromer, where the dark meat of the small but succulent crabs is considered a great delicacy as used in recipes such as baked Cromer crab. If you have any pictures or videos of the East of England and its delicious food, or if you have a go at making one of the regional foods of Eastern England, feel free to share it with us on Instagram and Facebook!
