Page 52 - Phonebox Magazine October 2015

Best of BOFF 2015
The Big Olney Food Festival really seemed to come into it’s own this year. The lovely band of volunteer organisers, even managed to organise some late Summer sunshine. Its the seventh year, and each year it is tweaked, honed
and polished to improve on the previous performance. This year it felt pretty spot on. The two day format, with Sunday being a little more Farmer’s Market like, worked really well. There was a huge range of food, very little queueing, a good, fast moving bar, great music and even better atmosphere. We see how hard the volunteers work throughout the weekend, but the many hours, sweat and worry that goes into the run up of the event are largely unseen. It’s a massive achievement to pull this off every year. Well done to everyone who was involved - your efforts are much appreciated. But of course, its all about the food. So what were the standout dishes from BOFF 2015?
Best Newcomer:
Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Good Times Cafe
A toasted cheese sandwich is
good thing. It can happily be eaten
for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Its pretty perfect fuel after a late
night out, and a first rate hangover
cure too. But Good Times Cafe, turned a good simple sandwich, into something of beauty. An oozing, molten cheesy centre contained within a tasty sour dough bread, basted with butter and griddled to a perfect golden brown. Good Times indeed.
Runner up: Stuffed cabbage leaves, from the East House
Best Healthy Choice:
Corn on the Cob from Emberton Smoked Garlic
Well maybe when smothered in smoked garlic butter, or garlic truffle butter they are not quite so healthy. Perfect spikes of yellow corn, sweet as anything and spitting juice every time you bit into it. Simplicity itself and absolutely gorgeous.
Runner up: Strawberry pot from Willen
Best for Spice:
The Firestarter Sausage Patty from Browns Gourmet Sausages
Browns certainly know their sausages. Quality cuts of meat, all natural sausage casings, perfect combinations of flavours make for a properly tasty snack. Sunday’s choice was a lovely meaty beef sausage with little pockets of melted cheese. But the star of the show, if you were brave enough was the fiery version, spiked with scotch bonnet chillies. Properly hot, but extremely tasty.
Runner up: Chilli Hot Dog from Amazing Grains
Best Main Course:
Goat Curry with coconut rice and coriander salad from JJEB
A lovely warming curry from this crowd who rear their own goats. Not too spicy (although extra chillis were on hand), lots of fluffy rice. Nice to have something quite different on the menu. The crispy samosas were pretty good too.
Runner Up: Hog Roast by Carvers
Best Veggie Option:
Parmigiana from Donzella
You don’t need to be a vegetarian to enjoy this one and its a regular starter on their restaurant menu too. Layers of softly baked aubergines, melting cheese and delicious tomato sauce. A classic Italian dish cooked to perfection. Think vegetable lasagne, without the lasagne! Runner Up: Vegetarian Paella from Paella’s de Olney
Best Sweet Thing:
Chelsea Bun from
Amazing Grains
Sunday morning breakfast, listening to a string quartet, with an exceptionally good Flat White from Good Times Cafe and a freshly baked, sugary Chelsea Bun. Doesn’t get much better than that!
Runner Up: Pancakes
from Teapots
New Kid on the Block
L
currently working on a new menu. We tried a traditional, individually baked biryiani cooked with
chicken on the bone, and
a delicious red snapper
in a fragrant but subtle tomato sauce. There was a delicious lamb chop starter too. If these are anything to go by, the new menu will be very exciting. Watch this space.
ast month we were lucky enough to taste some of the food being rustled up by the new chef at the Spice Garden. A passionate chef with huge amount of knowledge of both
the regions of India and classic English cookery, he is
p.foodie
52 Phonebox Magazine
@helandneil #phoneboxfoodie phoneboxfoodie.wordpress.com