EXG JAN 14 FARM SHOPS
- Credit: Archant
Essex is home to a goldmine of excellent farm shops, as local farmers and producers diversify to bring the freshest, local fayre direct to customers
1. Greenstead Farm Shop, Halstead
Sarah Cockley has been working hard to spread the word about Greenstead Farm Shop and its restaurant.
‘It’s a great job as we do a lot of stuff here. We now have a bigger restaurant with homemade food, we also supply a huge range of locally-sourced Essex produce and we sell homemade ready meals, sausage rolls and quiches, plus plenty of fresh cheeses, hams and chutneys.’
Great British Beef Week will taking place from April 23 to 30 this year, and she is aiming to promote it heavily. “I’m proud to champion Great British Beef,” she said.
Last year, just a week before lockdown and heavily pregnant she borrowed a neighbour’s thatched barn, hired chef Alan Paton and organised a massive feast for guests.
There has been a “positive side” to lockdown with an increasing customer demand for prepared quality foods, she said. After last year’s boom the farm shop took on a chef to make up home meals and a variety of other foodstuffs.