Opening the very first Producer’s Profile, this month we’re delighted to be joined by market favourites Durleighmarsh Farm Shop.
Durleighmarsh Farm Shop and ‘Pick Your Own’ is a family-run business set in beautiful countryside on the Hampshire-Sussex border. It offers a huge range of top quality fruit and vegetable crops throughout the season plus a well-stocked farm shop full of wonderful local produce.
Roger and Alison Grange have been running the business for 14 years now and 2009 has seen an increase in the ‘Pick Your Own’ acreage to cope with demand.
- What makes Durleighmarsh Farm Shop and PYO’s offering so special?
We grow such a wide range of ‘Pick Your Own’ crops- not just strawberries and raspberries but blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, tayberries, loganberries and sunberries, as well as lots of different seasonal vegetable crops. What’s more, we do some lovely ice cream! Ben Govier from ‘Dylnas Ice-Cream’ has started making his ice-cream from our own fruit and so we now have Durleighmarsh Strawberry Ice-Cream and Blackcurrant Ice Cream in the Farm Shop. Watch this space as Raspberry Ice-Cream will be coming soon!!
- Tell us something about our company that not many people know about…
As we are CEVAS accredited we encourage and welcome school visits and have groups from nursery schools and playgroups, as well as primary, secondary schools and colleges, visitting us throughout the year.
- What inspired you to work with food?
To us, it’s the terrific variety and high quality of local food that inspires us. It’s amazing what fantastic produce is available within a few miles of us and we do all we can to source and stock it.
- What’s your favourite product that you grow?
Well- it just has to be strawberries……..or is it Raspberries or Blueberries…….. err… love them all!
- What other producer’s produce can you recommend?
If you have never tried it, you MUST try Blackburne & Haynes Jersey Cream – it is absolutely wonderful and is made at Headley by Celia Haynes and her family… try it and you will never look to another cream again!
- What makes Hampshire Farmers’ Markets so unique?
There is always such a buzz at the markets…even in the rain! Hampshire Farmers’ Markets are such a wonderful place to meet customers old and new as well as getting to know other stall-holders and their products. The markets are also useful as a pick up and delivery, exchanging produce with other producers and saving on those food miles!
