Journey to the Centre of a Farm Shop: Part 3 – The Heart of Production

Here we are, the centre of the farm shop world. If you’ve missed part 1 and part 2 of this series, I recommend you go back and read them. So far we’ve seen the farm shop as busy and bustling and organised as it can get, fondly named: ‘The Peak of Mount Farm Shop’; we’ve been to the farm shop that has just found its feet as a platform for producers in the local community, and now we have arrived at the roots of the operation, where it all begins. This is Homethyme Holding (that’s Brit Stop EA96 on the app).

Meet the Makers: Yvonne and Andrew’s Leap into Rural Life

The final stop on our journey brings us across the broad expanse of the Fens and into the welcoming arms of Yvonne and Andrew. Pulling up on to their driveway, we glimpse the 5 star food hygiene rating sticker in their living room window, and we get our first impression of the tight ship they run.

Yvonne and Andrew's smallholding is a picturesque retreat set on a modest 1 acre – a testament to their hard work and love for what they do. Yvonne, a former bank manager, made the bold decision to leave her corporate life behind and embark on this rural adventure. In the short two years since, the couple has transformed their small piece of land into a vibrant, productive space that reflects their dedication and passion.

A Tour of Homethyme Holding: From Orchard to Aviary

They welcomed us like old friends to the terrace overlooking their heavenly back garden – ‘back garden’ being the understatement of the decade – there are several trees dotted with bright apples – a pointillist’s dream of an orchard, young copper beech trees, and a lively fish pond… it wasn’t until we’d finished a cup of tea and a pastry each that we remembered we were supposed to be there on business. They keep ducks, chickens, turkeys, geese and quails, as well as their three dogs. They show us a photograph of the five species of eggs in order of their size. “We’ve got everything!” They’re well situated for the keen fisherman with Townsend lakes very nearby. There are several local walks around, and if you’re interesting in canoeing, kayaking or archery there are facilities just a mile down the road.

I asked them why they decided to open their home to Brit Stops members. “It’s a real good stop from South up to North, that’s what we find a lot of people come and do,” Yvonne tells me as we make our way towards where they keep their flocks of birds. “We’ve got lots for people to see and we like it when they come and join in. They’ll come and see the birds and sample our homemade wine, sit in the garden with us, and that’s why we do it, it’s to meet people.”

Yvonne leads us through the side gate towards the turkey enclosure. “These are my babies. I absolutely love these turkeys.” She claps to encourage one of them up and he shakes his tail feathers out impressively, “his name is Frederick, and then we have Esmeralda, Princess and Sparkle. They’re all Cröllwitzer turkeys, they’re smaller than your average turkey, but this is our breeding flock, and if anyone’s got a name, they’re not going anywhere.”

‘Compost Corner’

We’re led to an unassuming pile of garden debris, “When we do any cutting or weeding, Andrew puts it here, gets the lawnmower, mows it up into tiny little bits and puts it in Compost Corner… Andrew makes hot compost so within a few weeks it’s ready to use.” She gestures to a small structure across the vegetable patch, “you could actually cook on it, it gets so hot in the middle.” While we’re talking Yvonne hands me a chick that hatched that day, and it chirps enthusiastically into my microphone.

From Garden to Shelf: The Production Line of Homemade Delights

We’re taken on the grand tour of the house. In through the kitchen where they process all their produce – the air sweet with the scent of elderflower – and on to the dining room where there stands a production line of jars ready to be labelled. There is variety as far as the eye can see.

Pickles, chutneys and jams, syrups and jellies, chilli pickled eggs, (with eggs from their chickens), pickled mixed vegetables, pickled red cabbage, wine, ginger marmalade, mango and lime chutney, hot brown chutney, golden chilli chutney, sweet carrot chutney, green bean chutney… they’ve clearly been very busy. After trying a few of their products I settle on the golden chilli chutney and a jar of elderflower jelly, which Yvonne recommends enjoying with ice cream!

A Warm Welcome: Opening Their Doors to the World

Not only have they offered up their driveway to Brit Stops members, but their front two bedrooms have also been made into AirBnb’s. “We are happy here, and this is a way to make the world come to us,” Yvonne tells us with a smile.

Yvonne and Andrew’s story is one of passion and commitment, a reminder of the love and effort that go into producing the local goods we often take for granted. Their smallholding may not be a huge bustling farm shop, but it is rich in quality, character and warmth.

We tucked our elderflower jelly and chilli chutney into the hamper for our picnic, and as they waved us off, we knew we had found something special. This is what it means to be a local producer. The folks with their hearts invested in what they do. And so concludes our journey to the centre of a farm shop.

Cheers, as always, Lois and Asa – The Pint Chasers