Demand for allotment space has increased during recent lockdowns

​People in Britain have been growing vegetables and fruits in outdoor allocated spaces since Anglo Saxon times. The system used today has its roots in the nineteenth century when land was given over to the labouring poor for the provision of food. Demand for allotment space has increased especially since the recent lockdowns. There’s a desire to be outside, grow your own produce without the use of chemicals and being part of nature. The increasing pressure on available land in towns and cities means that private gardens are becoming increasingly smaller. An allotment is the ideal way to grow your own, if space is an issue.

Maurice Patton runs the Ards Allotments located outside Newtownards. It has gone from strength to strength over the years and now have a hundred plot owners spread over flat, fertile land with the protection of Strangford Lough at its edge. They have their own water supply from a drilled well and are a lesson in food sustainability. They’re hosting an open day on Saturday, 12th August so you can go along and see for yourself. It starts at 10am and finishes up at 4pm. I’ve visited the allotments a few times and it’s great to see people that are passionate about growing and sharing their knowledge and produce. When I first started working in kitchens in this country in the eighties you couldn’t even get fresh herbs, they were all imported. When you see what the allotment tenants grow in Newtownards this now seems incredible. They grow all manner of fruits like raspberries, currants and tayberries. Nothing tastes nicer than a freshly picked raspberry in mid summer and they form part of my trifle recipe this week. Rhubarb, also still in season, is poached and layered with a raspberry and elderflower jelly, custard, boudoir biscuits and mascarpone cream for a real taste of summer. Another prolific crop is the courgette. Anyone who grows them will be constantly trying to off load them and I’m happy to oblige. The recipe here is for crispy courgette fritters served with cucumber and mint yoghurt chutney and a green chilli sauce. Serve them as a snack in the garden, if the weather is good, or as an accompaniment to grilled meats or fish. The chilli sauce will keep in a sterilized bottle in the fridge and is a good way of preserving any you or a friend may have growing. It’s not always practical to grow things especially if space is an issue but it’s worth having a few pots around the place for herbs. My windowsill gets the sun, when it appears, up to three in the afternoon and herbs do really well in it. You don’t need acres of land and a visit to an allotment might just give you inspiration.