Angus D. Birditt
Food writer, photographer and poet Angus D. Birditt welcomes us into his family home and shares the 3 things that he treasures most from his kitchen.
Having spent the past couple of years travelling the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland peeking into other people’s kitchens for his latest book, Angus has certainly got a taste for the great British countryside. We hosted Angus in the Elliott’s Studio at the end of last year to celebrate the launch of A Portrait of British Cheese, his new book which highlights the food, the people and the landscapes of cheesemaking across the British Isles. The book feels timely and relevant after a challenging few years for both farming and cheese production. With this in mind, Angus shines a light on the industry of rural life and the fruits of its labour. Self confessed birdwatcher, traveller and perennial shorts wearer, Angus shares his home with partner Lilly Hedley, an illustrator and printmaker whose woodcut prints feature in the new book and in their shared publication of poetry and art Our Isles - A celebration of Rural Trades and Traditions.
Angus’s Life in the Kitchen
“The kitchen I am going to talk to you about is my old family kitchen, the reason for this being that it is most definitely the kitchen, well, any room come to think of it, I have spent most of my time in. Located on the ground floor of a 160os thatched cottage with portions that seemed to have been made for fictional hobbits rather than real human beings, the kitchen was small and confined but intimate and cosy, often dark due to it’s small windows and very low ceilings, so low in fact that if you were anything over 5”6 you’d have several bumps on your head if you weren’t careful”.
“The heart of the kitchen was the Aga, warming the kitchen and the entire house, and always it seemed, being hugged by one family member or friend that popped round. Pasta was most often on the menu, favourites like puttanesca or carbonara (always with cream and egg added) cooked on the Aga top. I can still remember the sweet wafts of tomato reaching my bedroom, which was above the kitchen. And yes, above the Aga as well, which was a godsend in winter but a horrendous experience in hot summer, as you can imagine! Other staples included – when we were feeling lazy – a tray lined with chipolata sausages or cheese and leek pastries in the Aga to cook until crisp”.
1. Le Creuset (lid missing).
“I got this pan from a car boot sale for £2 a long while ago, which was an absolute snip, even with its lid missing! Since then it’s been used most days in whichever kitchen I find myself in, sometimes taking it to other family members or friends’ houses to cook with. When I have enough time and I’m in one of those moods when I want nothing else than to be in my own space, listening to the radio and cooking, I pop it on the hob and fire away, often starting with plenty of onions and plenty of garlic of some variety”.
2. Halen Môn Sea Salt.
“Halen Môn Sea Salt and my Le Creuset pan are certainly kitchen friends. They are inseparable, next to one another in the kitchen, whether it’s during cooking, stored in the cupboard or placed on the side surfaces. The salt is normally in its handsome dark blue cardboard tube (such as here!) or poured into various small dishes adorning the kitchen surfaces. I first met the makers of this salt, the Lea-Wilson family, at their impressive saltcote back in 2015. After learning what they have been doing for the last 22 years, I was bowled over by the sourcing of the salt from the Menai Strait and the detail that goes into making the salt. I now can’t cook without it!”.
3. Coffee Mug.
“I am definitely one of those annoying morning people who has more energy than they should in the mornings. It’s when I work best, get to see the early sunsets in summer and dark quiet ones in winter, and experience one of the best parts of the day, morning coffee. This coffee mug is a relatively new kitchen item, a gift from Lilly from Brassica Mercantile, a lovely charming shop in the heart of Beaminister in Dorset. I often have two coffees in the morning, the first as a shot and the other slowly enjoyed – the frothier the better”.
Visit Angus’s website here and follow him on instagram @ourisles
Lilly’s artwork can be found @lillyhedleyprint