Burwash Larder
Burwash Manor, New Road, Barton, Cambridge, CB23 7EY
It’s hard to believe that Burwash Larder began as a roadside table selling bundles of farm-grown asparagus and sweetcorn, alongside an honesty box back in 1985. Farmer Mike Radford – owner of Burwash Manor Barns (a group of gorgeous indie shops) – had a crop glut and wanted to diversify.
His organic delights were a hit, and as demand grew, The Larder evolved, moving to bigger premises around the farmyard. Mike’s son Matt built the current magnificent barn, which is packed to the rafters with fruit and vegetables, divine bakes and hand-picked produce, boasting one of the region’s finest delicatessens.
The product line, totalling 3,000, is dizzying; you could easily while away an hour, savouring a coffee by local roasters Wood Street Coffee, or sitting in a sunny spot in the picnic area out back.
At the helm, manager Clare Rosier is incredibly passionate about sourcing the best products; the shop’s philosophy is to buy ‘as good as we can, as close as we can’, hence there are local names including BrewBoard craft beer, CamValley apple juice and Hodmedods’s British grains and pulses, alongside quality national brands.
Most of the fruit and veg is sourced from Les Ward Greengrocers, supplemented by other local farms and Mike’s legendary asparagus. The Burwash sausage roll, made with pork from Leech & Sons Butchers, is a best-seller and the cheese counter is positively bursting with over 70 of the finest British and European cheeses, including the irresistible Baron Bigod from Suffolk.
Fresh bread and cakes are supplied daily by an array of local bakers including Grain Culture (and THOSE cardamom buns), and Webbsour Bakery (their sourdough is knock-out). The Larder also houses family butcher Leech & Sons, who supply the deli with quiches and scotch eggs, as well as selling local meats, including beef from Burwash cows; it doesn’t get more local than that!
With fantastic products arriving daily, regular foodie events and all the other wonderful shops on site, there’s really no excuse not to visit!