In old Norse, flat bread, or cake kaka, and what Old English speakers would call cycel (pronounced ‘kytchel’) which is where we get the word ‘cake’ and ‘kitchen.’ These were cooked on hot stones, the hot ash of a fire, or on a skillet.

Early medieval finds have uncovered many small hand-turned quern stones , used for grinding flour.

We only use mozzarella made from Welsh milk produced on farms in West Wales, near Newcastle Emlyn.

The dairy, upon which some 100 dairy farms were dependent, was saved from administration back in 2007 by Dairy Partners, owned by the local Bennett family, longstanding friends of Willow Hill’s owner.

By sourcing daily very fresh milk, and by applying the traditional Italian method of Pasta Filata, (beating and stretching the curd forming a moisture rich texture  ideal for cooking) this Welsh mozzarella is now considered one the world’s  finest. 

Double Gloucester with wholegrain mustard and horseradish from Inglewhite in Lancashire, great for those looking for a little warmth or something great to melt on a burger! Made with pasteurised milk and vegetarian rennet, contains mustard.

Capricorn Somerset Goat Cheese has a firm and crumbly texture when young, it softens with ageing. It has a gentle velvety soft white coat and slightly nutty flavour. As it ripens from the outside towards the centre, the cheese develops a creamier flavour. 

Matthew was introduced to this cheese some ten years ago and it has since become a big seller. Hand crafted at Belton Farm, this cheese carries an intense and complex blend of sweet, savoury and distinctively nutty flavours. It is fundamentally an aged Red Leicester with a cunningly unexpected crunch

Also known as Old Smales, this is dry hard and crystalline cheese, reminiscent of an old gouda with a distinctive nuttiness in flavour. Made with a vegetarian rennet, it is now being uses as a vegetarian replacement for a hard Italian cheese. We use it instead of Parmesan.

Until the mid nineties there was a lack of soft English Blue cheeses to rival the popular continental imports such as Dolcelatte, Cambozola and Fourme D’Ambert.

With the cooperation and technical expertise of a stilton manufacturer Baron Pouget developed the recipe for Oxford Blue which, over a period of time, was adjusted and refined to its present form: a creamy semi soft blue cheese.

From Clifford Freeman’s Noent herd that range across Willow Hill and our river meadows at Wainlodes and Tirley, performing a centuries old role in the sustainable management of permanent pasture in this area.

The cattle are born and slow reared here or at Clifford’s Redmarley farm, feeding only off fertiliser free permanent pasture for a truly free range, fulsome as well as longer life, and fuller flavour too.

As a traditional breed reared on unimproved pastures with a rich biodiversity of plants and grasses, the meat is proven not only to have a better flavour but to have lower levels of saturated fat and contain more antioxidants than beef produced by cattle reared intensively and cross bred for fast weight growth.

By taking them to slaughter in just ones or twos  just a few miles to Gloucester, the stress to the animal (and therefore meat) and carbon footprint does not compare to the normal motorway & lorry supply chains (more).

The carcass sides are then taken to Clifford’s new farm facility at Redmarley to be hung and individually measured to the ripe and only then butchered to order.

Now, the once endangered breed (with a handful left it was only saved by the charity of Adam Henson’s and Clifford’s fathers in the late 70s)  enjoys a sustainable commercial future.

For you, it is arguably the best beef you will have ever tasted. In our experience, once a chef tries it once they are a customer for life.

Hayles Fruit Farm covers approximately 100 acres of picturesque countryside on the outskirts of the Cotswold market town of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. With origins back to 1880 the land, along with four other fruit farms on the edge of the town, was initially planted with apples & Cob nuts under the instruction of Lord Sudeley.

We are blessed with the freshest coffee beans from their new and  fabulous little roastery tucked away in Staverton, just four miles away!

They buy direct from the farm returning a much larger proportion of the price to the people who do the work

Owner and friend, Ian, whose passion drives the business.  shares our ethic – delivering affordable provenance by reducing the supply chain. 

They continue a tradition that dates back before the 16th century. An artisan product that was famous throughout the land, mentioned in Shakespeare’s Henry IV and recommended in many old recipe books through-out history.

They produce Britain’s only 100% British Crisps from potatoes and rapeseed oil all produced on the one farm in Staffordshire.  It’s a story or diversification, and sustainable self-reliance.