British Food Fortnight began on 17 September and runs through until Saturday 2 October and coincides with Harvest Festival Sunday. It is the biggest annual, national celebration of British food.
Now in its 15th year, British Food Fortnight showcases the best of British food and drink and also puts the spotlight on food grown by British farmers that is currently in season, like apples, runner beans, venison, blackberries, crab and parsnips.
There are many different events up and down the country celebrating the virtues of British food and highlighting interesting facts. Did you know that British farmers grow more than 350 different types of potato or that we have more variety of cheeses than France?
Top British businesses and organisations are getting involved, including schools and hospitals and famous British institutions such as the BBC, Wembley Stadium, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Harrods, so why not get involved to and enjoy the fayre on offer or research the food options around the areas you are thinking of moving to.
Last week, the focus of our first feature was on London, featuring properties close to places where you can sample some of the best British dishes. In the second feature we celebrate the best of British food and highlight fantastic new build homes around the UK that are also on the doorstep of restaurants, pubs and markets that offer more of the best of British food.
Tenterden Apartments, Horsted Park, Chatham by Countryside
Why good for food: Best for a Fish and Chip supper - The Countryside apartments are only 15 minutes away from the winners of this year’s National Fish and Chips Awards for London & South East are based in Ditton, Aylesford, Kent.
Development details: Countryside’s Horsted Park in Chatham, Kent, is currently offering a range of two bedroom apartments and four bedroom houses. The stylish Tenterden Apartments, with an open-plan living, kitchen and dining area, offer the perfect space for young professionals looking for a comfortable, yet affordable home.
Development price and contact details: Prices for two-bedroom apartments start at £217,500, with four-bedroom houses available from £359,995.
For more information visit www.countryside-properties.com, or call 01634 406491.
Beaulieu Heath, Chelmsford by Countryside
Why good for food: Best for Michelin - They may be known for their Michelin French food but Chris and Jeff Galvin are soon to be opening up their first pub – The Green Man in Chelmsford, close to Countryside’s Beaulieu development. The food at Chelmsford’s oldest pub will be traditionally English.
Development details: Countryside’s development, Beaulieu in Chelmsford comprises a range of outstanding properties set amid parkland and extensive landscaped spaces with colonial style architecture that takes inspiration from the area’s rich heritage. From spacious five-bedroom family homes split over three floors to stylish three and four bedroom houses offering flexible, well-designed space, Beaulieu Heath will suit many buyers and lifestyles.
Development price and contact details: The homes in the latest phase at Beaulieu Heath are priced from £449,995.
For more information, visit www.beaulieu.uk.com or call 01245 597277
Lime Tree Court, Ampthill by Storey Homes
Why good for food: Best for Roast - Ampthill is home to a local market and the White Hart, only the second pub to achieve the prestigious Food Made Good 3-star rating and win several awards last year for its food. The roasts are said to be great and the Grade-II listed, 18th century coaching inn is only a short walk from the development.
A Food and Drink Fair is also held every year in the sought-after market town that is also home to a monthly farmer’s market and a weekly Country Market selling freshly baked produce like cakes, savouries, jams, chutneys, local fruit, vegetables and honey. Latest new products include rapeseed oil, apple juice, gluten and dairy free baking.
Development details: An exclusive development of just 14 new homes, Lime Tree Court is perfect for families in search of the traditional village lifestyle. The brand new four and five bedroom homes are set within a secure, gated development, offering the last word in style, practicality and convenience. All properties have a garage or carport and allocated parking, as well as communal bicycle storage, and each property has its own private rear garden.
Development price and contact info: The Basswood is priced from £599,950.
For more details, visit www.storey-homes.co.uk
The Maltings, Newmarket by Cleanslate
Why good for food: Best for locally sourced - Less than a 10-minute walk away from The Maltings is the highly regarded fine food shop and eatery, The Pantry. The quaint independent shop stocks deli products specialising in locally sourced, British food, utilising the fantastic products exclusive to Suffolk.
Newmarket is also home to a weekly farmer’s market – a great place to buy farm fresh produce.
Development details: The Maltings is a stunning courtyard development of 44 homes, centred on a unique conversion of a former Victorian malt house. Potential buyers can choose from an attractive range of four bedroom contemporary townhouses, as well as one, two and three-bedroom luxury apartments and duplexes. Each apartment block is named after local master brewers of the Victorian age, harking back to the sites history. The development is perfectly positioned, just a seven-minute walk away from the centre of Newmarket, with its shops, eateries and popular high street brands, while the famous Newmarket racecourse is just two miles away.
Development price and contact info: Prices start at £550,000 for the four-bedroom townhouses, a two-bedroom apartment in Bushel Court starts at £309,995, a two-bedroom duplex apartment in Piper House starts at £365,000 and a teo-bedroom apartment in The Malt House starts at £280,000. All are available with Help to Buy.
For more information call 01638 565 112 or visit: www.the-maltings.com
Standgrove Field, Ardingly, West Sussex by Millwood Designer Homes
Why good for food: Best for Foodie Festivals - Standgrove Field is conveniently sandwiched between two major food event venues. Ardingly Showground is minutes away, home to the South of England Show, Autumn Show & Game Fair and Festive Food & Drink Fair every year, showcasing fine local produce and livestock from Sussex farmers, growers and producers.
Wakehurst Place managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens, is also less than three miles away; hosting the Wakehurst Wild Food Festival to celebrate the very best of food, drink and all things wild, from local Sussex and regional producers, as well as the Bountiful Botanics Festival in September, which celebrates harvest-time with tips on foraging and a honey harvesting demonstration.
Development details: Located in the unspoilt heart of Sussex’s High Weald, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Standgrove Field is a traditional collection of 36 semi-detached and detached houses that include three, four and five bedroom properties.
Development price and contact info: Guide prices at Standgrove Field start from £399,950 for a three-bedroom home, £594,950 for a four-bedroom home. The five bedroom homes, to be released at a later date are anticipated to start from £925,000.
Find out more about Standgrove Field from Millwood Designer Homes
Imperial Row, Ascot, Berkshire, by Spitfire Bespoke Homes
Why good for food: Best for Fine Dining - With five Michelin-Starred restaurants fewer than 10 miles from the homes Imperial Row is ideal for lovers of fine dining. The following restaurants are all close by:
- The Latymer
- Royal Oak Paley Street
- The Fat Duck
- The Hinds Head
- The Waterside Inn
Development details: Situated in a secluded setting close to Ascot town centre, Imperial Row is an exclusive development of four substantial detached residences. St James, one of the four properties at Imperial Row, is an elegantly appointed five-bedroom house, offering luxury living on one of Berkshire’s most sought-after locations. Using classic materials sourced from the finest specialists in Europe and the expertise of award-winning Interior Designer, Alexander James Interiors, St James features timeless fixtures and fittings designed for your home now and in the future.
Development price and contact info: The homes at Imperial Row are currently available from £2,950,000.
Find out more about Spitfire Homes