Retail: Star Of The Show

La Hogue Farm Shop in Chippenham, near Newmarket has been featured in the national media by British Food Fortnight organisers highlighting the two-week celebration of food and the importance of buying local or British produce.

A series of events which are open to the public have been organised, starting on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd with La Hogue hosting a ‘Grand Local Producer Fayre’. Thirty of the region’s best food producers, suppliers and farmers will be in attendance offering free tastings and information ‘face to face’ on the way they make their products.

The stars of the Local Producer Fayre will be a pedigree Hereford cow and calf called ‘Butterfly’ and ‘Jacke’ from Badlingham Herefords who were multi-award winners at the Royal Show this year. They have had special permission from DEFRA to attend the event and will be there for the public to meet.

The following weekend, Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th September, La Hogue is hosting a ‘Regional Wine Producer Fayre’ where several of the region’s renowned wine producers, including Chilford Hall and Ickworth House Vineyards, will be offering free tastings and information on their wines.

Chris Reeks, owner of La Hogue with his wife Jo, said, “British Food Fortnight is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the wealth of fantastic food producers we have in the region.  The fortnight is even more poignant and important this year, due to devastating floods in July which were quickly followed by the Foot and Mouth outbreak which has severely restricted many farmers and producers incomes, including a good number in this region.”

She adds, “In order to sustain these specialist producers, who produce to the highest standards using traditional methods, we need to get behind them and British Food Fortnight is the ideal opportunity.”