Local Food and Market Towns

Local Food

Some of the best food in the UK comes from the Borders of Scotland.  You can see it for yourself, walking around in the fields right under your nose!  To get hold of it can require a little bit of extra effort, but all this locally produced food is so delicious and so much better for the environment that, once you’ve tasted it, you’ll not want to go back to the usual fare.

Farmers’ Markets

There are a number of farmers’ markets throughout the Borders where you might meet any of the local food producers listed below:Hawick Farmers Market – 3rd Friday of the month, 9.30 – 1.30, HawickJedburgh Farmers Market – 1st Friday of the month, 9.30 – 1.30, Market Place, JedburghKelso Farmers Market – 4th Saturday of the month, 9.30 – 1.30, Kelso Town SquarePeebles Farmers Market – 2nd Saturday of the month, 9.30 – 1.30, Peebles Eastgate Car parkBerwick Farmers Market – Last Sunday of the month, 10.00 – 1:30, The Maltings Art Centre, BerwickEdinburgh Farmers Market – Every Saturday, 9.00 – 2.00, Castle Terrace, EdinburghHaddington Farmers Market – Last Saturday of the month, 9.00 – 1.00, Court Street, HaddingtonWhy not place an order in advance of your holiday at Colislinn by contacting the local food producers?Most of the producers listed below have won all kinds of awards for their high quality food, but I have not tried all of them.  Those producers I regularly use myself I have marked with a ***.   It is also worth asking if they can deliver.

Meat, Some of it organic

DG HENRY & CO – Selkirk:  Beef, lamb and chicken
01750 23202                  dgiles.henry@btinternet.com
Giles supplies tasty free range eggs, organic beef and lamb and sometimes has free range chicken available for sale.HOARDWEEL FARM PARTNERSHIP – Duns: Beef, lamb and pork
01361 882844                elaine_stebbings@hotmail.com
The beef cattle and sheep at Hoardweel Farm are bred and reared organically and are Soil Association certified. All the meat produced is hung for a minimum of twenty three days for the best of flavours.PEELHAM FARM PRODUCE ***– Fouldon, Berwick-on-Tweed: Free-range rare-breed pork, lamb, mutton and field-raised veal
01890 781328                www.peelham.co.uk
Peelham produce organic free range rare-breed pork, field raised beef-veal, lamb and mutton, cured meats and sausages from their own on-farm organically certified butchery. Peelham were nominated as Countryfile Food Heroes in 2008 and have been awarded the Future Farmer of Scotland 2009. Excellent chorizo and saussison.WHITMUIR FARM *** – West Linton: Beef, lamb, pork, mutton & seasonal Kelly Bronze turkeys
01968 661908                peteritchie@onetel.netWINDSHIEL – Duns: Organic lamb, beef, pork & mutton
from the Lammermuir Hills
011361 883863               seb@windshiel.demon.co.ukALEMILL FARM – Eyemouth: Christmas Geese01890 771275                ianloganalemill@aol.com
Ian at Alemill Farm produces lovely geese for Christmas near the busy fishing port of Eyemouth.CROOKEDSHAWS FARMHOUSE PATES** – Yetholm: Pate
01573 420626                www.crookedshawsfarmhousepate.co.ukAward winning pates, terrines and relishes made with free-range chicken livers.HARDIESMILL ABERDEEN ANGUS*** – Kelso:  Aberdeen Angus beef, speciality pies, cured and smoked meats
01573 410797                www.hardiesmill.co.uk
Hardiesmill free range Pedigree Aberdeen Angus is a “farm-to-fork” enterprise providing quality home-made pies and succulent steaks.   They have helpfully produced a map of a cow to help you choose the cut that you’re after.  If you order enough they will deliver to Colislinn, but otherwise here are directions to get to them.LIDDESDALE SELECTION – Newcastleton: Free-range chickens, Shorthorn beef, lamb, pork & bacon
01387 376210                http://www.liddesdaleselection.co.uk  paulbell@scottishborders.co.ukKirndean Farm is near Newcastleton where Mary and Paul farm sheep, pigs and chickens.  They drive past Colislinn at least a couple of times a week, so a delivery from them would be simple.  Just call with your order.  The Liddesdale however is a beautiful area.  Hermitage Castle is that way and there is a very good pub in Newcastleton.  What’s not to like?
LINDSAY GRIEVE FAMILY BUTCHERS*** – Hawick
29 High Street, Hawick. TD9 9BW
01450 372109                Excellent local butcher, as are all the Hawick butchers!!
www.angus.co.uk/haggis  Lindsay Grieve’s haggis is prepared by hand to a family recipe. They only use traditional ingredients including Border mutton, wholesome oatmeal and their own special blend of seasonings.PLAYFAIR FARMS
Boxed free range beef, lamb and pork
Kelso. 01573 440364. playfair@tiscali.co.uk
Naturally reared beef, pork and lamb from our farm in the Cheviot Hills are all available in boxed form. Each box contains a variety of cuts and is butchered and prepared locally.Robert Pringle Family Butchers***- Hawick77 High Street, Hawick TD9 9BL01450 372 622               There are two brothers who each run a shop at opposite sides of the High Street.  Both great. Also haggis makers of repute.B-Q-B- Kelso: Boxed beef and ready made meals using beef
01573 223097                whitmuirhaugh@farmline.comKEZIE LTD – Duns: Ostrich meat and specialist products
01361 884006                www.keziefoods.co.ukGJ & JE PARKHOUSE – Melrose: Beef and lamb
01835 870335                satchellsfarm@aol.com REIVER COUNTRY FARM FOODS – Duns: Beef, lamb, pork & bacon
01361 883260                     www.reiver-foods.co.uk Philiphaugh Game – Selkirk:  Game, fresh and frozen
01750 21766

