Country House Harvest

Richard Shipston and Simon Turton

Food & the Future of the Country Estate

As a nation we have an understandable fascination with stately homes and country estates, and in the people that lived and still live in the many magnificent properties across the country. The scale of this popularity can be seen with the increasing numbers of people that visit historic houses and gardens, whether they’re privately owned or under the stewardship of English Heritage, Scottish Heritage, the National Trust or Cadw (Wales).

Part of the attraction is that we want to know about the lives of privileged families who enjoyed such seemingly opulent lives, but the fascination is that much greater if the properties are still being lived in today; the interest in further multiplied if they are still owned by descendants of the original family.

However, whilst it’s easy to understand why properties owned by heritage organisations are open to the public — it’s vital for the organisations’ financial success — it is also for the same reasons why the families living on so many privately-owned estates are prepared to let the public in. The long-term viability of stately homes and country houses, especially those in private ownership, depends largely upon generating income from visitors, without which many would suffer the same fate of those fine houses that fell victim to punitive death duties.

Those charged with promoting and marketing stately homes realised many years ago that they had to offer much more to potential visitors, especially for younger families, who would be less pre-pared to pay for a walk around a few period room sets that are open to the public, followed by a cup of tea and stale sandwich.

Today, at many privately-owned historic houses the public can enjoy a wide range of activi-ties without once having to look inside a single room. At Holkham Hall in Norfolk there are expansive privately-owned beaches for families to enjoy; at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire children can enjoy the adventure playground and see live animals in the farmyard and in Windsor Great Park families can simply enjoy wide open spaces for picnics and games. At many private estates around that are open to the public there are also outdoor concerts and theatre productions, country fairs, sporting events and car rallies.

However, whilst there is so much diversity in what is on offer at each property, there is one common element that underpins the revival of such properties as a destination in their own right: food.

Visit almost any stately home or historic house today and the one aspect of the visitor experi-ence that has changed beyond recognition is the food that is on offer and the environment in which customers are served, whether this is eating locally-made products in stylish cafés, restaurants and hotels, or buying a wide range of products in farm shops — the quality of the food offer has become pivotal to the success of the business.

In this book we will introduce you to well-known and lesser-known properties around the country that share food as the common thread that has played, and continues to play, a vital role in their long-term viability.

As well as learning about the particular influence that food has played at each property that we introduce you to, there are also recipes that have been provided by the owners of the properties.

We hope you enjoy this book as much as we have enjoyed writing it.

Richard Shipston & Simon Turton

Foreword

Sugnall Hall The history of the Sugnall Estate, which dates back to the Domesday Book (1086), was then known as Soggen-hulle, or Bird Hill, although the Domesday scribes actually recorded “Sotehelle”.

At that time Sugnall was owned by two Saxons, Frane and Fragrin, but they were soon replaced by Joceran, a Norman, who was part of the new ruling elite following King

Harold’s defeat at Hastings in 1066.

By 1500 the manor of Sugnall had passed to the Badger family who lived in Pershall and let the manor house at Sugnall.

But it wasn’t until 1730, when Lord Glenorchy, the Pershall heiress’s hus-band, purchased Sugnall, that we have the link with the modern day estate. Lord Glenorchy decided to build a walled kitchen garden on land be-tween the old hall and the main road.

Glenorchy also planted the woods from the hall to Copmere, where he built a Gothic boathouse; the woodlands are where the annual snowdrop, bluebell and blossom walks take place.

In 1737 brickmakers set up a manufacturing facility in a field close to the site chosen for the walled garden and sup-plied over 250,000 bricks to Glenorchy and by the summer of 1738 he had a fully functioning kitchen garden. The walls still remain intact after 280 years in remarkably good condition and two of the original doorways remain.

After Glenorchy’s demise the new owner, John Turton, decided not only to rebuild the hall, but also to build glasshouses and a vinery with backsheds. To heat his new vinery he built a stack of hot air flues inside it, but this ar-rangement of boilers and chimneys was removed when a hot water system was installed 60 years later.

In 1893 Charles Lowe purchased the Sugnall estate from the previous owner’s executors. Lowe was an industri-alist, having chemical works in Cheshire and Bradford. His chief products were phenol and carbolic acid, for many years the only available antiseptic, and the reason for dramatically improved survival rates from operations.

After Lowe died in 1897 Sugnall went to his younger son, Charles Edwin Lowe who continued to enlarge the estate to its present size of 1400 acres. Charles Edwin had qualified as an engineer, but devoted himself to the estate and became a keen huntsman. He ran the estate for nearly 60 years, a routine broken only by enlisting for army service during World War 1. His wife, Susan, was one of first women to have qualified as a doctor, but she too devoted herself to life at Sugnall. They had two daughters, but the younger, Mary, died of meningitis aged 21, leaving the family con-sumed by grief.

