Beaulieu Organic Farm Shop now open Sundays 18 July 2010

[Stephen Tarling]

Many thanks to SarahF who started the Beaulieu Organic Farm Shop thread at http://newforesttransition.ning.com/profiles/blogs/new-organic-butc... and to Al Woodcock's facebook page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113381548695745

Beaulieu Organic Farm Shop is going to try opening on Sundays from 10am to 3pm starting 18 July 2010. They are intending to see how much demand there is over the holiday season... (so if you're reading this much later do check to see if they are still open on Sundays before you visit - phone them on 01590 612 666).

Whilst the Beaulieu Organic Farm shop concentrate on best organic food, a fair bit of their stock is local - if not New Forest then a fair bit is Hampshire, Dorset or Somerset.

A particular mention should go to their New Forest Fruit Co. strawberries and now blueberries as well (first ones in 16 July 2010 - see the photo).

Their salad leaves, tomatoes, the Lyburn cheeses, the Loosehanger cheeses, the Spice n Easy range of sauces and relishes, and the New Forest Marque jams they stock (are they from Perfect Preserves?) are all local. Their Long Critchel bread, and quite a bit of their meat is not New Forest but is fairly local; and of course their wonderful sausages (quite correctly admired by Christine Thomas and many others) are made on the premises.

As the main fruit and veg season gets underway the prices on peppers, melons, tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries have come down and/or the quality has improved.

New Forest Fruit Co "Bluberries" - containing not quite what is says on the label.


A few links to Beaulieu Organic Farm Shop suppliers and others that may help or tempt:

New Forest Food Co. in Beaulieu seem to be at http://www.nffruitco.co.uk/ (not quite what it says on the label - but then again the label says Bluberries - which sounds like overweight sobbing children!) but the web site is mainly about work available there.

Spice'n'Easy of Milford on Sea are at http://www.spiceneasy.co.uk/ and most of their delicious Chutneys and Relishes qualify for the New Forest Marque.

Lyburn cheeses from the north of the New Forest, see http://www.lyburncheese.co.uk/ and drool.

Loosehanger cheeses from near Salisbury - see http://www.cheeseproducer.com/ although some of the cheeses on their web site seem to be 'under construction'

and for Perfect Preserves from Sway see their site at http://www.perfectpreserves.org.uk/ and for stockists see http://www.perfectpreserves.org.uk/#/stockists/4533674493

Long Crichel bakery may be in Dorset but their bread and cakes are so good they are surely honorary New Forest food - see http://www.longcrichelbakery.co.uk/ (and give thanks there is no scratch and sniff web system yet).