Five of the Best: Cambridge Food Blog's top farm shops

Turning grocery shopping from dull chore to genuine pleasure, our area is home to so many great farm shops and delis, Cambridge Food Blog’s Grace Mills couldn’t choose just five. . . So here’s six

Why does visiting a farm shop or deli make you feel like you’re in a Nancy Meyers movie? Possibly because there’s something so aspirational and easy-living about it. Gone are the harsh fluorescent lights of your local supermarket and the deep current of people moving you around the aisles. In their place, wooden bushel boxes full of fruit and the natter of a butcher chatting to a regular.
You can picture it now. Go on, try. Can you hear the bottles of wine clinking gently as your basket bobs on your hip, the slight squeak of a ballooned bag of posh crisps as you collect them on your way past? The feel of the waxy, matte stem of a rather unnaturally large, but in fact completely natural and organic, piece of Tenderstem broccoli. You can see the handwritten labels, giving you staff favourites and tips, can’t you? The counters are full of stacks of cheese and slabs of fresh meat. Then there’s the jarred goods. . . Oh, the jarred goods! Such joy to be found perusing countless types of mustard, varieties of peanut butter and olives eight ways.
There’s an abundance of farm shops and delis in the area. There’s likely a cracking one within a few kilometres of your home. If you can, seek one out and pay them a visit. Treat yourself to some of what they have to offer. You’ll likely find food offerings which veer from the mainstream and, as a lucky off-chance, may find yourself supporting small artisan producers. Maybe grab some cheese, a loaf of bread and a couple of interesting jars. You never know, if you’re lucky, you might be able to grab some salads, pastas or pies made from scratch too.

Dinky Deli
You know when you go to a restaurant and they present you with a beautifully concise menu and you just know the food is going to be good? This is what it's like to visit Dinky Deli in Hemingford Grey. It’s considered. There's care there. It is, unsurprisingly, a very small deli, but they’ve packed in a huge variety. Run by Chris and Kelly Lawrenson, Dinky Deli is stocked with a great rotation of British cheeses, locally made breads and some of chef Chris’ exclusive homemade goodies like pickles, Scotch eggs and (my favourite) fresh pasta. @dinkydeli
Image credit: Instagram @dinkydeli

Flourish Farm Shop
When I think of Flourish, I think of gorgeously rich leaves, bright blooming flowers and SOIL. Marvellous, am I right? Everything really is seasonally-led here. They do a fab monthly round-up of their seasonal veg on Instagram, which is a handy tool if you want to taste the best our British veg (and Flourish themselves) has to offer. You can go one step further and pre-order veg boxes packed full of organically grown produce, too. I’m yet to visit one of their pop-up markets but they look absolutely wonderful! @flourishfarmshop
Image credit: Instagram @flourishfarmshop

Bury Lane Farm Shop
This place is really quite vast and there’s so much to do it could almost warrant an entire day out! If you’re looking for a place which stocks a huge range of produce and products, has a really solid butchery and a great range of British artisan cheese (hello Rennet & Rind), this is it. If you have the kids in tow, they can be perfectly placated in the soft play Fun Barn and at The Beach. In my opinion, the jewel in their crown is their Pick Your Own days. They’re wildly popular and have previously included strawberries, peonies, sunflowers and pumpkins. @burylanefarmshop
Image credit: Instagram: @burylanefarmshop

Burwash Larder
I bloody love Burwash Larder. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a nicer bunch of people to greet you. You can pick up a smooth cup of coffee, sample some wonderful cheese, grab a piece of cake (you know you want to) and sort lunch for later, all by scanning along the deli counter. Hint: If you are a fellow pasta lover, they have some great trays of pasta classics from local legend, Pergola. It’s an Aladdin’s cave of beautifully curated and displayed goods and because of this my recommendation comes with a warning; you will visit with your shopping list and you will leave with much, much more. @burwashlarder
Image credit: Instagram: @burwashlarder

Meadows
My first visit to Meadows was during lockdown to pick up a Levante pasta kit. One look at the gorgeous frontage, sitting beautifully on Eltisley Avenue, had me thinking that it looked like just the perfect spot for a deli. Suzannah really has a beautiful selection of crafted foods at Meadows, which lovingly and rather fittingly has the tagline of ‘cheesemonger, kitchen and bottle shop’. In good news for Cambridge, a second, much larger site has opened down Mill Road in the old Cambridge Bed Centre. Whilst mattresses are, of course, important, I think we can all agree that having such plentiful quality artisan produce is a bed of roses in comparison. @meadows_camb
Image credit: Instagram: @meadows_camb

Shelford Deli
A positively lovely deli and one which I feel has been around for such a long time! Established in 1999 by Drew and Nikki Wilkinson, the ethos of Shelford Deli revolves around sourcing the finest, naturally produced ingredients. I think this sentiment still stands in this deliciously authentic food store, with a charm of a traditional grocer and the refinement of an upmarket boutique food hall. Grain Culture cravings can be satisfied and spring seasonal veg hankerings satiated in this bright, airy, delightful deli. @shelforddeli
Image credit: Instagram: @shelforddeli

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