A SECRET family recipe that travelled across the world to Herefordshire has led to the county’s very own award-winning special sauce.
Nick Oliver has taken the Herefordshire Sauce recipe, which travelled from England to New Zealand and back again in 130 years and expanded it into what it is today.
Its journey began in 1890 when the Faddy family started their voyage across three oceans.
It took six months and they struggled along the way with food and drink, but Mrs Faddy had taken her family secret of over 100 years with her – the secret sauce recipe.
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Over a century later, the recipe was passed to Henry – Mr Oliver’s father - who was a canny importer of racehorses, and each year travelled to New Zealand in search of the finest stock.
There he met his good friend, nicknamed Faddy, who was the grandson of the first Faddy settlers, and still guarded their secret.
On each visit Faddy would give Henry a bottle of the sauce before his trip home.
In 1997, a cargo plane filled with industrial freight and three racehorses made the flight from New Zealand.
Two days later, the horses arrived on a farm in Leominster and with them was the recipe at the bottom of a leather bag, written partly in code on the torn-out page of an old diary.
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Mr Oliver’s mother found the recipe after his father passed away and in 2010, she gave the recipe to him. After this he spent 10 years decoding and perfecting it.
In December 2020, the Herefordshire sauce was launched.
The small artisan producer is run by Mr Oliver and his partner Emma Phillips, and his grandfather Jack Goodwin, who produced preserves from his factory in Burghill.
"Emma has been an absolute rock throughout it all," said Mr Oliver.
It is Herefordshire’s own natural 100 per cent plant-based artisan seasoning sauce, the company says, and it offers a spicy sauce and a fiery option.
The sauce is also made with many locally sourced ingredients, the labels are printed in Hereford and bottles in the UK.
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Now, the sauce has won a Great Taste Award and is the first product the family has produced for the public.
It was described as well measures, well rounded, complex and satisfying, said Mr Oliver.
The judges found it to have a pleasing first taste, he said.
The sauce can be bought across the county including Clive’s Fruit Farm, Legges of Bromyard, Ludlow Farmshop, Pengethley Farm Shop, Truffles Delicatessen, Black Sheep Kitchen Pantry, Herefordshire Hampers, LDA Meat Ltd, The Nest and The Crown Inn.
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