Photographer James Loveday takes us on a visual tour of England’s Essex, reminding us of summer’s bounty and just how much can be grown (and feasted on) close to home. For this photo essay, James has captured:
Barley fields - which is fitting, given that Essex was a leading producer of barley up until the 19th century.
English Spirit - relatively new to the distilling game, they use a great range of traditional and modern methods and lots of local fruit to flavour their drinks.
Bloomfield Fruit Farm - Run by a father and son team (the latter is a third generation farmer) just north of Epping. They once supplied London markets but now run a PYO. Their fruit appears in a plum and custard cake with borage honey.
Samphire grows wild around the coast of Essex and is best served with a generous dollop of butter and a squeeze of lemon, no need to add salt!
Maldon has become a world leader in quality salt but they are still based in their heartlands around the estuary of the Blackwater. I used their salt to salt bake beetroots, creating a delicious savoury flavour - the beetroots came from Spencer's Farm Shop.
Rossi's is a Southend institution, they run several ice-cream outlets but I shot in the original parlour.
Wilkin and Sons has grown into a global brand famed for their huge array of jams and preserves. I snapped their extra special 'Little Scarlet' on a cream tea at the historic garden at Cressing Temple.
West Street are a family run vineyard who also have an excellent restaurant on-site where you can dine among the vines.
Barley cream soup was an Essex speciality in the barley growing heyday - and was even served on the Titanic.
Wibbler's Brewery produce a fine selection of beers and ales as well as having a brewery tap room on-site.
Spencer's Farm grow delicious strawberries, raspberries and blackberries - perfect for a summer fruit pudding served with whipped double cream.
Photographs and scrumptious descriptions by James Loveday
