Peake Fruit - Strawberries are just around the corner!

As we all know, the great British summer time isn't often that great! I'm starting to feel summery but the sun is currently not shining. So I have been trying to find other ways to get that feeling, and I have found it! Fresh strawberries and cream!

Peake Fruit have many farms in Essex and Suffolk, but the one I am most excited about is situated in Ardleigh, Essex. They produce strawberries from May right through till Novemeber due to some clever planning and different varieties.


New Home Farm is yet another example of local produce that is grown with our countryside in mind. The farm uses a state of the art irrigation system from their own resevoir to minimise water wastage. The variety of strawberries they grow are also naturally disease resistant so therefore reducing the need for soil sterilisation and some fungicides.

If you dont like strawberries then dont panic. Peake Fruit farms also grow over 40 different varieties of apples. They where even one of the first suppliers to provide Sainsburys and Morrisons with traditional and unusual English varieties. The fruit provided to the supermarkets is of such high quality that the apples are often taken straight from the orchard directly into trays and sent.

So, if like me you also now fancy some strawberries and cream, you should definitly hang on until May and try out some from New Home Farm.

If you would like some more information click here

Peake Fruit - Strawberries are just around the corner!

Colchester Oyster Fishery - Dine like you’re at The Ritz

When I decided to set up this blog, I really wanted to bring you a variety of different produce. Really prove to you how fantastic our local produce is. Colchester Oyster Fishery is definitely a good find.

I was pleasantly suprised by the top names that they provide to. Names such as Gordon Ramsay's restaurants and The Ritz. They supply wholesale markets 5 days a week including the famous Billingsgate Fish Market of London.


I dont think I need to emphasise the quality of Colchester Fishery's produce, such well respected names speak for themselves. So, instead I will tell you about the variety of shellfish on offer.

The fishery itself is located on Mersea Island,Essex. It is on the island that they grow, grade and store their shellfish. These include oysters, crabs, scallops and lobster.

If you fancy treating yourself to some shellfish, Colchester Oyster Fishery sells their products online and promises to put their undivided attention into preparing your order.

If you would like to find out more click here

Colchester Oyster Fishery - Dine like you’re at The Ritz

Sarah Green's Organics - Fresh Veg all year round!

I cant help but find it so endearing at the passion our local producers of Essex and Suffolk put into to providing some of the most fantastic produce. Sarah Greens Organics is certainly no exception to this rule.

Sarah owns 30 acres of farm land in the Dengie Peninsula of Essex. With some careful planning Sarah manages to produce fresh vegetables every week of the year. As a result of this the farm is always producing a varied range of seasonal produce to the local area and London markets.


All the produce from the farm is organic. No chemicals are used to kill insects and weeds and as a result wildlife thrives in a beautiful natural habitat. If that wasn't enough TLC for you, ploughing, planting, hoeing and harvesting is often done by hand all year round. If that's not dedication then I don't know what is!

The farm really does produce a vast variety of vegetables, everything from aubergines to tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflower and onions to courgettes, the list goes on......

If you live in the local area, there is a delivery box scheme where you can have fresh vegetables straight to your door.

If you would like to find out more click here

Sarah Green's Organics - Fresh Veg all year round!

Mersea Wine

In my quest to bring to you the best produce our local counties can offer. I have come across another Essex based vineyard producing fantastic quality wines.

Mersea Wines is, unsurprisingly, located on Mersea Island between the estuaries of the Blackwater and Colne rivers. Its gently sloping, south facing fields, make for a perfect location to grow five different types of grapes, producing a variety of wines.


Mersea Island Vineyard covers some 10 acres of land and consequently manufactures 10,000 bottles of wine on their premise. If your interested in how they make their wine, then tours are available.

Mersea Wines currently produce five different wines for you to try, each catering for different tastes. Perhaps a A fruity Brut sparkling wine is your thing or a dry white wine, bursting with a beautiful aroma and the flavour of elderflowers. Sounds perfect for those approaching summer evenings.

There is a charming little tea shop on the vineyards, not only will they cook you up something delicious, you can also try out their wines and see which ones you like!

If you would like to find out more click here

Mersea Wine

Aspall Cyder - Y not try it!

The first thing that sprang to mind when I came across this company is, whats with the funny spelling. So, to satisfy my curiosity and yours, I will explain before i go any further.

Turns out we can thank John Barrington Chevallier (known as JB) for the interesting spelling. He spelt cider with a Y as an indication of the style of cider he was producing in the 1920s. Basically, extra alcholic - I'm loving this company already!


It's not all about cider for this company, they are all about apples! So they also produce vinegar and apple juice. A lot of the apples they use are from Aspall Hall Farm in the parish of Aspall in Suffolk and their cider is made there too.

All of Aspall's produce are made with a great deal of care attention, you won't find any corner cutting here. There ciders are made with the fresh pressed juice of whole apples, for 8 generations the Aspall family have never used concentrates to stretch fermentations. They also used a variety of Apples in their cider to make the most of different flavous. This results in some of the finest cider you can buy - both locally and in the UK!

Aspall Cyder, their vinegars and apple juice are widely available throughout the UK in large supermarkets. If you would like to find out more click here

Aspall Cyder - Y not try it!

New Hall Vineyards - Essex's Award Winning Wine

I am very partial to a glass of wine, I simply cannot wait for the warm evenings when I can sit outside my local with a nice (large) glass of rosé. Bliss!

I do love to try a new wine, but forget about France, why not try something a little bit closer to home?


Recently, I have discovered New Hall Vineyards in Purleigh, Essex. They have over 65 hectares of vines making them one of the largest in the country. The vinyard grows over 18 different grapes, especially selected to thrive in our British climate and produce an outstanding tasting wine.

New Hall produces 11 different types of wines, from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir. Their wines combined have won them 224 awards over the years!

The vineyards themselves are open to the public, so is well worth a trip to sample some of the wines.They also hold various events throughout the year, so why not make a day of it!

If you would like to find out more click here

New Hall Vineyards - Essex's Award Winning Wine

Earl Stonham Farms - Taking Care of Our Countryside

I love the idea behind Earl Stonham Farms ethos. Not only are they dedicated to producing top quality meat produce, but they also feel that taking care of the countryside is a top priority too.

The farm is situated on 300 kilometers of rolling countryside in Suffolk and is home to the largest full blood heard of Wagyu cattle in England.


Earl Stonham Farm believes that content cattle produce the best beef. I definitely agree with them. In the summer months the cattle are free to roam outdoors and when it gets cold they are bought indoors and housed in straw yards. The farm aims to meet the same standard as Japanese Kobe beef. However, they do not believe alcohol is appropriate to give to an animal. This farm takes a lot of pride in their live stock and as a result produces meat to an exceptionally high standard.

The farm also takes a lot of time to maintain the beautiful Suffolk countryside. The farm has planted over 600 trees and 2 kilometers of hedgerows. This helps supplement the clover-rich pastures for the animals.

Overall, I think Earl Stonham Farm is a farm to be proud of. It's nice to know that the animal's welfare really is at the heart of this farm and consequently produces wonderfully marbled beef.

If you would like to find out more click here

Earl Stonham Farms - Taking Care of Our Countryside