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York - The Hairy Fig

Posted by Unknown Thursday, December 19, 2013 0 comments

I was so excited to find the Hairy Fig in York, that I cut off some of the entrance to the historic Merchant Adventurers' Hall in my picture above.

This medieval guildhall:

and the Hairy Fig, are both on Fossgate, a street steeped in culinary heritage (see here for more details).

Anyway back to the Hairy Fig - it's a shop as intriguing as its name.

I don't think figs are hairy, but the owner had managed to find some cactus figs:

which I think are the fruit of the prickly pear - and apparently "natural colon cleaners"!

The business has expanded into two shops. The first one I went into was packed with all manner of interesting foods, including some of the best local, French, Italian, Mexican or Spanish foods!

It's a great place to get items for canapés, here you can buy baby figs, stuffed with cream cheese, baby cornichons, sun dried tomatoes and olives.

There's over 40 different cheeses, like Jamie Montgomery's cheddar, a variety of Swaledale and Wensleydale cheeses,including the Richard III Wensleydale cloth-bound cheese, made by Andrew Ridley. Blue cheeses include Cropwell Bishop Stilton and Yorkshire blue from Shepherds Purse.

Rustic Italian style breads comes from Via Vecchia in the Shambles

Varieties include cheese and marmite, cinnamon and raisin (loaves or bagels), green olive and thyme, and Sicilian (ham olives cheese and herbs). Via Vecchia also supply local restaurants with bread.

The first shop became so popular that they had to expand, and in 2009 they moved into the shop next door as well. Here you can bring your own bottle and fill it with an amazing choice of balsamic vinegars and olive oils. If you haven't got a bottle, they got some nice ones if you're choosing a gift. I've never seen such a choice:

There's also over 40 different teas, like Chinese tea balls, Japanese cherry, Oolong silver tips and Sencha Fukujyu green tea:

There's also an interesting selection of coffee beans.

The chocolate here is also top quality, and different. Chocolates include Lauden fine chocolates, which I think are some of the best you'll find.

At the back of the shop there's a small café, where you can where you can chill out and enjoy some of the food they sell, before exploring the Merchant Adventurers Hall at the back.

It's no wonder that this lovely shop last year won an award for the Best Shopping Experience in York, and the Independent have included this shop in their list of the 50 best delicatessens in the UK.

The Hairy Fig
39 Fossgate
York
North Yorkshire
YO1 9TF

Tel: 01904 677074

Web: www.thehairyfig.co.uk

Settle - The Courtyard Dairy

Posted by Unknown Thursday, April 4, 2013 0 comments

I've featured some seriously good cheese shops in this blog, and the recently opened Courtyard Dairy near Settle is definitely in the premier league!

It's situated in a group of traditional barns on the A65:

where in The Courtyard you'll also find an art gallery and brasserie, and upmarket shops selling hand crafted furniture as well as an excellent wine merchant Buon Vino, who'll sell you something different to go with your cheese.

The dairy:

is run by Andy Swinscoe, and his partner Kathy, and they know and care a lot about the cheese they sell.

Their cheeses are sourced from small farms and artisan producers and matured to perfection.

You're not going to find piles of blocks of pre-cut cheeses, sweating in cling film here!

And the only day you'll see processed cheese slices is on April Fools day - see here for a picture Andy put up J.

The bottle of Marc de Bourgogne (in the picture above) is not for Andy and Kathy - it's to go on the Langres, a creamy cheese made by Schertenleib in Champagne-Ardenne!

Like most good cheese shops, a sample to taste is freely given. They know that the more you try, the more you'll want to buy!

There's local cheeses, like Dale End Cheddar an unpasteurised clothbound cheese made by Alastair Pearson (no relation) in North Yorkshire at Botton Camphill Farming Community for adults with learning disabilities.

Also from North Yorkshire is Andy Ridley's Richard III Wensleydale. When I was in the shop, a customer who'd bought bought a small piece the previous day had come back to buy a massive piece because they'd enjoyed it so much.

There's some really good blue cheeses like Battlefield Blue (made by Jo and David Clarke in Leicestershire), Bleu des Causses (aged in natural caves in France), and Gorgonzola Dolce (made in Piemonte, Italy):

If you don't like cheese (maybe that's because you've never been to this shop?) there's charcuterie like Yorkshire chorizo and salami

From further afield there's good Italian cured meats like prosciutto, and finocchiona (a Tuscan salami flavoured with fennel):

and again you can try before you buy.

There's also things to go with your cheese:

like biscuits for your cheese and chutney made by Raydale preserves

They also have some stylish cheese boards, like these Burlington Slate:

My only complaint about this shop is that it's not nearer to my house - but their cheese can be delivered anywhere in mainland England, Wales and Central Scotland.

The Courtyard Dairy
A65
Settle
North Yorkshire
BD24 9JY

Tel: 01729 892 902

Mobile: 07791 137 608

Email: andy@thecourtyarddairy.co.uk

Web: www.thecourtyarddairy.co.uk

Northallerton - Lewis & Cooper Ltd

Posted by Unknown Friday, July 13, 2012 0 comments

Lewis & Cooper have been selling hampers, and fine food and wine since 1899 in Northallerton.

