I recently received a copy of the Taste Cheshire food trail which is hot off the press and was delighted to discover that two Alderley Edge businesses, Horseshoe Farm and The Alderley Restaurant, are included.
This new publication, produced by Visit Chester and Cheshire, features a collection of self-guided tours throughout Cheshire which focus on finding the best local produce. Designed to appeal to a broad range of visitors the tours are equally useful for local residents wishing to explore the food and drink which Cheshire has to offer.
More than 60 top businesses are featured in the guide which covers seven easy to follow routes, including The Wilmslow & Macclesfield Trail. The local trail starts at the Roebuck in Mobberley, a country inn which offers a selection of both traditional and contemporary dishes made from locally sourced produce. The second stop requires a short journey to the Cheshire Smokehouse in Morley Green where most of the products, including salmon, bacon, hams and nuts are made on the premises.
The trail then brings readers to Andy Morrison's Horseshoe Farm in Alderley Edge where his fresh produce can be bought direct from the farmshop, including free range eggs, chickens, geese, beef, turkey, pork, duck and lamb. You can also purchase bread and pastries which are made using traditional methods at the farm's small bakery, which was founded in 2004 by Duncan Poyser. A range of fruit and vegetables along with condiments and preserves are also stocked to support local farmers. At Horseshoe Farm they "are passionate about keeping all food miles to an absolute minimum".
Next stop is literally down the road to The Alderley Restaurant at The Alderley Edge Hotel where the head chef Chris Holland also keeps his eye on food miles by using local producers, including Horseshoe Farm, and herbs and fruit from the hotel garden. Chris' philosophy for the restaurant "is based on keeping to simple but imaginative cooking using best quality local fresh produce".
The trail then moves further a field with an half hour drive to Lyme Park where the restaurant is renowned for its signature ingredient, local venison. Another 20 minute drive takes you to Harrop Fold Farm in Rainow, a 5 star B&B, which prides itself on using the finest local ingredients, including their own free-range eggs and homemade preserves.
The Lord Clyde in Kerridge is next on the trail where the long established restaurant and bar provides locally sourced produce, real cast ales and an open log fire. A half hour drive then takes you to Little Moreton Hall near Congleton where the restaurant serves home-cooked food with a regional and historic theme, using local produce where possible.
The final stop on The Wilmslow & Macclesfield Trail is Joddrell Bank which has a small cafe offering a variety of daily specials, homemade soup and afternoon tea with freshly made scones and a cup of fair trade tea or coffee.
To obtain your own copy of the Taste Cheshire Food Trail featuring seven easy to follow routes visit the Taste Cheshire website.
