Free, Free, Free!

The hedgerows of Hackney Marshes seem to be bursting with blackberries this year.

I, like many others, filled containers full of them and took them home for a free dessert – well, nearly. Thanks to a stop-off on the way home at the charming, riverside Ferry Boat Inn, I gathered some cooking apples that had fallen in their orchard, so all I needed to add was some sugar, flour and custard for a delightful blackberry and apple crumble. I highly recommend a trip to the Ferry Boat, a hundred-year-old waterside pub, for good, reasonably priced food (I tucked into a delicious turkey roast with all the trimmings last Sunday for £6.95). And for the next few weeks (until 30th September), there's another good reason to go this popular pub – they are giving away free Gin and Tonics. Here's a voucher for you to download – a good way to celebrate summer.