Farm shops/Farmers markets/Not mass produced stuff thread

[David A]

Thought I'd have a go at starting one of these threads where we all post our favs

Essentially i like good farm shops, farmers markets etc where you can buy good quality produce. Not necessarily local, nor organic but not the factory produced, mass produced crap that purports (sp?) to be from the local farm. I.e. those farm shops that seem to have popped up but all selling the same ole stuff.

So nominations

London - Borough market, southark high st/london bridge - selected stalls are good particularly for buying whole slabs of pancetta or blocks or parmesan etc. There is some mass produced stuff but also some good stuff e.g. raw foie gras.

Berkshire - The butchers in Ascot & Sunningdale - good beef, good black pudding when in (not strictly a farm shop) but they're a great laugh and the meat is consistently good.

london - Again a shop (damn changing my own thread) Paxton and Whitfield for cheese on Jermyn St, St James, you can smell it a mile off. Not cheap but great great cheese.

So go ahead and nominate your favs - particularly farmers markets as I can never seem to find these! preferably in surrey/hants so I can go visit

Dave

[Porkbrain]

You want farm shops and markets in Surrey?

http://www.surreyfoodlinks.co.uk/default.asp

Here you go, more than you can shake a stick at

[David A]

Porkbrain said:

You want farm shops and markets in Surrey?

http://www.surreyfoodlinks.co.uk/default.asp

Here you go, more than you can shake a stick at

Thanks but the point is to reccomned/nominate good ones ! Anyone can google and find that but would appreciate reccomendations of good ones.

thanks

[Noger]

I hate Borough market. Or rather I hate to love it.

<look away now if you want to avoid a rant>

I hate the sodding AntiPodean tourists, munching an an ostrich Burger and wandering round as if it is a theme park getting in your way. I NEED a big bag of Trompettes De Morte and some Black Bream NOW, I have a meeting to get back to. Sod off.

I hate the fact it has become an outdoor snack market. I used to be able to get to Brindisia, order some Pata Negra, buy one of the divine Chorizo and Rocket sandwiches, and be back at my desk in half an hour. Now it takes half an hour to queue for the Chorizo sanger.

Anyway...

Winchester Farmers Market is about the best in the area. Sadly so many have dwindled.

Secretts, in Milford near Godalming has a farm shop and a farmers market.

http://www.secretts.co.uk/index.html

The Jolly Farmer's on the A25 near Reigate has a lot of local produce. And they serve it in the Pub Restaurant too.

Fanny's Farm Shop deserves a mention.

http://www.fannysfarm.com/

As does St Joans Farm (about as "farm" as it gets, you buy the ice cream from a chest freezer right in the tiny creamery next to the cow shed).

http://www.saintjoansfarm.com/index.htm

Ken Daveys in Bookham is a great butcher. As is Chitty's in Brockham.

[David A]

Noger said:

Secretts, in Milford near Godalming has a farm shop and a farmers market.

http://www.secretts.co.uk/index.html

Thanks Oddly Secretts seems to be a mixture of supermarket and farm shop (nice bacon though!) which is where you begin to wonder how much is "farm" and how much is "factory".

Cheers

Dave

[Plotloss]

Windsor Farmer's Market started alright but now its all £5 pots of curry sauce and whicker baskets.

Ascot is a bit better but still the same sort of thing

Maidenhead is good, depending on time of year.

Henley isnt much cop at all, its all cheap sunglasses and imported fruit, not really a farmer's market at all.

[Timberwolf]

David A said:

Where you begin to wonder how much is "farm" and how much is "factory".

There are some really good ones but my nearest "farm" shop is like this, I went down there and almost all the vegetables I looked at were imported, more expensive than Tesco/Sainsbury and yet tasted exactly the same and lasted no longer.

There must be more than a few people who've worked out they can stick a mediocre greengrocer's on the edge of a farm for pennies, bump up the prices and coin it in. One rule that works reasonably for me is that going to a decent farm shop should end up cheaper than buying the equivalents from a supermarket, if it's not someone is importing things and relying on placebo effects.

A little counter to the purpose of the thread, the best fresh veg I can get within a reasonable distance is actually at Waitrose, the problem with that is if you go there for veg (which is competitively priced, surprisingly) and then pick up one or two other little bits the bill is ridiculous, and a lot of things aren't quite so much better than the alternatives as people would have you believe.

