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Greg Furlong

@crazygreggy

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Well that crept up on me so this might be quite a long post. After eight years this will be my last day @bealsfarmcharcuterie working with Phil. It’s been a rollercoaster ride. I was in a pretty bad way still grieving my dad when I dropped into the unit at Wivelsfield Green looking for a few hours work. Phil threw an apron at me and said we’re butchering pigs today and that was that. We’ve been through a lot of change together. First Brexit then COVID with hospitality shutting down meaning we lost 95% of our turnover overnight. With 75 pigs to feed (then us!) we sat down with a cuppa and came up with a plan. Phil’s mum passing, my two kids being born, getting married, finding a new home for the business and then actually moving it to the Eridge Park Estate, his dad passing … it’s been a whirlwind at times.

Along the way I’ve made some wonderful friends and been lucky enough to supply some incredible customers including many ridiculously talented chefs. The cost of living crisis and current global chaos has hit hard and the government seem intent on destroying our hospitality industry. Hats off to everyone who works in a kitchen and foh right now, you are legends. Having started out in bars and kitchens when I dropped out of college it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to supply so many amazing places. Sometimes I have navigated my way home by the stars. This country should be truly proud of our hospitality sector. Nurture and support it as best we can for if it disappears we will lose something very precious.

Every tour must end and it feels like I’ve been on the road with Phil all this time (maybe with less booze and drug-fuelled shenanigans). I’ve grown hugely and reconnected with who I am and what I want out of life. Now with over 250 woodland-reared Mangalitsa pigs at Eridge I’m sure Phil, Melissa and Sam will be taking Beal’s Farm onto undoubtedly new heights. I’m taking up a once in a lifetime opportunity @kneppwildland @kneppwildingkitchen helping to develop their fantastic charcuterie offering. Hopefully I get to work with you all again in the future. Until then adios amigos and Phil I’ll see you in Valhalla brother! taken in Beal's Farm Charcuterie by @crazygreggy

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5 months ago

Five days in France: three markets, one chateaux, a myriad of cheese, wine and charcuterie. Hardly rested but replete. by @crazygreggy

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6 months ago

Working in a small family business requires you to wear many hats. On Fridays though I am a dad at home looking after my youngest. Before anyone else is up there’s just time to don my marketing cap and send out a couple of emails.

First is an email to our retail customers who have signed up to our newsletter on the website. It contains news about the pigs in the woods, what new products are coming and any offers for the weekend.

Second is our email to trade customers: chefs, hoteliers, publicans, managers of tap rooms and vineyard tasting rooms, in short all of our hospitality clients. It highlights what we have available, limited release products and raw Mangalitsa pork and wild venison from the Eridge Estate.

Keeping in touch with customers is more important than ever and always sparks so many positive conversations. It’s why I look forward to putting on that comms hat once a week.

#familybusiness #mangalitsa #ukfoodie #instafood #ukfood by @crazygreggy

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9 months ago

Sat on the beach at Barafundle Bay in Pembrokeshire Wales and noticed this is wonderful plant infesting every crack and crevice of the rocks. Had driven past meadows of wild garlic I had my eye on picking on the way back but this was intriguing. Looked liked samphire yet softer and plumper. Sure enough it was called crithmum maritimum, commonly known as rock samphire, and cooked up with some sea kale in butter and garlic was absolutely delicious. Hoping it grows around here somewhere as I could eat it every day, especially with seafood 👌

#crithmummaritimum #samphire #foraging #pembrokeshire taken in Brighton and Hove by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago

A calamity of conflicting priorities meant I only just managed to cobble together some semblance of a shepherd’s pie for #britishpieweek this year. Note this is a LONG READ ish!

Had a whole week of embellished pastry meat treats in mind but best laid plans and all that. With wild garlic in full flourish right now I decided to try out an idea I’ve mentioned to a few people but not seen anyone try it.

