Residents of Svanholm, Denmark s largest commune, sharing lunch in the sunshine.
Photograph by Martin Kaufmann
There can’t be many self-sufficient, organic communes with close ties to Michelin-starred restaurants, but at Svanholm, chefs popping by to pick up produce is par for the course.
Noma, four times named the world’s best restaurant in the respected World’s 50 Best list, sources richly coloured kale, carrots and organic beef here. And until its recent closure, Copenhagen’s renowned Relæ would send its kitchen staff to make the 50-minute drive across the flat, patchwork fields of Zealand and over the glimmering waters of the Roskilde Fjord each day. They’d turn off just before the stately tree-lined avenue leading to Svanholm Gods, a 700-year-old mansion-turned-commune, to harvest vegetables from fields untouched by fertiliser or pesticides for more than 40 years, and to collect fresh, unpasteurised milk for making burrata.
A seafood platter at The Angel Hotel, a 19th-century former posting inn in Abergavenny.
Photograph by The Angel Hotel
Potted Shrimp with curried Cauliflower Velouté
Potting is an age-old British technique that involves placing brown shrimp in pots with melted butter and spices; as the butter sets, so the shellfish are preserved. At Kysty, in Ambleside, chef-patron Ryan Blackburn pots shrimps using his own secret recipe. Only the finest seasonal ingredients are used, including shrimp from the Irish Sea. £12 as a starter.
Seafood Platter
Monmouthshire has a long history of fresh local shellfish, and at The Angel Hotel, a 19th-century former posting inn, it’s showcased in a bounteous platter featuring mussels, king prawns, seared scallops, deep-fried oysters and crab mayo with toast, plus a selection of fish. Main for two, or a starter for up to five, £60.
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