Fish

Fresh fish is not so easily sourced in the Borders unless you are on the coast.  There is however a fishmonger in Hawick, McCullochs*** 29 High Street, Hawick, 01450 373720.  If you are looking for something special, call in advance as choice can be limited.Teviot Smokery*** – Eckford, Kelso: Smoked Salmon, Water Gardens and other delights01835 850 253               http://www.teviotgamefaresmokery.co.uk/.  Situated on the banks of the Tweed, the Teviot Smokery started out decades ago as just that.  Still smoking its own products, various fish and chicken, it has since developed into a well-stocked deli with beautifully laid out riverside gardens attached to it.  As you come out of the deli you go straight into a garden nursery with really good plants.  I don’t think these guys deliver but there is a large restaurant. A useful destination if you’re not entirely sure how the weather will swing.

Fruit & Veg

These are a little harder to get hold of as it depends on the season.  Have not tried to get a veg box delivered just for a week at Colislinn, but I suppose it is worth asking!TWEED VALLEY ORGANICS – Greenlaw
01361 810503.               alison@tweedvalleyorganics.co.uk
Tweed Valley Organics grow and supply the best in fresh, local and organic food without using pesticides, herbicides and chemicals.  They deliver veg boxes, meat and other organic products throughout the eastern Borders and north Northumberland.WHITMUIR FARM*** – West Linton
01968 661908.               heather@whitmuirorganics.co.uk
Fresh fruit and veg, Pick Your Own when in season and frozen soft fruits.  Whitmuir has become a centre of local food.  Lovely restaurant, farm walks, bee hives, medicinal garden, etc, etc.   A lovely day out with all the familyBORDER BERRIE*** – Kelso 01835 823763.               www.borderberries.co.uk
Raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries, for wholesale or pick your own. As well as the Tutti Frutti Café we also provide toilet facilities and a picnic area. Great on a sunny day with the kids.CROOKHOUSE VEG – Kelso:
Nr 01573 440605.          at.fleming@virgin.net
Wide selection of PYO veg in the autumnTHISSELCOCKRIG – Duns01890 870370                johnbolton1@btconnect.comFreshVegetables and soft fruit in seasonWB & AG SWAN – Reston 07949 151633.               swanny4@hotmail.com

