Baking On The Edge | Food

Date Published:: 25/06/2008

Andrew meets a chef, a farmer and a cake decorator all working together in the wonderful village of Alderley Edge. Learn more about the Big British Food Map at Channel4.com/food

It all began with lunch at the 39 Steps restaurant in Styal, Cheshire. And what a highly enjoyable lunch it was too. The highlight for me was the starter of belly pork and scallops; the texture of the slow-cooked meat echoed in the quivering nature of the scallops. It was cooked by head chef, Duncan Poyser, who gave me his thoughts on sourcing produce: "I don't know anything different than looking at what's on your doorstep. I try to get local because I can see it, and speak to the people that produce it."

Duncan and his business partner, John Rebecchi, took over the restaurant 18 months ago and have certainly been busy. They started to offer exclusive and interesting wines to customers looking for that 'something special' as well as launching their own event catering company. Finally they also set up a bakery, to provide shops and themselves with traditionally made English and Italian breads, pastries and cakes.

The bakery on the farm

The bakery is housed on Horseshoe farm, Alderley Edge, run by the indefatigable Andy Morrison. Andy started out selling eggs door-to-door over 25 years ago when his job as a dairyman wasn't working out – he became known as Andy the Egg Man. This lead to people asking if he had any chicken meat to sell, so he took on more hens. Soon after he bought the land he was renting and took on geese, then beef, then pigs, then sheep. This led to a farm shop, a butchers and some more land.

Then last year he organised a farm open day that was a huge success. As if that wasn’t enough, he also built his own house – from scratch. "I believe anybody can do anything if they listen to others and use a bit of common sense." During my time with him he fields half a dozen phone calls, oversees the installing of a new till system in the shop and takes in a hay delivery. You've got to admire the dedication, energy and drive of the man. He's more like a city trader than the stereotypical image of a farmer.

In the farm shop I get chatting to sales assistant Sophie Wade. "I work here part time, it's good fun," she says. "What do you do the rest of the time?" I ask. "Oh I'm a cashier for a bank and an extra in Hollyoaks." How's that for a varied CV? There can't be many on the C4 show that can pluck a turkey. But back to the produce: the beef on Horseshoe farm is Aberdeen Angus, and hung for three weeks, the eggs are from the farm, as is the bacon and chicken. There's also a good range of products from other small business in the surrounding area. While I'm talking, Katie Thornton of Katie's Proper Pate makes a delivery. She gives me some to try and it's fantastic, very smooth, rich, creamy and the right tang of brandy.

On to cupcakes

Anyway, back to the bakery, Duncan also bakes cakes for Katja Seaton of Katja’s Kupcakes. She also uses a section of the bakery and it's her I visited next. Katja trained in New York's prestigious Cup Cake Café, and we all know how serious New York fashionistas take their cupcakes. Each of her creations is a work of beauty, I watch transfixed as a few deftly squeezed blobs of pink and white butter icing suddenly turn into a rose, or how a few dabs can become the centre of a daisy. Watch me attempt to ice a cupcake and see Katja show me how it's done.

Finally Andy tells me how Alderley Edge only receives media attention when WAGs are falling in or out of sports cars or bars, but actually there's still an active, indeed thriving, agricultural community here too, as well as really good cakes.

Are there any butchers or bakers in your area? Why not add it to the map.

Read more about Andrew's tour of the North West.