Hail to our suppliers
‘Great British Eatery’ can’t bring you the best of traditional food without using the best of ingredients. To get the best ingredients you have to choose the best suppliers and that is exactly what we at ‘GBE’ have done. To learn more about the quality of our raw ingredients and suppliers read on or click on the logo links below.
Our Fish
Our fish and chips are the jewel in the ‘Great British Eatery’ crown! It is there for vital that the fish we fry is consistently of the highest quality. When choosing a fish supplier there are two distinct differences. Fish can be either ‘Frozen at Sea’ or fresh.
The 'Frozen at sea' filleting process employs a similar ethos to the frozen peas industry to speedily 'lock-in' quality and goodness. The catch is cleaned, filleted and then frozen on the trawlers within 5 hours to guarantee freshness and quality when the fish reaches the plate. Fresh fish on the other hand may take up to 12 days to reach its final destination meaning that FAS fish is actually ‘fresher than fresh’. Frozen cod and haddock fillets are used by 90% of UK Fish & Chip shops and within the wider catering industry. Benefits of Frozen at Sea Fillets include:
- Consistent high quality of taste
- ‘Ocean Wild’ – not farmed
- No ‘E’ numbers
- Caught in well managed waters of Iceland and Barents Sea
- Filleted and frozen within 5 hours of being caught
- FAS fillets are ‘Fresher’ than variable ‘Fresh’
- Blind taste tests 12 out of 14 chose FAS .
Our fish suppliers – Fastnet of Grimsby are Internationally recognised as being among the leaders in their particular sphere of activity. Throughout the frozen seafood industry, the Fastnet name has become synonymous with the highest quality both in terms of products range and the level of service they offer to all their customers.
Here at ‘GBE’ we fry our fish and chips in the traditional medium of beef dripping. This is what gives our final product the authentic flavour which cannot be gained using other oils. Our refined and deodorised beef dripping is made by Nortech Foods the country's largest refiners, producers and packers of animal oils and fats for the catering, retail and food manufacturer sectors.
Our batter is made for us by Middleton’s who are based in Wolverhampton. Middleton Food Products is a family owned company investing in UK people and products. Established in 1989, Middleton Food Products has rapidly developed into a nationally and internationally known company providing foods coatings, mixes and customer service to the very highest of standards.
We fry in a high efficiency Florigo frying range which is hand-built in Holland. Florigo is the market leader in this field and have supplied ranges for Rick Stein’s fish and chip shop and Fortnum & Mason’s. Due to the efficiency of the range, our fish and chips spend much less time frying making the end product much healthier and tastier than our rivals. The patented integrated filtration system means that we can refine our frying medium and remove any carbon from our pans twice a day – giving us a cleaner fry.
Our ‘GBE’ Banger is created exclusively for us by Musk’s of Newmarket
Our bespoke ‘GBE’ banger has been created to our own top secret recipe. Once you try it we think you will agree that it is a truly wonderful creation.
Musk’s are a company steeped in tradition and have been a favourite of the Royal family for generations. Having been the proud holder of four Royal Warrants during its history, having recently been granted a Warrant by Her Majesty the Queen. King George V in 1907, whilst Prince of Wales, granted the first Warrant and later in 1929, Edward, the then Prince of Wales, followed suit. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother granted her Warrant in 1965. Royal patronage has always been part of the company’s heritage.
On race days in Newmarket, people come into town to stock up with Musk’s - they are also available in delicatessens and fine food stores around the country.
Musk’s Manufacturing Process
Most sausages contain rusk but Musk’s Newmarket sausages are made with bread, delivered daily by local bakeries, to give them the succulence for which they are renowned.
The meat used is prime British pork shoulder from fully traceable free-range pigs reared on BQAP farms. There is no doubt that shoulder meat is the best for sausage making. It is exceptionally lean and looks good enough for Sunday lunch! Natural hog or sheep gut is slipped onto the machine’s nozzle which is set for either sausages or chipolatas. Gut is thin but strong, so the machine can produce sausages without breaking the skin. Natural casings, which should never be pricked, are best as they will not burst when cooked and the end result is an attractive curved sausage.
Sausages are twisted deftly by hand into links then hung on racks to dry for twenty minutes. They show a good meaty appearance that is proudly displayed in open top packs or on trays. Covering the sausages in cellophane is the one automated process.
The factory practices have been brought into the 21st Century with full higher level EFSIS accreditation to give the quality assurance required nowadays. The small dedicated team who make the sausages have also been awarded Investor in People recognition for their part in maintaining a traditional process.
A reputation that has spanned two centuries brings you the texture and flavour of how sausages used to be.
Our pies and pasties are supplied by Mad O'Rourke's Pie Factory
Mad O'Rourke's name came from the founder of the company - Colm O'Rourke who was a famous chef from Dublin. His first pub was the "Pack Horse" in Bewdley (est. 1986) he then went on to open a chain of pubs across the midlands. The most famous of these pubs was undoubtedly "The Pie Factory" in Tipton and was always the flagship of the company.
The new owner Peter Towler joined them in 1995, he met the O’Rourke’s while he was working on The QEII as a chef. Peter is a fully qualified baker and set about building the pie brand within the company. He bought the O’Rourke’s out on August 1st 2000 and since has purely concentrated on the pie market.
