Good Afternoon Chefs,
For those who don’t know me, I am Louise and look after our customers in the South of England; after Sabina’s departure I will now be sending out the weekly update. If you have any questions please do get in touch with myself or your account manager.
Wild Mushrooms & Truffle
Morels are coming in readily from Turkey, beautiful quality; a range of sizes now, fine and clean. The conditions on the ground and the plate are great so prices are low this week for still relatively early in the season. We are expecting the Turkish season to stretch to mid-May.
South African Cep has come back for a late second flush, and we are expecting this to be short flush in itself, lasting two to three weeks. A great chance to get fresh cep on the menu, but we also keep great quality frozen cep to carry you throughout the year.
Trompettes & Chanterelles are still coming from the US, but we are expecting the season to come to an end soon. Like everything American these mushrooms are larger than their European cousins, but still great quality; clean, dry and complete, beautiful mushrooms to stay on the plate until a new mushroom season starts.
We are looking forward to the arrival of Mousseron, St. Georges’ and Girolles by the end of this month; again, nice, clean frozen girolles to tide you and your customers over until the season starts.
Italian Summer (black) truffles have been in for a while now, and getting better each week; a great nose; delicate and nutty with improved marbling. The price has dropped again as we move further into the season.
Fruit & Vegetables
The demand for summer produce makes us forget the great spring produce now in stock and the last of the great winter produce; roots and tubers including chervil root, Jerusalem artichokes, parsley root, salsify and horseradish.
Our flourish spring line now proudly boasts baby artichoke bunches, peas, broad beans, French white asparagus, a great range of leaves including metisse, ficoide glacial leaves and the beautiful castel franco. We have a beautiful range of Italian produce; hand grenade courgettes, round aubergine, bright leafy lemons and great selection of tomatoes including baby plum, cherry on the vine, adult plums and merinda tomatoes, a ridged tomato, similar to an Iron Bar pumpkin, and a similar size to a flat peach, which colours from red to green and edible at all stages of colouring with a delicate, floral flavour.
We are looking forward to the arrival of the following produce in our warehouse this week:
- Moroccan Borlotti beans
- French courgette flowers
- Alfonso mangoes lovely deep golden flesh colour with a sweet honey, floral flavour
- French gariguette strawberries; beautiful taste and floral aroma
- Egyptian wet garlic
- The start of the peak season for French baby vegetables including turnips, heritage carrots, leeks, fennel and golden and candied baby beetroot
We have a great range of English produce now coming in. The most celebrated being English green asparagus coming from the heart of the Cotswolds; they are a lovely size (approximately the diameter of a five pence piece). Jersey Royals are another must-have for the season, with both mids and ware sizes, and supported by a significant price drop this week.
And of course our foraged produce including Sea Purslane, Alexanders , Wild Garlic and, now, Nettles, we are expecting sea beets by the end of this week; all coming from the Norfolk coastline.
We have had our samples from our new Scottish forager and pleased to confirm that we can now supply wild leeks, similar to wild garlic but a tidier garnish and milder flavour, and a range of Scottish seaweeds from the Isle of bute including; sea lettuce, serrated and chanelled rack, royal Kombu and sugar kelp
We still have a great array of citrus fruits, including delicious Spanish blood oranges and we are looking forward to our own Garden of Eden, awash in stone fruits, traditional English and wild strawberries and we have had our first office tasting of Charentais melons from the Dominican Republic.
Meat
Poussin will be coming in from France, a great seasonal bird for the Spring season! Scottish roe deer haunches and saddles are also available.
Have a great week chef and we look forward to hearing from you soon; best wishes,
Louise Thomas
[email protected]
Tel: 0207 498 5397
Fax: 0207498 5419
