FOOD & DR INK
A t aste of the Country Kitc h en THE TEAM AT THE MUCH-LOVED HASLINGFIELD SHOP TELL US ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS AND SHARE SOME FAVOURITE RECIPES RECIPES
WORDS & PHOTOS BY NICOLA FOLEY
quite a few people have gone back to the supermarkets, which is disappointing,” Alex comments. “But we’ve got a niche, and people that like to support us will continue to come.” Looking to the future, and as well as eventually being able to offer online ordering, the team have one simple goal in mind: to encourage as many people as possible to shop local. “We want to show people that although we’re a bit niche, we’re competitively priced and we’ve got a huge range – we’ve got environmentally friendly products, gluten-free and dairy- free products, lots of vegan products. If people give us notice, we can get whatever veg or meat they want in – we can order fish in from Marrfish in Bishop’s Stortford which is really fresh, and we’re constantly honing our range to get it the best we can,” concludes Alex. “And we’re always looking for great local producers that we can bring to the shop!”
“We stayed open throughout and started offering free delivery – we still are for people in the village who are self- isolating,” explains Alex. “It was quite a stressful experience”, adds Jill. “There was the whole pastagate thing, and every night through lockdown we were trying to get stock from our suppliers. We were quite lucky in that they’d usually set aside X amount of pasta or flour for us because we have a good working relationship. Overall, we were busier and moving more stock, but we had fewer staff on, which added to the stress…” A trend that was widely reported during lockdown was the switch consumers made from big supermarkets to supporting smaller, independent businesses – something that the Country Kitchen team saw first-hand. Whether this represents a permanent shift in shopping habits remains to be seen, however. “Some people are still trying to shop local, definitely, but we did notice that
ountry Kitchen represents everything that’s great about local, independent shopping. Nestled in the village of Haslingfield, the
shop is instantly inviting with its cerulean blue paintwork, while inside is floor-to- ceiling packed with top-quality food, drink, gifts and bits for the home. From artisan gin to eco soap, speciality vegan products and weighty loaves of Fitzbillies’ finest, you could easily lose an hour in here browsing, and the smell of freshly baked sausage rolls and steaming soups from the back are guaranteed to ensure you don’t leave empty handed or hungry. At the helm of this thriving business, which started life in 2013, are Heather Scally, Jill Broadbent, Alex Sigsworth and Claire Bush, a group of women that share a passion for fantastic Cambridgeshire produce. All four live locally and are dedicated to serving their community – something that took on even greater importance during lockdown.
IMAGES Country Kitchen is full of artisan products, including marmalade, candles and lip balm, making it a great place to shop for presents
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