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At Home Catering

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40 High Street, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EB

Deli and outside caterer selling top-notch, freshly made food.at_home_jeremy_6x9

The upside: Doorstep sandwiches, ready-made family meals and delightful party food.

The downside:  Food that is hard to resist – you have been warned!

The flipside: This business will bend over backwards to meet your individual needs.

Tips: Take your own dish to fill with lovely home-cooked food; no-one need know you didn’t make it yourself.

This impressive business was started Marilyn Newman over thirty years ago. An experienced caterer, who spent time in the USA saw a gap in the UK market for expertly prepared take-home food; three decades later this business is thriving. Today Marilyn has stepped back from the business but has left a tight management team in place.

at_home_cheese_6x9The team have created a winning model, surviving several recessions. At Home’s base is in Cobham but it has a London office and a list of iconic catered events under its belt (the Brit Awards for starters) and lots of high-profile clients. Every event, from a dinner party for 10 to a marquee wedding for three hundred, is catered for with equal attention to detail.

Chef/director Jeremy took me into the kitchen where a gluten-free canapé buffet for 30 was being created. All the items on the menu were prepared in the kitchen and finished at the venue. Delicious savoury toppings were sealed in piping bags and chilled; baby meringues were being packed, tiny bread rolls were being filled.

at_home_collage

At Home offer modern-style catering alongside old-fashioned service and hospitality.  The three directors run all aspects of their business, updating their menus to keep on trend and stop their clients getting bored. They produce comprehensive catalogues of their food twice a year so you can easily build your perfect menu.

They make some extra portions of their catered dishes to sell in the deli, so there’s always something different on offer. I sampled a rich,at_home_salads_6x9 satisfying spicy seafood stew and a wild rice salad with green beans. Both were tasty, hearty, healthy and worth going back for. Jane’s chicken breast in a creamy wild-mushroom sauce was rich and tender. Jane and I shared a ham and coleslaw sandwich. We agreed it was a classic: overfilled with an American portion of ham and homemade slaw with proper mayonnaise. At lunch times large queues form for these legendary sandwiches. The date and apple loaf was moist, fruit packed and perfect with afternoon tea. Other cakes include a classic Victoria sponge and lemon drizzle.

at_home_breadThey carefully source their products from local and London producers: you’ll find Norbury Blue cheese in the deli counter and artisan sour doughs from the Bread Factory in London. Pastries come from La Patisserie in Stoke D’Aberbon, who stone-grind their flour every day. To complement the fresh food they have a selection of artisan and gourmet oils, vinegars, mustards and other relishes. They also stock handmade chocolates and some select crockery.

Next time you cater for a big crowd pop into At Home and see what they could do for you. You won’t be disappointed.

www.athomecatering.com
01932 862 026

Noel’s Farm Shop

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Sutton Green Garden Centre, Whitmoor Lane, Guildford Rd, Woking GU4 7QBnoel_portrait

A farm shop selling artisan products (some exclusive to the shop) and a great range of fresh produce and local meat.

The upside: Noel has to be one of the friendliest guys I know and will do anything (within reason) for his customers.

The downside: None here to report!

The flipside: An eclectic range of culinary treats for special occasions and ingredients to cook a whole family meal from scratch.

Noel Dobson arrived in Sutton Green Garden Centre four years ago and we are all the better for it. Fresh from a career as a care-home provider, he is embracing the world of food retailing to good effect. I visited when the shop first opened – a little early, maybe. Now the shop has expanded, the stock increased and he has a hard core following of local shoppers who love his helpful personality and range of fresh and packaged food on offer.

noel trio

 

This farm shop is part of a garden centre with land, so growing for the shop and pick your own is part of the bigger picture here. But this is also a shop where you can go and buy ingredients for cook-from-scratch meals. Free-range chicken, sausages, fresh vegetables, sauces and condiments are here for the taking! The provenance of the products makes this shop a local foodie destination as it stocks free-range eggs, local bacon and sour dough bread from the bread factory in London.

Noel ensures he buys provisions his customers want and his friendly personality is another draw. On my last visit we sampled lovely fresh apples just in from a farm in Sussex.

APPLES NOELS SHOP 9x6

Constantly looking for new products Noel listens to his customers and now has a comprehensive range of gluten free products.

