A SOMERSET farm shop looks set to sell more than 8,000 sprouts, 10,000 pigs-in-blankets and 20,000 home-grown potatoes for roasting this December as shoppers choose to celebrate with traditional fare (2021).
Rumwell Farm Shop, which is on the A38 between Taunton and Bridgwater, says this year it’s seeing a surge in demand for British and Westcountry-sourced, classic festive food items.
Anne Mitchell, Joint Owner of the Farm Shop, explains: “We’re known for our fresh, seasonal produce and for the items we grow and nurture on our farm just four miles from our shop including our own free-range, hand-reared pork to make our pigs-in-blankets and our homegrown potatoes to make Christmas roasters.
“This year we’ve seen a trend towards traditional British festive ingredients and we think, from talking to our customers, people are keen to write-off Christmas 2020, when they may not have been able to eat, drink and be as merry as they would’ve wished.
“Not only have we sold thousands of sprouts, pigs-in-blankets and potatoes in our shop and café, we’ve also made hundreds of additional Christmas puddings and cakes on-site and more than 1,000 mince pies in our Bakery. Plus, our Jam Kitchen has cooked-up more than 500 special festive chutneys. In many cases, we’ve doubled production on previous years.
“Our Deli team has also used our farm eggs and pork to create a traditional Festive Pie featuring apricots, chestnuts, slices of chicken breast and free-range sausage meat made from our pork. It’s been a huge hit too. And British and Westcountry cheeses are also proving more popular than ever.
“Shoppers are telling us they are keen to feast well this year and want to hark back to better times, childhood Christmases, when everything seemed simpler and when they felt real comfort and joy. And having traditional, often handmade, food, sourced locally is all part of this for them.
“People are keen to indulge in nostalgia and reminisce this year and to feel secure with the traditions of Christmas past.”
Anne and the Rumwell Farm Shop team say there are currently no shortages of Christmas products available in the shop and that the Butchery counter even has some turkeys left, as well as geese and, ideal for Boxing Day, Rumwell-reared Angus beef joints.
“Christmas is always a time for traditions, but this year we’re definitely seeing a surge in demand for traditional items and a keenness to source products locally too to help reduce food miles, increase sustainability and to support the local economy. We geared up to cope with demand earlier in the year, as we’d already seen an increase in our customer base in the last 19 months. Many new shoppers came to us during the various lockdowns and when supermarkets were experiencing shortages, and they’ve stayed with us.
“One item that is flying off the shelves that wouldn’t have been a staple, British, festive food item 100 years ago, or when Dickens wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’, is our Christmas Pudding doughnut. That’s new and adds an interesting twist to things. It’s been doing exceptionally well and we expect to sell more than 1,000 of these in December.”
Rumwell Farm Shop is an independent, family-run, award-winning business owned by the Mitchell family. It was originally a potato store, when David and Anne Mitchell began selling their potatoes and free-range eggs at the gate.
Due to customer demand, the product range soon increased, and the business grew. David and Anne’s sons, James and Jack, are now also involved, as well as their daughters-in-law, Sophie and Donna.
Rumwell Farm Shop has a traditional Butchery counter selling its home-reared and free-range pork and Rumwell Angus beef. Also, on-site there’s The Rumwell Flower Shed, a Delicatessen, Bakery, Jam Kitchen, Food Hall, Wine Cellar and Gift Room.
Its own, home-grown potatoes are available, when in season, as well as everything from fruit, vegetables and groceries to plants, mostly British-grown cut flowers, gifts and cards.
The Rumwell Café is a large and spacious building. The food prepared in the café kitchen is sourced from the Farm Shop, the Mitchell family farm, which is just four miles away, and other regional suppliers.
Families are welcome to the café and there is a menu especially for children. It also serves afternoon teas, roast carvery Sunday lunches and is licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.
For more information, please call Rumwell Farm Shop, which is between Taunton and Wellington, on 01823 461599 or visit www.rumwellfarmshop.com.
