“These pages are about us doing the hard work so you don’t have to! We’re sent anything from 40 to 100 new products a month, and we really do try them all: tasting, smelling the aromas, testing gadgets. Only if they’re useful, good-looking and value for money do they get the delicious. seal of approval.” KAREN BARNES, EDITOR
Move over wheat
Recent health fads aside, wheat has become so commonplace in our diets it’s easy to forget that, centuries ago, barley was our staple grain, perfectly suited to our inclement island climate. The outstanding Hodmedod’s (one of our 2016 Produce Awards winners) has managed to garner enough heritage seeds to grow crops of organic naked barley. We made the rolled flakes into flapjacks (superb) and porridge (wonderful malty flavour). The flakes are ‘naked’ because the grain falls naturally from the indigestible outer husk, so the whole grain, full of complex carbs and minerals, can be milled without processing. I urge you to try them. Organic Naked Barley Flakes, £2.49 for 500g, hodmedods.co.uk