Regional recipe

The Three Crowns Inn in Ullingswick, Herefordshire, is probably the only rural eaterie to have seen business expand during last year's foot-and-mouth crisis.

Despite being in the heart of farming country and in the middle of a foot-and-mouth restrictive area, chef-proprietor Brent Castle reports a 45% growth in turnover during 2001. He claims his business boomed while others all around him slumped because all the ingredients he uses - apart from the fish, which comes from Newlyn in Cornwall - is grown or produced from sustainable and traceable sources within a 30-40 mile radius.

Castle's dedicated use of local produce, combined with the resulting quality of food that he produces, helped the Three Crowns carry off the title of Best Restaurant of the Year in the Heart of England's inaugural Food and Drink Excellence Awards. These were announced at the East Midlands Food & Drink Fayre at Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire, at the end of May. The awards are the showpiece event in a three-year Food & Drink in Tourism Project funded by the English Tourism Council, Advantage West Midlands, East Midlands Development Agency and the Countryside Agency. So the Three Crowns' success is even more pertinent.

The aim of the project is to develop the distinctiveness of the Heart of England through its food and drink culture. This is also the philosophy at the heart of Castle's approach to running the Three Crowns ever since he and his original partners, Derrick and Sue Horwood, took over the freehold of the pub five years ago. Castle bought out the partners in March this year.

"We are situated on the Welsh Borders, in the heart of prime farmland, so it would be a crime not to use it, both as a benefit to ourselves and to help other small local businesses," says Castle. "All we are doing is what French regional restaurants have always done - cook dishes using only local ingredients."

The Three Crowns serves 45 covers a night. Castle makes good use of locally reared Ryelands lamb and Berkshire pork, salmon smoked by Lay & Robson in Hereford, Blenheim Orange apples, which he uses in fine apple tarts, apple fritters and apple and frangipane pies, and Worcester Black pears, poached in a local Riesling wine with sage and served with cumin shortbreads. While herbs are grown in the Three Crowns' gardens, most of Castle's fruit and vegetables are bought from the neighbouring Lower Hope Farm.

Using local produce has always been central to the way Castle runs the Three Crowns, but it is only since 1999 that he has become focused on its marketing benefits. That was the year he first entered the Flavours of Herefordshire awards, which this year became one of eight regional award schemes to go forward to the Heart of England Food and Drink Excellence Awards. As a runner-up in 1999 and then a winner in both 2000 and 2001, the Three Crowns has received a great deal of publicity and this has attracted a loyal customer following.

For Castle, the awards are not just about giving the chef a pat on the back. "This is all about creating an economic micro-climate and stimulating food trade in the local area," he says.

Castle's philosophy is indeed central to the Food & Drink in Tourism Project. Since its launch in April 2000, the project has set out to develop what makes the Heart of England region special in terms of its food and drink culture. The idea is to maximise the benefits of visitor spend to the region's economy and local communities.

The project covers the Heart of England Tourist Board area, encompassing Herefordshire and the Wye Valley, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands (Birmingham and the Black Country) and Worcestershire.

Once its work has been completed, it is hoped that many other regional tourist boards in the country will be able to use the Heart of England formula as a model for local application.

The British Tourist Authority is also keen to adapt various elements of the project in order to run a food and drink campaign directed towards overseas visitors.

Some of the project's other activities aimed at helping to promote tourism through food and drink include:

* An Internet site in Leicestershire - www.farmshop.net - which aims to develop sales of local and regional foods to hotels, restaurants and pubs.

* A "meet the buyer" event as one of a number of projects in Staffordshire, where there is little recognition of local produce nationally or even within the county. This is aimed at bringing producers and hospitality operators together. Other projects include the production of consumer guides promoting Staffordshire recipes, food and drink producers and places to eat and the development of a business-to-business and business-to-consumer Web site.

* A project led by Derby University to link local food and tourism industries. New food products will be promoted through hospitality outlets and distinctive new menus will be created for pubs, restaurants and hotels, aimed at attracting new visitors.

* Liaison with Birmingham College of Food, Tourism & Creative Studies to assist the training of chefs on local sourcing issues and the development of recipes through visits to suppliers and farmers' markets.

* A pilot project to introduce an "L" logo, similar to the "V" for vegetarian, on menus in Lincolnshire to identify local dishes.

* A two-year training-based project in Herefordshire, called Maturing the Flavour. This aims to identify training requirements to help create synergy between producers and caterers, while at the same time reducing food miles and supporting the local economy.

* The research and development of food in the Black Country. Recipes will be collated into a short publication, which will also recommend where authentic ingredients and products can be bought.

While results of all these projects are being assessed continually, figures to determine the benefits of each to tourism development are yet to be published. However, project manager Jo Jury says that food and drink is very much on the agenda for all tourism officers within the Heart of England and, as a result, there is an increased awareness among consumers of the issues involved.

"This has become much more pertinent in the light of foot-and-mouth," she says. "Consumers are now aware of local food issues, such as food miles, and the importance of traceability. As a consequence, they are keen to eat food which has been produced locally."

Further information on the Food & Drink in Tourism Project and opportunities for involvement can be obtained from Jo Jury, Heart of England Tourist Board, Larkhill Road, Worcester WR5 2EZ. Tel: 01905 761124; e-mail: joj@hetb.co.uk.

The Heart of England Food and Drink Excellence Awards

Winners from eight county food and drink award schemes from across the Heart of England Tourist Board region - Coventry and Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire - were considered for the regional awards in three categories: best restaurant, best pub/inn and best tea/coffee shop. Next year's event hopes to select winners from 11 different award schemes within the region.

BEST RESTAURANT
Winner: Three Crowns Inn, Ullingswick, Herefordshire
Commended: The Opera House, Leicester

BEST PUB/INN
Winner: The Dog Inn and Davenport Arms, Worfield, Shropshire
Highly commended: The Burnt Gate, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Commended: The Cock Inn, Muggington, Western Underwood, Derbyshire

BEST TEA/COFFEE SHOP
No overall winnerCommended: Mrs Muffins, Ledbury, Herefordshire
Berry's, Church Stretton, Shropshire