At the end of August 2016 we went on a foodie trail to discover local produce for our guest hamper. We want to give our guests a taste of the area whilst supporting the wonderful local artisans. We also recommend guests visit the vineyards and discover the varied and delicious local produce at Bakewell Farmer’s market for themselves.
Local produce from the Derbyshire vineyards
Between Wessington and Tansley, in the Amber Valley, are several vineyards visible from the road. To us these rolling hills signify our imminent arrival in the beautiful Peak District. In addition, they also bring a little touch of the exotic to the area.
We heard about Amber Valley Wines from local friends. So we met Barry Lewis who kindly gave us a tour of the vineyard at Wessington. He explained that with his colleague Duncan they have brought to life a dream based on a love and understanding of wines. They have visited and tasted wines from the finest vineyards in the world. And now they are growing Solaris and Ortega grape varieties which are best suited to the Derbyshire climate.
After the tour, in the corner of a field, with bees hives and beautiful views, we sampled their local produce – Lindway white and rose´. Superbly light and deliciously drinkable and we have already put in our order! 
Cook with these locally produced rape seed oils
On the search for more local produce where better to visit than the Bakewell Farmer’s Market. This is held on the last Saturday of each month. Here we met Kate Brocklehurst and her colourful display of Brock & Morten rapeseed oils.
Kate and Ben Furness produce award winning rapeseed oil on their family farms in the heart of the Peak District. They use traditional methods of cold pressing. Especially rich in vitamin E and Omega 3, 6, and 9 rapeseed oil is recommended by the British Heart Foundation. It’s high burning point makes it is ideal for roasting. In addition, its unique flavour makes it perfect for salad dressings. Furthermore, there are a range of delicious and colourfully flavoured oils available – garlic, lemon, rosemary and chilli.
While preparing a BBQ for friends on a lovely warm evening, the flavoured oils came into their own. I doused the chicken breasts in the lemon and garlic flavoured rapeseed oils, coated them in yoghurt and seasoning. I also drenched some mushrooms on skewers in the chilli flavoured oil (possibly slightly over doing it for some guests!!!). The food was cooked on The Big Green Egg BBQ (below) on our newly finished walled patio area. Naturally, we showcased the local produce further – sharing a glass or two of the Amber Valley Lindway White.
Coming soon – our Darley House hamper with local produce
As a consequence of our foodie trail we will be including this local produce in our Made in Derbyshire hamper. This is a free welcome gift available to all our guests from October 2016.
You can find out more about breaks at Darley House, local produce and activities we recommend in Derbyshire at www.darleyhouse.com
