Category Archives: local food shop

Free range pigs at Joe's farm shop

Joe’s Farm Shop

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Joe’s Farm Shop, Elm Nursery, Sutton Green Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7QDEntrance to the farm shop

A delightful family run business with delicious home-reared pork and local lamb and beef  

Go there for: Local beef, lamb, pork, sausages, milk and free-range eggs – and hanging baskets!

Avoid: High expectations: this is a small shop with a limited range of produce.

Is it worth the calories?:  Our rib of beef was heavenly and surely special treats don’t count!

Tips: This is a small farm shop with big plans: support them to make their expansion a reality.

It’s really all about the meat here. The story began 31 years ago when Emma and Kate’s mum wanted a bigger back garden: she acquired a small farm shop and continued to grow and sell their produce. When a large supermarket opened in Burpham they lost all their trade overnight. Forced to diversify, Rita Thorpe bought herself some books on growing plants and Elm Nursery was born. Thanks to Rita’s green fingers, it’s now a thriving business and they offer a friendly bespoke service you can’t get in bigger nurseries. Over filled hanging baskets start at just £20.

The alarm clock, freshly laid eggs and Emma with some free range pigs

Things were ticking over when Joe, a local farmer needing a retail outlet for his small supply of beef, pork and lamb, popped in for a chat, the timing was right so they went ahead. Animals are free-range and slaughtered as A selection of fresh meat for sale needed by a local abattoir using humane methods that don’t stress the animals prior to slaughter. Hung after slaughter for the optimum time, the meat is mouth-wateringly tender and flavourful. Fridges and freezers were installed and they now stock local milk and cheese (Norbury blue, Dirty Vicar and a selection from High Weald) and their own eggs. They grow a small selection of fresh produce on site – next year they want to grow more in their polytunnels.

To complement the core business Emma and Kate also sell a limited range of locally made cakes and preserves. Jams are made by a local lady Tina who gives 75% of her proceeds to a local hospice in Woking and they are keen to expand what they offer in the future.

Joe’s farm shop is a low-key operation, but there’s a lot to like. Maybe it’s the way the chickens wander in the shop, or that Rita, Emma and Kate always offer such an energetic welcome. There is also the added satisfaction that whatever you buy is helping the local economy stay afloat – at prices that are competitive.

Joe’s farm shop and Elm Nursery

01483 761748

Food Fair at Village Greens, Ockley

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I went to my first Village Greens Food Fair in 2012 and have been raving about them ever since! The next one is on 19th July 2015 at their shop at Denbies Vineyard near Dorking.

To get a taste of the sort of event its likely to be see my review!

The sun shone on our visit to meet local food producers at the Village Greens Food Fair. James and Catherine Dampier have been running this fair for six years and it is a truly lovely afternoon

Catherine Dampier out. Held in the field opposite the shop, one of the highlights was admiring the produce they grow  to sell in the shop. We’re now looking forward to the first frost so we can enjoy cavola nero at its best! It was a perfect day to celebrate local food and a village shop that brings its local community together.

First we sampled some lovely honey products, made by the Sparkes family. Their award winning honey marmalade was unusual and delicious and their chilli and honey jam had a distinctive Thai edge.

You couldn’t help being drawn to the delicious aroma of coffee from a converted Citroen van.  Gary Best is the coffee oracle of Surrey. Coffee Real source the most wonderful coffee from all over the world and roast it in Capel . You can buy their coffee online and in local shops in Surrey and further afield.

Coffee Real - roasters of single origin and single estate coffee in Surrey

Next door was Crumbs of Capel, an artisan bakery who make sourdough bread, tea cakes and soda breads. This is real craft baking on a small scale. The depth of flavour of their rye bread is unrivalled and their teacakes a chewy flavoursome mouthful.

Yum Cha drinks are made on a farm in Leatherhead by Guy Woodall; his wife was offering tastings of their unusual take on iced tea. Refreshingly different, Jane and I sampled them all and liked the tart sour plum the best.

Yum Cha iced tea drinks

Cut and Dried is a relatively new company specialising in crispy or chewy dried fruit: their catchphrase ‘dried not fried’ says it all. These are intensely flavoured, chewy and perfect for lunch boxes, Mike Eposito of Cut and Dried snacks and dips. Beetroot would be perfect with a sour cream and chive dip for pre-dinner drinks. The pineapple is intensely flavoured and moreish: a great snack for fruit-phobic kids.

A tiny local business, the Jam Lady  offers  beautifully presented jams and preserves made in the traditional manner. A few, like the chilli jelly with lime, have a distinctly modern twist. She forages for wild plums and damsons and will use up your end of season rhubarb if you give her a ring! Currently she only sells at fairs and events; if you want to try her wares, contact her at thejamlady@hotmail.co.uk.