All their manufacturing is done at the Pie Factory in Tipton, with head pie girl "Desperate Dawn" who has been there for over 20 years. She is in control of all recipe development and creating each and every pie. The one thing their pies are famous for is incredibly high meat content. The average meat content in ALL their pies is over 75%!!! Compare that to the average pie and Mad O’Rourke’s win hands down!!! All steak is Chuck and comes from ‘Taylors Butchers’ of Bromsgrove who has been supplying O’Rourke’s for 15 years, all his steak and lamb is hand cut to specification. Only breast is used in the chicken pies which comes from farms in Redditch. All their meat is fully traceable. Each and every pie is hand made. The Pastry is an old family recipe; it is a traditional lard pastry with no additives at all.
Here at GBE we proudly stock the following Mad O’Rourke’s pies:
- Steak
- Lamb & Mint
- Chicken & Mushroom
- Chicken Balti
….and watch out for the pie of the week!
Our Spuds
We buy only the finest British potatoes for our chips and mash. We prefer Maris Piper’s but we will use which ever type offers the greatest quality to you - our customers! We cook your chips in a state of the art high efficiency Florigo Frying Range which operates at higher temperatures than traditional ranges, meaning our chips spend less time in the range resulting in a better tasting, healthier chip!
Our Ice Cream
We buy our Ice Cream from Callestick farm in Devon. Callestick was voted tasters favourite by an impartial tasting panel in ‘The Caterer and Hotelkeeper’ 28th April 2005, some of their comments were – “fabulous, smooth texture and excellent flavour”.
Callestick take pure wholesome milk and cream, and the finest fruits. They add the artistry and professionalism that 15 years of experience has created. They then use state-of-the-art modern facilities to produced the creamiest, most delicious Cornish Ice Cream.
Our Beers and Ciders (yes we are licensed!)
We at GBE believe that to really enjoy a good meal you must accompany it with a suitable beverage. We have therefore tirelessly sourced local beers and British ciders to accompany the dishes on our menu.
We have recently added Purity Beers to our existing range of alcoholic beverages. Brewed locally in Warwickshire, Purity have won many prestigious awards including SIBA National Beer Competition 2009, Mad Goose took Gold in the Champion Best Bitter category. World Beer Awards 2009, Pure UBU Received highly recommended.
Pure Gold 3.8% ABV is a refreshing Golden Ale. Made with English Maris Otter & Cara Gold malts plus Northern Brewer, Fuggles, Hereford Golding and Styrian Golding Hops. Creating an easy drinking beer with a lovely dry and bitter finish.
UBU pronounced OO-BOO - is named after Puritys faithfull/feared canine friend UBU, protector of their secrets. UBU 4.5% ABV is a distinctive Premium amber coloured beer. Using 100% English Maris Otter Malt with Challenger and Cascade hops, creates a balanced full flavoured beer that is a pleasure to drink.
Named after the fearsome Geese that patrol Purity’s Brewery. Mad Goose is a 4.2% Light Copper Pale Ale. Brewed with Maris Otter Malt, Caragold and Wheat Malt with Hallertau bittering hops and Cascade and Willamette aroma hops.Light copper in colour with a great zesty hop character with citrus overtone
Hailing from Netherton in the Black Country; Holden’s is one of only 33 independent family brewers left in Britain. They have been brewing beers since 1915 and still try to work to traditional methods where possible. Try their ‘Golden’ with ’GBE’ bangers and onion gravy or the ‘Special’ (a dark amber premium beer) with our haddock and chips - both of which are a match made in heaven.
Bitter
An impressive golden straw coloured medium bodied ale, brewed using the finest English Maris Otter malts and choicest Fuggles
Golden Glow
An 18ct gold, golden ale with subtle yet fragrant hop aromas, a moreish gentle sweetness and an almost citrus like pleasant bitter finish
Special
A Dark amber premium beer with robust malty overtones and a bitter sweet full bodied taste.
Our Cider (we stock Apple and Pear) is produced in Somerset where Thatcher’s Cider Co. have made fine cider for over a hundred years. Thatcher’s have won the International Cider & Perry Competition Overall winner 2007.
Freedom Brewery
Britain’s first lager only producing microbrewery is based on a farm next to a deer sanctuary in Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire. Freedom Brewery is situated on top of a natural underground lake of Burton brewing water – the world’s finest hard water for brewing. Water is drawn from this sustainable source via a bore hole and used without any treatment for the brewing process. The site has Soil Association accreditation for producing organic lager. Freedom Brewery specialises in producing hand-crafted English lagers that are satisfyingly full of flavour.
Perfect brewing water and the finest locally sourced ingredients create a premium range of lagers that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans (seaweed is used in the filtration process as opposed to fish based products). Freedom lagers are left to mature for a minimum of 4 weeks to enhance the flavour.
Freedom Organic Lager – 4.8% ABV . A rounded malty flavour with a subtle bitterness and smooth caramel aftertaste
Freedom Pilsner – 5% ABV . A full bodied lager with a citrus flowery hop aroma and lavishly satisfying aftertaste
The Philosophy: Freedom Brewery is proud to produce a range of hand-crafted English lagers using natural ingredients for the drinker looking for a premium lager that is full of flavour as an alternative to mass produced products.
Our Packaging
We at ‘GBE’ believe that it is of the greatest importance to be as environmentally conscious as possible. We have therefore sourced packaging, cutlery, napkins and bags which make use of technological developments in the areas of bio plastics and fibre processing. These advances result in a range of packaging based on safe biodegradable and renewable raw materials. Where possible all packaging and throw away items used at ‘GBE’ will be environmentally sound.
