BUY local food and drink – that’s the message from 24 of the town’s top suppliers.
Chefs, ice-cream-makers and farmers got together with one aim in mind – to encourage people and businesses to back the town’s own suppliers.
They were brought together for the Galpharm Stadium promotion by the Mayor of Kirklees, Clr Julie Stewart-Turner, who is using her year in office to promote the wealth of goods produced in the town.
And she has the backing of two of the town’s top chefs – Tim Bilton, of the Butchers Arms, at Hepworth, who was named Yorkshire Chef of the Year and trained with Raymond Blanc, and Barrington Douglas of Discovery Bay, a self-taught chef who uses his Caribbean roots as his inspiration.
The mayor said: “I was always trying to buy local produce, but often found it difficult to know where to go, so I wanted to get everyone together to support each other and promote it.
“I always thought it was silly buying apples which had come all the way from New Zealand when they are grown on our own doorstep. If we support local then we reduce the carbon and the miles food travels.
“Also, there are some fantastic small businesses making top quality produce in our town and I wanted to do what I could to support them.
“If I can encourage people to spend their money in our own community and support these businesses then that’s fantastic.”
For Alison Buckle, of A Piece of Cake, based at Aspley, it is a chance for people to know about her unique cake-making. She has been making her 3D cakes for four years after leaving Huddersfield Technical College.
“We want people to know what we do, which is something very different from the usual pink cakes you can get anywhere. We have fun with them from Buzz Lightyear to a cake for The Savages, who were Screaming Lord Sutch’s backing band.”
Chef Tim Bilton added: “I try to buy produce within a 70 to 75 mile radius to cover the coast too.
“Yorkshire produce makes up about 40% of my menu and I do what I can to support local companies.
“I used to make my own ice-cream then I heard about Yummy Yorkshire, tasted it, and thought it was fantastic, so now I use that.”
The companies involved are: Andrew Jones Pies, A Piece of Cake, Catherine’s Choice, Coddy’s Farm, Bolling Coffee, Covent Garden, Bradley Villa, Fresh and Green Food, Holmfirth Tea, Curry Cuisine, Hostingley Farm Free Range, ID Caterers, Little Valley Brewery, Propermaid, Longley Farm, Plus Food, The Good Soup Company, Yorkshire Outdoor Pork, The Chilli Jam Man, Yummy Yorkshire, Ryedale Vineyards, the Handmade Bakery, WS Bentley Growers and Shaws of Huddersfield.
