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Tebay Services

Posted by Unknown Monday, April 28, 2014 0 comments

I'm not very keen on motorways, and dislike most motorway services. However Tebay services (just North of Junction 38 of the M6 in Cumbria) are like no other (yet), and I love stopping here.

It's run by the Dunning family, who are also local farmers. Apparently the big boys weren't interested when it was opened in 1972, and their loss is our gain.

You can get papers, drinks, sweets, and some interesting and unusual gifts.

There's a large farm shop:

With a proper butchers

where you can still get a shoulder of mutton

and some very nice beef ribs:

They can tell you exactly where their meat comes from, if it's not from their own farm.

There's bacon and sausage from Slacks of Raisbeck and Kitridding Farm:

There's smoked ham or turkey, chorizo and salami :

and Scotch eggs - including a "Vegetabularian" one, made with chickpeas, cheese, tomato, onion and garlic!

There's a nice range of pies:

How about a duck pie with plums and armagnac?

Like all good food shops, there are tasters available:

There's an interesting selection of breads from More? at Staveley, including crusty ancient baguettes, overnight bloomers,German rye bread and all sorts of sour dough:

There's a good choice of cheese:

including Cotherstone, Dewlay and Mrs Kirkhams Lancashire, Swaledale and Wensleydale:

and, from further afield, Cornish Yarg, Hereford hop, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, as well as some nice blue cheeses:

As we're in Cumbria, how about some damson fruit cheese to go with your cheeses?

There's also fresh fruit and veg:

and some non-food items including stylish clothing as well:

If you want something to eat, the café sells home-made dishes:

using locally sourced ingredients, where possible.

In this light and airy area you can look out across the fells, or admire the ducks on the pond.

I was going to finish this post by saying I wish there was more services like Tebay. But the good news is there soon will be!

The same company are opening Gloucester Services, on the M5, on Wednesday 7th May. Unlike the big 3 (Moto, Welcome Break and RoadChef) it won't be a clone of its sister (200 miles north). It will sell local Gloucestershire food, and I can't wait to visit.

I wonder if they'll sell a copy of Schumacher's Small is Beautiful?

Tebay Services
Westmorland Place
Orton
Penrith
Cumbria
CA10 3SB

Tel: 015396 24511

Web: www.westmorland.com/farm-shops

Cardiff Market

Posted by Unknown Monday, March 24, 2014 0 comments

If ever I visit a town/city that I don't know well, I always like to start with the market. The best places for food nearly always have good markets - and Cardiff has a wonderful market.

There's been a market here for a long time. As a sign above the entrance tells you, the current building was opened in 1891.

As you go through the doors, there's Sullivans, with a colourful display of fresh fruit and vegetables:

Opposite them, there's E Ashton Fishmongers:

who are Wales largest independent fishmongers, and have been in Cardiff Market since 1866!

When I called they had razor clams:

and also sea bream and Welsh sea bass on offer:

There are 6 different butchers in the market. Gary Anthony had this attractive display:

which included ribs of beef, rabbit and Welsh lamb chops.

J T Morgan have been trading since 1861:

They sell free range and organic meat and poultry to some of Cardiff's top restaurants.

Our Victorian ancestors knew how to build good markets - it's a nice light airy building.

Underneath the clock tower is Clancy's:

where vegetarians and vegans are very well catered for. They sell fresh food which is made by themselves, and also local chefs. They have an interesting range of herbs and exotic spices, including nine different sorts of dried chillies!

Another stall sells Mediterranean foods:

The Bread Stall sells fresh bread and cakes, including these Welsh cakes:

I'll finish off with another picture of Yeates Fruit and Veg:

I'm sure if more people used our markets, they would be happier (no BOGOFs to make you buy stuff to throw away), healthier, and richer (as prices are very reasonable)!

Cardiff Market
St Mary Street
Cardiff
CF10 1AU

Tel: 029 2087 1214

Web: www.cardiff-market.co.uk

Holt Heath - Top Barn Harvest Shop

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, March 19, 2014 0 comments

There's a sign outside Top Barn Farm Shop which says:

"Here at Top Barn we....
plant it, breed it, tend it, feed it, water it, rear it, prune it, harvest it, hang it, store it, cut it, cure it, mix it, press it, bake it, score it, roll it, stuff it, boil it, taste it, glaze it, baste it, dry it, reduce it, chill it pack it, display it, and offer it to you!

And that's exactly why I do this blog! Twelve months on from the Horsegate scandal, and we're still hearing about multi-national companies, with scant regard for where the stuff comes from, selling you god know's what from anywhere!

When you go to small independent businesses, like Michael Harper's Top Barn Harvest Shop:

you know exactly what you're getting, and how it's been reared and prepared etc.

There's fruit and vegetables (they have pick your own strawberries and raspberries in the summer):

and pretty well all you'll need to make some great meals:

There's a good butchery, selling beef and pork from local farms, and free-range chicken from Springfield Farm in Bromyard.

If you're on a budget, there's lots of economical treats, like these pork and tomato pin wheels:

and these faggots:

They make their own pies and quiche, including a beef and Hobson’s Ale pie.

The pork pies are also home-made, and these pork pies topped with red onion chutney:

are very good!

There's also charcuterie from Severn Spots:

with hand made salami and chorizo:

There's also a café, childrens' play area:

and Farm Park:

Top Barn Harvest Shop

Top Barn
Holt Heath
Worcester
WR6 6NH

Tel: 01905 621954

Web: www.topbarn.co.uk

Kirkby Lonsdale - Dales Butchers

Posted by Unknown Sunday, March 9, 2014 0 comments

Dales Butchers is a good old-fashioned (and that's a compliment), traditional butchers in the lovely town of Kirkby Lonsdale.

Inside the shop:

there's everything you could want from a butcher, from prime cuts to tasty offal:

and traditional items like home-made haslet:

They sell Reg Johnson's free-range chickens from Goosnargh:

and some amazing sausages, including their traditional Cumberland and their award winning pork, duck, orange and cointreau sausage.

But the most memorable thing for me is their pies. Butchers normally get the meat right, but sometimes the pastry wrong (and visa versa for bakers). Here both the pastry and the meat are spot on, and the pies have a generous filling:

They also do very good pork pies, with unusual varieties like thse pork and damson pies:

My favourite was their pork pie with Mr Vikki's chilli jam:

It starts nice and mild, then there's a chilli kick in the middle (a kick but not excessively hot) and it then calms down, as you reach the other side. It's perfection in a pie!

Dales Butchers
2 Market Street
Kirkby Lonsdale
LA6 2AU

Tel: 015242 71278

Web: www.dalesbutchers.co.uk