Essex Bounty

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

Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty
Essex Bounty