A FOOD treat not for the squeamish was given an outing when BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet came to Ludlow for a programme recorded at Moor Park School.

The most intriguing recipe from the programme was provided by Sophie Wright who explained how to cook a delicacy known as a ‘Rocky Mountain Oyster.’

With less delicacy she explained that this was a bullock’s testicle sliced and soaked in beer before being fried in butter.

She was one of the panel, alongside Kim Anderson and Polly Russell

Also featured on the programme presented by Jay Rayner was Ludlow publican John Saxon.

One of his pubs is in his own home and is open three nights a week on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

It was explained that in the 1830s it was possible to get a licence to sell beer from a home provided that only beer was sold.

This was because at the time a lot of gin was being sold and drunk and quite a lot of it was of dubious quality, leading to the idea that it was better to encourage people to drink beer as it was less intoxicating than gin.

Mr Saxon talked about how he brews his own beers made with recipes found in an old pub, the Trotting Horse, that used to be opposite the old Ludlow Brewery.

Ludlow butcher Andrew Francis also featured on the programme to talk about his passion for meat and sausages, explaining that he had been in the town for 28 years and had taken part in the Food Festival sausage trail since the event started a quarter of a century ago.

The sausage trail along with the bread and ale trails are features of the Food Festival that have survived changes over the years.

Richard Wakford from Tenbury asked the panel what one cookery tip or skill they would like to pass on as a Christmas gift. Sophie Wright said it would be to teach people to sharpen knives properly and Jay Rayner added that he would like to see chefs having to plate food.