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I may be a relative newcomer to the Hampshire food scene, but in the three and a half years I have been living here and working at The Montagu Arms Hotel in Beaulieu, I have been inspired by the quality of produce that can be found in our region. The waters around our coastline provide the best shellfish, wild sea bass and oysters I’ve ever tasted, while our meadows and woodlands serve as rearing grounds for some of the UK’s highest quality game, beef, lamb and free-range pork, as well as a natural source of wild foods including mushrooms and wild garlic.

We’re also lucky to benefit from a plethora of specialist producers such as John Kennard at New Forest Salads, who grows staggeringly tasty seasonal vegetables that are delivered to the Montagu’s door within minutes of picking, and Peter Niccolls, whose Hatchet Herd of free-range Dexter cows produce beef of unparalleled taste and texture. I can honestly say that writing menus for our two restaurants is a pleasure thanks to the passion and sheer hard graft of people like these.

Naturally, the wonderful produce that can be found throughout our region is not reserved for restaurant deliveries alone. Thanks to the abundance of weekly farmers’ markets, home cooks can work with the same fantastic ingredients that I do in my professional kitchen. And let’s not forget the other avenues there are for sourcing great local produce. Online fruit and veg box schemes and farm shops both come to mind – as does the annual Hampshire Food Festival: a month-long showcase of food and drink produced, reared or grown here in the county.

Why do I mention these things? Because, as the head chef of a property that won a gold award for sustainable tourism in 2011, I feel sustainability is a challenge that must be met head on – not just by restaurants, but by members of the public who can make a vital contribution by purchasing regional produce.

On behalf of all the restaurants and producers in Hampshire, thank you for your continued support. I hope you enjoy using this guide to discover what our region has to offer.