Now on offer, similar to the five day hops, from The Walking Party 2010 is a new approach to Suffolk ! This is because I have always had a passion for this county having been brought up and bred around this area. It is a county that features high on the gastronomic areas of the UK. Please be sure to read both pages here attached !

Our eight day itinerary, it has been agreed, is gastronomically probably the best of all the weeks we offer in Europe and let’s face it … the European weeks are pretty good on that front ! Suffolk truly excels at this. The two chefs in particular that we are delighted to work with are Chris Lee of the Bildeston Crown, Bildeston and Régis Crepy of The Great House, Lavenham.

So due to the popularity of the Suffolk itinerary we are now proposing a 5 day itinerary (£870) and also a 3 day intinerary (£500). Both these can span weekends but can also take place during the weeks if you would like to come as a group and give me good warning ! Please call to work out dates ! There are dates available in February, March, April, July, November, December.

The advantages of a Suffolk holiday :

· no airports to think about
· travel in the comfort of your own car (or take the train !)
· fresh air and good easy walking for healthy cheeks
· food to die for … it is the way to go !
· excellent wines from New and Old worlds
· a step from home and yet with all the tricks The Walking Party has to offer !
· this is our best value holiday on offer this year as all is priced in pounds sterling
· we can sort this with little notice … just call for date availability (00 33 5 9 66 11 30 27/ 00 33 6 87671151).

Really, food in England is coming up trumps. Not only have some of the major French chefs now moved their roots to England and not only has Heston Blumenthal won the Michelin Restaurant of the Year award in 2001 and since gained three Michelin stars, but there is so much going on in terms of seeking to be different and searching for the ultimate originality of flavours.

Chris Lee for instance is the head chef of the Bildeston Crown. Chris has won the Good Food Guide’s ‘Top Up and Coming Chef of the Year’ Award and it is hardly surprising. He is self taught and a brilliant innovator who won’t let go of seeking new ideas. When we were there in July last year he produced a pea soup which when it came to the table arrived as a delicate tower of croutons and bacon and peas and other detail with a thin whisp of cream that serpentined around it, the whole standing upright in the middle of our bowls. It made us wonder what the soup part was. Was it really that creamy swirl?? However after a few seconds of wonder at contemporary cuisine, a ceramic tureen of hot velouté pea soup arrived. The soup was then carefully ladelled into each bowl until the artwork had all but disappeared. It really was a magnificent piece of showmanship! Very clever and original and incredibly delicious. You stay here two or three nights.

‘Seven hundred years on from its construction, the Bildeston Crown is attracting more than its fair share of the county's gastronomic acclaim, thanks to its new custodians. Revealing its history at every twist and turn, the charming building now revels in opulence and warmth, no expense having been spared in complementing the original period features. Chef and patron Chris Lee is cooking at the top of his game, with masterpieces such as the indulgent Pork Head to Toe. Consisting of eight cuts of pork, from cheeks and ears to trotters, each cut is cooked separately and individually garnished, down to the perfectly crisp, salty crackling presented in an extraordinary 10-inch strip.’ David Hancock, The Observer 13th July 2008

The next port of call for evening eating is at the beautifully laid up tables at The Great House, Lavenham. Régis Crepy is French and comes from the part of France that we live in. This is in the south west where so much is going on in the French gastronomic and vinicultural world. Regis though has decided to reside in England and give the English the best cooking possible. Of course for Regis this means French and it is truly one of the best places to eat in the country. I quote to you from Kate Simon in the Independent newspaper :

‘The Great House is known for its fine cuisine – a couple of thousand foodies eagerly await mailings from Regis about his regular gourmet evenings. I was nervous dinner wouldn't meet my expectations 15 years on, and I am truly surprised to report that it surpassed them. We started with smoked pigeon and asparagus salad with caramelised apples and a quail's egg, and fresh fish soup with conger eel, red gurnard and mussels. For the main course we had roasted rack of lamb served with a garlic sauce, and pan-fried fillet of halibut, wrapped in a coat of green olives, with a tomato and fresh herb sauce. The cheeseboard shouldn't be missed. Simply delicious.’ By Kate Simon, The Independent, Tuesday, 28 August 2001