Cheese from Surrey, Sussex and Kent form a great portfolio from local artisan producers. It was good to see Ellie’s goat cheeses alongside High Weald, Norbury Blue and Dunley Wood. Fresh meat, chicken and sausages are from local butcher, Wakeling’s.

The garden centre’s polytunnels supply fresh crops every morning during the growing season. Rhubarb, Swiss chard, salad onions and spinach were all in stock and had travelled around 400 metres to their selling point. Food miles may be less of an issue in the argument on climate change but veg is at its nutritional best when it has just been picked!

noels produce

This shop is a much needed resource in an area that is dominated by a large supermarket. It has a great location and ample parking: pop in and pick up a pint of milk or a loaf of fresh artisan bread but make sure you peruse the shelves – there are some real treats in store!

www.noelsfarmshop.co.uk

07908124603

Iain a butchery expert

Rawlings of Cranleigh

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Rawlings of Cranleigh, Devon House, 70 High Street, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8AG

One of the best free-range butchers in Surrey.

Go there for: Award-winning beef, sausages with history, perfect cured bacon and expertly prepared cuts of meat.

Avoid: Supermarket meat: support local traders like this one!

Is it worth the calories?: Ask Dr Atkins!

Tips: The pork and lamb noisettes are works of art, so prepare to be impressed.

Pork noisettesThis is a serious butcher’s shop. Not only does it have a loyal following in the community, it also supplies 35 Surrey restaurants. Innovative and competitive, last March they won a staggering 28 awards for their product development at a road show for butchers in the South of England. Not content with preparing traditional cuts of meat for their customers, they also make a fantastic selection of rolled, stuffed, wrapped and seasoned delights to cook at home. And don’t get me started on the fabulous sausages displayed . . .Rawlings sausages

Have a chat with the staff at Rawlings and you’ll get a quick education in butchery. Cured, corned, boned, sawn, filleted or rolled: nothing is too much trouble. They cure their own bacon: when I cooked a sample not a drop of water emerged, just the gentle sizzle of proper bacon in the pan. Crushed thyme leaves, black treacle, brown sugar and molasses can be found in their ‘secret bacon’ cure and those rashers made a cracking sandwich. Iain has been in the trade since he left school and Gary (a chef) joined the team more recently: his cooking authority has been essential to new product development and he offers expert culinary advice to customers.

The shop displays a huge range of products, including traditional cuts of meat for roasting, stewing and braising. Large free-range chickens (approx £12) make a substantial family meal, with plenty of leftovers for risotto or a creamy pie. We roasted ours: the meat was full of texture and flavour that I remember from childhood, before chicken was industrially farmed and lost its special status. You’ll also find the chicken and pork cushions that have been on the menu since 1999 and won many awards. Expertly trussed, these are a firm favourite on the Cranleigh dinner-party circuit. Iain also prepares cuts like Jacob’s Ladder, making good use of his skills and expertise in butchery.

Iain preparing jacobs ladder

On the deli side they produce a range of award-winning pies and sausage rolls. They also cook their home-cured hams on site. Free-range hen and duck eggs are offered, as is prepared rabbit, pheasant and other game in season.

Not always on the counter but available to those in the know is Blue-Cheese Beef Wellington. Iain cleverly makes a dried spinach paper to seal in the beef juices and protect the pastry from getting soggy during cooking. The man is a genius and his celebrity customers think so too. But they don’t just deal in top-price cuts:  Rawlings are famous for their faggots (a mixture of liver, pork, carrots, apples and onions with their special spice blend), which won a gold award at the British Pig executive recently. At 80p each they are an absolute bargain and perfect, Iain told me, with a pile of creamy mash and gravy – I believe him.

Rawlings shop front

Rawlings of Cranleigh

01483 274321

Text and Images Shirlee
Text and Images Shirlee

Coffee Real

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Coffee Real Ltd, Unit 10a, Graylands Estate, Langhurst Wood Road, Langhurst, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4QDGary_Maarit_CR_6x9

An artisan roaster producing some of the finest coffee in Southeast England. 

Tips: A coffee subscription, from £31.00 for 6 months, makes a fantastic gift. You can add coffee brewing equipment and more in the future.

Gary Best is part of an emerging clique of coffee hunter-gatherers who travel to exotic locations to search out the finest single-estate coffee beans. Generally the best beans are grown at high altitude, giving them a unique personality. Gary explained that high street coffee is dull because large companies roast all their coffee for the same time, without testing to see whether it will enhance or damage its potential. It’s only when you drink coffee that has been carefully roasted, brewed and served that you can appreciate the finer nuances of this multi-faceted drink.

