Option A: Vegetables flown thousands of miles. Acres of mass-produced, plastic-wrapped pizzas. Squashy loaves of factory bread. Tons of industrially produced chicken.
Option B: Meat raised sustainably in fields near your home. Seasonal vegetables grown in local soil, sold by friendly market traders who know your name. Bread baked the traditional way using stone-ground flour. Wholesome, carefully chosen food and drink.
Happily, Option B is within grasp all over Leicestershire. The county is home to many brilliant food markets, unique farm shops and producers, mouthwatering independent delis, and pubs, cafés and restaurants whose kitchens love sourcing local, sustainable ingredients.
Shopping and eating at these independents provide many benefits. When buying from such businesses, you help to build the local economy. You are also voting for sustainability: consuming food and drink with lower food miles is proven to be better for the environment. Furthermore, there are bargains to be had, especially at local markets. “Any bowl a pound!” is a familiar cry across the county. Best of all, local food and drink are more fun and satisfying, with stories attached. Knowing the farmer who raised your beef, sharing a joke with the brewer who brewed your beer and saying hi to the baker who baked your bread feels good and connects you with the community and environment.
Leicestershire’s markets are a great place to start. At Leicester Market & Food Hall – an institution dating back to the 13th century – you’ll find vibrant stalls. And at The Stockyard in the Rural Capital of Food, Melton Mowbray – home to another ancient market – you can fill your bags with pork pies, Stilton cheese, smoked foods and beers brewed on-site. Strike out and visit one of the county’s many outstanding farm shops, from award-winning Farndon Fields in Market Harborough in the south to Manor Organic Farm in the north, from Cattows Farm in the west to March House Farm Shop in the east.
And don’t forget to try the county’s superb delis. Run by local businesspeople passionate and knowledgeable about food and drink, they stock food and drink you can’t get in the supermarkets. Finally, eat locally and sustainably in some truly outstanding restaurants. Michelin-starred John’s House in Mountsorrel sources many ingredients from Stonehurst Farm next door; The Hammer & Pincers in Wymeswold loves to use local ingredients, and Crafty Burger in Leicester gets its beef from March House Farm in Great Dalby.
And that’s only just scratched the surface. So at the end of the day, Option B is a no-brainer.
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to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
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