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Post by lily on Feb 5, 2009 12:52:31 GMT
I've copied the following from the SB as it says it all really! This link will tell you your closest farmer's market - it's worth keeping an eye on as new ones are always being added
www.farmersmarkets.net/
Maybe if anyone has a local shop/farm etc the could add the link to this thread? I've put one below that comes to our farmers market, they are in Billingshurst on the Sussex/Surrey borders.
xxxI wonder if it's any use for those of us that are lucky enough to have local butchers or farmers markets to put them on the food board? A lot of them do mail order too. One of the chaps that does organic/free range eggs/lamb and pork at my farmers market has a web site (as most do nowadays) for instance: www.leehousefarm.co.uk/products.htmlProduce has to be from within a 30/50 mile radius (I think the exeption is M25/London that allows a bit more) but more markets are springing up all the time. For those that may not have a local butcher/market, maybe those Togs living locally to each other, via PM, could organise ordering and sharing stuff that can be frozen to keep costs down if they don't have a local butcher or farmers market?
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Post by Glen B Ogle on Feb 5, 2009 13:34:59 GMT
Good idea Lily! We use River Nene Organics... www.rivernene.co.uk/for our veg boxes. They're in Peterborough, and most of the produce comes from their own farm. Although they're local to me the website does have links to some farms in other parts of the country. The only thing we find is occasionally we get veg we don't use. I can usually give it away though, and they are considering allowing you to specify certain items you don't want. From a "green" point of view btw the delivery is better than me making a special trip just to get the veg. They do a single bulk delivery from Peterborough to our local distributor, who then does the rounds. For me it would be a 10+ mile round trip just to get my own. When we get the proposed "emporium" in the village I'll think again! Glen
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Post by tigerlily on Feb 5, 2009 14:28:22 GMT
There's quite a good farmers' market that does the rounds of Nottinghamshire. The second Friday of each month it takes place along Bridge Street in Worksop, and the next day it is on the Market Square in Retford. There are some very good local meat producers, cheesemakers and bakers who have stalls there, and also some lovely organic fruits and veggies provided by a farm that does do deliveries. Local farmer and link to Localfoodadvisor.com
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Post by lily on Feb 5, 2009 14:40:50 GMT
Glen, before we had our farmers market I used to get a weekly veg box from here:
www.abelandcole.co.uk/Home.aspx
The beauty of this company is you can specify which veg you never want and they will substitute for something you like. You only have to specify the once, not each time. They do other stuff too such as meat etc. We had a fabulus duck from them one Christmas.
xxx
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Post by Glen B Ogle on Feb 5, 2009 15:25:48 GMT
We did look initially at Able and Cole. We went with River Nene because they are local, I preferred to reduce the food miles. So far it's really only been occasionally that there's something we don't want, so it's not a big problem.
Mind you, at the moment our box for this week has been delayed by snow! Hopefully they're delivering it on Saturday. The good part of the servie is that they phoned as well as emailing to let us know.
Glen
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Post by ctghost on Feb 5, 2009 15:54:03 GMT
Thanks I had the link a while ago but lost it
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Post by lily on Feb 5, 2009 17:29:26 GMT
I must admit the eggs from Lee House Farm are to die for - lovely golden yolks - with the occasional surprise of a double yolk. They aren't particularly cheap (£2 per 1/2 dozen) but I buy a dozen every fortnight and they are worth every penny. Fabulous in an omelette, or soft boiled with soldiers where the flavour speaks for itself.
It's also a pleasure to have bacon that doesn't ooze white gunk when you fry it!
xxx
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Post by Fi on Feb 6, 2009 0:34:49 GMT
My nearest recommendable butcher is Mr Watts in Montrose. Great beef and lamb, plus the best free range chickens, other than our own, that I have ever eaten - Poulets Noir imported from France. Fabulous pies, bridies and haggis and game in season - the latter is best ordered in advance. I haven't bought pork there, so I don't know if it's free range or not. It's not exactly cheap, but the quality is unvariably excellent and we prefer a small portion of excellent to a plate full of mediocre. He also keeps cuts like skirt beef, which is never seen in supermarkets, and I know not why, because it is perfect for any braised beef recipe. Donald Russell, in Inverurie, have a great selection of game and do mail orders. Again their beef and lamb is excellent, but expensive. We have used them for special occasions. Davidsons Speciality Meat, also in Inverurie, is very good and not so expensive. They provide a service where, if you turn up with whatever herbs and spices you'd like to have in a sausage, they will make up a batch of sausages for a very reasonable price and even experiment with the ratio of flavours to meat in the sausages - or they did when we lived near Inverurie. There is no better egg than one that is still warm from the hen that laid it when it is cooked. It is possible to keep a couple of hens in a small garden - lots of different arks are available, which will be obvious from a quick google. Given 2 hens, and a small ark which gets moved around the garden maybe once a month, you'll not only get some lovely eggs, but also a garden that will eventually be somewhere close to weed and pest free - and they produce excellent manure, which can be added to the compost bin, or dug in when the ark is moved. (Chicken poo is 'hot' - in other words it shouldn't come in to contact with plants when it is fresh, because it will have the effect of 'burning' the roots, so i prefer to add it to compost.)
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Post by idiotmittens on Feb 6, 2009 13:06:19 GMT
Apologies if this seems a bit blatant ;D If you're in the Truro area and want quality produce, made by us on our farm, give us a ring and see what's available. We raise small numbers of rare breed pigs (normally Saddlebacks) and Saanen goats. If you time it right, we will have fresh produce, but normally it's available frozen. We will have a selection of : Pork and goat joints, chops, steaks, belly etc Homemade sausages - various flavours Dry cured bacon, gammons, steaks (smoked & unsmoked) Mitten's spicy pork meatballs - a huge favourite Goat curry and mousakka Homemade soups - using mostly our own veg Homemade icecream - various flavours, including real vanilla Fish pies - if I've had a good day on the boat We don't use any artificial flavours, colourings, preservatives, gums, rusk, or any other rubbish normally used to pad out or bulk up food. Everything is done in small batches to sell quickly, so it can be a lucky dip as to what we have at any one time, but there is always something available. Book a holiday in our wonderful Hayloft and spend the week raiding our supplies
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Post by lily on Feb 6, 2009 15:03:41 GMT
Not blatant at all Mittens. I will certainly visit if I'm down your way.
xxx
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Post by lottielou on Feb 9, 2009 15:39:18 GMT
Hi I was interested to read all the above. We moved to Central Brittany five years ago and enjoy all the benefits of having numerous local farmer's markets nearby. I agree with Fi the French free range "Poulet Noir " are the best chickens I have ever tasted. We also keep our own chickens for lovely fresh free range eggs but we couldn't even contemplate on eating Mable, Gertrude or Agatha. The lamb pork and veal are also excellent The only thing I miss from the U.K. is the beef. The French don't hang their beef long enough.Sometimes I just yern for a nice juicy Aberdeen Angus steak or roasting Joint. I suppose if I tried I could get some sent over but I expect that the cost would be prohibitive. Any ideas anyone?
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Post by lily on Aug 5, 2009 16:03:42 GMT
If you like pies then, for a treat these are lovely.
They are based in Bristol, but have various outlets including farmers markets and Waitrose/Ocado. Scrummy!
xxxwww.pieminister.co.uk/
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Post by Wanda Roff on Aug 5, 2009 17:19:52 GMT
Oooh Mr. Mittens, that looks lovely and before anyone else says it, I love the photo of Snowy!
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