Why not try making your own stock from our free–range bones and carcasses? It's pretty easy and you can tailor-make each stock every time depending on what you fancy or what you have in your fridge. 

Simply pop the bones into a large pot, add your preferred vegetables and herbs, some salt and pepper, cover with water and bring to the boil. Leave it to simmer for 2 to 3 hours before filtering through a sieve or a colander.

 

An alternative to this and something that works particularly well with beef and lamb bones is to roast the bones at 180 degrees for a couple of hours with the same herbs and seasoning. You can then boil and simmer as above. This draws a slightly stronger flavour from the bones, and also works well if you're using the leftovers from a roast dinner.

 

Allow to cool for an hour before refrigerating or freezing. You can also divide the stock into smaller containers for later use. The stock should last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 2 to 3 months in the freezer.

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Whilst it is simmering, you may wish to skim some of the excess oil and fat off of the top of the stock. You can also do this once the stock has cooled and the fat rises to the top.

The nature of making stock means you can really experiment with your herbs and vegetables. You can use a couple of carrots roughly chopped, a couple of onions chopped in half, leeks, celery sticks, even parsnips or sweet potatoes.

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You could also add whole peppercorns (especially for beef), bay leaves, garlic, parsley and thyme (especially for chicken), and rosemary and mint leaves (especially for lamb). We are more than happy to assist with any other cooking advice you may need.