Seaside heaven

North Norfolk hotelier Dan Goff, proud owner of the Blakeney White Horse and the George at Cley lets us into his local food world.

Why do you live and work where you do?
It was total chance really. I came back from a spell travelling about 17 years ago with nowhere to stay but with my parents. I took a bar job at the Lifeboat at Thornham and was so smitten with the area that I stayed.  I got lured to Blakeney by the then owners of the White Horse and was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to buy the place 4 years ago with my business partner. Living and working here have their frustrations but the land and seascapes and the variety of people more than make up for it. My (romantic!) partner and I have three children between us and it’s a great place to bring them up.

What makes your locality so different?
Both Blakeney and Cley have great charm and you only have to wander around these two villages and of course nearby Holt to realise that there is plenty to enjoy in terms of culture and art. For such small communities there is an awful lot going on. Bird watching, sailing, walking all play their part alongwith the plethora of local galleries. An increasing number of people who are able to work from home rather than being city-bound make for a great social mix during the day as well as in the evenings. Though different they seem to share the same love of the area as us which makes for communities of people who are here largely by choice, genuinely local people thanks in no small part to the Blakeney Neighbourhood Housing Society who have been providing affordable housing here since the forties. Their work has helped to prevent the villages from becoming second home- only places like so many along this coast.

Tell us about a few of your favourite local foods and drinks on your doorstep…
There is no shortage of small local suppliers producing top notch produce. Our favourites include Peter Yetman (Holt’s former restaurateur) who now makes exceptional beer in a converted barn on the Bayfield estate. We sell it in both pubs with great success. I can’t even guess at the quantity of Johnny (‘Kid’) Webster’s mussels and whitebait we sell every year but I can vouch for the quality – none better, anywhere in the world. Gary Meers’ crabs and lobsters continue the shellfish harvest through the summer and Simon Long provides wonderful oysters straight from Blakeney Harbour.

On a smaller scale, we are finding more and more hard working folk with smallholdings growing wonderful salad leaves such as Dave Morris & Charlie Hanison, and also organic vegetables and even hand-reared rare breed pork. Increasingly we are making our own bread and love the flour produced at Letheringsett Water Mill.

How about your favourites from further afield in Norfolk?
My executive chef, Duncan Philp has worked tirelessly to build relationships with local suppliers. In a time of ever spiralling food and transport costs the importance and relevance of this has become even more paramount. Perfick Pork at Great Ryburgh deserve a mention for their outstanding bacon and sausages. We take apple juice from the Sandringham fruit farm and venison from the herd run by Jamie Ellis at Gunton. The bulk of our meet comes from Paul Graves and Arthur Howell, great produce and exemplary service. Woodforde’s ever popular beers adorn the bars at both the George and the White Horse.

Where do you like visiting to eat and drink on your doorstep?
Our Sundays in the winter are not complete without a long muddy walk at Stiffkey with the children and Daisy the spaniel followed by lunch at the Red Lion where Frankie and the boys always make us feel welcome. Butler’s in Holt is run by my old friends Sean and Ruth Creasey and they’ve worked very hard at making that place the success it is. They’ve just taken over Tatlers in Norwich and we wish them well with that. And a pint or two at the Wiveton Bell is always welcome.

What about eating and drinking elsewhere around Norfolk?
We like the Dabbling Duck at Great Massingham and also the White Horse at Brancaster Staithe for its wonderful location. Some of the best food I’ve enjoyed has been at Fishes in Burnham Market. To our great delight, Alison Yetman is cooking professionally once more for Desmond’s Café at Wiveton Hall, a perfect spot for a summer lunch.

And further afield in East Anglia?
The Crown and Castle at Orford has to be our favourite. We also like the Crown at Southwold and have a long standing relationship with Adnams selling their beer and wine.

Your favourite little British boltholes?
The Talbot at Knightwick stands on the banks of the Teme in Worcestershire and apart from its location on this lovely river, it serves some of the most interesting and freshest food I’ve eaten. It’s a proper pub with rooms and a brewery attached, committed to its locality and authentic produce (including edible flowers foraged from hedgerows).

How about shopping or generally relaxing, any hidden gems as favourite places?
I love shopping but have very little time for it. My main relaxation, after Becky and the children, comes on the river bank with rod in hand and there are lots of secret, beautiful spots dotted around for me to indulge my piscatorial passion. I’m certainly not going to reveal them here though!