Gary sources beans from the Americas, Africa and Asia. High altitude beans grow and mature at a slower rate than low altitude sun grown coffees (used for instant coffee), which don’t deliver on taste. Gary buys micro-plots on coffee plantations based on levels of sun and shade: complicated maybe, but worth the effort.

Once safely stashed at Coffee Real HQ in West Sussex, the team test-roast small batches of beans. Once the roast profile for a consignment is agreed, small batches are roasted to order and sent to customers within 24 hours of being prepared. They supply whole beans or five grinds to suit your brewing method.

Green beans ready to be roasted to yield their best flavour profile

Some coffees are so rare that Gary can only purchase one sack per harvest. Subscribers receive a monthly delivery of a new coffee to enjoy, with expert tasting notes and information on place of origin. You can rely on Coffee Real to provide an exciting range of coffees to take you out of your comfort zone.

However, once you have your coffee at home you need to treat it right. Gary’s new unit has a training room where he trains Baristas to use commercial machines and home coffee drinkers can learn about hand brewing.

Fresh roasted coffee ready for dispatch, Gary making coffee in a drip filter and an electric coffee maker

With a constantly changing stock, Coffee Real’s website is invaluable: it offers in-depth information on each coffee they sell, including place of origin and a full description of its flavour (cup) to help you choose. Before sampling I checked out the tasting notes on the site and although I am no expert I could get a hint of hazelnut with a cream like chocolatey finish in the mouth and you could really tell it was a bright fresh roast. I have already bought another pack  to try from Ethiopia and find the idea of coffee is more exciting since my visit. If like me you can’t do caffeine past midday then relax, a superb range of decaffeinated beans are also on offer.

Gary is off to India in December to meet the growers first hand and choose what to import next. I can’t wait to see what he brings back. Coffee Real prides itself on its ethical buying practice, supporting Real Trade that goes beyond fair trade and extends to sustainability too.

After sampling a pack of Brazil Pereira Estate at £4.80 for 250g I was surprised to see that similar high-grade coffees sold in supermarkets retail at the same or a higher price without the provenance. Savouring a cup of this delightful coffee has been elevated by the fact that the farmers that grew it have been suitably rewarded for their hard work.

From 4th December 2012 01403 263381

www.coffeereal.co.uk

Text and Images Shirlee
Text and Images Shirlee
Croissants chalk hills

Chalk Hills Bakery Shop and Cafe

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 75 Bell Street, Reigate, RH2 7ANChris & Rosie owners of Chalk Hills Bakery

A bakery and café delivering artisan bread and pastry magic to the lucky folk of Reigate.

Go there for: Handmade artisan bread, gorgeous pastries, tarts, and a bacon sandwich to shout about.

Avoid: Trying to resist anything in this café; it’s futile.

Is it worth the calories?: I should say so: this is the ultimate good food experience!

Tips: The sandwiches on the menu are fantastic but if you want a bespoke combination just ask.

Walking into Chalk Hill Bakery on a rainy autumn day to the smell of toasting bread and aromatic coffee is a truly uplifting experience.Chalk Hills Bakery shop front

Chris and Rosie Robinson sold their gastro pub, The Stephen Langton in Abinger Hammer, to start a proper artisan bakery. Coincidentally, Priory Farm had a kitchen to rent in the old tractor shed and in November 2010 the first loaves were sold in the Priory Farm shop.

Chris and his team make sour-dough bread by hand the old-fashioned way and let it rise naturally over a 2-day period to develop flavour and texture ­- don’t think of muttering Chorley Wood, dough improvers or high-speed mixing here. Sourcing fine ingredients such as Shipton Mill organic flour gives added provenance to their products. The long fermentation process means the bread stays fresh for longer and is easier to digest.

Chalk Hills Bakery produce 17 different loaves, including fig and walnut sour dough (£3.65), large rye (£2.75), and other classics such as ciabatta (£2.50) and focaccia with a selection of toppings (£3.95). They also make a Surrey bloomer (£1.75) and Italian sticks (£2.10). Even the yeasted breads have a flavour boost of sour dough starter and are slowly proved in a refrigerator. The full range of products is on sale at Priory Farm and at Chalk Hills Bakery every day. They sell wholesale to a handful of local businesses.

