Blog Forman and Field

Forman & Field Bacon

Perhaps it shouldn’t take Jamie Oliver, a studio full of flashing lights and trickery, shock scenes of castration and slaughter to make such an obvious point. Fresh, local pork from well looked after, traditional breed pigs equals better tasting meat and a healthy British pork farming industry. We’re just happy that a message so fundamental to what we’re about at Forman & Field is finally getting through.

All our fresh pork is produced from free range, rare breed pigs. The standards of husbandry far exceed the minimum for free range. The result is perfect tasting pork full of flavour. Try a Rolled Shoulder from the Denham Estate, well seasoned and slowly roasted for 3-4 hours and you will have the most meltingly tender meat and crunchy crackling.

The British pie, a fine institution. We’ve put a great deal of hard tasting time into a range of pies that are absolutely the best around. Stuart Gillies, chef of Gordon Ramsay’s Boxwood Cafe, approves of our selection. In the latest Observer Food Monthly he rated us top of every category of savoury pie we entered. Our Beef and Ale, Butter Bean and Brie and Mrs King’s Pork pies sweeping the board.

OFM Pie Taste Test Part 1

Stuart had obviously exhausted himself in tasting his way through the moutain of savoury pies on show as the Observer had to draft in reinforcements for the sweet round. Sophie Conran, no stranger to the pastry table herself, judged the afters and rated our Chef Lloyd Hardwick’s “absolutely delicious” Creme Anglais and Popina’s “very tasty” Pecan Pie 4 and 5 stars.

OFM Pie Taste Test Part 2

Read the taste test in full as well as our other most recent press reviews here - http://www.formanandfield.com/press_releases.html

In honour of National Farmhouse Breakfast Week we’ll throw in our fabulous Real Tomato Ketchup with every order containing at least three packs of our breakfast favourites. Just enter FB09 into the Special Instructions box at the online checkout and we’ll add a bottle to your basket when we process your order. Choose from Musk’s of Newmarket’s succulent pork sausages, Pink’s Lakeland Bacon, RS Ireland’s Black or White Puddings.

Here is a selection of snaps from Boris Johnson’s visit to open our new premises last week.

Preparations for the Mayor

Guests mingling

Speeches and official duties

Touring the smokery

All photographs copywrite Jon Mclean: mclean.jon@gmail.com

Boris Johnson paid us a visit today to declare our new premises officially more open that they have been for the last 16 months.

Boris deftly unveils plaque

Along with some of our clients, suppliers, friends and members of the press, he joined us for wild smoked Scottish salmon and Chapel Down champagne breakfast. It was a chance for us to put the battle royale of our relocation behind us and to celebrate the beginning of a new era for Forman’s with the opening of our restaurant and events venue, Formans Fish Island.

Boris and the Forman family

All photographs copywrite Jon Mclean: mclean.jon@gmail.com

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We’re honoured to have our very own blond bombshell mayor coming along to officially cut the ribbon on our new premises this Friday.

“We’ve come a long way since my great grandfather started smoking salmon in 1905. Our new premises incorporating our salmon smokery, Forman & Field, a new restaurant and two brand new huge event spaces will safeguard Forman’s for another century. We are all very excited about the 2012 Olympics and are keen to be part of its success and its legacy. After 103 years of continuous business, I am proud to be showing Mayor Johnson how we are thriving by producing seriously good food. Not only that but we have started two new businesses!” Lance Forman

Forman's Fish Island

Check back after Friday for pictures from the day and find out how we get on with Boris.

Here is a taster of what you can expect from Forman & Field in 2009. 

Restaurant Opening

The final stages of work on our restaurant began just before Christmas. We’ve been using the space for one-off private events over the last year but we’re putting the finishing touches to the menu and kitchens and getting ready for our proper public opening in the first quarter of 2009. Watch this space for reservation details.

Exclusive Customer Competitions

For the first time this year we’re lining up some very special competitions that will take the lucky winners on gastronomic tours to experience some of the finest food these Isles have to offer. Competitions will be announced through our monthly Specials mailers so do make sure you are registered to receive them by requesting a catalogue if you do not receive them already.

Event Catering

You may just find that you bump into Forman & Field on the road at some of the country’s most prestigious events this summer. We have been invited to make our first forays into outside catering at a series of sporting events with as much history as Forman’s. Rest assured, we will not be featuring a burger van.

The Best New Food

Of course the most important news is that we have a whole raft of fantastic new producers waiting in the wings to add more variety and depth to our range of fine British foods. Every month our Specials will bring you new delicacies that we hope will become Forman & Field classics of the future.