Following Susan’s death in 1959 the estate passed to her only grandchild, Anne, wife of Greville Jacques, a wartime bomber pilot and later a helicopter pilot. In 1993 the estate was inherited by their elder son, Dr David Jacques, a specialist in garden history and conservation.

Since taking over the estate David and his wife, Karen, have implemented a programme of improvement, development and restoration. In 1999 former farm buildings adjacent to the walled garden, were convered to become the Sugnall Business Centre, and in 2006 David and Karen, took over the running of the walled garden, which until then had been sub-let and had falled into disrepair. The 1400-acre estate keeps the owners extremely busy but it is the walled garden that has become their labour of love, which plays an increasingly important aspect of the estate’s commercial activity. Since 2006 Karen and David, with a small team of part-time gardeners, have worked hard to restore the walled garden. Although the original walls were in very good condi-tion the 2-acre site was showing signs of neglect; it had become overgrown and was virtually unrecognisable as a once productive kitchen garden, which provided the vast majority of fruit and vegetables used at the hall.

Today, the walled garden has been laid out as it was when it was first built, but the owners decided that only 2 of the original quadrants, in addition to the strips of land in front the walls, should be re-planted with fruit and vegetables. One of the quadrants is occupied by a large garden pavilion (between Easter and the end of September), which is for weddings, private par-ties and corporate events. The other quadrant has been given over to hard-standing and is where regular plant sales and food markets take place.

Karen was instrumental in establishing a tea room and garden shop, which is inside the walled garden; the tea room sells food made in their own commercial kitchen using their own produce and the garden shop sells a range of stylish accessories for the home and garden. The walled garden is open to the public and Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays (Easter to the end of September) and Karen also gives talks about the trials and tribulations of restoring a walled garden.

Looking to the future, Karen and David have plans to create a new restaurant in the for-mer vinery, also within the walled garden, which will focus on serving delcious, freshly-made food using ingredients that the guests will be able to see growing as they enjoy the views across the walled garden and savour being a part of living history.

Interesting to knowThe Peach House inside the walled garden at Sugnall is a Licensed Wedding Venue, with wedding receptions in the adjacent garden pavilion, set in one of the 4 quadrants.

The Sugnall Estate has a variety of venues suitable for private parties and corporate events and activities.

Asparagus Soup with Herb and Cheese Scones

For the Asparagus Soup

900g whole asparagus spears50g unsalted butter1 litre quality chicken stock or vegetable stock1 medium finely chopped onion 150ml double creamSea salt and freshly milled black pepperPinch freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Firstly, prepare the asparagus by cutting and discarding the end of the spears as these can be tough and stringy. Reserve around 12 perfect tips to garnish the soup. Chop the rest of the asparagus into 2cm pieces and put to one side. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gen-tly cook the chopped onion for around 5 minutes until translucent. Add the asparagus pieces and cook on a low heat for another 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

When the asparagus is cooked add the seasoning and nutmeg. Blend the soup until smooth, which should take around 5-10 minutes. Then pass the liquidised soup through a sieve and add the double cream and heat again.

Taste the soup to check the seasoning and serve hot in warm soup bowls with a cheese and herb scone; garnish the soup with a swirl of cream and the asparagus tips. This soup could also be served chilled.

Asparagus Although imported asparagus can be found on most supermarket shelves all year round, it’s the native British crop that really gets us excited. Unfortunately, in the UK the asparagus season is short-lived, just six to eight weeks, which makes it the most eagerly awaited springtime crop.

Asparagus has long been considered a delicacy and in the past asparagus was prized as highly as oysters and truffles. Whilst asparagus is now mainly grown in the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire and East Anglia, it was the Romans that first introduced this tasty member of the lily family. Although asparagus is not easy to pair with wine the top food accompaniaments include butter, parmesan, hollandaise and vinaigrette, eggs, bacon or pancetta.

For the Cheese & Herb Scones

Makes 16

1 teaspoon olive oil250g plain flour1 tablespoon baking powder1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley1/4 teaspoon dry thyme1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon caster sugar140g grated Gouda cheese4 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese90g butter250ml semi-skimmed milk

Method

Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes

Pre-heat oven to 200C/Gas mark 6. Using olive oil, grease a baking tray.

With a fork, mix together the flour, baking powder, parsley, thyme, salt, sugar, Gouda and Cheddar cheese in a bowl. Then, cut the butter into the flour mixture in 1cm cubes and use the fork to further cut the butter into the flour-cheese mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly stir in the milk just until the dough holds together.

Use 2 tablespoons of the mixture per scone and place them on the prepared baking tray; bake in the pre-heated oven until risen and golden brown, in about 15 to 25 minutes. They may require less baking in a fan-assisted oven.