A day in the life of a celery farmer
Farmer Gareth McCambridge tells us about his interesting heritage variety of celery.
Gareth has been a celery grower for eight years. He's been involved in farming all his life, starting on his family’s dairy farm as a schoolboy, and now also grows lettuce, baby gem and organic salads. He grows Fenland Celery on farmland that includes the fields where the Fenlander variety (one of two that are used for Fenland celery) was developed in the 1940’s by Mr Stanley Hopkins. Hopkins’ former manager was on hand to help advise Gareth's team on the traditional Fenland celery growing techniques when they revived the method 12 years ago.
Victorian favourite
Fenland celery is a traditional crop which was grown in the Fens for the Christmas market in Victorian times and was extremely popular. With a slightly later season than standard green celery, it has a nuttier, sweeter flavour than its modern day counterpart and is blanched, i.e. paler in colour.
Gareth explains: "This is due in part to the variety used but also to the traditional way it is grown. The celery is planted in wide rows or trenches and, as it grows, the black Fen soil is banked up around the celery to protect it from frost. This also prevents the sun from touching it and giving it a strong colour, which is why it is also known as ‘white’ celery. This traditional method fell out of favour due to lower crop yields and being very labour intensive, but has been revived in recent years".
How to use it
Fenland ‘Winter’ celery is delicious added to soups, stews and casseroles but can also hold its own as an ingredient in its own right. "The sweetness of the celery lends itself perfectly to a caramelised tarte tatin," says Gareth, "but you can’t beat simply dunking it into a pot of humus and tucking in!"
Recipes that make the most of celery
Winter stew of celery, chorizo and cannellini beans recipe
Caramelised celery tarte tatin with parmesan crust recipe
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