MENU DORSET issue 08 65 pages | Page 28

Dorset's best farm s hops and delis 28 n o i s s Pa for e c u d Pro So it might not have a motorway, but Dorset more than compensates with a full-throttle array of outstanding farm shops and delis says Nick Marshall he backlash has been brewing for years against the vast out-of-town supermarkets. Not only for the bland, uninspired uniformity of their produce, but also for the catastrophic effect they ultimately have on their suppliers. Strange to discover, then, that the antidote was there all along. The humble farm shop is now firmly back in business, and Dorset is spoilt with more than its fair share. In this article, we celebrate the best of local farm shops and delis, the places where you can track down bacon, cheese, jam or bread that can’t be found anywhere else. The common theme, we discovered, is a passion for produce. Typically, we’re talking about farms that set out a table loaded down with seasonal veg and freshly laid eggs, and just a few decades later are delivering online orders to fine dining restaurants. So, if you like your cheese slice in an individual wrapper and your bacon so full of water it could quench your thirst on a hot summer's day... this article is not for you. If, on the other hand, you’re an aficionado of flavour and a connoisseur of heritage, we are delighted to guide you through the best this blessed county has to offer. www.menu-dorset.co.uk