insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 22 - December 2016 | Page 72
FOOD+DRINK
THE FRESHEST OF FOOD AND A NEW SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
AT HARTLEY COFFEE HOUSE AND FARM SHOP
With a family history steeped in farming, an evident pride and care in their offering and a quaint
and welcoming shop and coffee house - Samantha Ready is inspired by the wonders on offer
and the story behind…Hartley Coffee House and Farm Shop.
In a day and age where common buzzwords
in food are ‘fresh’, ‘quality’ and ‘local’, it’s
amazing how many of us time-poor folk still
plod through a dull supermarket. I don’t know
about you, but I have to say that I have become
increasingly disillusioned with what awaits on
the weekly shop. For me, the glossy packaging
can no longer detract from some rather dreary
looking poultry, some roughly cut meat, or
some sorry-for-itself wilted veg, especially when
added to the fact that often the racks of what
you are looking for are increasingly empty and
the prices just seem to keep nudging upwards.
There is of course an alternative, and one which
could surprise you just as much as it has me…
Walking through the doors to Hartley Coffee
House and Farm Shop near Cranbrook was
something of a revelation; what awaited was a
large, modern shop/deli hybrid. A little haven
of produce heaven that has not only been
painstakingly and lovingly thought out by owners
Chris and Sheenagh Levett, but that has been
delivered in a way that is warm and welcoming,
and has earned them a dedicated team of staff
and a growing band of loyal customers.
The shop itself is perfectly formed, offering wide
aisles to dedicated sections: the butchery, the
bakery, deli and dairy, grocery and fresh, the cellar,
homeware and gifts, and garden plants; but the
difference lies in the concept, passion and delivery
that oozes with the natural charm of the owners,
who work tirelessly to train and inspire their staff
and to deliver the best to their community.
Chris and Sheenagh are the seventh
generation of the Levett family to farm in the
Kent and East Sussex area, firstly growing
hops, but latterly the main crops are apples,
pears and cherries. Their son, Chris, and his
wife, Holly, are now part of the family business
too, and who knows....their sons, George and
Henry, could be the ninth generation of Levett
farmers! They pride themselves on delivering
food that is fresh, homemade, local, unusual,
or award winning.
To this end the pork is home produced; head
butcher, Ian Jones, raises the grass fed lamb
on his farm and the prime quality beef comes
from local farms in Tenterden and Hawkhurst;
their fruit is their own and sourced from other
farms nearby; their fresh produce, juices
and wines offer a host of local favourites as
well as some new and upcoming producers;
and their baked goods - a section currently
diversifying to offer interesting additions such
as fougasse and other artisan breads alongside
their popular doughnuts and pastries, are all
handmade on site at the crack of dawn by
head baker, Keith.
Now let’s consider their far from humble
sausage roll…not content with farming their
own fruit, the Levetts now farm their own rare
breed Gloucester Old Spot pigs too. From less
than a mile down the road comes their own
pork, turned into sausagemeat by their butcher
and then passed the 20 yards to the bakery
team who produce delicious, flaky pastry to
encase the delicately seasoned meat, which
results in what must be the freshest, most local
sausage roll ever! And it tasted amazing.
Browsing the mouthwatering array of
handmade pies, fresh cheeses, juicy cuts of
meats - which even included ready seasoned
kebabs and curries to cook at home - and
of course lured by the freshly baked bread
aromas, my appetite was whetted!
72
Thank goodness then for a quick pitstop in the
onsite Coffee House. Set at the rear of the shop,
offering panoramic views across the orchards
and countryside beyond, as well as an outdoor
terrace - soon to be home to their first ever
Santa’s grotto - it provided the perfect respite to
shopping and allowed us to sample some of the
produce available. My partner tucked into a hearty
spinach and feta pie with salad and I devoured
a slice of fresh lemon drizzle cake. All around
were resounding ‘mmms’ and ‘ahhs’ as fellow
diners polished off piping-hot bowls of freshly
made soup, platters of quiche or pies, and tasty
toasties, washed down with fresh coffee or juice.
Appetites sated, but of course inspired for
more, we returned to the shop to complete our
purchases not only happy with our selection of
truly fresh food, but also excited by a truly fresh
shopping experience. The cherry on the top of
our (freshly baked) cake was finding out that the
prices were no more (and at times surprisingly
cheaper!) than the supermarket down the road,
but also that our goodies were not only fresh and
local, but undoubtedly a whole lot better too.
I am now a farm shop convert; I urge you to try
it out for yourself.
Hartley Coffee House & Farm Shop
Hartley Road
Cranbrook
Kent
TN17 3QG
01580 715233
[email protected]
www.hartley.farm
HartleyCoffeeH
HartleyCoffeeHouseandFarmShop