You probably don’t know this – but Eds Dad Ray is a Fruit and Veg Man by Trade. It runs through the generations of the Brown Family.

Originally from Watford, Eds family were very well known and loved on the local market scene – and when the family relocated to Nottingham, the tradition of working in the industry continued. One of Eds most treasured memories is helping his dad out on cold early mornings, revelling in all the market banter!

What Ray doesnt know about fruit and veg isnt worth knowing! He still keeps an allotment and we still get tons of fresh veg from him every week. Courgettes, beetroot, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, kale, rhubarb, salad leaves and more. Seasonal eating and cooking at its best. He once told me he could pretty much work out what week of the year it was by what he was selling on his stall. Isn’t that just brilliant? His favourite lunch used to be grabbing a big handful of rocket and making it into a sandwich with a couple of slices of bread. Delicious.

So the family grew up on fresh fruit and veg in abundance, which Eds mum Elaine, making endless beautiful meals for the family. She still does. We all adore her homemade soups thats she makes in huge batches and freezes for us to take home.

So as much as we love to cook massive hunks of meat on the Fire Cage, the other parts of the meal are just as important to us here at Savage HQ.

Ed loves to roast the veg, I love to make the salads – thats how its always been and we’re happy with that! Recently he’s been ‘dirty cooking’ fruit and veg on the coals – blimey it makes it taste even more amazing. Dirty cooking is when you put the food directly into the coals, usually wrapped in foil. It makes it taste so smokey and sweet. Great foods for doing this with are, aubergines, onions, garlic, tomatoes and bananas – oh my word, bananas – slit down the middle with chocolate buttons pushed inside and wrapped up in foil. This has to be tasted to be believed. Dolloped on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

He also loves to grill butternut squash and fennel on the Fire Cage and hang a whole pineapple from the hooks and chain! The versatility of the Fire Cage means anything is possible and really easy to control.

Everyone needs a Savage Fire Cage in their life!