While Christmas shoppers are already pre-ordering their festive feasts and hampers from the supermarkets, savvy shoppers in North Yorkshire are cutting out the middleman and going direct to source – the farmers themselves – to order their seasonal showstoppers this year.
That’s because, thanks to Visit Ryedale’s new online Christmas portal Made in Ryedale, it’s never been easier to seek out the very best and freshest festive food for the family, direct from the farm.
“Ryedale’s blessed with an astonishing bounty of produce and multi award-winning producers so – as Christmas approaches and everyone’s thoughts turn to feasting – we created Made in Ryedale to signpost shoppers to the very best places to buy – like our farm shops,” said Phillip Spurr, Programme Director for Place and Resources at Ryedale District Council.
“In a rural area like Ryedale, family-run farms don’t just grow food – they’ve become mini-Christmas markets, championing top-quality and trusted suppliers. They stock food of the highest quality –produce that’s won international awards or graces the tables of Michelin-starred restaurants; but most people are drawn to farm shopping because it’s a great way of trying something different and having fun exploring the district through the tastebuds!
“Ryedale’s farm shops are perfect places to stock up for the ultimate family feast as you’ll be experiencing flavour and quality that you’d simply struggle to find in your average supermarket.”
While traditionalists might order local herb-fed, free-range turkey, Ryedale’s farm shops also stock Britain’s best game-birds and award-winning rare and native-breed beef and lamb, all home-reared.
For those bored of Christmas Cake, try a towering Croquebouche made by Britain’s leading pâtissier, accompanied by the one of the world’s best mince pies from local bakers; make a toast with spirits handcrafted by the one of the world’s top distiller, or Ryedale’s very own champagne; and for the grand finale, chocolates handmade by masters with Willy Wonka-esque flavours, and home-roasted, ethical coffee.
Whatever the dietary need, appetite, or budget, there’s so much to discover, and it’s never been easier to source.
What’s more, with farm shop produce being ‘field to feast’ – hand- baked, brewed, reared or grown locally or at source – there’s far fewer food miles involved, making it the most ethical, eco-friendly feast anyone’s likely to eat this year. With ample, free car parking, no traffic queues, beautiful scenery, play areas and in-house cafes, a shopping trip is also a refreshingly stress-free experience.
In addition to farm shops, the Made in Ryedale portal also provides a signpost to some of the district’s leading independent food makers, from honey-makers to the Chilli Jam Man, so that shoppers can source the highest-quality, individual items for their Christmas menus, stockings or hampers direct.
To find out more about local farm shops or to buy online, head to the Made in Ryedale portal at www.ryedale.gov.uk/made-in-ryedale/ or you can see Ryedale’s food heroes in action in their stores, during behind the scenes tours, or by meeting them in person at local Christmas festivals or markets.
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