Suffolk food and drink makers showcase their best produce

The Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival on September 28 and 29 revealed how established businesses are keen to innovate and grow - and how the county's strong local producer ethos is providing a perfect breeding ground for new business.

The festival was founded at Snape Maltings in 2006 by a group which included local food campaigner Caroline Cranbrook - now its president.

It has become a showcase for up-and-coming food ventures in Suffolk and the wider region, as well as more established enterprises.

Among the newer businesses is one run by Julie Cheyney who makes St Jude soft, mould ripened cheeses. She moved to Suffolk to join dairy entrepreneur and farmer Jonathan Crickmore at Fen Farm near Bungay 10 years ago.

She was already making cheese in Hampshire but felt there was an opportunity to grow her business using milk produced on Jonathan's high welfare farm.

"I really appreciate the way they look after their cows," she explained. "I rent space on their farm."

She now employs two and half people in her business - small compared to Jonathan's 50-plus workforce - and produces St Cera, St Jude and St Helena cheeses.

She shared a stall with Jonathan at this year's festival and this had given her "excellent" exposure, she said.

Jonathan Crickmore of Baron Bigod cheeses in Bungay (Image: Sarah Chambers) For Jonathan the event is a chance to cement his already very strong reputation for high quality Baron Bigod brie-style soft cheeses and other dairy products including butter and a range of yogurts. 

"There's loads of enthusiasm for the cheese we make," said Jonathan, who now exports his products overseas to countries such as the US and Australia.

Ian Whitehead of Brundish-based family business Suffolk Salami is a pig farmer and food entrepreneur who came up with an innovative range of pork products to rival ones produced in Italy. 

Ian Whitehead of Suffolk Salami in Brundish (Image: Sarah Chambers) He has been coming to the festival for 19 years. "I think what's so lovely is the people who come here are interested in food. They want to know the story behind what we are doing," he said.

"We try and do something different every year - and this year we did a Gressingham Duck Salami. What I made for two days went in two hours - I think we might start making it."

The festival provided a testing bed for the product, made with pork and duck fat. Duck has a high water content making the drying of it compared to pork quite challenging, he added.

"I'm surprised how strongly the flavour came through - we'll definitely be making some more," he added.

Turkey farmer Chris Mobbs of PA Mobbs, Cratfield, near Halesworth, is raising just over 3,000 turkeys for this Christmas. He was at the festival with wife Judith and their daughter Fran.

Turkey farmers Judith, Fran and Chris Mobbs (Image: Sarah Chambers) Turkey producers had their fingers burnt in 2022 having upped production during a bird flu outbreak, he said, which meant they were now more conservative with their numbers. 

There are also issues around labour but the family has continued with the well-established business, and has successfully diversified with its Fire and Feast outdoor cooking and camping operation. 

Emily and Alexander Aitchison and Alexander’s parents Caroline and Robin began their bakery operation making bread at 270-acre Acre Farm, Monewden, near Framlingham, in 2022 and the business has gone from strength to strength. 

Alexander and Emily Aitchison of Acre Bakery (Image: Sarah Chambers) They have recently planted a vineyard, established some agroforestry and have also been growing crops for Wildfarmed.

"It's kind of making the small farm pay in terms of size," explained Lucy.

Lucy Hutchings, co-founder of new business She Grows Veg of Capel St Mary, was delighted at the response to their heritage seeds business.

Lucy Hutchings of She Grows Veg at Capel St Mary (Image: Sarah Chambers) It sells unusual varieties of crops such as carrots and tomatoes and they were lucky to have been allowed to show at the festival as a "non-food" operation. Customers of the business have included celebrated chef Raymond Blanc of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

"The reception has been amazing - we have sold enough to make it worthwhile," said Lucy.

Vinca Wines - a canned wine business started by three ex-schoolmates from Thomas Mills High in Framlingham - is celebrating a triumphant 2024 after starting up just three years ago.

Charlie Vass, Zac Water and Jack Green decided to pool their talents and go into business together. 

Charlie Vass (Image: Sarah Chambers) This year, Greater Anglia agreed to stock Vinca wine at its on-board café bars on Intercity services on the route between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, and London Liverpool Street.

Passengers cane choose from a red made with a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes, a white wine made from Catarratto grapes, and a Provence-style Syrah rosé.

All the wines are produced on the west coast of Sicily using organic grapes. 

It's also sold in East of England Co-op stores and at Portman Road football stadium in Ipswich.

"That's the one we are most excited about because we are all ITFC fans," said Charlie.

The trio have been coming to the festival for the last three years. "When we first came, no one knew who we were. Now people see us at other stockists - it's nice to see it's picked up a bit of momentum," he added.

"Suffolk is very much our heartland of where the brand is growing the most. We just got listed in Tesco's - that's in over 700 stores."

Venezuelan Mil Mendez launched her new own business at Henstead near Beccles at the festival . It was started on her husband William Burton's family six-acre farm near Beccles.

William Burton and Mili Mendez of Mili Mendez Cakes at Henstead, Beccles (Image: Sarah Chambers) She makes cake kits using local and home-made ingredients - and chocolate from Venezuela.

The idea is to buy the kits for birthdays and celebrations. So far the public has been "quite fascinated" and the cakes have gone down well, she said.

Nina Roe, a full-time chef from Orford, has set up a seasonal side business sourcing truffles from all over the country between September and February.

Nina Roe and Alister Jones of Tuber Truffles of Orford (Image: Sarah Chambers) The fungi has a short shelf life and she and business partner Alister Jones go out with her Labrador dog, Oscar, to find them. Some come from Thetford, but they must usually range further afield. 

The business has been going for a year. "We are just a start-up so we are just seeing what the interest is - it's introducing people to new flavours and educating people about truffle.

Nina also  runs her own catering business - Hay Hay Suffolk.

Gerard King of Salter and King butcher's in Aldeburgh was at the festival with daughter Brigit.

Brigit and Gerard King of Salter and King butchers in Aldeburgh (Sarah Chambers)Gerard took over an existing butcher shop in the town in 2013. He buys directly from farmers. "I know the farms, the welfare of the animal and where the meat comes from," he said.

"Meat is expensive so I always say don't eat a lot of it but when you do, go see a good butcher.

"I love this festival - it's a really good opportunity for people who wouldn't normally come to Aldeburgh to find out about us."

It's a "brilliant showcase" for all the "hard-working small independent producers to get their name out there", he said.  "It's not easy these days as we are up against some big wealthy players."

Chef Alice Norman of Pinch is celebrating the expansion of her café and bakery enterprise at Maple Farm, Kelsale, which was started during the pandemic and specialises in deep-fried cruller pastries. She had a record August after she began selling Roman pizzas.

She is a tenant of organic farmer and entrepreneur William Kendall - one of the festival founders. It was her fourth year at the festival. 

William Kendal, Alice Norman and Tim Rowan-Robinson (Image: Sarah Chambers) "It's been a really good year - lots of change and still lots to come in the future but we are still taking it step by step. It's still pretty limited at the moment probably 12 seats inside," she said.

"Eventually we want to do private hire birthdays and small gatherings. William has acted as an unofficial mentor to me so we have a good relationship."

Festival chairman Tim Rowan-Robinson said the stallholders all enjoyed coming to the event and meeting up with each other.

William said the festival went well. "Everyone says it's the best yet. I think they have all been the best yet," he said. "The atmosphere was fantastic. All the stallholders I have spoken to thought it was amazing."

He added: "We have a whole new generation of producers here. What's great is you can actually eat your lunch here using all local producers."