Guest blogger, Beattie Phillips, tells us about the tasty offerings and deli delights she has enjoyed from Shepherd Shack Catering.
As someone who will always choose a starter over a dessert and cheese over chocolate, I am also a lover of a savoury treat from a deli-counter. My eyes will easily pass over the cakes, brownies and flapjacks but not so when it comes to the pork pies, sausage rolls and quiches. It is at this point that I start salivating.
Unfortunately, more often than not, that treat that looked so tasty behind the glass screen is disappointing in flavour. This was not the case however, when I discovered Shepherd Shack.
Shepherd Shack Catering are a local family company that are delivering deli-products to farm shops and cafés across the county that deliver the taste factor with a capital T. Based out of Dawlish, the owners, Scott and Clair are creating something exciting that makes you experience the old deli counter classics in a new light. You can tell that this team really care about the quality of their products and that they are passionate about championing local produce.
My appreciation for what they’re doing started with a quiche… the homemade shortcrust pastry was short, as it should be, the filling combinations worked perfectly together, you could taste the quality of the produce and the mixture that bound them together was smooth and well-seasoned.
Just forget about the bland, damp, eggy offerings that we’ve all experienced at one time or another and make sure you try one of these. My personal favourite being the Forest Fungi Gourmet Mushroom, Bacon, Redcurrant and Stilton. Others include, Smoked Bacon, Spinach & Cheddar and Butternut Squash, Rosemary & Goat’s Cheese.
Moving on to their Scotch Egg range, well there is most definitely something for everyone. For me, the ‘Jafar’ (the Moroccan spiced Scotch Egg with a chilli flake crumb) is second to none and shows that Scott, the owner and head chef, is not afraid of the spice rack and knows exactly how to combine great flavours.
Their range even includes ‘The Cheegan,’ Shepherd Shack’s answer to a vegan Scotch Egg! Scott won’t give his recipe away, but I do know it involves chickpeas and vegan cheese and that it is a best seller. Others in the range include, the Full English, Cheese & Marmite and the Mediterranean – a holiday in an egg! Regardless of what option you choose, it seems you are guaranteed a perfectly cooked egg with a bright, vibrant yolk inside and a smile on your face after eating.; another big thumbs up. (For the record, Shepherd Shack use Black Dog Eggs of Crediton. Happier hens would be hard to find!)
The pies and sausage rolls are equally as good and who couldn’t help but be a bit impressed by a product list that includes an Open Box Pie of Sri Lankan Curried Chicken with an Onion Bhaji Top. Yes please! Innovative vegan and vegetarian options are also available and include a vegan hot water pastry pie of Saag Aloo & Bean.
Shepherd Shack deli items can now be found at Greendale Farm Shop, Me & Mrs Jones Deli, The Cider Press Centre, Dartington and Forest Fungi Deli to name a few and if you are interested in supplying their products, please see their wholesale product list on their website.
Deli-products are not the only thing this company is about though. Scott and Clair can also deliver fine-dining experiences at your home, for functions or for local events, for more information, please see their website.
Finally, I would just like to mention an upcoming culinary experience from Shepherd Shack that has me very excited. Set in a stunning woodland area of Ashcombe, overlooking the Ashcombe Valley and Exe Estuary and out to the sea, you will soon be able to find a kitchen like no other around. ‘The Woodland Kitchen’ will soon be opening for al fresco evenings, serving the finest of seasonal local ingredients, cooked upon their purpose made fire pits up in the wood. More information on these events will be available soon and I, for one, cannot wait.
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