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.
The Freshest Fish
Our fish and chips are the jewel in the ‘Great British Eatery’ crown! When choosing a fish supplier there are two distinct differences. Fish can be either ‘Frozen at Sea’ or wet. ‘Frozen at Sea’ Fish has been caught by larger factory trawlers operating in managed fishing grounds in the Arctic Seas. This fish is caught from the sea and then immediately processed, filleted, and frozen - it may take weeks to reach your plate!
When fish is frozen and then defrosted its quality can be adversely affected, on the contrary wet fish has been caught and transported to the end user without being frozen. When wet fish has been caught and is transported and stored efficiently the fish will be of the highest possible quality. ‘Great British Eatery’ therefore utilise wet fish at all times where possible as it is vastly superior to its frozen competitor. As the majority of fish consumed will at one time have been frozen we at ‘GBE’ believe that sourcing and selling the freshest wet fish will set our fish and chips apart from the competition!
As we are located close to the famous Birmingham wholesale market we have chosen to use Tudor Seafood’s to supply us with all of our offerings from the ocean. Tudor are a well established and respected wholesaler, who’s fish is delivered fresh from the coast daily. Tudor have been supplying the catering industry for over 30 years and are complete experts in all things fishy! We receive a fresh fish delivery six days a week to ensure that our product is always super fresh. Sourcing our fish from Tudors allows us to take advantage of the great variety of species they offer - from Bass to Hake, Flounder to Sole - ‘GBE’ will offer a variety of special dishes that will be determined by seasonality and market freshness. If you would like us to design you a special dish using your favourite fish we would be more than happy to do so - just ask our staff for details.
Once you try us we think you will agree that our fish and chips are of the highest quality! 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, Fortnum & Mason’s and Tom Aitken’s new shop in Chelsea. 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.
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 Shire Famous Pies
Shire Foods have been manufacturing Pies, Pasties and Sausage Rolls for almost 40 years. The company started by making pies and delivering them same day to retailers across the Midlands. The company has grown over the years and is now the Market Leader in supplying Pies to football grounds up and down the country.
Shire recently moved to a new purpose built production site in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, after spending some 35 years in Warwick. Shire can now boast one of the most modern production facilities in Europe and are the only EBLEX certified Pie Manufacturer in the country. The EBLEX Quality Standard logo (Beefy and Lamby) is designed to maximise your confidence about the meat you are buying. All meat carrying the Quality Standard logo meets stringent quality assurance criteria and is fully traceable. Quality Standard beef and lamb is produced to higher standards than required by law with a supply chain which is fully assured and independently inspected at every stage from farm to meat counter.
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.
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 now 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.
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
Freedom Organic Dark – 4.7% ABV. A deep ruby brown lager with natural hidden toffee flavours
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.
