Ivy House Farm Butter
Last week, The Sunday Times, featured Merlin Labron-Johnson, formerly of Portland, the UK’s youngest recipient of a Michelin star and who in a week or three opens Osip in Bruton.
Bruton if you hadn’t realised is about 100 yards/20 minutes from my house. It is modern, urbane, sophisticated society writ large, then simmered until massively reduced, before being seasoned and plonked on some of Somerset’s finest farmland.
To the south east is Hauser and Wirth. Slightly west of that The Newt and back in town At The Chapel a few doors away from offices of those rather nice people at Hole & Corner and now, Osip which will be the restaurant of the soon to arrive Number One Bruton.
All very exciting. I mean genuinely, I loved Portland, and believe this to be a hugely important restaurant, both for us locally and national. So my first opportunity to eat I’m there - Friday 29th (in case anyone is reading).
Merlin makes the point in the article about using ingredients local to you. This is of the moment, but also eminently sensible because Bruton as well as being a beautiful and fascinating part of the world, has some amazing produce. Actually scratch that, the entire south west is exceptional. From protein to dairy, honey to carb, game to cider, there is little we don’t do well.
Chief among these is this, butter from Ivy House Farm Dairy. Based in Beckington a rather pretty village which everyone says is near Frome but, I think of it as on the way to Bath. Famous for its roundabout, tennis club and producing that fancy milk they stock in Fortnum, Neal’s Yard, Harrods, Selfridges, etc, etc and Heytesbury village shop.
Of course, it’s only milk. Well, it’s not. It’s the cream of the crop, or the crème de la crème, or just better than that filtered stuff and the only I allow in my morning coffee.
The salted Jersey butter? As the world around us implodes, fake truth becomes real news and far fetched prophesies the future, you realise, or at least I have, that the simple things, done well are the best. The things which drown out the never ending nonsense.
Like our hero, the yellowest, tastiest of organic dairy based spreads. Sunshine with just enough salt, kept in butter dish at room temperature and smothered on decent toasted bread. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Jam or Marmite.