Countrywise Kitchen

[piskieinboots]

I just mash up cooked mash and sprouts / cabbage and fry it in a bit of butter...

Ah thanks - that's how I do it and you're right it's yum.

[bearded bloke]

There are too many food miles in selling North Wales produce in Borough Market,

Food miles for turkeys were far more energetic in "the good old days",when it took upto two months for them to walk from the East Anglian Fens to the London markets for sale to the wealthy

[bearded bloke]

Had a quick look on the QI forum the program researcher posted ............

Turkey boots
From the late 16th century, English turkeys walked the hundred miles from Norfolk to Leadenhall market in London each year. The journey would take three months and the birds wore special leather boots to protect their feet. Geese wouldn't allow themselves to be shod (hence the phrase 'to shoe a goose' for something difficult) so had their feet dipped in tar and covered with sand. Pigs wore knitted boots with leather soles, and blacksmiths nailed metal plates on to the hooves of cattle. A flock of 1,000 turkeys could be managed by 2 drovers carrying long wands of willow or hazel with red cloth tied on the ends. Turkeys move at about one mile an hour - quicker than geese - but they insisted on roosting at night, so the whole journey took longer. Traffic jams were caused by the vast flocks entering London from East Anglia, Norfolk, and Suffolk in the weeks before Christmas. In America, turkey drives rivalled some of the cattle drives: there are records of an 1863 drive from Iowa to Denver (600 miles) and flocks of 20,000 were common.

Possibly the silliest turkey related food miles ....................

Ironically, despite being native to North America, the domesticated turkeys that graced the tables of the Pilgrim Father's first Thanksgiving dinner in 1620 had travelled out with them on the Mayflower from England.

Taken from ... QI Talk Forum | View topic - Turkeys

[veggiechicken]

The Welsh drovers also walked geese to London, as well as 4 legged beasts and there must be Drovers roads from North Wales so there is a precedent. I've always thought that those birds must have been really lean and strong muscled by the time they arrived - tough old birds.
I love the thought of turkey traffic jams in London - congestion charging!

[binley100]

After seeing the price I'll stick to unwild pigs........