Grovetown Road Trip

Going nuts


When you start scratching the surface of what is in your back yard you come across some hidden talents and that was certainly the case last week at out monthly slow food event. Our group of intrepid Marlborough Slow food foodies were privileged to visit Uncles Joes hazelnuts and Walnuts factory (I wont even mention that they won Oil of the Show (Canterbury) two years in a row, or top 10 Artisan Cuisine Award) in Grovetown, Annies Marlborough Ltd followed up by a hot glass of Mulled wine at the Grovetown Country Hotel

While I knew that squirrels’ horde nuts over the winter I had no idea that the Howells (Uncles Joes) orchard would produce such a multitude of Hazelnuts and that there gathering skills would see them become the caretakers for many tons of nuts in there Grovetown Factory which would then be processed into Uncle Joes Walnut and Hazelnuts and Pastes as well as eating and cooking nuts. The very fact that Uncle Joe himself is the legend that sat around the fire cracking nuts with hand cracking conjures up product integrity. Leaving the warmth of the Nuttery (??) we travelled in convey to Annie’s where Graham enthusiastically as ever talked to our group about the highs and lows of his business as well demystifying the human digestive system. After 20 years of Annies products and having established it all around the world there is not much that they have not encountered and it makes you wonder where to next ? - Well if you know Graham then he is already looking at the next mountain to climb (which is really no different to selling into international supermarket chains, do it one step at a time) and it was time for our group to move onto our last location – the Grove Town Country Hotel. Here we were meet by the publican and a hot brew of Mulled wine that ended a very informative and interesting tale of all things foodie in the mighty Grovetown