The Jam lady

A warm scent in the air took us to  Discerning Soups, who sell a small range of delicious soups and dips, including humus and smoked mackerel and tuna pates. Their  sweetcorn and bacon chowder was a sweet, salty piece of heaven and a sweet potato soup was as comforting as a warm loaf (with fewer calories).

Discerning Soups

Neil and Michaela, Surrey’s only cheese producer, were selling  Norbury Blue and Dirty Vicar cheese. Refreshments were provided by  Splendid Occasions, a new concept business who offer pop-up vintage tea parties. We stopped for a pot of Earl Grey tea and a chunky slice of millionaires shortbread.

Dee and Hannah served up tea and cakes vintage style

White chocolate Goupie with Lavender (image courtesy of Goupie)

Goupie make chewy chocolates that make great gifts. The white chocolate and lavender was satisfyingly different, the mocha a rich coffee flavour.We finished by trying most of High Weald Dairy’s cheeses; Jane bought some enticing Sister Sarah goat’s cheese as a gift, but it’s unlikely to make it to her sister Sarah!

High Weald dairy offering Haloumi cheese samples

Village Greens 

Hand made coffee at Pinnocks

Pinnock’s Coffee House

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­­­Pinnock’s Coffee House, High St, Ripley, Surrey, GU23 6AF.Pinnocks shop front

A haven for lovingly made coffee, home-baked cakes and savoury dishes served with charisma and charm.

Go there for: Single estate freshly ground coffee, great food and good company.

Avoid: Going for a quick caffeine fix: take time to savour your drinks and food here.

Is it worth the calories?: This is thoughtfully prepared quality food, so definitely yes.

Tips: Be prepared to discuss your idea of a perfect coffee for a match from Russell’s carefully selected library of beans.

Imagine a café that is so passionate about coffee that they freshly grind 20g of single estate ethically sourced coffee for you after discussing what flavour characters you prefer. The coffee is deposited into a paper filter in a ceramic holder, then water at an optimum temperature is poured over the grains and stirred. The water drips into the waiting mug below, taking with it the oily flavour compounds that define the taste of your drink. Welcome to Pinnock’s Coffee House and the slow coffee movement.

Making coffee at Pinnocks

The carefully selected coffee and loose leaf tea menu

Russell James opened Pinnocks this year. He mans the drinks station on the bar and his exuberant personality and charm fill the room. He seems to know everyone and you immediately feel part of a community that he has, in a few short months, created. It’s not just coffee (supplied by the Grumpy Mule) that is important here: loose-leaf teas come from Tiger teas and the decadent hot chocolate is made from single-estate chocolate shavings from Marimba, based in Suffolk. Russell kindly gave me a sample for my son, a self-appointed chocolate expert, who loved it. You can buy the flakes and their handmade chocolate bars in the deli side of the shop, which is being established.

This is a family affair, with Russell’s mum Shirley in charge of cakes and his partner Andy the savoury menu. I had a mug of Rwanda Musasa coffee (£2.60), which was, as Russell promised, full bodied without any bitter notes but a hint of citrus and caramel. For lunch I chose a caramelised onion and goats cheese tart with salad. The tart was superb, with the ingredients described clearly present and complementary. The accompanying salads, green leaf, potato, tomato and coleslaw were fresh and substantial. The potato salad was plain but this hearty lunch was a steal at £4.50. The menu generally is very keenly priced: Russell wants his locals to become regulars. He serves a selection of wraps, salads and sandwiches at lunch and for breakfast pastries, granolas and bagels. High tea is also served here but instead of an over the top selection of tea-time treats  with a staggering price tag a lovely plate of sandwiches, a mini scone and pot of tea costs just £3.90.

Tart and salad, Plum cake and a mini scone from the high tea menu

Luckily I had spotted the cake counter before lunch so I wisely left space for a slice of plum cake (£2.50). No fluffy puffy sponge here: at Pinnocks you get proper cake. I am not a fan of butter icing so it was delightful to get a cake with a seam of plum jam. I declined the offer of cream: the sponge was moist and fruity enough without it but it would have been a gorgeous addition. Cakes change daily: that day they had lemon drizzle, white chocolate and orange sponge, chocolate and the odd mystery cake that customers have to identify!

I watched in awe as a customer ordered from Russell using sign language: in his former life he was a sign-language interpreter. Upstairs has a club like atmosphere, with comfy sofas and books you can swap – Russell’s house is now bereft of furniture. A garden outside provides extra seating.

Pinnocks is a wonderful addition to a foodie movement emerging in Ripley and it gets a highly recommended from me.

01483 222419

www.pinnockscoffeehouse.com

Text and images Shirlee
Text and Images Shirlee

Ripley Farm Shop

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Ripley Farm Shop, Portsmouth Road, Ripley, Surrey, GU23 6EY

A farm shop with local and global foodie offerings.

Go there for: A good range of fresh produce, local honey, duck eggs, Send Farm free-range meat and an eclectic mix of ingredients and sauces.David Dadswell

Avoid: Thinking this is your average garden centre farm shop.

