The apple blossom in the orchard this spring has been abundant. That coupled with the bee hives we’re hosting for a friend in the next field along, and we’re hoping for a bumper crop come autumn.
Andrew is away this week, and will be pleased to hear things are ticking along nicely in his absence. Nev has been feeding & bedding the finishers, and checking on the grazers out on pasture. Gareth has been cutting silage at our sister farm down the lane, and I’ve been dealing with yard visitors and trade accounts, whilst listening to a jackdaw, linnet, wren & goldfinch frolic just outside the office. It is a nice pace for a sunny mid-May week - fairly quiet on the farming side, but plenty to talk about on the events side.
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On 6th June, we’re hosting a supper club with Ali Munro, who runs Alberta’s in Brighton. His food, “an intoxicating blend of joy, soul and buzz”, was reviewed by Tim Hayward in the FT last year, who gave high praise to Ali’s sea bass tiradito dish - one that he is bringing to Trenchmore next month.
That, along with coal roasted Sussex Wagyu rump for the main, and Shrub’s strawberries for dessert has our stomachs grumbling in anticipation.
My experience of Ali’s cooking, which has involved an outrageous slab of deep fried lasagne, probably the best Trenchmore shin I’ve tried, and the aforementioned sea bass, is that it is with meticulous skill & thoughtful design that it presents as fuss-free grub, using top notch local ingredients and cooked by a charming and heavily tattooed Scotsman.
Eating at the farm, I hope, is a similar experience - it is unapologetically casual dining, being in a farmyard on communal tables with eclectic chairs and mismatched crockery, and yet we work with the best chefs and ingredients in the county, putting delicious things on your plate, and pouring our favourite Sussex wines, beers & cider into your glass. You can see the full menu and book a seat here.
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On 14th June, we are hosting our first ever fun run. It’s a 7km run around the farm, with costumes encouraged. You can sprint, jog or walk your way around the route, landing back in the yard for a celebration ft. burgers, pints & live music. You can come along and enjoy the vibes without the run (burgers will be first come first serve for non-runners), or work up an appetite through the orchard, woodlands, and around the fields first. You can find out more and book a spot here.
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And lastly, we’re mulling over a few things that we’d like to start offering and wondered if you’d be interested in using a sauna at the farm. Details are very much still being worked out, but we thought it a wise idea to gauge the interest before investing too much into it. If you would be interested, please reply to this email with a simple “sauna me up”.
That’s all from me today. Wishing you a lovely sunny rest of your week,
Rachel