Welcome to my Blog The Vintage Tea Party Sussex

Vintage China Trio

Welcome to my Blog and thanks for looking!

My name is Patricia and I own VTP Caterers in Southwick, which is near Brighton in England.

I have been cooking and baking food for over 22 years as a professional cook /sous chef - and can remember as a little girl watching in my Grandma's huge kitchen,seeing her making delicious and nutricious food from scratch. Food was always seasonal and never wasted.

The Sunday roast on Monday became slices of cold mutton (not lamb - mutton was much tougher and had to be cooked for ages) with hot bubble and squeak - fried left overs of vegetables such as potatoes,cabbage,swede and carrots with fresh chopped onion to add some flavour then covered in delicious gravy made from the meat jelly juices - just yummy.
Her steamed steak and kidney puddings were just amazing as was her homemade soups, cakes and apple pies. All made by hand, no gadgets in those days - except for hand whisks and grinders for mincing left over meat to make the best Shepherd's Pie ever.
Dripping sandwiches were also very popular for high tea using the cold jelly from the joint with a smear of fat to make a delicious and probably fattening sandwich.
 
But back in the 50s,  nobody was obese because food was cooked from fresh and only in season and many people grew their own veg and fruit in a garden or on an allottment. there were no takeaways so the food fresh and not with added chemicals the farmers put into today was far healthier for you.

Clothes also were handmade, my gran knitted herself a whole suite (cardi and matching skirt) and hand-lined with a silk fabric.
I guess having been used to cooking frugally in the war years,the tradition carried on and I can never remember my Gran wasting food.

I understand the lovely cook Margarite Pattern devised many recipes during the war years which were wholesome and filling.