Rougham ready

It was my wife’s idea.

Instead of popping down to the local garden centre to buy a Christmas tree, as I have done for 25 years, why not ‘pick your own’ tree from a plantation 55 miles away?

And so, three weeks ago, we drove to the Rougham Estate near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk where we were directed to a field and invited to choose from the hundreds that were growing - in various shapes and sizes - in neat rows:

Trees from the Rougham Estate are famous for their quality and longevity, having been carefully nurtured throughout the year. We grow predominantly both Nordmann Fir and Norway Spruce and also some Blue Spruce, Fraser Fir and Nobel Fir.

The Christmas trees are cultivated here on the Estate as a sustainable horticultural crop, with thousands of new trees planted each year on about 20 hectares of land. The trees take about 10 years to reach 6ft, providing a habitat for wildlife during the growing years.

But having chosen our tree, that wasn’t the end of it. Oh no.

We then had to select a collection date so they could cut it down two or three days ahead of collection and that meant a second round trip of 110 miles.

To be fair, it was significantly less expensive than a pre-cut garden centre tree, and there was an unexpected bonus because, thanks to a tip-off, we discovered a rather fabulous cafe/restaurant/event space in a nearby industrial estate.

Open Thursday to Sunday, ICE offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner (except Sunday when it closes at 4.00pm).

The setting may be industrial (albeit in a rural location), but the food and service were excellent. Warmly recommended, should you be in the area, but advance booking advisable.

Below: Breakfast at ICE, Unit 1, Lundy Court, Perkins Rd, Rougham