![L-R Tracy Carroll of Local Food Surrey, Christine Howard of Visit Surrey welcome the Prime Minister to the Taste of Surrey event at the Houses of Parliament 26 November 2014[1].jpg](https://www.essentialsurrey.co.uk/downloads/1961/download/L-R%20Tracy%20Carroll%20of%20Local%20Food%20Surrey%2C%20Christine%20Howard%20of%20Visit%20Surrey%20welcome%20the%20Prime%20Minister%20to%20the%20Taste%20of%20Surrey%20event%20at%20the%20Houses%20of%20Parliament%2026%20November%202014%5B1%5D.jpg?cb=9d7c21ab9e9ae22fb416eb40791f94af&w={width}&h={height} "L-R Tracy Carroll of Local Food Surrey, Christine Howard of Visit Surrey welcome the Prime Minister to the Taste of Surrey event at the Houses of Parliament 26 November 2014[1].jpg")
Tracy Carroll of Local Food Surrey, Christine Howard of Visit Surrey welcome the Prime Minister to the Taste of Surrey event at the Houses of Parliament
The Prime Minister was offered a 'Taste of Surrey' when a group of food and drink producers descended on Parliament yesterday [26 November] to showcase the flavours of the county.
From specially created ‘Political Fudge’ to ‘Humble Pies’, award-winning wines and beers, breads, cakes and mutton, Surrey’s food and drink community rallied to a call by Local Food Surrey founder Tracy Carroll to participate in the initiative, organised by Visit Surrey.
Food Float's Tim McEntire and Chris Robinson from Chalk Hills Bakery present the Prime Minister with the Local Food Surrey hamper
The food was prepared by Ashtead chef David Gillott and presented as a lunchtime showcase at the Palace of Westminster.
Speaking at the lunchtime showcase, Mr Cameron said: “Surrey has a huge amount to offer and sometimes people forget that, because they think of it as not having that sort of rural environment, which it does” said Mr Cameron.
“The Surrey Hills are very beautiful, the food production is extremely good and of course the wine business in England is really growing.”
“For quite a while we didn’t think The Prime Minister was going to make it after all so when he finally turned up the excitement level was tremendous,” said Tracy Carroll.
“Although he was clearly very busy he made the effort to taste the food and drink and asked lots of questions. He seemed very pleased with the Local Food Surrey hamper which was presented by Chris Robinson of Chalk Hills Bakery and Tim McEntire of Food Float.
Local producers wait for the PM with the Local Food Surrey hamper
“We also told him about the fudge which had been specially created for the occasion by Liz Usher of Mummy Makes Fudge – Ed Vanillaband and Salt Cameron. He seemed to think that was very amusing and went off with a bag of it.”
"I was just over-run with interest in the mince pies" laughed Chris Robinson of Chalk Hills Bakery in Reigate.
"People were coming back to me for more and they were saying, “Great mince pies.” They were going off with whole boxes of them. I got to the point where I was asking, “How many people are there in your office? Here, take six.”
“It was a fantastic opportunity to spend some time with the other producers” added Tim McEntire.
“I’m so proud of our great British heritage so the opportunity to come to the Houses of Parliament was awesome. I thought the MPs were great. I spoke to Mr Beresford, our MP for Mole Valley, and he says he will visit us on the Food Float stall.”
Visit localfoodbritain.com/surrey to find out more about Local Food Surrey
