3 foods you never knew originated in Derby and 4 local foodie foods you need to try - all from the home county of Hill Farm Caravan and Camping.
Food is not the first thing you think of when it comes to Derby. In fact Donington Park, Download or Game of Thrones and Castleton probably spring to mind.
But facts are facts and some of the world's most renowned foods find their roots right here in Derbyshire, you’ll never guess which 😜.
Here’s a clue 🔥🐕.
But we are going to keep you in suspense for a few seconds longer, because we also have four superb traditional dishes to show off.
Our first traditional food was lost many moons ago, until a guy called Mark moved house and discovered the significant history of his new abode in 2011!
The second is just too delicious to pass up (and is best eaten in September and October…)
The third and fourth are gorgeous classics, which you can add to your bucket list of things to do when winter glamping and camping with us!
So as summer slips away into a moment in time…
We are excitedly looking forward to winter, when long nights huddled together around a fire are on the cards. Camping into autumn is easy with our beautiful honey-comb belles (with hot tubs) and pods (with sizzling hot tubs too) ✌️🤩
Fires, puddings and hot drinks take on a whole new significance when you are camping in the winter, as do the sunsets! Gentle summer skies are about to give-way to glorious red fiery winter sunsets. They are better in winter - it’s all science apparently…I think there’s a blog post brewing here.
Book your winter stay at Hill Farm🔥🔥🔥
3 Foods you Never Knew Originated in Derbyshire <<link to blog section>>
4 Unmissably-delicious Local Derbyshire Foods <link to blog section>>
3 Foods You Never Knew Originated in Derbyshire.
Entry number one - The Stilton.
That’s right, the Stilton is named after a village in Cambridgeshire, but it was not originally made in Stilton.
History says that the cheese was first sold at Stilton stage coach stop in the 18th Century.
But Stilton cheese was actually made in Derbyshire!
Despite its name, it’s been illegal to produce Stilton anywhere outside a few locations in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottingham since the 1920’s…
Photo credit Michele Blackwell - Unsplash
The curveball - Hot Dog.
Number two on our list is the American-made sensation that is the Hot Dog 🌭 . 🤪 The man behind the legend was called Harry M Stevens. He is said to have been selling refreshments on a cold April in 1901, things weren’t going too well with his ice-creams, so he got his staff to buy up “daschund sausages” stuff them in buns and sell them hot. They were a hit and became “hot dogs”. His other claim to fame was inventing the baseball score card (thank me in your next pub quiz).
Harry M Stevens was originally born in Litchurch in Derby in 1856! So we get a little of the credit right?!
Gingerbread
The treacle gingerbread came to the UK via Derby. Ashborne to be precise, story has it that a French prisoner was held at Ashborne in the 15th Century, he made the town his home and gave the recipe to a local baker.
The recipe is still made the exact same way today at The Gingerbread Shop in Ashborne - the shop itself has been around since 1492, it’s a cute little historical site in the small town. Well worth a visit in its own right. Sorry your “to do list” in Derby is growing…
Surprised with our list? We hope so..
So, now you know foods you enjoy that hark back to our fine land, we want to introduce you to four unmissable-delicious traditional foods.
4 Unmissably-delicious Local Derbyshire Foods
Mrs Greaves’ pudding
We know it better as the Bakewell tart. The original pudding version can still be eaten at a few shops in Bakewell, but more commonly now we have swapped out the egg custard pudding for Italian frangipane-style tart.
The pudding was allegedly made as an accident when the landlady (Mrs Greaves) of the White Horse Inn, left instructions for the chef - that went to pot - and voila! The Bakewell was invented…This was early in the 1800s, the recipe thankfully made into two cookery books in 1845. Did you even know they had cookery books then?! 😱 🍮
Derbyshire pyclet and oatcakes
Now this is an interesting one, in 1864 the Monk family opened their Pyclet Bakery in Edward Street, Derby. They were a hit! But sadly by 1973 the family ran into hard times and the Bakery was sold up and split into four houses. And the existence of Derby Pyclets passed into history.
Fast forward to 2011 and a gent called Mark moved into an old house, his solicitor dug up the remarkable history of the building! He must’ve been seriously inspired, because the Pyclet Parlour was born….
(They go down a storm topped with smoked salmon, horseradish cream, stilton honey and walnuts, or even coronation chicken and lime pickle!)
Tempted to try one? You can buy them across Derby, have a look at the shops stockists here. << http://www.pycletparlour.co.uk/stockists.html >>
Fidgety Pie - don’t ask about the name, no one knows.
Traditional Derbyshire savoury pie. It’s gorgeous, piled full of sliced bacon or ham, onion, apple and sultanas, it is best made in September/October when the onions and apples are fresh!
We have no idea why this stogy chap is called a Fidgety pie, but we do know Derbyshire people have been enjoying it for 400 years!
We need to figure-out our own campsite-friendly recipe…
Here is Foods of Englands recipe.
Sage Derby cheese
Infused cheese, perfect for Autumn and Christmas, in fact it is usually only found around the end of the year.
It’s a perfect show-off cheese from the centre of a Christmas cheeseboard. It is a glorious green marbly cheese, with a strong claim to be England’s oldest and most famous cheese. So if it’s not part of your Christmas traditions - this is your cue to add a new cheese to your toasty evenings by the fire with a sherry or glass of red wine!
P.S. It’s a mild cheese with a nutty flavour, find out more from cheesy people like Belton Farm!
Autumnal pies, Christmas cheeseboards - we are feeling the full delights of the cooler seasons!
In fact pies and cheeseboards on the deck of a pod with a tot of sherry might just be my Christmas plan…Wrapped up in thick snuggly blankets and watching the stars twinkle!
What a perfect way to end the year!
Here's a little taste of Hill Farm...
