KEEN foodies from Somerset are invited to a free tasting day at a farm shop in the county next Saturday (October 28) to help officially kick off the countdown to Christmas.
Rumwell Farm Shop, which is located on the A38 between Taunton and Wellington, is hosting the Taste of Rumwell event on Saturday, October 28 from 9am until 4pm.
Anne Mitchell, Partner at the award-winning Farm Shop and Café, said: “We’d love it if people joined us on Saturday, October 28 when we’ll be hosting our free tasting event featuring many of our finest products, as well as those from a selection of our suppliers too.
“We’ll be showcasing our own homegrown and reared produce, as well as our Made at Rumwell range and some of our 2023 Taste of the West award-winning products. To add to this, we’ll be welcoming many of our suppliers on-site too. Admission is free.”
The event will be held in the new Rumwell Orchard extension and includes stalls hosted by the farm shop’s Gluten Free Kitchen, Deli, Bakery, Jam Kitchen and Butchery teams, as well as stands featuring many of its top suppliers and producers.
Anne adds: “Among those attending are House of Sarunds Confectionery, which makes wonderful chocolates, Heritage Charcuterie, Dryad Gin, which is a new small-batch gin made on the Quantocks, and Devon farm cider makers Sandford Orchards.
“Tolchards, which supplies our Rumwell Orchard bar, will be bringing some prosecco and potentially some other alcoholic drinks for people to sample too.
“Our award-winning Café team will also be providing samples of hot chocolate and our Bakery will be offering tasters of its mince pies, Christmas cake and rock cakes.
“Come along and sample some sweet and savoury products and chat to the teams who make them to find out more. It promises to be a wonderful day of tastings, which will be a great pre-amble to our official countdown to the festivities.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to give you plenty of ‘food for thought’ when it comes to planning your festive spread whether you’re hosting on December 25 or doing the Boxing Day buffet.
“Bring your little ones and they can have a go at decorating a pumpkin or ghost shaped biscuit to take home for Halloween too. £2 per biscuit with proceeds to our Charity of the Year, Age UK Somerset.”
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 more than 25 years ago.
Due to customer demand, the range of products soon increased, and the Farm Shop grew into the place it is today. David and Anne’s sons, James and Jack, are now also involved in the business, as well as their wives, Sophie and Donna.
The Shop has a traditional Butchery counter selling its home-reared and free-range pork and Rumwell Angus beef. Also onsite is the new, purpose-built Rumwell Orchard events space, a Delicatessen, Bakery, Jam Kitchen, Food Hall, Wine Cellar, Gluten Free Kitchen, Food To Go service and Gift Room.
In 2023, the farm shop picked-up eight Taste of the West Awards for its homemade products including six category Golds for its bakery-made sourdough loaf and rock cakes, its Butchery beef burgers – featuring its own farm Angus beef – and its lamb burgers.
The team also won gold for its gluten free bread, baked inhouse in its bespoke GF Kitchen, and its Countryman’s Pickle, made by its onsite Jam Kitchen team. It was commended for a further two products – the Bakery’s Biscoff doughnut and the Deli’s chilli and spring onion Scotch egg, using eggs laid by its farm hens.
To add to this, Rumwell Farm Shop received two prestigious Gold Awards in both the Farm Shop and Café/Tearoom categories at the Taste of the West Awards – taking 2023’s haul of Golds to eight.
It was also a finalist in the Large Farm Shop of the Year category in the 2023 national Farm Retail Awards.
The team won nine Taste of the West Golds in 2022 for its Shop, Café and products too.
Its dry cured back bacon was given the title of overall Champion Bacon in the 2022 Taste of the West Awards as well.
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. The Café kitchen has Coeliac UK’s Gluten Free accreditation.
For more information, please call Rumwell Farm Shop on 01823 461599 or visit www.rumwellfarmshop.com.