The trend towards local food, best reflected by the growth of Farmers’ Markets in the UK over the past decade or so, has now started to feed into the catering trade; but for one award-winning wedding caterer, Stafford-based ‘Kemp and Kemp Catering’ – the local pedigree of their food has always been important.
This is best reflected in their sourcing of meat. Kemp and Kemp use Martyn Mottershead, whose family business has been serving Staffordshire meat to the residents of Staffordshire for over 25 years. Martyn has built up close relationships with local farmers who can personally vouch for their animals as being born, and raised on Staffordshire grass.
Lamb is an excellent example of just how local meat can be. It all comes from farms within a few miles of Stafford, including Shugborough Park Farm, 3 miles from Martyn’s shop. Here, farmer Tim Nichols has personally raised every animal himself.
The result on the plate speaks for themselves, with guests regularly commenting that the wedding catering provided by Kemp & Kemp was the best they’d ever eaten.
Karen Kemp commented “When one is providing restaurant quality in a wedding setting, the quality of ingredients is paramount. Richard and I began trading in food on Farmers’ Markets, so know the difference between factory created, mass-produced, imported ingredients from those created by individuals. Martyn’s meat is the only source we’d ever consider – good food is too important to us”.