Most people have cooked, eaten or at least heard of beef wellington and switching it up with venison is nothing ground breaking. A beautiful piece of backstrap surrounded by mushroom duxelles and pastry, served with mash and lustrous red wine gravy bordering on treacle consistency. This season I saw venison loin on menus everywhere. Seemed liked everyone was asking us for @eridgeparkvenison middles and little else. Sure we can use the rest of the beast for air drying and salami making but be nice to see more people utilising the whole carcass in inventive ways. While we were in product development I cured the beautiful front thigh muscle from a Fallow deer for a few weeks, wrapped it a bung and net and we hung it to dry for two or three months. The result was incredible. Such a deep, iron rich, earthy flavour with hints of the herb, juniper and black pepper it was cured in. But being such a small business we only have time to do so much and we opted for a culatello style ham to go into production in the end. Ever since then the seed of an idea was planted that grew and fermented, finally becoming realised as last night’s dinner.

Venison femoris(?) thigh muscle wellington. Seared the muscle in Mangalitsa lard, garlic and thyme then left it overnight. Then wrapped it in wild garlic. Roasted some beetroots and added these to a chestnut mushroom duxelles made with red wine and Martini Rosso. I used trimmings from dressing our venison culatello hams @bealsfarmcharcuterie next and protect the puff pastry blanket wrapped around the outside. That wonderful muscle delivered yet again as the flavour was incredible. If you can get hold of one intact I’d highly recommend doing something with it to allow it to shine ✨

Cheers deers 🦌 taken in Brighton and Hove by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago

Does Shepherds Pie actually count as a pie for #britishpieweek 😜

Not had a lot of time between work @bealsfarmcharcuterie and looking for other projects to work on plus looking after the kids so pastry pies have taken a back seat.

Had a venison neck spare (as you do!) and always fancied cooking the Madras Club pie in the @chefrickstein India cookbook. So decided to do a mash up (pun intended).

My evangelical mission promoting #venison continues 😁 taken in Brighton and Hove by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago

By pure coincidence we’ve eaten a lot of Chinese food recently. It’s been a while and really fancied some. Started with some incredible Mangalitsa loin steaks last week, accompanied by egg fried rice.

On Sunday we went for some much needed body maintenance @chutimatherapy then ate @luckystar_brighton just up the road on Trafalgar Street. Been wanting to go here for years but every time we try it’s been absolutely rammed. After polishing off a whole bowl of Szechuan noodle soup with intestines I can understand why. Their food is incredible. Planning to go back soon and will just ask them to bring a selection of dishes, whatever they think we should try.

Finally got round to using some snacking salami with Asian spices we made as a trial for a Michelin star chef. This was from the second batch we made but he never got back to us after that. His loss is my gain and they worked perfectly with a broth Kate concocted using the braising liquor from some Mangalitsa hocks we had last week.

Won’t leave it so long next time. Kung Hei Fat Choi as the kids from Hong Kong used to say at school 👍

#chinesefood #szechuanfood #brightonfood #brightonrestaurants #mangalitsa #michelinstar taken in Brighton and Hove by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Took a break over the festive season, immersed in family. Cooked, ate, drank, planned.

Used some ridiculously good elderberry vinegar I picked up from @chefmichaelbremner in my first venison tartare.

Smoked salmon from @curingrebels was an absolute delight. Chucked their smoked butter in with some mussels which was next level! Thanks guys ❤️

Discovered a new favourite cocktail @diffordsguide in the Clubland.

Was worried the mutton haunch for New Year’s Day was too small. Made lamb’s liver pithiviers which for a first attempt turned out pretty good.

Seafood haul was strong as always @brightonfishsales in our annual pilgrimage. Crowning glory was Kate’s crab and scallop roe pasta with prawn head sauce 🤤

Mother-in-law came up trumps with my (not so) secret Santa present. Pâté en Croûte by @yohanlastre is a work of art as you would expect. Sparking all sorts of ideas already. Thanks @lukadmitryjchef for the recommendation. Expect more pastry in 2025.

Back to work next week. Usual programming with resume 🙏 taken in Brighton and Hove by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago

Why isn’t everyone eating venison 🤯
#venison #britishgameweek by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago

Made some country style pâté with the same farce as the en croute. Turned out pretty good. Lovely and rich plus a touch sweet so could definitely benefit from a glass of something high in acidity. Off to buy a good bottle of Riesling unless someone has a better suggestion 😁
#pâte #mangalitsa #winepairings taken in Brighton and Hove by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago

Smashing out the salami @bealsfarmcharcuterie this morning 💪
#mangalitsa #spicy #chorizo by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago

by @crazygreggy

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2 years ago