Perfect shop window

Feb 25 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal

AN appetite for fine food has led one couple to open a specialist grocery shop – and they are offering local producers with a conscience the chance to find a new outlet for their wares.

Signed-up supporters of The Journal Taste North East England Campaign charter to encourage people to buy local, use local and eat local, Tom Armstrong and partner Emma Hobson are advocates of the philosophy that organic and regionally produced foods not only taste superior, but are also better for you.

The criteria for the goods they stock in The Rendezvous Food Shop in Wooler, Northumberland, is simple. It has to be Fairtrade, organic and wherever possible, locally sourced.

The couple – who used to be neighbours in Derby, struck up a relationship and moved to Northumberland two years ago – hope by offering a different kind of food store they can help make people more aware of what they are eating as well as provide a lifestyle choice for those who want it.

Both lifelong good food addicts, they initially bought the Rendezvous Cafe, which was formerly a fish and chip shop. “We have always cared about what we eat, so when the opportunity came up, we decided to put our money where our mouth was and buy the shop with the aim of creating a specialist cafe and food outlet. It seemed logical at the time,” Mr Armstrong explained.

A former shepherd from Langleeford in the Cheviots, the 49-year-old continued: “The Rendezvous Food Shop reflects our belief in quality food that is fully traceable and sustainable. I come from a farming background which has made me more aware about the food we eat and how it is sourced, grown or reared. We also want to be able to support local producers by using their produce in the shop and cafe and are always on the lookout for new suppliers.”

Situated next to the Rendezvous Cafe, which uses organically reared pork, beef and lamb from Peelham Farm at Foulden and Border Organic Eggs from Hutton Hall Barn, both near Berwick, and offerings from The Northumberland Cheese Company at Blagdon and Morwick Farm Dairy at Acklington, near Morpeth, the shop has a self-service area stocking over 50 products.

Store cupboard essentials such as eggs, sugar, nuts and pulses rub shoulders with more unusual items like organic spelt flour, oils and gourmet sauces. Customers choose as little or as much as they want of the self-serve products which reduces waste and cuts down on packaging.

The couple have also struck a deal with the Great Northumberland Bread Company, based at nearby Letham Hill Farm in Etal, to sell a range of specialist fresh breads. They hope to soon stock Gilchesters Organics’ rye, spelt and wheat flours from Hawkwell in Northumberland. Currently the flours used are not local but are organic. Ms Hobson said: “As a mother, I am very conscious about what I feed my family. Sourcing food which ticked the boxes ‘local’, ‘organic’ and ‘Fairtrade’ was difficult. We hope the shop will make it easier for people to buy what they want and to help make people more aware of their food and the choices they can make when buying it.”

The 34-year-old mother of three added they had been moved to support The Journal Taste North East England Campaign because of their love of all things local. “It reflects our philosophy that local food tastes better, is healthier and also because we really need to get behind local suppliers and support them by buying their produce.

“The food in this area is as good as you can get anywhere else and we want to promote that to customers.

“At the moment the majority of the local produce we source is used in the cafe. We are continuing to work with producers so we can offer more and more local produce in the shop and would urge suppliers to contact us with details of their product so we can keep expanding the choice and range of food we offer customers.”

To contact Tom Armstrong or Emma Hobson, call (01668) 281227.

Aims of The Journal Taste North East England Campaign:

• To encourage more shops – including supermarkets – to stock more North East food and drink

• To encourage more hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafes to serve more locally produced food

• To encourage more people to appreciate the value of buying more locally produced food and drink

• To support farm shops and farmers’ markets