Where to buy local food
It’s not all about cheese! Sometimes Kathy and I have to eat other things too.
Below are some of the favourite places we have found to buy local food; all great places operating on a small scale.
Growing with Grace (http://www.growingwithgrace.org.uk/)
A community co-operative farm about 10 miles away from The Courtyard Dairy (on the A65). They grow fruit and vegetables using their own compost and deliver it in vans powered on vegatble oil! As a social enterprise their ethos is to provide sustainable agriculture; but I mainly buy from them because their fruit and vegetables are so tasty! They deliver locally but you can also pop-into their farm shop!
Blue Pig Company. (http://www.bluepigcompany.com/)
You can see Andrew & Anthony Bradley’s farm from our shop. After foot and mouth they decided to rebuild their farm up in a different fashion. They built up a herd of ‘blue-pigs’ (called as they are a bluey-grey cross between Gloucester Old Spots and Saddle Backs). These pigs are reared in a slow-manner and roam free-range on their land by Anthony.
Their marbled, rich pork is then transformed into dry-cured bacon, hams and sausages by Andrew on the farm, before being sold and delivered locally.
Hellifield Highland Beef.
(http://www.hellifieldhighlandbeef.co.uk/)Robert and Wendy Phillip bought two Highland Cattle as a hobby back in 2002. Falling milk prices and the success of their richly flavoured beef (which graze on the wild edges of the Dales’ hills) meant by 2005 they had sold all their dairy cattle and invested in rearing and grazing Highland cattle. Butchered locally at Skipton their meat is then sold through their little shop at the back of the farm. Lovely it is too (a rib of beef on the bone from Robert is one of the best meals I have ever had!)
Paganum. (http://www.paganum.co.uk/)
Famous around these parts for his Yorkshire Chorizo and being on ITVs’ The Dales, Chris Wildman also owns a local farm shop: Town End. However it is his fresh produce from his farm that I love, particularly his Yorkshire Dales Mules Lamb (although his grass fed beef and pork are good too!).
Gazegill Organics / Emma’s Dairy (http://gazegillorganics.co.uk/)
Ian O’Reilly and Emma Robinson are part of a 500 year family tradition farming the local Hay Meadows that are rich in flowers, herbs and grasses.
And this is where we get our milk! Raw (unpasteurised) milk from Organic Dairy Shorthorn cattle (they do pasteurised un-homogenised too). It’s bloomin’ lovely too!
They really care about how their cows feed, graze and live. This, alongside using the rare-breed Dairy Shorthorn’s (which give a real rich milk) gives a great tasting milk.
Gazegill also sell and rear organic Lamb, Beef and Poultry. They deliver locally and also have a farm-shop (near Gisburn).
Kilnsey Trout Farm.
Buy fresh trout from their farm just outside Grassington; they can also be found at many food markets throughout North Yorkshire too!
Quay Ingredients
Based only 5-minutes from The Courtyard Dairy Ian and Deana Southworth supply the finest herbs and spices via mail order throughout the UK from their converted barn; check them out at: http://www.quayingredients.co.uk/
Buon Vino (http://www.buonvino.co.uk/)
The reason we chose to set-up in The Courtyard is because of this fantastic wine shop; Rob Bagot specialises in interesting biodymanic wine, made with no additives by small producers (a bit like what we do with cheese; unaltered products still made on the farm). As well as this he also champions local brewers: Settle Brewery and Bowland Beers.
Also look at The Yorkshire Dales for further details on local farm shops: www.yorkshiredales.co.uk.
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