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Slow Food Dorset Newsletter, Autumn 2009 HONEYBUNS, 18 JUNE 2009 |
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Tucked away at Naish Farm near Sherborne, Honeybuns is renowned for award-winning gluten-free cakes, sold not only in delis and coffee shops but also in Waitrose and Sainsburys. The evening kicked off in the quirkily decorated Bee Shack, a shining example of the company’s determination to work with existing farm buildings rather than construct new ones. Here, owner Emma Goss-Custard explained Honeybuns commitment to ‘slow’ principles, mentioning that it is one of the dwindling number of bakeries that still hand-crack eggs – attempts to use pasteurised egg mixture caused near-mutiny from the long-term customers.Having donned glamorous blue plastic hats, aprons and shoes, we headed to the packing room (a refurbished milking parlour) where scrupulous record-keeping ensures that products are fully traceable. After a discussion of the ethics of using machinery as opposed to hand packing, we moved on to the calm, almost cathedral-like atmosphere of the bakery. Here, Elaine Parsons explained the intricacies of ‘Millionaire’s Shortbread’ – a drool-inducing masterpiece of polenta shortbread topped with layers of caramel, chocolate buttons, dark Belgian chocolate and a dusting of cocoa powder. Next followed a demonstration of ‘Amondi’ – magical hazelnut, almond and orange-flavoured cookies, inspired by Italian amaretti. Emma discussed the temptation to develop more and more products, but also stressed the need to keep things manageable, bearing in mind the time and cost involved in new product development. Of ongoing concern is the delicate balance between maximising output from the bakery without losing sight of the ‘slow’ qualities that make Honeybuns what it is. The discussion continued back at the Bee Shack where awaited a magnificent buffet supper of the very best of local produce. Emma had also arranged a honey-tasting by Mark Rogers of Filberts Bees, followed by an introduction to the ins and outs of coffee-roasting by Giles Dick-Read of Reads Coffee. And if that wasn’t enough to make us feel truly spoiled, we were presented with scrumptious goody bags when we left. It was one of those memorable evenings in which every single aspect, from the superb cakes and biscuits, to the heart-on-sleeve approach to management and production, brought home the inspiring principles of Emma and her dedicated team. Honeybuns, Naish Farm, Stony Lane, Holwell, Sherborne DT9 5LJ
Charlotte Howlett-Jones, Newsletter Editor |
