Red Barn Farm Shop, Somerset

I stumbled upon the Red Barn Farm Shop purely by chance on my way out of Yeovil. Who knew such a gorgeous little shop was tucked away down a pretty country lane just 10 minutes from the A303?

Opposite the beautiful old farmhouse, just past the chickens, is Hinton Farm’s huge red barn, which houses the farm shop.

One of my favourite things about farm shops is the interaction you have with the animals that live there – the Guernsey cows that produce the milk and the free range hens that lay the eggs. You certainly don’t get that at Sainsburys!

You can find all sorts of delicious goodies inside – the freshest asparagus from the farm’s field 10 minutes’ walk away, the wonderfully named Ermie & Gertie’s ice cream made from the farm’s milk, bread from just up the road, locally-made jams, chutneys and cakes. The food miles barely break into double figures.

Hinton Farm is run by the Bartlett family. On my visit I met Claire and Catherine, who are wonderfully welcoming and happily look after toddlers while their parents shop – far easier than trying to keep the rainbow-coloured fruit juice out of reach of little fingers.

You can’t get more local than this – the first batch of honey fresh from Marston Magna, just two miles up the road.

I couldn’t resist a few little treats, so here’s my supper from Red Barn Farm Shop. The asparagus was beautifully tender, the ice cream got a huge thumbs up from my little one and the hot ginger & lemon juice certainly packed a punch – brimming with ginger, just the way I like it!