Is it worth the calories?: The free-range meat I bought made one of the best Bolognese sauces ever!

Tips: Don’t expect the same produce each time you go: they follow the seasons.

Ripley isn’t just famous for Steve Drakes wonderful cooking, it also has a great farm shop. A visit to this treasure trove isn’t a dull experience: it doesn’t conform to regular farm-shop protocol. The mainstay of their business is fresh produce but owner David Dadswell stocks his shop creatively.

A promiscuous buyer, David shops around for unusual products he thinks will inspire his customers. He drives to Croydon for Asian ingredients from Wing Yip and then pops next door to USA wholesaler Costco. So, in a back room you’ll find Hoi Sin sauce, Thai curry paste, Indian spice pastes, pink Himalayan salt and other Asian classics as well as a huge range of herbs and spices. There are store-cupboard classics like Heinz beans and soups and frozen products, including ice-cream and a good range of fish and seafood. However, I wasn’t expecting to see frozen soya beans (edamame)  – delicious steamed and tossed in olive oil and sea salt – what a treat.

Edamame, tomato mix and local honey

Produce is bought from local farms where possible; they buy most of their fruit and vegetables wholesale, as farms don’t like to sell direct to small shopkeepers. This also means they can pick up imports like bananas and pineapples. The day I visited there were baby plum tomatoes from the Isle of Wight too.

Sausages, duck eggs and quails eggs

Meat and meat products are pre-packed: you’ll find beef, pork and lamb from Send Hill farm and sausages from Bangers Galore. If you can’t wait to eat a sausage you can always nip across the car park to sample one from the Grill Stop. Free-range hens and ducks eggs come from Chapel farm, fresh bread from Cavan award-winning craft bakery, and cakes from the Fatherson bakery.

David told me the family have been in the horticultural trade for years and opened the farm shop to diversify. He might not admit it but he’s a bit of a secret foodie and thinks about ideas for the shop even when on holiday. In France he bought 3 tins of cassoulet he thought might sell  – but if they don’t he’ll have a lovely dinner sorted! As I was leaving David mentioned that he goes mushroom foraging in the autumn. Jane and I are really keen to come along – and David’s promised to call us.

Farm shop entrance

01483 225090

www.ripleynurseries.co.uk

 

Peacocks

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Peacocks, Collingwood Crescent, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 2PF

Traditional grocers with a deli counter in the heart of the Boxgrove community in Guildford.Gregory and Jeremy Peacock

 Go there for: Fresh bread, Loseley bakery quiche and pastries, deli items, local sausages, bacon and fresh produce, and Isle of Mull cheddar.

Avoid: Getting there too late for bread, which is often sold out by lunchtime.

Is it worth the calories?: Depends what you make when you get home!

Tips: This is a cash or cheque only trading post. No cards.

As part of my masters’ degree in food policy I studied the demise of corner food shops and the domination of supermarkets. Armed with this new food shopping radicalism I sought out the small retailers to spend my hard earned cash, to keep money in the local community. Luckily, Peacocks was on my doorstep.

Jeremy and Gregory Peacock opened the shop in 1984 on advice from their dad who had a successful career in retail. Their ethos has been to keep it small and manageable, although holidays (they both sighed) can be hard to factor in. Pressure to open on Sundays has been resisted and, really, who can blame them? If you got up at 3am to buy fresh fruit and vegetables 3 times a week, you would say no too.

Local produce in high on the agenda here: potatoes, carrots, cabbages and broccoli come from a farm in Deal, just over the border in Kent. Farms like this don’t like selling small amounts to little shops, so they have to buy them at the wholesale market. They also buy imported fruits like pineapples, bananas, figs and papaya.

From left clockwise; cheese counter, fresh produce, some fine imported spanish charcuterie, and the shop front

They also sell bread from Hillyers of Farncombe, sausages and bacon from award-winning butchers A & R Baileys, and dairy products from Loseley and Tims Dairy. The delicatessen counter has meats and charcuterie and over 30 cheeses, including Isle of Mull cheddar. This full-on mature cheddar is made from organic unpasteurized milk in Tobermory and owes its unique flavour to the cow’s diet of grass and whisky grains. Try a sample: it’s delicious.

From left; Fresh figs, Isle of Mull cheddar and fresh produce

Peacock’s doesn’t break boundaries in gourmet food retailing but it does offer a good range of quality products at a competitive price. I buy ham and sliced chorizo here along with essentials like milk from West Horsley dairy and local eggs; it’s often cheaper and better quality than the big retailers. Regulars tell you that if they aren’t well the brothers will pop round with milk or a loaf or bread!

When a big supermarket opened a few years ago the brothers’ trade dropped but they sense that people want to support local shops and they have renewed confidence for the future. Peacocks is more than just your average grocers and by supporting them we can ensure its continued success.

www.peacocksdeli.com

01483 829 768