Speciality Food Magazine JulyAugust 2024

is run by Teresa Holdsworth, and together with her team she produces approximately 100,000 jars of Ludlow’s own-recipe jams, preserves, marmalades, chutneys, oils, sauces and pickles every year. These products, like everything else in the shop, have a natural and local focus. They “use fruit and vegetables sourced as locally as possible and are always made in small batches,” Jon says. “No artificial pectin is used as they are set when the ingredients are in season – if needed fresh lemon juice is used instead. We don’t use thickeners and instead reduce the consistency which produces a more concentrated and intense flavour.” KITCHEN AND DELI Deli products are a must-have in any farm shop as expansive as Ludlow, and the in-house kitchen does not specialityfoodmagazine.com 37 shortbread, as well as championing local specialties, like Shrewsbury biscuits,” Jon says. These melt- in-the-mouth biscuits are infused with mixed spice, lemon zest and currants for a buttery treat. The shop takes deliveries of fresh bread (from classic white loaves and French sticks to the delicious focaccias and sourdoughs) six days a week from Bread2Bake, a nearby bakery. “We also offer a unique Bromfield Black, which is exclusive to Ludlow Farmshop,” Jon says. A COFFEE ROASTERY CRAFTS A UNIQUE BREW Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh coffee? At Ludlow’s in-house coffee roasting room, the teamwork their magic on ethically produced and sourced green coffee beans, which are blended, roasted and ground in small batches – a process that is all overseen by specialist Hannah Bond. “This coffee is then packaged ready for the shop floor, prepared for use at The Clive Arms hotel,” the boutique inn also on the Oakly Park Estate, “or sent over to be freshly ground by baristas at our café,” Jon says. By trading directly with small- scale farmers to hand-roasting each type of bean in small batches and finally producing a number of blends that are unique to the site, Ludlow Farmshop showcases a truly artisan product. STORE CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS In another corner of the farm shop, a jams and pickles department disappoint. They create from scratch a huge range of products using cuts of meat from the butchery, cheese from the dairy and chutneys created by Teresa and her team, alongside other locally sourced products. “From Scotch eggs to quiches to award-winning pies, the kitchen department is a hive of activity,” Jon says. One of the kitchen’s signature dishes is the Shropshire Fidget Pie, made with gammon, cooking apples, onions and potatoes. A DAIRY WITH QUALITY AT ITS CORE Ludlow’s dairy is not to be missed on a tour of the site’s production hubs. It produces the milk that’s used across the farm shop, including in the making of artisanal cheeses (hard, semi-hard, soft, blue and smoked varieties), butter, yoghurt and more in small batches. We are very excited about its future andkeeping theLudlow ‘foodie’ reputationgoing across the country Diversification has not been without its difficulties, however. With business booming at the farm shop, the team decided to open Ludlow Kitchen, an on- site café, to allow customers to sample some of the shop’s fantastic products before buying them. But Covid hit the café hard. “This, coupled with the huge raw ingredient cost price increases, have meant for some challenging times,” Jon admits. Despite this, the team is firmly committed to providing customers with high-quality products using locally sourced ingredients. The café has “gone from strength to strength over the years” and is, Jon claims, “without doubt one of the busiest cafés in the local area.” Since 2023, the farm shop has sold its jams, marmalades, chutneys and pickles to businesses across the UK. “The response to this has been great. We launched the range at the Farm Shop & Deli Show last year, and the feedback we received about the brand, the quality, the product and the service we offer was outstanding,” Jon says. “We are only at the start of this journey, but we are very excited about its future and keeping the Ludlow ‘foodie’ reputation going across the country.” THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF EXPANSION Just two miles away from the farm shop, there are more than 300 dairy cows located at Ludlow’s robotic dairy. “Only 10% of dairy farms in the UK use this robotic system, which contributes to high animal welfare as a major benefit,” Jon explains. Technology has been incorporated to push their traditional methods to the cutting edge. “Not only do we milk through the full robots, we also graze through technology which is quite unique for robotic units. For the majority of robotic units, the cows stay in all the year round, but we prefer cows to be grazed on welfare grounds, so we summer graze our cows – you can actually see the cows grazing from here if you know where to look!” he says. Indeed, welfare is a priority at Ludlow. What is most extraordinary about the dairy unit, Jon says, is how relaxed the cows are, “and the best bit has to be the satisfaction of seeing how happy they are,” he continues. “They have nice, soft beds which are sprung, a robotic feeder, and they even have back scratchers! They are so laid back and do everything when they want to. They are not driven or herded anywhere, so there is no stress; it really is quite something.” Ludlow Farmshop’s cheeses have claimed numerous awards, and in 2016, one was even recognised on an international scale, picking up bronze at the World Cheese Awards. It’s “something we are hugely proud of against such tough competition,” Jon says. Jon praises the work of dairy manager Paul, who has been with the team for over 14 years. He “is instrumental in making such great- tasting, award-winning cheese. Our newest cheese, Ludlow Red, which is a raw milk cheese, was developed from Paul’s ideas, skill and experience, and this went on to win at the Great Taste Awards shortly after it launched.”