Rachel's Deli

On Saturday I was at Rachel's Deli (http://www.rachelsdeli.co.uk) to give customers the opportunity to taste my smoked snails. It was a lovely warm day and groups of people drifted in and out on their way to and from the Secret Garden Restaurant, Ibbidi Bobbidi Boo gift shop and all the other outlets.

If you haven't yet discovered Mersham Le Hatch Business Village (http://www.mershamlehatch.com/) then I can recommend a trip. Near Ashford and the M20/A20 it is in a courtyard of attractive outbuildings formerly part of Lord Brabourne's estate. This is a group of shops that definitely deserves a closer look.

Rachel is now stocking my smoked snails and garlic butter canapes in the freezer, both perfect for dinner parties and special occasions at home. A lot of the fresh meats and vegetables stocked are organic and sourced locally but there is also a good range of charcuterie, wine and cheeses from across Europe. The tomatoes are so fresh they are still growing in pots outside the window.

Allotment Escargots

Snails have made a nutritious contribution to the human diet for 17,000 years. If you are concerned about the environment then you should consider using this natural resource from your garden or allotment.

This book is for you if you are interested in:
· collecting free food from the wild,
· growing your own fruit and vegetables
· buying locally produced food,
· reducing food miles
· lowering your carbon emissions
· eating well

Find out how to:
· rear local snails for your own consumption
· keep the snails in and everything else out
· decide what to plant for your family and your snails
· collect, prepare and eat your snails
…and lots more.

Published by H&RH Escargots © 2009 Price £5

Writing the Book

Coming out and saying I'm writing a book feels like a big step even though I've been writing for years: making my living as a writer indeed for some time. but whenever I talk to people about the snail business they ask when the book's coming out. 'There's got to be a book in it', they say... and maybe there is.

I went to a book launch last night for Katherine May's first novel Burning Out published by Snowbooks: http://www.snowbooks.com/author_May.html. You can see all about Katherine and her books on: http://www.katherinemay.co.uk/, see Katherine reading an extract on Youtube and watch her next book slowly develop by following each day's first and last lines on www.twitter.com/mustardpepper. I haven't read the book yet but I am certain it is going to be well written and a joy to read as Katherine's work always is. I am grateful for the invitation to the event because it spurred me on to make as much use of August as I can while other work is on the back burner.

I met Katherine first through Medway Mermaids the writers' group she set up: http://www.medwaymermaids.btik.com/. I joined because I wanted to move sideways from non fiction academic work to experiment with writing fiction. I felt I wanted the support of other new writers to help me make that shift. With the members I experimented with all sorts of writing: scripts, poetry and historical fiction and learnt a lot especially about 'show' instead of 'tell'. We're always happy to see new members so if you are reading this and looking for support with your writing please make contact.

From the beginning of the snail business I kept a daily journal, partly so I could look back and see what worked and what didn't, as there was a lot of experimenting involved in their care. I've now started re-writing some of the early pieces I wrote, to try and weave it into a coherent shape. It seems to be settling into chunks that correspond with months of the year and events in the East Kent countryside. This, so far amorphous mass of writing, has the provisional title: Of Molluscs and Me, but I don't think I'm ready yet to share it with the wider world. Maybe there will come a time when I want to post extracts up on the net but not yet.

On Sale Here

The snails will be making an appearance at two events in August this year.

The first event is in Goodnestone Park on Sunday 9th August from 12 till 5 at the Food Fair for the Best of Kent weekend. You will be able to buy hot snails in garlic butter ready to eat and snails to eat at home, bottled in garlic butter or smoked.

for details see: http://www.ct3events.com/Produce--and--Craft-Fayre.php

The second event the snails will be attending is the Annual Barn Produce Show in Littlebourne Barn on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August.

If you haven't been to the historic barn it is definitely worth a visit just to see the inside: http://www.littlebournebarn.co.uk/

The event is an opportunity for local gardeners and allotment holders to show their biggest pumpkins and straightest runner beans. They will also be showing chickens and other livestock, so the snails are appearing under this category. They won't be winning any prizes, but only because the show committee have no criteria by which to judge them. Nevertheless they will be there to smile for the cameras.