LONDON enjoyed a taste of Hampshire as the city's oldest food market played host to producers from across the county.

London’s Borough Market was taken over by 16 food and drink suppliers during a two-day event which enabled foodies to sample and buy produce including wine, watercress and wasabi - Japanese horseradish.

Speaking as it drew to a close Hampshire Fare spokeswoman Nancy Judge said: "Hampshire has definitely been the buzz word here at Borough Market.

"It has been brilliant to talk to food lovers from all over the world about the quality of Hampshire produce.

"People have gone away understanding that we make award-winning wines, we are home to beautiful chalk streams, watercress is a versatile superfood and we are the only place wasabi is grown in the UK.

"Many people didn’t realise how close Hampshire is to London and lots picked up our Hampshire Food Festival guides hoping to make it to one of the events happening this July.”

Hampshire ingredients were showcased in a demo kitchen with delicious dishes cooked up by Borough Market’s consultant chef, Hayden Groves, and James Harper from The Watercress Company.

Damian Brown, head chef of Winchester’s Chesil Rectory, cooked a mouth-watering menu including cured chalk stream trout, wasabi mayonnaise, puffed rice and cucumber bavarois.

Traders at the event included Andy Revell from Stag and Bull Biltong.

He said: “Showcasing Stag and Bull Biltong at one of the world’s most famous food markets was a unique experience. It was like playing at Twickenham!

The ‘foodies’ and tourists loved to sample new and innovative products and our local, Hampshire Venison and Beef Biltong was a hit.

"We promoted our new biltong subscription service and got ideas for new products too. Converting biltong savvy South Africans in to trying and then buying our award-winning biltong was just one of the highlights.”

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