WHERE’S MY CHEESE? – The GREAT British Food Tour 2014 (part 8)

We’ve stopped for an afternoon smoke at the only remaining smoker on Anglesey. We’re talking award inning bacon, fish and eels. Well worth a look – smacznego!

DeriMon – Anglesey’s only traditional Smokehouse

DeriMon (translated from Welsh means ‘The Oaks of Anglesey’) – the name is derived from the fact that our property – Deri Isaf (meaning Lower Oaks) – is derived from the Welsh name for oak – ‘derwen’ – much of this part of Anglesey was an oak forest in times gone by and many place names are linked to this fact.

Smoking and brining is, of course, the original method for preserving food prior to refrigerators and freezers and many properties, including ours, had their own artisnal smoke houses for this purpose.  Times have, of course, moved on somewhat and we now smoke for the added flavour rather than for the need to preserve.  Today we also have vacuum packing, together with the smoking and brining leading to extended shelf life either in a fridge or freezer.

Our family business is based on several years of smoking for our own family and friends, using our own 400 year old oak shavings and sawdust derived from natural gale damage!!  This has now developed into a state of the art smokery, still retaining the traditional recipes, some unique to ourselves, for maximum flavour, but complying with all EU food safety legislation.  Be assured that our produce has no chemicals, dyes or artificial flavouring whatsoever.

Being the only remaining smokery on our beautiful island of Anglesey, we are passionate about our business and would love to share this experience with you.

In November 2006 DeriMon was awarded the ‘Small Producer – Silver Award’ in the True Taste of Wales competition for our Anglesey cured smoked back bacon.  We are, justifiably, very proud of this accolade and look forward to entering many more of our produce for this and wider competitions in the future. In November 2007 we again received the Reserve Winner in the True Taste of Wales Awards for the Best smoked Welsh cheddar cheese. In 2008 we were in the Welsh Top 5 “Gary Rhodes Local Food Heroes ” Awards for our Hot smoked Anglesey Eel.

Beaumaris Castle – a 13^th Century Fortress

Beaumaris Castle on the Island of Anglesey is the great unfinished masterpiece. It was built as one of the ‘iron ring’ of North Wales castles by the English monarch Edward I, to stamp his authority on the Welsh. But it was never finished money and supplies ran out before the fortifications reached their full height.  Beaumaris is nonetheless an awesome sight, regarded by many as the finest of all the great Edwardian castles in Wales. Begun in 1295, it was also the last.

The king’s military architect, the brilliant James of St George, brought all his experience and inspiration to bear when building this castle, the biggest and most ambitious venture he ever undertook. In pure architectural terms Beaumaris, the most technically perfect castle in Britain, has few equals. Its ingenious and perfectly symmetrical concentric ‘walls within walls’ design, involving no less than four successive lines of fortifications, was state of the art for the late 13th century. The stronghold stands at one end of Castle Street, inextricably linked with the history of the town.

This was the ‘beau marais’ (fair marsh) that Edward chose for a castle and garrison town. From the outside, Beaumaris appears almost handsome. It does not rear up menacingly like other fortresses buts sits contentedly in a scenic setting overlooking mountains and the sea, partially surrounded by a water filled moat. The gate next-the-sea entrance protected the tidal dock which allowed supply ships to sail right up to the castle. Beaumaris is endlessly fascinating.

There is so much to see here, the 14 separate major obstacles that any attacker would have to overcome, the hundreds of cleverly sited arrow-slits, the deadly use of ‘murder holes’ to defend entrances. This outstanding fortress is a World Heritage inscribed site.

We stayed at Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn – a GREAT experience!

Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, a sophisticated blend of the ancient and modern, has been welcoming guests since the 15th century. Privately owned, it occupies a strategic location in the centre of the picturesque and historic town of Beaumaris. A Grade II listed building, The Bull has played a pivotal role in the development of the town over the centuries.

Cromwell’s General Mytton commandeered the Inn during the English Civil War: in complete contrast, it became one of Anglesey’s first legally recorded Quaker meeting houses during the 18th century. Novelist Charles Dickens and the diarist Dr Samuel Johnson are just two of its famous past guests. Contemporary decor merges with ancient timbers, antique furniture and artefacts retaining the historic character of The Bull. The Freehouse Bar retains a traditional atmosphere with an array of interesting antiques, an open log fire and oak beams. Popular with both locals and visitors, the bar has earned a widespread reputation for excellent hand drawn real ale.

We tried a dram of Penederyn – a unique single malt whisky from the country of Wales

At the dawn of the new millennium, a group of friends from the beautiful country of Wales set out with a simple vision. As the first Welsh distillers in more than a century, they were determined to break with convention and pledge to realise their dream.The whisky still at Penderyn is unlike any other: a single copper pot still producing a flavourful spirit of extraordinary strength and purity.

This still was invented exclusively  by Dr David Faraday, descendent of the ground-breaking Victorian scientist, Michael Faraday. At 92% alcohol by volume the new spirit has the highest strength of any malt wysgi; and with just one barrel produced every day, it is also exceptionally rare. The Penderyn house style derives uniquely from the use of two types of cask. After an initial maturation in hand-selected bourbon barrels from a single source, the wysgi is further matured in special Madeira barriques.

Art and science come together at the moment when talented young distillers, decree that a cask is ready to be bottled. Thanks to the quality of the wood, the delicate spirit rapidly develops a sophistication normally confined to much older whiskies, but to retain its freshness and vibrancy care is taken not to let it over-mature. Reducing the strength drop by drop with Brecon spring water, Penderyn wysgi is bottled without chill-filtration.

Derimon Smoked cheddar and a dram of Penderyn – a GREAT combination – taste it for yourself!