Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2010 | Page 146

food Island Life - April/May 2010 Queen of cakes at Kings Manor Farm FIRST birthday time approaches for King’s meat-eaters – the Manor Farm Shop and Café, and its beefburgers are success has exceeded all expectations. already legendary Opened by Susie and Jamie Sheldon as a – into a draw for direct outlet for their organic beef and vegetarians, she lamb, the café has become known for its has made dropping remarkably good rustic cooking, and truly in for a cake and a excellent cakes. All thanks to the lady cuppa a truly wonderful experience. Her You can tell from the passion that goes who answered the ad in the paper for ‘an cakes are innovative as well as delicious, into her food that Lucie gives everything addition to the team.’ and now thanks to Lucie’s insistence on to her work, and she gets niggled when bringing in an Italian coffee machine, people raise verbal eyebrows when they Freshwater is no longer a coffee desert. see the produce sold is not all from “They wanted someone to set up the farm shop and thought of selling tea and sandwiches,” says Lucie McArdle, Lucie had, in the past, run a pub they come in. the Isle of Wight. “Those same people manager and cook. “Then one day, while kitchen, and baked pies and pastries for wouldn’t think twice about going to an the building was still being built, I made a a delicatessen, but stocking the shop Italian restaurant in Newport and eating cake. They said it was the best chocolate too was a new and exciting challenge. “I no Island produce at all!” she says. “We cake they’d ever tasted!” love the people I’ve met who make things support British farms everywhere by She began cooking lunches for the and are passionate about it,” she says. “I stocking their produce.” workers, and by the time King’s Manor found Maggie Riley who has an orchard Farm Shop and Café opened on May 9th, garden in St Lawrence. She makes jam, “We’ve done really well. Trouble is, this Lucie had developed a menu of the best and I asked her to create a chutney to year presents an even bigger challenge: to sort of home cooking which, once tasted, complement the burgers, and the result do even better.” brings people back again and again. “A is the smokey, barbequey flavours of couple who’d had vegeburgers here came King’s Manor Red Relish. There is a Green King’s Manor Farm, Copse Lane, all the way from East Cowes for more. Relish too. And she makes our jostaberry Freshwater, Isle of Wight PO40 9TL. They said they were the best they’d ever cordial”. Tel: [phone]. tasted.” Not only has Lucie turned this haven for 146 Another local lady bakes and packages Reflecting on the year Lucie says: [email protected] diabetic cakes, which fly out as soon as Visit our new website - www.visitislandlife.com