One of the delights of the English countryside is farm shops. Countless times we’ve followed modest signs pointing to discover gustatorial Aladdin’s caves, full of luscious cheeses, tempting meats, fruits so beguiling they’re a little bit obscene. Often I’ll also pick up some bowls or interesting kitchen knickknack as a gift. When we visited the Uptom Smokery (@Uptonsmokery), I wanted to take everything home.
My in-laws got us hooked on the idea of visiting when they pulled out a package of smoked salmon they’d acquired there. “Look at that,” my husband said, eyes glittering as he looked at the slightly coral-coloured wedge of fish. “You can just tell that’s going to be good.” And it was. Delicious, full of flavour. You could discern from its shape before cutting that it had actually been part of a fish — so far from the uniform packaged slabs at the supermarket. We had it in scrambled eggs, then on brown bread, then the next day in rice salad.
“I want to visit that smokery,” my husband said several times over the next 12 hours, each time as if the idea had just occurred.
So what did we do? We put on our shoes on and drove to the smokery.
Upton Smokery is just outside Burford, a few short steps off the A40. The actual smokery is closed on the weekend so we couldn’t see it in action. So we visited the farm shop.
The spring day was bright. As we walked in, it took our eyes a moment to adjust. Somebody appeared at our elbow and offered us fresh coffee, served in a ceramic cup. Then we ooh’ed at a panoply of goods that could tempt you to spend this month’s mortgage. Let me loose in a place like this and I can’t control myself. I run from section to section, caressing the packages, reading the “story” of how they make whatever it is out of virgin’s tears and fresh-dug fairy root, how it is massaged into deliciousness, by hand, using traditional methods.
“Look, look!” I cry to my husband.
Olive wood cutting boards!
Tubs of sour cherries!
Smoked duck confit!
Biscuits made by small producers!
Cherry tomatoes with the stems on!
We were lucky to get off as lightly as we did.
We left with a package of 5 smoked chicken breasts (really, you must eat them, you must eat them now, and they were a relatively modest £12.95 for 5); 2 packets of smoked bacon; smoked salmon (some for us, some for a gift); goats’ cheese; biscuits for cheese; and chocolate. The smokery is owned by Chris and Vix Mills, who use traceable raw materials, and have been written up everywhere from The Telegraph to Conde Nast Traveller.
I also found something quite rare in this part of the world and definitively best in class: Xochitl tortilla chips. How to describe these? These are the lightest crispiest chips for eating with salsa, guacamole and queso. You can usually only find them in Texas and select delis in New York. Other tortilla chips go to graduate school to be as good as these chips.
Add to that the smoked chicken, the smoked salmon, the smoked streaky bacon, the guinea fowl, patridge, trout, and venison, all the locally produced foods…oh I could go on.
Now whenever we are in the Cotswolds visiting my in-laws, I’m the one repeating my husband’s mantra: “I want to visit that smokery.”
What do you like to buy at farm shops? Do you have any favourite farm shops? Leave a comment and tweet me on @JHowze!
The details
Upton Smokery is outside Burford, situated in the B4425. Check website for opening hours.
Upton Smokery
Upton Downs Farm
Burford, Oxon
OX18 4LY
01993 823699
uptonsmokery.co.uk
Twitter: @UptonSmokery
Facebook: Upton Smokery
I remember visiting Burford on a visit to the Cotswolds a few years ago – how did I miss the Upton Smokery?
I agree, there is something very special buying from smaller producers. We have several farm shops near where we live in Lincolnshire and my favourite is a new place called Wimberley Hall: excellent fresh meat as owners have cattle and sheep but the bacon is excellent, great variety of cheeses and lots of treats from Norfolk and Suffolk too.
Errrr… HOW have I never been there? AND I live in the Cotswolds! Thanks for sharing! It looks amazing! *adds to next trip to Burford
That place looks amazing and I want to go there now. I need all that stuff now – smoked haddock the colour it should be followed by those cherries! Shame on Katy Hill ;)!
Anya, it really was gorgeous. I could have spent hours there.
This looks amazing – I’ll have to go there next time I’m over that way.
These photos are ridiculously tempting!