Seasonal, local and from the farm
At FARM SHOP we present a range of seasonal bounty from our Somerset farm supplemented with products from farmers who share our values.
Lamb and beef comes from our own estate and is expertly prepared by our Butcher Shop team. Wine is made with grapes from our vineyard, honey comes from our hives and cider is made with heritage apples from our orchards.
From our estate, Kenny, our dedicated forager, collects produce from the land and hedgerows, to create an exclusive range of small batch products.
Our cattle and sheep
Our livestock is made up of Hereford, Aberdeen Angus and Wagyu cattle and Mule and Exlana sheep. We lamb around 1000 lambs every season in the traditional style, where lambs are born around Easter time and calve in two blocks in the spring and autumn.
The crops we grow on the farm are chosen so that we have silage to feed our cattle and sheep and all the straw we need for bedding down. We grow pea crops to aid soil health and we clamp the crops to be used as feed over the winter. After the straw is used in cattle sheds, it is then clamped to be used as fertilisers in the field, allowing us to create a circular economy and reducing inputs as much as possible. The grain from the wheat is also sent to the wholesale market so that no part of the crop is wasted.
Our vineyard
On a gentle south-eastern slope on our estate sits our vineyard. The slope is made up of clay and limestone, creating ideal growing conditions for the 8000+ vines. It’s located next to the River Brue, opposite the site of an ancient Roman vine terrace.
At our vineyard we grow Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Bacchus grapes. Harvested by hand in late September or early October, they are then transported just 5 miles away to Bagborough Winery, where they are pressed, fermented and bottled. From the 2022 season we bottled a sparkling rosé, still rosé and Bacchus white wine which is available in-store and online now and our 2023 vintage Chardonnay is now on our shelves.
Our hives
Throughout our Somerset estate, there are hives where bees are kept and managed. The distance between each set of hives means that bees collect nectar from various sources, including our apple trees and vineyard, giving distinct flavour notes to our honey. Our bees play a vital role in ensuring biodiversity throughout the estate by pollinating our crops, flowers, and walled garden produce, as well as wild trees and flowers.
The resulting honey is delicate and floral, reflecting the variety of flora from which they collect pollen and nectar.
Our orchards
There are three orchards on our Somerset estate, which are full of heritage apple trees that provide us with all the apples we need to make our delicious Medium Cider. In October the apples are harvested by hand and using a fallen apple harvesting machine, before being transported 15 minutes away to be sorted, pressed and fermented.
The resulting cider has a refreshingly crisp and full bodied flavour, which pairs perfectly with deep flavoured cheeses, including Westcombe Dairy’s Cheddar, which is made just 10 minutes down the road from FARM SHOP Somerset.
Foraging
Kenny, our in-house forager, uses the farm and seasonality as his inspiration, collecting berries, fruits, plants, nuts, seeds and funghi from our estate. The bounty from our estate is transported to our Farm Shop Kitchen, where Kenny trials new recipes and makes old favourites, to add a unique range of small-batch pickles, preserves, jams and sauces to our wild food shelves.
Due to their nature, all of our foraged range is available in exclusive small-batches only.