Tasty fishy treats at Suffolk event

East Anglian Daily Times: EADT-NEWS Photograph Simon Parker 25/10/09 Middleton Farm Shop plays host to the Herring Festival Knitted herrings MyPhotos24 Ref - SP 09 Herring Fest 4EADT-NEWS Photograph Simon Parker 25/10/09 Middleton Farm Shop plays host to the Herring Festival Knitted herrings MyPhotos24 Ref - SP 09 Herring Fest 4

rganisers of the bi-annual Suffolk Herring Festival are looking forward to the advent of the next event, which will be sailing into Suffolk over the weekend of October 26 and 27.

The weekend, taking place at Middleton Farm Shop, is dedicated to all things herring-related, with tastings, demonstrations, theatre, music and many other sensory treats.

The brains behind the operation are Kelvin Smith, keen fisherman and farmer Jack Rosenthal and adventuress Jill Bowering.

Kelvin says of the inception of the festival: “We decided it would be a good idea about five years ago. We were having a chat and said it would be great to have a herring festival here. There are a number of festivals like this around the world.

“We will be feeding people herring and telling people how to cooking herring. There will be a herring barbecue on Saturday and a kipper brunch on Sunday, while our cookery demonstrations will try to focus on things that people can do at home with their family.

“We want to try and make people aware that they shouldn’t be afraid of the bones – you can eat around them.”

Of the tasty bites available over the weekend, expect to try little herring h’ordeauves, herring served with bread from Martin Clarke (baker at the farm shop) and a special beer from Brandon Brewery named aptly, Silver Darling.

A number of talks are set to take place with local fishermen and local herring expert Chris Unsworth, and there is even going to be a herring-related poetry recital, and the chance for you to take the stage in the open mic poetry slam on Saturday morning.

Another performance will come from local schoolchildren (Jam Pot Drama), who will showcase All At Sea.

And there’ll be a piece of ‘theatrical nonsense’ entitled, The Dogger Outrage, loosely based on a historical event which took place in the North Sea in the early 1900s.

“On Sunday Aldeburgh Music will present Herring Feast with a number of singers and there will be lots of arty events. Suffolk New College students have produced a fish style sculpture, which will be judged by Paul Richardson,” Kelvin added.

“We are asking members of the public to get involved be producing a ‘herring on tenterhooks’. They should create a herring out of any type of material, which will be hung around a tent at the festival to be sold off over the weekend.”

Suffolk Herring Festival takes place from 10am to 4pm on Saturday October 26 and the following day.