Potted shrimps with toast and pickled cucumber by Kai Chan Vong / Flickr CC BY 2.0

The Balfour go-to at Eastertide is potted shrimps – with just a hint of spice By Tessa Balfour

One of the happiest memories of my childhood was spending Easter at Carlton Towers in Yorkshire where my grandparents lived. The old hall dates back to the 14th century but was remodelled by Edward Welby Pugin, whose architect father Augustus Pugin was part of the great Catholic Revival of the 19th century. Pugin re-faced the house, adding turrets, gargoyles and the Beaumont coat of arms – and so Carlton Hall was reborn as Carlton Towers. My youngest brother Gerald (Fitzalan-Howard) and his lovely wife Emma live there now and have made it into a very successful wedding venue.