SPROUTS fit for the Queen

Flordon Brussel Sprouts once graced the Queen's table at Sandringham each Christmas - that is something the village can be proud of!!

It was George Fincham of Orchard Farm who saw an opportunity growing and processing sprouts. Jean Cook worked for him, along with Joan Howell, Rene Drake, Gracie Fowler and Phoebe Randle. She clearly remembers him saying, "It's only 5 acres of sprouts" - but it became 45 acres as neighbouring farmers Rex Webster (of Hall Farm) and Jim Gurney (of Bracon Lodge, Bracon Ash) joined in the enterprise. 

The sprouts were originally cut in the fields by gangs and later by machine. Winters in the 1960s and '70s seemed to be much colder than now, and the women who cut the stems had it tough (above left) until a Dutch machine, 'Jamafa' was purchased (above right). This was pulled by a tractor and gave some protection to the sprout cutters: up and down the fields it went, all day, very slowly. 

The sprout stems were then taken to the processing shed Monks Farm on Greenways Lane where they were trimmed by hand in a long building by local people, some as far away as Norwich. The sprouts were stripped from the stems, checked and graded and stored in large bins. At first most of the work was done by hand (below left), but later the processing was mechanised and moved to a Dutch barn at Orchard Farm where the factory worked day and night (centre and right) and had to be kept supplied with cut sprout stems. Spinning knife machines were installed to trim the sprouts: as you might guess, there were accidents!  At other times of the year the processing plant was used to trim carrots.

Most of the sprouts were sent to Ross frozen foods - the day's harvest being collected every evening. Jean Cook remembers working late into the night on many occasions. She worked in the fields and the factory in all weathers for 4 years, then moved to the (warmer) mushroom farm!

Once a year McCarthy of Norwich came just before Christmas and sorted out the overlarge sprouts to deliver to Sandringham. Apparently our Queen prefers large sprouts, and Flordon was the best local source. So the village can proudly say it contributed to the royal Christmas dinner!