The Olympics may not begin until tomorrow but the festivities hit London today as an traditional Danish schooner sailed down the Thames and docked at St Katharine Pier as part of Visit Denmark’s ImagiNATION event.
Having sailed from Denmark at the start of the week the schooner, named Maje, will be moored in St Katharine’s for the week as a festival highlight before heading back to complete sailing tours down the coast of the country.
Being welcomed aboard by Danish Crown, Denmark’s largest pork supplier and the worlds second largest bacon supplier, we were treated to an afternoon of sailing and feasting on some of the best bacon I’ve ever tasted.
In the UK 60% of the bacon we eat is produced by Danish Crown but instead of being treated to an English breakfast it was nice to taste something a bit more traditionally Danish.
The bacon, two giant slabs weighing close to 20kg each, had been salted in a similar method to that used 120-years ago and then left onboard the boat to endured the elements for the week of sailing to London; the salt acting as a preserver for the meat as well as giving it a delicious crispness when cooked. Unveiling the bacon the meal was cooked for us by Eddie, the ships chef, who spiced it up with beetroot cubes and cooked baby garlic – delicious!
Whilst enjoying the bacon we spent an afternoon stopping Tower Bridge traffic as we sailed under the landmark twice, taking in the sights of the city from the water and enjoying the company of the Danish Crown team, Visit Denmark group, as well as one very hot – it was 30 degrees Celsius – pink pig!