'He does a world class burger'

SIR -Worcester News (1st July 2017) I read with interest your culinary article entitled ‘Rising Burger Chef Joins Conservatory’.

It really is an achievement that can only be applauded that this humble, small- time, lay-by snack trailer has been nurtured and developed by local Worcester lad, Carl Sampson into the most popular burger place in Worcester.

It’s no small wonder being mentored by Daniel Clifford that ‘Sampson’s’ is now launching a restaurant and delivery service within ‘The Conservatory’ in the heart of Worcester’s eatery quarter.

On Saturday, 1st July 2017, I attended Hereford’s first food festival and unbeknown to me as I walked onto the multi food arena there was the big guy himself in his trailer despatching attractive and smell- bounding burgers to his followers.

We walked around the festival and observed incredible delicacies on offer but with your ‘Weekend’ piece fresh in my mind I was drawn back to the Worcester burger warrior and joined the queue!

I’m not really a burger person but my ‘Sampson’ burger was absolutely mouth-watering – with his acclaimed home-made burger being the main feature which was so tender and tasty.

It was cleverly layered with a secret sauce and a delicious garnish of cheese, spinach, red onion, tomato and all presented professionally in a light soda bread bap – Wow!

Good luck Carl Sampson! I, for one, can only echo Daniel Clifford’s description of his burgers “World Class”

Cliff Slade

Tenbury Wells

'We could all be vegans'

SIR - I was interested to read about Hanbury Countryside Show organisers deciding to hold competitive pig classes (Pig classes to mark 70 years of country show, Weekend, June 24).

I wonder, however, how long the pigs will be allowed to live, after the judging is over.

That’s because the vast majority of the 10 million pigs slaughtered in Britain each year are killed at less than 6 months of age, a small fraction of their natural lifespan of 15 years.

Before being put to death, most pigs spend their entire lives in the appalling conditions of factory farms, and at least 80% of piglets are mutilated through teeth clipping and tail docking, usually without the use of anaesthetic.

All rearing and slaughter of any animals for food involves unnecessary killing and suffering, because it is easily possible for all of us to live on a vegan diet, without consuming any animal products, which would also benefit the environment and our own health.

More information can be found on the Animal Aid website at www.animalaid.org.uk/suffering-farmed-pigs

Denise Garside

Bromsgrove

'Watch out for Cowspiracy'

SIR - D G Renney( WN July5th)  states that all cattle are slaughtered in the most humane way.

Why then won’t the slaughterhouses allow CCTV cameras in them?

His comments on milk & the environment are a bit outdated too.

Up to 400 million somatic (Pus) cells are legally allowed in each litre of milk !  Dairy milk is higher in saturated fats than Soya drink. Dairy has no fibre ,soya drink does.  Most plant based milk alternatives have the same calcium content as milk. Protein is also the same .

As for the Environment I think Veganism wins this one.

It takes 1,020 litres of water to produce 1 litre of milk. To produce the same amount of soya drink you only need 297 litres of water.  We are using vast amounts of land & the earth’s resources to produce grains to feed cattle instead of growing it for people.  If farmers love their animals, why do they take the cows calf away from them soon after birth, causing them terrible distress at the loss of her baby?  Why do they support Live Exports?

I could go on !!

I suggest looking at the film “ Cowspiracy “ or look at Viva’s website to learn more.

Max Burgess

Malvern

'Am I living in Doomsday?'

SIR - By now in this 21st Century Epoch, so fabled and prophetically visualised by the past Honored scfi writers and visionaries like H.G. Wells , Adolphus Huxley, Arthur C.Clarke.

Even by Sir Thomas Moore of Henry the Eighth fame, who in his book “Utiopa” in the 15th Century mediated upon a perfect world.

Where is this golden mythical dawn of Renaissance, swinging on the “Golden Bough”, that started in the 14th Century?

The place of equality, independence and free thought. It seems that we have the beauty of Nature that surrounds us every dayday, such shining excamples of Art and Technologies. Yet perhaps, we have an “Empiric new clothes” ideology papering over the cracks of social deprivations across the planet and the Homosciene, or the “age of Man”.

Since “ Utopia” means “nowhere”, I must be stuck in “ Utopia “ in-between Da Vinci, Giotto and sipping tea in the Dowger’s palace in Venice.

Or am I in the modern cataclysms of the Medieval Doomsday.

Rob Allan

Worcester