long pepper at longleat

This felt like some sort of strange dream and I’m not entirely sure that it wasn’t, but last Sunday I found myself attending a garden party at Longleat. I think the pictures say it all really…

Well not quite. I sampled a couple of edible treats. One of which was called long pepper and was offered around the table for nibbling. These Indian catkins looked remarkably like the droppings of the ‘dangerous rutting deer’ that we saw at the safari park on the estate later that day: small, black and knobbly. They tasted of chilli, peppercorns, cloves and nutmeg and tingled on the tongue – a great wake-up call.

I also tried some of the most delicious all natural chocolates made by Mike and Radek of Radek’s Chocolates. These dark and divine treats, which are supplied to The Hilton in London, had inventive fillings such as raspberry jam and hazelnut with maple syrup. Mmmm – I might have to have a go at making chocolates.

I’d wanted to see the lions of Longleat all day, but the safari park was closed. I did see this one though…