The Sussex Peasant: Chicken that tastes like chicken
There's a reason a good roast chicken remains one of my favourite meals, writes Ed Johnstone.
It's simple, comforting and – if you make the most of it – can feed a family for more than one sitting. But not all chickens are reared in quite the same way.
At Foxacres Farm in Sussex, Deana and Quentin raise slow-growing Hubbard chickens. Their birds have access to 20 acres of land and are reared for more than three months, considerably longer than the typical fast-growing supermarket chicken.
That extra time is part of what makes their farming approach different. The birds have the opportunity to develop naturally, and the resulting meat has the texture and flavour you'd hope for from a properly reared chicken.
Of course, this comes at a price. A slower-growing bird requires more time, feed and care, so comparing it with the cheapest supermarket chicken isn't really comparing like with like.
For me, the question is what you're getting for your money. A good whole chicken can become Sunday lunch, sandwiches the following day and a stock made from the carcass. Add seasonal vegetables and you've got the makings of several satisfying meals.
And then there are eggs. At Old Dairy Farm, Sharon and her family look after around 5,000 free-range hens, with access to an outdoor range that includes tree cover. We collect their eggs regularly, meaning they can reach our customers within days of being laid.
Fresh eggs are one of those small kitchen pleasures that are easy to take for granted. Whether you're making scrambled eggs on toast, a cake or a proper Sunday breakfast, knowing where they come from adds something to the experience.
We all have to make choices about what we spend on food. But I think it's worth looking beyond the price on the shelf and asking how that food was produced. Because sometimes the real value of a chicken or half a dozen eggs is in the farming behind them, and the meals they make possible.
Discover a weekly Sussex Peasant mobile farmers market near you at www.thesussexpeasant.co.uk
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