Visit to Croots Farm Shop

I had been looking for an opportunity to pop over and see Steve Croot at his farm shop in Duffield, Derbyshire for ages.  I finally got the chance a few weeks ago so headed over there!

The sausages from Croots farm shop are really great so I knew I was in for a treat!  The farm shop was everything I could have hoped for and more.  A great selection of locally produced food as well as some all important staples from outside the county (including Aspall cyder, one of Suffolk’s finest exports).

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The butchery counter is so popular they now employ three full time butchers and two assistant part-time butchers.  The farm shop, overall employs 28 people, and provides it’s customers with quality local and regional seasonal products.

I was fortunate a few months ago to try a mutton sausage from Croots.  It was a powerful meaty sausage and the mutton was perfectly balanced with lemon grass.  It was a tricky balance to achieve and they nailed it.  It was great hot but also cold, sliced up in a salad.  I was looking forward to trying out the rest of their range!

While I was visiting I was lucky enough to have a go at making sausages with Steve’s skilled butchery team.  I also got the chance to learn a bit more about the process they go through to decide on new flavours.  What a tough job trying out ideas to see what works!  And then…of course, we put all this to the test and tried out a selection.

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It was a totally eclectic mix that were all really well made, really well balanced and all very different.  There is something here for everyone!  I tried to come up with a favourite but it was tough to narrow it down.

I was most impressed with the Ecclesbourne County Classic, designed by Year 10 students at Ecclesbourne School as part of their food technology course.  It was a really good sausage and the students have balanced the flavours together really well.

It was a stunning array of sausage perfection!

I thoroughly recommend a visit to Croots farm shop.  The fresh, locally sourced products are bound to impress you and there are even some brilliantly selected gems from outside the county to make it a one stop shop.  Let me know what you think.

 

 

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