Organic and non-organic dairy

COOL AS . . . . . – Galashiels: Delicious farmhouse Ice cream and sorbets01896 860244                overlangshaw@btconnect.com
Luxury ice creams and sorbets produced from the farms own milk, cream and eggs. The delicious sorbets are flavoured with home grown and locally produced Borders fruit.GIACOPAZZI’S – Eyemouth :Gold medal winning ice cream and sorbets.018907 50317                info@giacopazzis.co.ukwww.giacopazzis.co.ukSTANDHILL FARMHOUSE CHEESES*** – Hawick: Cheese01835 870225                 jimannie@aol.com  website  http://www.standhillcheesery.co.uk/
There is not a huge amount of local cheese produced in the Borders.  The traditional methods involving slate shelves and unpasteurised milk have had to make way for wall to wall stainless steel and local cheesemakers, one of whom made the excellent Bonchester cheeses(manly for Harrods the Savoy Hotel in London), packed up.  No more buying cheese from an old fridge with an honesty box by the side of the road,.   Luckily we now have Standhill cheese.  Jim and Annie Shanks They make the prize-winninh Roondie, Borders Brie, Minto Mellow, Lilliesleaf and Fatlips Castle Blue and have a stall at Hawick, Kelso and Langholm weekly markets.  Their website does not give much away, but look out for their cheesemaking video on Youtube aimed at those who want to know everything about cheese! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDLJCmarXSESTICHILL JERSEYS*** – Kelso: Hard & soft cheeses, clotted cream, butter & pannacotta
01573 470263.  Wonderful butter.ORCHARD FARM DAIRY – Hawick: Full range of milk and cream produced from our own cows 01450 373726

Eggs, Organic and non-organic

BORDER EGGS – Berwick-upon-Tweed: Organic Free Range Eggs
01890 818286.               www.bordereggs.co.uk
Healthy, great tasting organic eggs produced by our small flock of hens who roam around a glorious grass field and are fed an organically produced cereals. They enjoy a happy, carefree life while being entertained with Radio 2 and football reports to boot . . .DG HENRY & CO – Selkirk: Organic eggs01750 23202.                 dgiles.henry@btinternet.comLIDDESDALE SELECTION – Newcastleton: Free Range Eggs
01387 376210                paulbell@scottishborders.co.ukCUMLEDGE ESTATE – Duns: Free-range eggs: duck, turkey, goose, guinea fowl & bantams
01361 884808.               cumledgeestate@tiscali.co.ukNIGEL ROBERTS – Kelso: Free range eggs
01573 226809                robrae31@hotmail.comWINDSHIEL
Organic eggs from the Lammermuir Hills, Duns. 011361 883863. seb@windshiel.demon.co.uk

Bakers & confectioners organic and non-organic

BORDER MERINGUES – Kelso: Organic Meringues01573 440787                www.border-meringues.co.uk
Border Meringues are so popular that Sharon makes one million meringues per year! Her meringues are sweet on the outside but are full of healthy ingredients including organic eggs and sugar. They are also fat-free and gluten-free.CLOOTIES*** – Peebles: Homemade traditional Scottish clootie dumplings01721 723945                ruth@clooties.co.uk  Website www.clooties.co.uk
Homemade traditional clootie dumplings, made to a recipe handed down through the generations but with a healthy twist. Instead of the suet we use cholesterol-friendly rapeseed oil. Where possible we use organic and/or fair-trade ingredients. Clooties are freshly made to order, and come in various sizes.STICHILL JERSEYS*** – Kelso: Quiches, lemon curd & Yorkshire curd tarts01573 470263
Stichill Jerseys are managed by a mother and daughter team who make top quality cheese, butter, cream, quiches, lemon curd, Yorkshire curd tarts and panacotta by traditional methods. Stichill Jerseys are the only makers of clotted cream in Scotland!MURIEL’S KITCHEN- Duns: Preserves and chutneys
01890 870370                 chutneylust@yahoo.co.uk Thisselcockrig Farm Shop

Drinks & wines – organic and non-organic

LAPRIG FRUIT** –
Single variety apple juice – straight and with other fruits
Duns. 07778 364415. laprigveg@yahoo.co.uk
TRAQUAIR HOUSE BREWERY*** – Innerleithern: Traditional Scottish Ales
01896 830323.               www.traquair.co.ukMade at Scotland’s oldest inhabited castle.  Traquair runs lots of events in the summer, not least wonderful outdoor Shakespeare. Check the website.

Culinary oils

BORDERFIELDS LTD*** – Coldstream Cold pressed rapeseed oil
01890 885010.               www.oleifera.co.uk
Many chefs, cooks and enthusiasts value it for its versatility in the kitchen.

Tagged: