Good Food Shops

Llandudno - Benjamin Lee Artisan Bakery

2023-02-21T10:30:00.006+00:00

Llandudno is a lovely place to visit and is even better now that Benjamin Lee has opened his amazing Artisan Bakery and Café. The first thing you will see is some exceptional high end French style patisserie. You could be forgiven for thinking that you were in Paris.

A sign above the bread says Salt * Flour * Water:

Real Sourdough only needs these three ingredients. Ben has been baking all his life (he previously ran Becws Mefus Artisan bakery and specialty food shop in Llangefni, Anglesey). You don't have to look far to see where the bread is being made:

it's at the back of the shop! His Sourdough is excellent (we took two loaves back, and would have bought more to freeze if we hadn't had come on the train).

His croissants are the best that I have ever had:

They croissants take three days to make, and Ben told me he almost cries when he's making them, as they use a huge amount of expensive butter.

Ben's wife, Dominika, runs the shop and café.

The displays kept getting better whilst I was there, but I had to take my photos before she had finished, as queues were starting to form! The shop also sells bara brith, tray breaks and chocolates made by Ben (he's also a chocolatier, we tried his Remy Martin Cognac Truffles).

They also sell quality products from other local producers, like coffee from Heartland Coffee, different mustards from Goetre Farm Preserves and jam, honey and lemon curd from chef Bryn Williams. It's a great place to get some nice gifts.

Whenever I stay in chain hotels, I tend to go elsewhere for breakfast. I don't want to eat something that was cooked before I got up, and kept luke warm.

So I was delighted to eat here, I had a Croissant with Ham and Emmental Cheese, which was lovely.

Benjamin Lee Artisan Bakery
21 Mostyn Avenue
Llandudno
LL30 1YS

Tel: 07774 545146

Norwich - Two Magpies Bakery

2023-01-31T15:30:00.006+00:00

I had been wating to visit the Two Magpies Bakery, ever since I first saw them doing very well in the Finals of ITV's Britains Best Bakery in 2014. Last year I visited their first bakery shop in Southwold, and also this rather fine Baker's Shop and Café in Norwich.

Inside the shop there's a counter full of lots of exciitng things;

and a nice place to eat you food:

I'd come here for their Sourdough:

but found it was difficult not to get seduced by all of their wide range of bakery products. The Rosemary and Sea Salt Focassia was wonderful:

Their Matcha and Raspberry Financiers wereinteresting, a light cake, made with green tea and topped with a sweet raspberry icing.

Who could resist these Caramelised Pecan Tarts?

In the café I enjoyed Pesto, Spinach & Gruyere Baked Eggs, with their toasted Sourdough.

The staff were very pleasant and friendly. My only complaint is that they don't have branches nearer to where I live!

Two Magpies Bakery
27-29 Timberhill,
Norwich
Norfolk
NR1 3LA

Tel: 01603 613172

Web: www.twomagpiesbakery.co.uk

Norwich - Namaste Village

2023-01-30T16:49:00.002+00:00

Normally I don't review restaurants, as this is a blog about good food shops. However, I will gladly include Namaste Village in Norwich, which I visited last year - as it also has a shop as well. We don't know Norwich that well, so had to rely on reviews for where to eat. One place clearly stood out - Namaste Village. It is situated in a lovely old building, which was built as a Sunday School in 1887.

We are not Vegan, but think most people (and the climate) would be better off by eating less meat. However, when we got there and looked at the menu, we wondered if we were in the wrong place! The menu had words like "Lamb", "Prawn" and "Shrimp"! Our friendly, and helpful, waiter assured us that these were all Vegan substitutes for those flavours.

I first came across Chaat Bombs:

at Mowgli Street Food, when Nisha Katona had just one restaurant in Liverpool. I now love them, and always order them when I can.

Having dined at vegetarian restaurants like Denis Cotter's amazing Café Paradiso, where you don't even notice the absence of meat, I have always been a bit wary of vegetarian places that offer fake meat. However, when I tried some of my wife's prawn dish:

it tasted like it did contain prawns, even when it didn't.

I hadn't tried a Dosa before:

It was very different, and very tasty. Whilst we enjoyed our food, I enjoyed watching films of their Cookery School. It looked really good (I wish that they were closer to where I live). This drew my attention to the Namaste Bazaar, which is at ones side of the restaurant. it started as a small extension to their Cookery Classes. Here you can buy top quality Indian spices, at a fraction of the cost that you would pay in the supermarkets.

I was delighted with everything that I bought there.

By the way, if you live in London, there is now a branch of the restaurant at Omnom, in Islington. The next time I am near there, I will definitely visit.

Namaste Village
131-139 Queens Road
Norwich
Norfolk
NR1 3PN

Tel: 01603 466466

Web: https://namasteindiannorwich.com

Chester Market

2022-12-30T15:10:00.002+00:00

When I started this blog the old Chester Market was one of the first places that I visited (in 2008). I have been visting this market for over 40 years, and whilst the building was getting a bit tired I always thought that it was a good market.

So, just before Christmas, I decided to visit the new Chester Market. I was pleased to see that Geoff Hughes Family Butchers, one of three butchers who were in the old Chester Market, was there:

with attractive displays of meat and sausage.

Geoff Hughes has worked in Chester Market since he was 14 years old, and set up Geoff Hughes Family Butchers in 1996, together with his wife, Debbie.

I was also pleased that Chester Market Fishmongers were there:

Steven Cartridge was the fishmonger in the old market for over 20 years, and is still bringing fresh fish and seafood from Fleetwood.

Relatively new to me was Stephanie Peters, with Pastry Pédaleur, selling French inspired handcrafted pastries and desserts.

You may have seen her recently on TV, when she appeared in Aldi' s Next Big Thing.

I welcome Just Footprints

It's run by Debbie Groom, who previously ran the refill store opposite the old market entrance in the Forum shopping centre. They offer a wide range of food, toiletries, kitchen and household consumables that can be easily refilled with your own containers and have pioneered a plastic-free and zero waste approach.

But where are the sellers of cheese, eggs, fruit and vegetables, and bread?

There are plenty of places to eat and drink:

With some very different places, serving freshly prepared food:

but I fear that I personally won't be going to the new Chester Market as frequently as the old one.

Thankfully there's Carole Faulner's excellent Chester Cheese Shop and a wonderful Fruit and Vegetable shop, run by Francis Thomas, close by on Northgate Street (where I also had an excellent lunch).

Chester Market
Exchange Square
Off Northgate Street
Chester
CH1 2AR

Web: www.newchester.market

Longmans Farm Shop

2022-10-12T14:02:00.009+01:00

The latest farm shop to open in Cheshire is Longmans Farm Shop, which is 5 miles out of Nantwich on the A530 road to Whitchurch.

They sell a good range of fruit and vegetables.

Andrew has been a butcher for 15 years. He will tell you which farm the meat comes from.

Andrew can also do special cuts if required.

They also do their own pies.

They also sell Pates and Dips from Findlaters, bread from Snapes, and yoghurt and cream from Clotton Hall Dairy.

Alcoholic drinks include beer from Lymestone Brewery and real cider from Wrenbury Cider, which is just 2 miles away.

There is also a café where you can get a coffee

and something to eat.

Outside the cafe, there's a childrens' play area.

Longmans Farm Shop
off The Rowans
Whitchurch Road
Aston
Nantwich
Cheshire
CW5 8DJ

Tel: 07970041053 or 07835089175

Web: www.longmansfarmshop.co.uk

Watlington - The Granary Deli

2022-08-22T14:38:00.000+01:00

The Granary Deli is just 3 miles (6 minutes) from Junction 6 on the M40 in Watlington. It's a lovely old market town (with free parking), which makes a perfect stop if you are getting fed up of long motorway journeys.

It's a lovely deli, where you can tell that everything they sell here is going to be top quality.

Cheese is the main thing here - they have over 120 different cheeses. I enjoyed a Montagnolo cheese (made in the Allgau region of Germany) and also Brightwell Ash, made just 8 miles away by Norton & Yarrow at Earth Trust Farm, Shillingford Hill.

To go with my cheese I bought a nice Sourdough loaf, which keeps well and freezes beautifully. You can tell that these tomatoes are going to taste lovely:

They also sell a wide range of (mainly local) beers, wines, and local gins. There's also a good selection of olives.

They also do hampers and, if you're not local, nationwide delivery.

The Granary Deli
16 High Street
Watlington
OX49 5PY

Tel: 01491613585

Web: www.granarydeli.co.uk

Nantwich - The Cheese Shop

2020-12-22T08:14:00.000+00:00

We are fortunate in Nantwich to have a wide range of really good food shops. Earlier this year The Cheese Shop opened on Hospital Street. This now makes Nantwich a superb destination for anyone wanting quality food.

Nick Birchall, who is one of the partners of the new Cheese Shop, is an authority on cheese. He has worked for many years at Carol Faulkner's cheese shop in Chester.

There are two large fridges containing many of my favourite cheeses.

They sell some of the best of artisan cheeses from Britain and the continent. I spoke to Nick, before the shop opened, and gave him my wish list. Happily I think they now have most, if not all, of what I asked for.

They also sell other items, like olives, and pickled onions in balsamic vinegar, to go with your cheese.

There is a wide range of delicatessen items, many of which (like the cheeses) are locally produced.

Vegans are catered for, and they sell eight varieties of Soul Cheezes.

They also stock a small, but carefully selected, range of wines from Tanners Wine Merchants in Shrewsbury. They also thoughtfully have included suggestions for which cheeses go with their wines.

At the back of the shop, you can look into their "cellar".

Here their cheeses are carefully matured, so that when you take them home they are at their best.

They sell over 150 different cheeses. I won't go through them all as they have a good website detailing them, with hints on storage etc. If you are planning on a celebration, to which I'm invited, make sure that you get your cake from here!

The Cheese Shop Nantwich
12 Hospital Street
Nantwich
CW5 5RJ

01270 620799

Web: www.cheeseshopnantwich.co.uk

The Stables at Long Crendon Manor

2020-12-05T09:45:00.001+00:00

I might never have heard of Long Crendon Bakery except that, by happy coincidence, it's half way between where my son lives and where we live. It's just 6 miles from Junction 7, on the M40 and so we always try and make a break here when coming home to get amazing bread and other nice things.

Arriving here, it's like stepping back in time (in a good way). A sign outside the shop tells you where their supplies come from:

It's all very local and, for the bread, pork and cider, can be measured in metres/yards!

I got talking to Tim who makes their beautiful cider, from Dabinett apples (a classic English cider apple variety):

Tim then introduced me to the baker, who gets up at silly o'clock to make their bread using traditional methods.

I think I've now tried all their different sorts of bread, and they are all good. With sourdoughs, and bread with oats and seeds, I believe they are better for you and taste great.

Inside the shop (which is very Covid safe) there is an exciting range of produce:

If you like your tomatoes uniform, and tasteless, maybe this shop isn't for you!

I bought some really nice low sugar chocolate here.

Because I had been talking to Tim for so long, I thought that my wife had got bored and was sat in the car. I hadn't realised that she had already done a shop and had managed to more or less duplicate my bread buying!

That wasn't a problem, as their bread freezes beautifully. I asked the lady that served me what her favourite bread was. Choosing you favourite bread, from a range like this, is like asking who you favourite child is! She did suggest a Ciabatta, and it was very good.

There's also a café here, which I'm sure will be far better than the motorway services.

As we left we noticed that they do late night shopping and homemade pizzas on Thursdays.

I will definitely try and get there on a Thursday!

Long Crendon Bakery

Thame Road
Long Crendon
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP18 9FF

Tel: 01844 396221

Web: www.stables.longcrendonmanor.co.uk/farm-shop

Email: enquiries@longcrendonmanor.co.uk

Chester - Sweet Elements Pâtisserie

2020-03-13T12:23:00.000+00:00

Every now and then I find somewhere which is exceptionally good - and that's exactly how I'd describe this amazing café and pâtisserie shop in Chester.

It's run by Faye Palmqvist, with her partner Robert Richards. In case you're wondering, Faye is half Maltese and half Swedish. She was born in Portugal, and grew up in Greece and was influenced by some of the wonderful flavours from those diverse countries.

I was drooling over these Cinnamon and Cardamon Rolls:

and these Almond and Orange Cakes

on display in the window, before the shop had even opened. Once inside, things just got even better!

Which of these wonderful entremets and pâtisserie should I choose? Their Paris-Brest looks (and tastes) wonderful:

Faye perfected her pastry skills at the Cordon Bleu Culinary School in London, followed by working in the Savoy hotel. My own mother trained at Cordon Bleu, and told me how passionate the chefs were. Sweet Elements is definitely a place where the second best would be a failure.

I had a excellent espresso (their coffee comes from Owen & Edwards in Ruthin) with a Pistachio Rose and Raspberry Fashion Eclair:

The pretty flower decoration came five yards away from Francis Thomas next door. Faye and Robert are very fussy about where they buy their carefully selected ingredients from, and buy local whenever they can. Apparently Fashion Eclairs don't contain choux pastry, but use the classic pastry shape revisited in a modern way.

All of the items seemed to have many complicated elements. Whilst I enjoyed my coffee and eclair, Faye told me more about her works of art.

For instance the Coffee & Chocolate Fashion Eclair was made with a coffee Bavarian mousse, a Genoise sponge with their espresso syrup, chocolate feuilletine crisp, and has a white chocolate glaze. It sits on a chocolate sablé biscuit and is topped with an espresso jelly. I wonder how long it takes to create such a masterpiece?

The name Raspberry Roly Poly makes me think of stodgy school dinners. Here it's a delicate confection made with a Swiss roll sponge cake, with house made raspberry jam. This is then put in to a raspberry Bavarian mousse and given a white chocolate mirror glaze. The dish is finished with vanilla Chantilly cream and an edible flower.

If you're taking items home, they are carefully packaged so that you can enjoy the beauty and taste at home. Will I be returning? Of course! They're continually changing what they do and can't wait to try other items.

Sweet Elements Pâtisserie
70-72 Northgate Street
Chester
Cheshire
CH1 2HT

Web: www.sweetelements.co.uk

Brighton - HISBE

2020-01-15T17:11:00.001+00:00

HISBE stands for How It Should Be and I can't think of a better name for this lovely Brighton shop. They aim to sell local and seasonal food produced in an ethical and sustainable way from small independent producers. What's not to like?

You can tell that their vegetables have been freshly harvested. It's a long time since I've been in a shop and got excited about buying tomatoes!

There's a good range of chilled food and ready meals:

with a lot of vegetarian items. People on special diets are very well catered for here. There's just about every type of flour imaginable, including gluten free, coconut flour, gram flour, rye flour, semolina flour, and spelt flour.

I'd not heard of Brown Teff before, it's packed with nutrients gluten-free, with a rich dark flavour.

I remember Marks and Spencer telling us in 2007 that there was no Plan B, and committed they were to building a sustainable future. The last time I went into M&S it was a sea of plastic vessels with precious little commitment to reducing plastic. M&S could do with visiting this shop....

You can bring your own containers. You can choose exactly how much, or little of a product you buy (to avoid waste). If you've forgotten to bring containers there are paper (not plastic) bags.

I was pleasantly surprised how easy the self service dispensers were to use. They also seemed much more hygienic than some scoop shops that I've visited.

There's an interesting range of drinks, and again you can bring your own container for some lines.

The same goes for their environmentally friendly cleaning products. These include hand washes, washing up liquid, laundry liquids, fabric conditioners and even toilet cleaners.

I'm sure that there's a joke about recycled toilet tissue, but joking apart it's nice to think that the products you use are sustainable and made without nasty additives.

The shop has a good range of none food items, which would be especially useful for families with babies and young children.

I bought some nice bread from Flint Owl Bakery. It's a small, independent craft bakery. They use little, or no, added yeast, no preservatives, no improvers, and no stabilisers.

I must visit their baker shop and café next time I'm in Lewes. HISBE were selling unsold bread (from the day before) at half price. I bet that still tasted better than some supermarket cotton wool bread I've endured...

There's a café or, if you're in a hurry, there' some nice snack and cakes by the till - with gluten free and vegan options.

Prices are reasonable and staff (and fellow customers) are friendly. My only complaint about this shop is that it's not closer to my house! I hope others will follow their example.

HISBE
20-21 York Place
Brighton
BN1 4GU

Tel: 01273 608028

Web: www.hisbe.co.uk

2019-12-31T09:15:00.000+00:00

One of my favourite books in 2019 was A Cheesemonger's History of the British Isles, by Ned Palmer. Ned learnt all about cheese whilst working at Neal’s Yard Dairy in London, and is passionate about good quality cheese. The book takes you through the history of cheese making, from Neolithic Britain to the present day. Each chapter tells you about how a carefully chosen cheese (Sleightlett, Spenwood and Wigmore, Milleens, Gorwydd Caerphilly, Aplleby’s Cheshire, Stichelton, Westcombe Cheddar, Hawes Wensleydale, and Lanark Blue) is made, and how that cheese fits in with the history of our cheese.

The book features some of my favourite cheeses, and I’m already trying the ones I don’t know. He’s visited the farms and helped them make different cheeses. Ned has an infectious passion about what these cheesemakers do.

At the end he discusses newer cheeses, and also gives a larger list of some of his favourite cheeses.

I thought that I knew quite a bit about farmhouse cheese. However I now know far more having read this book.

You can buy Ned Palmer’s A Cheesemonger’s History of The British Isles here.

Chepstow - Newhall Farm Shop

2019-07-30T11:25:00.004+01:00

Situated just off the A458, in Chepstow Garden Centre, you'll find Newhall Farm Shop. It's a great place for a wide range of locally sourced produce.

They stock a good selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables:

Traditional bread comes from Wigmores Bakery in Monmouth, and there's a nice selection of local cheeses:

Neil Powell, master butchers since 1857, run the butchery counter:

and there's a nice selection of pork pies, sausage rolls (including jumbo) and Scotch eggs etc.

Fresh fish, and other seafood, are provided by the The Fabulous Fish Company:

If you've got a sweet tooth, there's a selection of ready made desserts:

and they also sell giant Swiss Merangz.

If, like me, you're trying to cut down on plastic, you can get your milk in a proper glass bottle here:

This shop also stocks a wide range of drinks, including local beers from Wye Valley Brewery, traditional cider from Seven Cider, as well as Black Mountain Brandy and Celtic Whiskey.

Newhall Farm Shop
Chepstow Garden Centre
Pwllmeyric
Chepstow
Wales
NP16 6LF

Tel: 01291 626035

Web: www.chepstowgardencentre.co.uk/newhall-farm-shop

Conwy - The National Beekeeping Centre Wales

2019-07-03T13:58:00.000+01:00

The National Beekeeping Centre Wales is centred at the Bodnant Welsh Food centre (which was featured in my last post here). Did you know that there are at least 20,000 different species of bees in the world, with about 270 found in the UK? At this centre you can learn all about bees and also talk to experts.

Sadly bee numbers are in decline due to disease, pesticide use and loss of habitat.

Here you can help the bees by becoming more bee-friendly in your home and garden, and also learn how to become a beekeeper. Even if you don't have a garden, you can help the centre to help bees - which our planet is so dependent on.

There's a small shop (my wife liked the bee jewellery), where you can buy items like bee based skin care products and, of course, delicious honey!

The National Beekeeping Centre Wales

Bodnant Welsh Food
Furnace Farm
Tal-y-Cafn
Conwy
LL28 5RP

Tel: 01492 651106

Email: info@beeswales.co.uk

Web: www.beeswales.co.uk

Bodnant Welsh Food Centre

2019-05-30T07:53:00.001+01:00

Bodnant Gardens are one of my favourite gardens. If ever you you visit there, I'd also recommend a visit to the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre. It's in the Conwy Valley, just over a mile away from Bodnant Gardens, and six miles from Conwy.

This business was originally opened in 2012 by Prince Charles. Recently it fell on hard times. However the business changed hands last year, and Richard Reynolds (who is the new owner) is committed to selling more authentic local produce and is already improving this business.

The shop includes a deli selling items like homemade coleslaw, pies, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and quiches. The cheese counter sells local, British and international cheeses:

They sell a range of seasonal fruit and vegetables:

There's a butchery counter selling local meat:

The in-house bakery bakes their own bread:

as well as cakes and gluten free products. They also sell local beers and wines.

There's also a nice café in the Courtyard:

where I enjoyed Welsh rarebit (with some added garlic mushrooms):

There's also a separate area, which can be hired for weddings and private functions.

The National Beekeeping Centre for Wales is also on the site - and is well worth a visit.

Bodnant Welsh Food Centre
Furnace Farm
Tal-y-cafn
Conwy
LL28 5RP

Tel: 01492 651100

Web: www.bodnant-welshfood.co.uk

Swansea Market

2019-01-31T14:45:00.001+00:00

Swansea Market is the largest indoor market in Wales, and a great place to find really cheap and fresh local produce.

There have been markets in Swansea for almost a thousand years, the current site on Oxford Street has been there sine 1830, and a new purpose-built Market was opened in 1897.

Swansea Market is a great place to buy fresh fish.

and you can get fish that you may not see in the supermarkets.

although personally speaking I'm not a big fan of conger eel, muscles, oysters, squid or whelks.

I felt I had to try cockles again though, and was surprised to learn they're much nicer if you cook them with bacon.

There's several butchers, selling unusual sausages:

and wild game - when in season:

Like most markets, Swansea Market is a great place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables:

There are lots of cafés, where you can get a really cheap meal.

These Welsh cakes:

are made with free-range eggs. They are made in front of you - and are delicious when still warm.

Swansea Indoor Market
Oxford Street
Swansea
SA1 3PQ

Tel: 01792 654296

Web: www.swanseaindoormarket.co.uk

Redhill - Priory Farm Shop

2019-01-18T16:58:00.002+00:00

The Priory Farm Shop is an award winning farm shop two miles east of Redhill. Priory Farm has been farmed by the Shinner family for over 60 years. In 1970 they were one of the first farms to offer Pick Your Own, and in the 1980's they started the farm shop. The business has grown and diversified over the years - and it's now a one stop shop, where you can buy a wide range of ingredients to cook with.

There's a good selection of fresh and seasonal fruit and vegetables:

They have their own own site butcher, who sells free range meat from local farms.

Veasey & Sons fishmongers visit the shop every Friday and Saturday.

There's a good cheese counter:

where they sell Norbury Blue from Norbury Park Farm.

They sell free range duck and hen eggs, and bread from the excellent Chalk Hills Bakery in Horley.

They sell a range of coffees from Coffee Real coffee and Surrey Hills. If tea is more your thing, they sell Traditional English Ale from Hogs Back and other local ales.

They also have a very nice selection of olives.

Priory Farm Shop
Sandy Lane
South Nutfield
Redhill
Surrey
RH1 4EJ

Tel: 01737 823304

Web: www.prioryfarm.co.uk

Chepstow - Hanley Farm Shop

2018-11-19T10:18:00.001+00:00

Hanley Farm Shop is situated, near Chepstow, in nice countryside between the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean. The Edwards family have been farming in the area for over 60 years, and the award winning farm shop opened in 2013. It's what I call a proper farm shop - everything in the shop either comes from their own farm, neighbouring producers and local suppliers wherever possible.

They even have their own Land Share Scheme, where members of the local community grow their own fruit and vegetables (and also flowers) on the farm, and surpluses are sold through the shop. In fact a nice sign in the shop shows just how local their suppliers are:

and there's a bigger list, of their ever growing local suppliers, on their web site here.

They have their own butchers, selling organic and free range meat (with some rare breeds) and, when it's not their own meat, the local farmers are clearly named. They also sell foods for vegetarians, including ready meals. All their pies, quiches, sausage rolls, cakes and ready meals are made in their kitchen by their own chef and his team and there's also a café.

Some people think that shops like this, who offer better quality products, will be more expensive than the supermarkets. However because they have shorter supply lines, and less food miles, they can be surprisingly competitive. When I visited earlier this year, a blackboard outside their shop pointed out how much cheaper they actually were than the big supermarkets:

Hanley Farm Shop
Tidenham
Chepstow
NP16 7NA
Tel: 01291 626642
Web: www.hanleyfarmshop.co.uk

Village Greens Farm Shop at Denbies Wine Estate - Dorking

2018-09-22T09:50:00.001+01:00

Situated in Denbies Wine Estate, near Dorking, I was very pleased to find the Village Greens Farm Shop. They specialise in selling fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, and grow their own grown in a Victorian walled garden at Denbies. They also grow their own fruit and vegetables where their other shop is, just over 8 miles away in Ockley.

Everything sold here has been carefully selected and is locally sourced whenever possible. They use around 60 food producers, who are based within 30 miles of their shops. The Village Greens Farm Shop were finalists for the Best Farm Shop in the prestigious 2018 Surrey Life Food & Drink Awards.

If you think supermarket tomatoes are tasteless, come here and try the different ones they grow themselves:

They sell dry cured bacon, and Gloucester Old Spot outdoor reared traditional ham, from Hill House Farm in Dorking, and posh nosh sausages from Bangers Galore in Horsham. There's grass fed lamb, and free range chicken, eggs and duck from Etherley Farm near their other shop in Ockley.

When we called, they were selling Damsons and Lancelot Plums (a large and excellent quality plum) from Ringden Farm:

At the cheese counter I was served by the owner's daughter, who was both knowledgeable and passionate about their cheese.

She persuaded me to try (and buy) some Beauvale cheese. It's a delicious, soft, melt in the mouth mild blue cheese made by Cropwell Bishop Creamery To go with the cheese try some pickles from Debbies Homemade Preserves in Newdigate near Dorking.

As you will have noticed by now, everything in this shop is usually sourced very locally. Occasionally they will go a little further afield, if a special product warrants it. For example the Salmon and Dill Pies from come from The Harry Pie Store in Twickenham :

where former Michelin chef, Claude Harry, & his wife Jenny, hand-make artisan pies with quality ingredients and no nasty additives.

I'd not heard of The Lab Guilt - Free Pizza before. They make organic gluten free pizzas, pizza bases and dough balls that are lower in fat, carbohydrate, sugar and salt. Their pizzas are suitable for people with coeliac disease as well as people simply wanting to lose weight.

Also gluten free are some of the gourmet curries made by Surrey Spice in Guildford. Food blogger Mandira makes her award winning meals, using authentic recipes from her family.

Dairy ice cream comes from St Joan's Farm Dairy.

It's made from the milk form their small herd of Dairy Shorthorn, Friesian, and Guernsey cows on their farm near Reigate, their motto is: "From cow to freezer in under an hour"!

Cakes, made traditionally with natural ingredients, are sourced from suppliers like Country Farm Cakes and Crosbies.

We bought some really tasty coffee from here. They sell Coffee Real coffee, Surrey Hills coffee, and Chimney Fire coffee, all roasted nearby in Surrey. These three companies all have very strong ethical principles - so you can enjoy you coffee with a clean conscience.

Gin lovers will adore the Silent Pool gin, which is both traditional and refreshingly individual. It's made in the heart of the Surrey Hills, and made with 24 different botanicals. They even do a mist spray to compliment the gin. The shop also sell Aldbury Damson and Sloe gins, which would make an ideal Christmas present.

Village Greens Farm Shop
Denbies Wine Estate
London Road
Dorking
Surrey
RH5 6AA

Tel: 01306 880720

Web: www.vgfarmshop.com

Bakewell - Smyllies Fruit & Veg

2018-08-02T15:05:00.000+01:00

I always get excited when British cherries are in season. These cherries from Gushmere Court Farm tasted delicious. I'm sure if there were more shops selling fresh fruit & veg, like Smyllies in Bakewell where I bought these cherries, we'd have have a happier and healthier population.

We're also enjoying fresh runner beans:

and peaches, plums and nectarines:

and, it goes without saying, fresh British strawberries:

This lovely shop also sells Derbyshire Oatcakes

and a range pickles etc.:

for a cheap and tasty tea.

A nice touch is a suggested recipe on a board behind the till:

But speaking personally, I just have to look at the fruit and vegetables here to get all the inspiration that I need!

Smyllies Fruit & Veg
1 Market Street
Bakewell
Derbyshire
DE45 1HG

Tel: 01629 814971

Hull - Grain Wholefood

2018-04-23T14:01:00.001+01:00

I knew Grain Wholefood would be an interesting shop to visit, even before I'd got inside the shop! A display in the window was telling me all about cashew nuts, from how they grow in Brazil to their health benefits. Another display was telling me about Kombucha - a living drink made from fermenting tea and why we should drink this:

Inside, the shop was packed with all sorts of things that can be quite hard to find.

So if you want liquorice root, chamomile flowers, lavender or marigold flowers, this is the place to come! I love the different smells in shops like this.

So when it comes to buying flour, it's not just a choice of plain or self raising. Here they sell potato, soya, maize, coconut, and tiger nut flours and many more besides:

So if you have a food intolerance, this is a great place to come.

For example there's goat's cheese, from Lowna Dairy in nearby Cottingham

and Tyne Chease award winning vegan cultured cheese alternatives:

They also sell locally grown and organic fruit and vegetables, and a range of breads. It's a nice shop with friendly staff and the prices are reasonable.

Grain Wholefood
25 Newland Avenue
Hull
HU5 3BE

Tel: 01482 448680

Web: www.facebook.com/Grainwholefood

Eating more fruit and veg

2018-04-22T19:24:00.003+01:00

I'm always surprised that the experts can't agree on what's causing the obesity epidemic. A major part of the blame must be down to the fact that whilst many of us are doing less exercise, we're eating more processed food and less fruit and vegetables. Shops like M & H Quality Fruit & Veg (pictured above) on Newland Avenue in Hull are becoming less common on our high streets.

This year shops like Jacksons County Fruit Store in Stafford (who've been trading for more than 130 years) and R Lewis (also known as Salmon's) in Nantwich have ceased trading. With rents of over £20,000 per annum for a high street shop, and the costs of electricity and labour on top, it's hard to see how anyone can make money from being a greengrocer these days. It's not helped by the large chains, with vast buying power, undercutting them and selling fruit and veg at very low prices to attract customers to buy other more lucrative products.

As a result we have more food miles (the supermarkets love to sell unseasonable fruit and vegetables, and it's usually impractical for them to source much locally). We also get more plastic bags and containers, my wonderful local market traders put my vegetables directly into my bag - but this would be impractical for the supermarkets.

I feel we'd all be a lot healthier by eating more, locally sourced when possible, fruit and vegetables. It's interesting to note that there were two other greengrocers on Newlands Avenue in Hull, and another two nearby. This area is close to the university, where more intelligent people work, or are educated. I wonder if this is coincidence?

Hull - UK City of Culture

2018-02-10T18:58:00.003+00:00

Last autumn we had a pleasant stay in Kingston upon Hull - which last year was the UK's City of Culture. Hull was once a busy port, making money from whaling and later sea fishing. It was nice to see lots of fine old buildings, built when the city was making vast amounts of money from trading.

In recent times the fortunes of the city have not been so good, and I was delighted to see lots of initiatives as a result of the City of Culture status - like artists decorating deserted shops and making something dull look bright and attractive:

There are a lot of good free museums, dealing with very diverse topics. There's a Maritime Museum

where you can learn more about the whaling industry.

There's a Streetlife Museum, with interesting old shop relics:

There's also Wilberforce House situated in the birthplace of William Wilberforce, and is now a museum looking at slavery.

I enjoyed our visit to The Deep:

where you can learn more about sea life and how the actions of humans can be destructive.

Normally, when in a new city looking for good food shops I'd start off at the market. Hull Trinity Market was open:

but was in the middle of a £3 million facelift:

There were some good traders already present, like E. Duffield Butchers and Chak and Sue's Fruit and Veg.

Also in the market is Cocoa Chocolatier and Bakery. It's run by chef Jon Collins, who trained at Slattery's (who've already been featured in this blog here). His flavours are definitely different - we tried some cherry and sage chocolates. Cocoa Chocolatier and Bakery also have a shop on Humber Street, near The Deep.

Whilst in Hull, you can follow the Hull Fish Trail:

However you may be surprised to learn that the celebrated Hull Pattie:

which is available from Bob Carvers, is made from potato and sage - but doesn't contain any fish.

Trinity Market

Trinity House Lane

Kingston upon Hull

HU1 2JH

Tel: 01482 300300

Web: www.facebook.com/TrinityMarketHull

Oswestry - Young's Farm Shop

2017-09-06T19:02:00.000+01:00

My wife recently had her hip replaced, at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital which is near Oswestry. I can't speak too highly of that hospital, and was delighted to find virtually next door was Derwen College which was founded by Dame Agnes Hunt, the remarkable nurse who started the hospital. Derwen College works with young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, and does a superb job.

Young's Farm Shop is part of the college, and sells home-grown and home-produced chutneys, jams made by the students with fruit and vegetables grown by the students:

Their Raspberry Jam and Spiced Apple Chutney, made in the Food Centre next door, have both won Great Taste Awards.

There are also cakes, breads and pastries, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables from their own market garden. When I called I was able to buy some lovely Victoria plums:

and it looks like they will have a good crop of apples and pears:

They also sell other foods from local producers nearby, like meat from Jamie Wards Butchers. There's also stock a Free From range - which includes dairy free, gluten free and sugar free products.

While you are visiting Young’s Farm Shop, I'd strongly recommend you also visit the visit the Garden Centre:

where the students also work.

There's a good selection of interesting and reasonably priced plants

and lots of wild flowers

and some nice cards and gifts. Next to that is the walled garden:

Which was calm and beautiful

I spent a happy time here counting different butterflies.

Opposite the walled garden is the Garden Cafe

where I had a delicious, and very reasonably priced, quiche and salad:

Next time I visit, and there's definitely going to be next time, we'll book a table in the Orangery restaurant, which my wife tells me is also wonderful:

If you've come by train, it's just a mile from Gobowen Station (and there's a bus service if you can't manage the walk). The students run the cafe at this station (check the hours as it's not open all day) and the toilets look amazing (see here).

This place ticks all the boxes for me. It's in a beautiful setting and any purchases that you may make will help this very special college to become even better.

Since writing this post the farm shop featured in this post has sadly closed. However you can still get the jams and pickles in the garden centre.

Young's Farm Shop
Derwen College
Whittington Road
Oswestry
Shropshire
SY11 3JA

Tel: 01691 661234

Web: www.derwen.ac.uk/visit

Slaithwaite - The Handmade Bakery

2017-08-24T14:38:00.000+01:00

I love artisan bakeries who make real bread. It's even better when it's a not for profit workers co-operative, owned and run by the members. The Handmade Bakery ticks all these boxes!

It's situated in the Colne Valley at Slaithwaite, five miles south west of Huddersfield:

and the bakery/café is on the towpath of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal:

just a few yards from the lock pictured above.

Once inside, you can watch your bread being made. I couldn't decide whether to try a Sleepless White, an overnight fermented loaf:

Their focaccia looked nice:

but in the end I chose their Yorkshire Leaven Loaf - which they said was their most local:

There's an attractive café, with an attractive range of snacks:

You can try a sandwich, made with their own bread whilst you watch them make more bread.

Or you can sit outside and watch the boats go buy with a Frittata Slice and a fresh salad made with produce from their own vegetable garden, or a home-made soup

There's a great range of cakes, like this Lemon and Poppy Seed cake:

and other baked items like this Pain au Raisin:

Drinks on offer include Suki tea and Dark Woods Coffee.

The coffee comes from just a mile along the towpath, and is delicious. You can also buy their coffee beans to take home. I tried and enjoyed their Good Morning Sunshine blend, with a chestnut roast and a flavour described as "French toast on a summers morning"! I also tried their Under Milk Wood blend - which was awarded the “Golden Fork” in the 2016 Great Taste Awards. It's a naturally sweet blend of high-grade single estate coffees with a flavour that makes you think of caramel.

This bakery is a wonderful example of how concerned people can join together, and create something which the whole community can benefit from. This Community Supported Bakery was the first to be built using bread bonds (where people put money in to get it started and can get paid back in bread). The result is happy people, eating healthier food. I'm delighted that this experiment has been successfully repeated across the country - and hope that we will see even more in the future.

The Handmade Bakery
Unit 6 Upper Mills
Canal Side
Slaithwaite
West Yorkshire
HD7 5HA

Tel: 01484 842175

http://thehandmadebakery.coop

Chin Chin Club Soho

2017-07-12T21:56:00.001+01:00

I've been wanting to visit Chin Chin Labs, in Camden Lock Place, ever since I'd first heard about them. Anyone who uses liquid nitrogen to make their ice cream, is clearly very serious about what they do and before I'd tried it I knew that it would be extraordinarily smooth.

I was delighted to find that they've now branched out and have a branch in Hawker House (a large indoor global street food market) and now they've just opened a branch in Soho!

I wasn't expecting to be given a menu when I arrived. There's cakes and cookies (served with ice cream), pies and ice cream cake (served by the slice and brûléed to order) and ice cream sandwiches and creations!

When we called, we had the difficult decision of whether to go for Tonka Bean, Burnt Butter Caramel, Roasted Chocolate, Pistachio & Rose Jam, Raspberry & Lychee, Grilled Peach (vegan), Avocado & Fried Corn, or Strawberry & Hay ice cream!

I thought these cakes looked quite nice:

But, at the last minute, was persuaded to buy one of these attractive pink cakes:

which I only later discovered was called a "Titty Cake"! Well I suppose this is Soho...

It was very quickly transformed and demolished:

The toppings:

Bee Pollen Honeycomb (gluten free), Grilled White Chocolate (gluten free), House Whipped Cream (gluten free), Matcha Crumble, Fleur de sel Caramel Sauce (gluten free), Hazelnut Sand, Truffle Crumble, Chocolate Fudge Sauce, Tres leches cake cubes (vegan), Pistachio & Cardamom Powder, (vegan and gluten free), Raspberry sauce (vegan and gluten free), Fried Corn (vegan and gluten free), and Marshmallow Ruff are as unique as the ice cream!

This is all put together by their weird and wonderful staff:

If you're lucky enough to be able to get some of their ice cream home, before it melts, (or have a very big appetite for their lovely ice cream) there's also a freezer with tubs in:

They are open every day until quite late.

This place is quite mad - and I love it!

Chin Chin Club Soho
54 Greek Street
London
W1D 3DS

Tel: 07885 604284

Web: www.chinchinlabs.com