The best food in Britain - chosen by Telegraph readers

We were delighted to appear in the Saturday section of the Telegraph last weekend in this article celebrating Britain's best food!

Hoover up some heavenly ham in Suffolk

Upon seeing my article about quintessentially British foods, long-time Telegraph reader Mark Thomas, proprietor of Emmett’s Store in the bucolic village of Peasenham in Suffolk, let me know I needed to include Emmett’s ham. Established in 1820, Emmett’s is, according to Thomas, the oldest artisan ham-maker in the country. In one corner, his shop displays a royal warrant from the late Queen Mother.

Brotherhood of ham: Jack samples reader (and master pork butcher) Mark Thomas’s wares in Suffolk

“Everything we do, we do by hand,” Thomas explains. “Our pork comes from Blythburgh, up the road – all free range. Only three per cent of British pork is free range, including ours. We receive the loin, the belly, gammons on the bone, off the bone, ribs and sometimes collars. We cure all our bacon naturally with just natural salt, black pepper, and fennel seed. We sell it unsmoked and also smoked over beech in our heritage smokehouses. We marinade in beer and spices to make it stronger, darker, and sweeter.”

The effort, I’m pleased to say, is worth it. On a visit to Emmett’s store Thomas makes me a sandwich with his best seller, Suffolk black smoked ham.

Delicious!