The Food Folk
Producers
We have scoured the length and breadth of Essex and East Anglia to find the best quality food available direct from small farms and producers. Our producers all go the extra-mile, whether it be through their very high standards of animal welfare, use of the highest quality ingredients or just in terms of the pride they take in their work. They go the extra-mile but your food doesn’t. It comes from the producer, to the Food Folk in Great Sampford and then is delivered to you. If there is something that you are particularly looking for, let us know (we are in the process of finding a fish supplier) and if you know of a producer that you think should be on our list, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Meat and Poultry
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Longwood farm - organic meat
Longwood Farm produces organic meat and poultry, and Matthew and Louise have been breeding, rearing and marketing Soil Association Registered meats since 1990. Situated on the Essex, Suffolk border at Tuddenham St Mary, the farm is in an area of varied and outstanding beauty. The beef cattle graze on the wild flowers and grasses of river meadows, while the sheep enjoy the heather of the sandy heath.
Paradise Farm
David Spencer has been farming since 1993. His lambs are free-range and graze ancient meadows and parkland on the rolling Essex countryside between Ashdon and Castle Camps. In addition to the lambs and cattle, he has plans to introduce pigs and chickens, as well as have an on-site butchery. Watch this space! David is a small producer and his lambs are currently available by the half and whole animal. This is the way that your Grandmother would have bought meat and offers great value with no compromise on quality. Butchery can be done to order but will include a mix of roasting joints, chops, steaks and mince. A half lamb will fit comfortably in a single drawer of a standard five drawer. Great to share with friends and family.
Priors Hall Farm
Fantastic bacon and sausages (and much more) produced on the Menhinick family farm at Lindsell. The pedigree herd at Priors Hall are housed in welfare friendly deep straw yards with plenty of natural light, air and space to exercise. The pigs are fed on feed made with wheat and barley grown and milled at Priors Hall. Traditional recipes and methods are used for curing and smoking.
The Rare Breed Meat Company
Set up by two farmers and an experienced butcher who wanted to see the very best meat from rare and traditional breeds back on the table. The meat is sourced from their own animals or from a tight network of small producers in Essex and Suffolk.
Tilbury Meadows Pedigree Beef
No longer available.
Fruit and Vegetables
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Wild Country Organics
A small family farm located in Great Abington. It has been organic since 1988, and Adrian specialises in producing a wide variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, aubergines, lettuce, etc. Once you have tasted his tomatoes, you’ll never go back to the supermarket. What isn’t grown on the farm is sourced from other organic growers and supplied through a box scheme containing the household staples plus more unusual varieties. There are different size boxes to suit different household needs.
Bakery
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Cobs Bakery - organic bakery
Organic bread from Cambridge. Head Baker, Alan Ackroyd has revived artisan processes to produce breads from local flours, ranging from simple white and wholemeal breads to a range of designer breads. He uses local flours and has revived the almost forgotten technique of long, slow fermentation which gives the yeast time to bring out the best in those flours.
Daizylake - Biscuits
No longer available.
Dorringtons - Traditional bakery
A well-known, long-established and much-loved traditional family bakers, producing top quality bread. Available from their local baker’s shops but if you can’t get to them, from The Food Folk.
Dairy
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Marybelle Dairy
Based in north Suffolk and one of only a handful of small family-run dairies in East Anglia, Marybelle is named after two of its most influential milk providers, Telstar Mary and Duncan Belle The Marybelle tanker collects the milk from the cows at 7.15am and delivers it to Marybelle by 8am. In a matter of two hours the milk is processed and ready for bottling. By 10.30am it is ready for delivery out to loyal customers throughout Suffolk and Essex.
Eggs
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Frosts Free Range Eggs
Carolyn bought a couple of chickens to show her children where eggs came from, now she has almost a couple of hundred. Her older girls (hens) have the run of the orchard, while the later additions are kept in small sheds with ready access to the outside, fresh air and green space. The flock is a mixture of White Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds – with a few Black Rock, Light Sussex and Cuverée Morans thrown in for good measure. Carolyn also keeps Quails which produce the most beautiful eggs.
Flour and Cereals
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Alice & John’s
No longer available.
Brinkley Woods
No longer available.
Oils and Dressings
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LAE Munns
Produce extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil which can be used in much the same way as olive oil but is even more healthy. It has the added benefit of being produced locally, on the Munns Family Farm near Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. The Munns family also breed free-range geese for the table (please ask for further details).
Coastalfoods
Coastalfoods, was started by Bryan & Jo Beattie, in September 2005. After selling their restaurant in Frinton on Sea they decided to make their own handmade “deli” products and sell them at local Farmers Markets. Their French dressing is now available from the Food Folk and we hope to include their range of fresh pestos, tapenades and herb butters in the future. If you would be interested let us know.
Pickles and Preserves
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Agnes & Joe
No longer available.
Bush Cottage Kitchen
Maxine Gardner produces traditional jams, jellies, chutneys and pickles that are bursting with the flavour of the fruit rather than sugar. They are all handmade in her kitchen and packaged with love and care.
Saffron Walden Honey
All produced by local beekeepers in Saffron Walden and the surrounding villages, including Great Sampford.
Pantry Preserves
No longer available.
Stokes
Believe that it’s worth going the extra mile and all of their products taste great while being free from all artificial flavourings, colourings and sweetners. Gluten- and nut-free too. Tomato ketchup that tastes of tomatoes, mayonnaises made with free-range eggs and tartare sauce crunchy with capers.
Snacks
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Fairfields Farm crisps
No longer available.
Swayfen Herb Farm
No longer available.
Chocolate
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Wicked Fruit company
No longer available.
Drinks
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Paddy & Scott’s
They started roasting in Scott’s garage and produced 100s of samples before finding the blends they were both happy with. The coffee is now hand roasted in the beautiful village of Earl Soham in Suffolk and they produce four blends for different times of day plus their latest product – espresso beans.
Stoke Farm Orchards
Only fruit grown on the family farm in Battisford, Suffolk is used to make the single variety juices, and therefore the family controls the entire process from “blossom to bottle”.