Calling all Devon Mumsnetters - I need a good Farm shop in South Hams area please!

[Pavlovthecat]

I am going shopping tomorrow, have my list for the week and want to buy as little as possible from a supermarket.

I need recommendations please for a farm shop that does good, tasty and affordable food, that will beat the supermarkets in price and quality.

I am buying chicken, eggs and vegetables.

Thanks in advance ladies! (and maybe the odd gent?!)

What I don't want it a 'pseudo' farm shop, you know, a shop stuck in a field, calling itself a farm shop.

I want a working farm, selling its goods on site, that kind of farm shop, a real farm shop.

Are you anywhere any of the Riverford Farm shops?

I only know the one near Dartington, but that has its own butcher (organic and FR chicken) and all the veg they grow themselves. And you can buy great cheap meats like chicken carcasses for stock (£1 for 2!) and ham hocks too.

here are all their shops

The Riverford shop near Yealmpton is also good. I'm not sure that it meets your criteria exactly though. Things locally grown but not on site. That shop has a good pick your own fruit bit as well.

The riverford one near buckfastleigh/totnes is lovely -bbu not,sadly, cheaper than a supermarket.

Ah Riverford (rsighs). Riverford is my favourite shop. Probably ever. I would buy everything there if I could. We pick strawberries there quite regularly, along with Luke's Farm.

However, it is pricey at riverford. I would cost double my usual shopping. Although it was taste nicer!!

You can buy lots of eggs from the roadside in farms around buckfastleigh/holne.
Usually unmanned with an honesty box.
Not sure it'd be worth the petrol costs though just for eggs.
Ermington Primary School sell eggs at reception from their own chickens.

How am i doing?

I beleive there is one near Combe Dean, which is off the A38 near buckfastleigh?

Dragon - you been there at all? That is your neck of the woods isnt it?

I know there is one near Endsleigh Garden Centre (just before the carpark, but not sure how cheap that one is, we went there for xmas food and spent a fortune, but it could have been because it was xmas and we were not looking at prices particularly. And I think that is one of those psuedo shops I mentioned.

It does not have to be a big shop. And it can be made up of a number of shops. For example, a farm you know which sells eggs outside the front of the drive, then another one that is selling its chicken, and then veg. It does not have to be a fancy one like Riverford, selling pickles and chutneys and organic soap powder!

Gribbles Butchers in Ivybridge does a great 'Meat Box'.
Sound horrendous but you get good quality local meat. I got the £20 one. It had a load of lovely bacon and sausages, 4 lamb steaks, 4 pork chops, steak mince, and a couple of chicken breasts.
All can be frozen too.
They do £20, £30, £40.
And gift vouchers!!! but i'm not sure who would buy meat as a gift.

dragon - doing good!

If I am going that way anyway it would be cheaper surely, than paying £2.50 or whatever it is for a dozen eggs in supermarket.

veggies expensive at the countrymans' choice next to endsleigh.

Oh Gribbles Butchers - they supply the meat to Dean Farm, or whatever it is called.

That might be worth buying. I dont eat meat, only chicken, but DH and DD eat it, and if it is frozen, wont need to buy any meat for a couple of weeks at least. Is it delivery only or can it be collected?

I might go drive there and check it out tomorrow.

Maybe I will get DH a gift voucher for his birthday! Seeing as he always says he wants steak for his birthday. He can have it!

Dragon - that's the one I was thinking of...yes and I did not find the meat too cheap either. And I got lured by the fancy pickles

Oh this is hard isn't it? I can see why we always go to a supermarket, in and out.

But in this current climate of prices going up, I feel that local trade might suffer and I would like to buy more local where I can, and might even be more pleasant than going to a supermarket, which I hate.

i don't know if it's a delivery thing.
They have a big sign outside the shop held by a life size model of a butcher. Nice.
There's also a good grocers in the main street in ivybridge, and the health food shop in the town also does veggies.
on friday's there is a women's institute thing in the scout hut. not sure what time it starts but they close up at about 11.30 or 12. home baked cakes and sometimes home grown salad and herbs. and some lovely cardigans if the mood takes you.
free parking in the car parks between 10-2pm

i need to get a job at the tourist info.

There is a place on the way to dartington that usually has a sign out saying Eggs, Milk, Honey.
Doesn't look too commercial.

I just found these two places online. The first looks like what I am after, might not be too pricey.
The second, is actually the other side of plymouth( Roborough) looks a bit pricey, I dont know how much meat should cost as I just pick up a pack of whatever in the supermarket as I don't eat it.

heard of either of these?

Haven't heard of either of those.
Sorry.

it's difficult to get the quality and the price i think.

we stayed just outside kingsbridge recently

there is a farm shop at stokenham (past the church) that was recommended by a mner, but we never made it there (got waylaid in one of the riverford shops )

Yes, I think you might be right. I might go check out the one near Shaugh Prior, a good excuse for a walk with DD.

And then I might just do supermarket and keep an eye on when we are on our travels for a farm shop.

Like you say, if it just for eggs, it is not worth the increased fuel costs, but if I am buying everything, I dont mind making a trip to one or two near each other.

i think your best shot might be a trip to ivybridge on a friday.
gribbles for meat, then try the women's institute for some lovely cakes, probably eggs and salad too.
then have a mooch around the grocers, the deli, the health food shop and if all else fails there's a somerfield in the town centre.
combine it with a trip to tumbletots at the leisure centre and everybody's happy.

welcome to my fridays.

Eggs from free range chicken place on road near golf club round near where I live. Any help? [vague] Nr Fort Stamford, Jennycliff etc
They do veg too.

Ohh and there is one in Elburton I think. Again, though, not produced on site, but is all local produce. Dh has found one in Hooe as well, up in midst of estate area... [double vague]

Dragon - I like the sound of that. Swimming with DD in the morning, then a leisurely outing to do my shopping with the little one! I might bump into you...you will spot me, I will be the one with a brown headscarf/headband and a very loud smiley blonde two year old girl going 'wasaaaaat mummy' 'mummy, mummy looooooook' at the top of her voice. Until she sees cake, then it will be 'caaaaaaake, mummy!!'

I might bypass scummerfield's though and nip into Morrison's on way home .

Although scummerfield's has just been bought by Coop so might see an improvement!

oh what fun.
spot the mumsnetter.
have a horrendous cold today so not sure how i'll be tomorrow.

i'm the one with the humungous double buggy.