Kentish Cobnuts

Autumn in England is always my favourite season of the year – so much fresh produce is available in great abundance & variety.

Recently while a holiday on the West Coast of Ireland, I read an article written by the Irish chef Richard Corrigan in which he encouraged us, all to move away from large food shopping trips to smaller ones more often. Thus affording us an opportunity to keep in touch with the fresh produce available on our markets and in our stores. I personally have decided to adopt this policy in our home.

While shopping for Sunday lunch today I bought some Cobnuts – a variety of the hazelnut, traditionally grown in Kent since the 1800s. Production has decreased dramatically in recent years. Cobnuts are grown naturally without the use of fertiliser, pesticides or chemical sprays. They are available between late August and the end of October. They can be eaten as they are or added to salads and pasta, and even roasted with a little Maldon salt.