[Don]

http://www.newlyns-farmshop.co.uk/

Great shop. Just off Junction 5 of the M3. We go there regularly.

It isn't just the farm's shop - its a complete local food retail outlet. So you can get everything you need from them and don't have to visit Sainsburys on the way home. Emphasis is on local rather than organic (although much of it is).

Their chicken, although pricey, is some of the tastiest most delicious chicken EVER. Really lets you know what you are missing out on when you buy the bland fast-grown stuff from the supermarket.

[David A]

Timberwolf said:

David A said:

Where you begin to wonder how much is "farm" and how much is "factory".

There are some really good ones but my nearest "farm" shop is like this, I went down there and almost all the vegetables I looked at were imported, more expensive than Tesco/Sainsbury and yet tasted exactly the same and lasted no longer.

There must be more than a few people who've worked out they can stick a mediocre greengrocer's on the edge of a farm for pennies, bump up the prices and coin it in. One rule that works reasonably for me is that going to a decent farm shop should end up cheaper than buying the equivalents from a supermarket, if it's not someone is importing things and relying on placebo effects.

A little counter to the purpose of the thread, the best fresh veg I can get within a reasonable distance is actually at Waitrose, the problem with that is if you go there for veg (which is competitively priced, surprisingly) and then pick up one or two other little bits the bill is ridiculous, and a lot of things aren't quite so much better than the alternatives as people would have you believe.

I know what you mean, so I guess part of the reasoning for the thread is a bit like my shopping habits - when near borough market I'll end up buying some pancetta or parmesan, when near ascot I'll probably pop into the butchers and get some nice pork with crackling (extra skin!).

So for example now if I'm passing J5 of M3 I'll prbably pop into Newlyns as its been reccomended but probably won't go there for the weekly shop.

Dave

[Ranger 6]

David A said:

Berkshire - The butchers in Ascot & Sunningdale - good beef, good black pudding when in (not strictly a farm shop) but they're a great laugh and the meat is consistently good.

Lewis of Sunningdale? Mentioned here too http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article584193.ece 

[David A]

Ranger 6 said:

David A said:

Berkshire - The butchers in Ascot & Sunningdale - good beef, good black pudding when in (not strictly a farm shop) but they're a great laugh and the meat is consistently good.

Lewis of Sunningdale? Mentioned here too http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article584193.ece 

Yup also in Ascot, they are all barking mad in there too

[VTECMatt]

They don't have a web site or anything and are quite small, a large amount is grown locally a lot by themselves, the quality is spot on.Don't expect to get Strawberries or Raspberries this time of year though

Delf Farm Shop - Sandwich, Kent one of about 20 or so within 15 miles but for me this is the best one.

[stackmonkey]

Gildage Farm Shop, Heath, nr Chesterfield.
Just off J29 of M1 towards Clay Cross.

Mainly meat products, some veg too. always excellent produce.

[Rob-C]

Stephen Maskill, butcher, Crown Street Hebden Bridge. Beats the supermarkets on both quality and price, supports other local producers, (milk, eggs, cured meats etc). An asset to the town.

Gordon Rigg's Garden centre Walsden, Todmorden. Specialises in local fresh fruit & veg, including rare apple varieties and seasonal fruit. Again, better and cheaper than the supermarket sh*te.

[H_Kan]

Hmmm, contemplating a trip to St. Joans Farm for some of their ice cream. The description of how it is made sounds delicious and I'm a sucker for ice cream!

[Puggit]

Reading Farmer's market. Disappointing selection, but great quality.

[matrignano]

Sorry to revive an old topic, but can you guys recommend a farm shop that has an online buying facility and delivers to London?

[Kermit power]

Epsom farmers' market is still pretty good. Plenty of nice meat, eggs, fruit & veg.

At the other end of the country, Bonners' in Ilminster is a superb butcher. For anyone who has the River Cottage Meat book, the big lump of beef that HFW is holding on the front came from there. I've done HFW's shoulder of pork Donnie Brasco with meat from them for the last 3 christmas eve dinners at the inlaws, and my parents get all their meat there. Not once had anything that wasn't superb and also generally very local.