Artisan bread selection at Chalk HIlls

Chalk Hills Bakery has definitely got the X factor (but with classier music). It’s modern yet rustic, charming and friendly, and has a simple but innovative menu. They cleverly match their bread to the sandwich fillings so you get the best texture and flavour combination. In addition they make croissants, scones, sausage rolls (with free-range sausage meat from Bowles farm in Ewhurst). Ham and beef for their sandwiches are cooked in the bakery; meat comes from Robert and Edwards of Reigate. In fact everything on the menu is made at the bakery, even the soup.

The bread menu, sweet tarts and bacon sandwich on white bloomer

I tucked into their classic bacon sandwich made from Gloucester Old Spot free-range bacon on toasted Surrey Bloomer (£3.95). What a triumph! Crisp, salty bacon, sweet herb jelly and perfectly toasted bread. The Sage Jelly from local producer PickleCake Parma ham and mozzarella with sage jelly (produced locally by Picklecake) also caught my eye – next time! I rounded this off with a pot of Barry’s Irish tea. I’ve never heard of it but apparently if you are from Southern Ireland it’s the only tea to drink and Chris (who’s from Dublin) won’t sell anything else. Coffee comes from Union, a craft roaster in East London, and soft drinks from Luscombe organics in Devon.

Business has been booming ever since the bakery opened and they plan to open another shop. Just make a wish that it’s on your doorstep: I have.

www.chalkhillsbakery.com

01737669116

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

The Parrot Inn

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The Parrot Inn, Forest Green, Surrey RH5 5R2

A pleasing country pub with locally sourced food on the menu.Parrot Inn Forest Green

Go there for: Hearty pub food with a modern tweak featuring the owner’s farm- reared meat and produce.

Avoid: Thinking this too far off the beaten track to travel too: the journey is well worth it.

Is it worth the calories?: We think so! But careful, the portions are generous here.

Tips: Make sure you try the unique air-cured ham made in their own butchery. Request that your pudding is heated in the oven and not the microwave.

This has the double whammy of being a highly regarded gastro pub and an award winning farm shop. This is a Gotto family affair and they have a wealth of experience from enterprises in London and Surrey. Enjoy a sandwich from the specials board at the bar or order from the main menu in the dining room or pub itself. On sunny days, sit in the garden and gaze across the green into open countryside: it’s a tantalisingly relaxing location to watch the world go by, on horseback, horse-drawn carriage and other modes of transport.

We visited last November on a crisp autumn day: Jane ordered a deep dish steak and ale pie with a puff pastry crust, mashed potato and vegetables. The filling was perfectly cooked, full of autumnal feistiness, the meat mouth-meltingly tender. I had the pork and pistachio terrine with goose rillettes and toasted sour dough. The terrine was a little dry but perfectly balanced by some wine jelly and they were happy to bring some more. The waitress also bought us a sample of their homemade soup to try, which was delicious. For dessert we shared a chocolate and cognac flan with salted butter caramel sauce with a hand made biscuit and ice cream.

Pork and pistachio terrine and Beef and Ale Pie

A disappointing finish, as the flan had been microwaved (a pet hate of ours), which made the pastry soggy. We didn’t finish it and explained why we had left it. Without hesitation the dessert was removed from our bill. We felt that they had been extremely professional as the meal had been delicious apart from the dessert.

Bar menu, Pub from the road and Cognac and chocolate flan

On a summer visit I sampled a starter from the main menu: scallops in sauce vierge. This was an interesting version of this sauce, a little more cooked than you would expect a true vierge to be. It worked well, as the bacon and tomato flavours accented the fat juicy scallops with great aplomb. It was essential to try another dessert: this time I couldn’t resist lemon sponge with vanilla ice cream and lemon curd. The lemon curd was tart and sweet, a perfect match for the warm sponge and cold ice cream.

Scallops in sauce vierge, cut juicy scallop and lemon sponge pudding

I have a niggling feeling that the sponge might have also had its molecules realigned by waves generated by a magnetron, but the food is good enough to withstand this very slight criticism. I got chatting to some American tourists, who had also had a great lunch. We agreed that the setting and food in this pub was worth the journey through some gorgeous Surrey countryside.

01306 621 339

The Parrot Inn

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