Their shop combines some of the best local foods, like real Wensleydale cheese:

marvellous Masham sausage and home-made honey roast ham:

with gourmet foods imported from all over the world.

The shop gets really busy around Christmas, their handmade luxury fruit cake gets a "Faultless" Gold Award

and their handmade plum pudding does even better with a "Wow, you must try taste this" Gold Award with the the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards!

Upstairs there's a café, where you can try some of the foods they sell in the shop. My tip is to try the Yorkshire Tapas:

They also sell fine wines and local beers:

and they also offer an on-line service for the unlucky people who don't live near their stores in Harrogate, Northallerton and Yarm-on-Tees.

Lewis & Cooper Ltd
92 High Street
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL7 8PT

Tel: 01609 772880

Web: www.lewisandcooper.co.uk

Ripon - Langton's Fine Foods

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, June 19, 2012 0 comments

Ripon cathedral dates back to 672, and is well worth a visit. Not far from the cathedral, on Kirkgate, is Langton's Fine Foods.

This business specialises in hampers, containing items like local honey, Harrogate toffee, Henderson's Yorkshire relish, Rosebud Preserves and Yorkshire tea and coffee from Taylors of Harrogate.

It's also a good place to get some chocolate. They sell Guppy's hand made chocolate truffles from York:

and Lauden chocolates from Leeds:

which my Mum says look too nice to eat, but we always seem to manage!

Langton's Fine Foods
13 Kirkgate
Ripon
North Yorkshire
HG4 1PA

Tel: 01765 698096

Web: www.thelocalhampercompany.co.uk

Ripon - Deli on Duck Hill

Posted by Unknown Thursday, June 14, 2012 0 comments

There's a timeless feel to Ripon, although the vehicles aren't usually quite as old as this picture!

Between the Market Place and the cathedral you'll find the delightfully sounding Duck Hill. Apparently it got its name because in the past the ducks from the old mill pond used to waddle up the road to forage for food in the market! On Duck Hill you'll find Ripon Small Shops:

where you can see the famous "Ripon Clock":

which was built in 1986 to celebrate the 1100 years of the Ripon Charter.

Visitor to Duck Hill have included Daniel Defoe, Lewis Carroll, Turner and Ade Edmondson. Ade visited Don and Sadie's Deli on Duck Hill as part of his Ade in Britain series (which I watch to help make my Sunday morning visits to the gym tolerable).

It's not a large shop, but they've managed to pack a lot in it. There's items like Glendale Ginger drink (made in the Yorkshire Dales), Ian Taylor's free range eggs, local pickles and Henderson's Yorkshire Relish.

They import Parma ham direct from farmers in Italy and there's a good selection of olives.

There's a good selection of over 50 cheeses, with local cheeses like Coverdale, and Old York and Yorkshire Blue from Shepherd Purse:

They also try and get rare cheeses, that you can't easily get elsewhere, like Vacherin Mont d'Or which they had in stock earlier this year. They'll even do you a cheese wedding cake!

Deli on Duck Hill

Duck Hill
Ripon
HG4 1BL

Tel: 01765 600972

Web: www.delionduckhill.co.uk

Ripon

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, June 12, 2012 0 comments

Ripon is a delightful small cathedral city, with a fine market square. The fine obelisk that dominates the square was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor.

Every Thursday there's a market here (I've been told there's a good baker here).

A farmers' market takes place on the third Sunday of every month, look out for Garth Cottage Nursery who specialise in growing herbs.

They still have a Hornblower, who maintains a 1,000 year old tradition of setting the night watch:

(thanks to Phil Catterall for the use of this image).

Also in the market place are T Appleton & Son butchers. I've heard very good reports of their pork pies, but sadly they weren't open when I called (I'll have to go back).

T Appleton & Son
6 Market Place East
Ripon
North Yorkshire
HG4 1BP

Tel: 01765 603198

Web: www.appletonsbutchers.co.uk

Weeton's of Harrogate

Posted by Unknown Monday, June 4, 2012 0 comments

I've agonised over which photo to use to start this post! Weeton's of Harrogate is definitely in the Premier League of good food shops, but I like it for so many different reasons! Should I start by showing a picture of their excellent fish pies, their 28 day matured beef or their magnificent meringues?

Weeton's shop:

is overlooking the Stray, a large area of open parkland in the centre of Harrogate. It's a partnership between three dairy farmers, and they maintain close contacts with their local producers.

Inside:

it's a stylish food store and café, with all that you need for the perfect dining experience. There's fruit and vegetables:

and one of the best fish pies I've had:

There's a good butchery department:

where you can buy their own red poll beef, local lambs and free-range chicken.

There's a good selection of local cheeses:

Their Triple Curd Cheese is made with the milk from their own herd. They sell Swaledale cheeses made with cows' milk, ewes' milk or goats' milk. There's also buffalo cheese from Ribblesdale, and Wensleydale cheese with apricots, cranberries or ginger. They'll even go out out of county for a seriously good cheese (like Appleby's Cheshire), or even out of the country....

Then there's those desserts. There's Weeton Wascals - a cross between a scone and a rock cake using a traditional Yorkshire recipe. There's Passion Fruit Delice or Pecan Nut Tart. They all look good: