A Clucking great story

WE might have only just celebrated Christmas, but one chef is already getting in the mood for Easter.

The Brewery Tap in Cliff Road has had an amazing few weeks with the hatching of some beautiful new baby birds.

Since Mike Keen, landlord and head chef, moved to Suffolk with his family to take on the pub in 2009, he has been rearing a variety of birds to use their eggs in his cooking. In the last few days three more have joined the avian family; a quail and two ducklings.

Mike, who is passionate about using fresh, local produce in his menu, buys the eggs from an online auction website and then keeps them in an incubator in his bedroom in the flat above the pub.

The father of four said: “I get the eggs from a buyer online. I’ve built chicken world out the front of the pub and I’m getting duck world ready for the new year.

“The latest ones just hatched recently. It was amazing and the kids love to see it. We serve a Sunday brunch and offer a whole range of eggs. They stop laying during the winter but next year, people will be able to have their choice of eggs. I would recommend rearing their own birds to anyone.”

Mike, who runs the pub with his wife George, now has around 12 chickens, a guinea fowl, three quails and two ducklings.