Saturday 30th June saw the 2nd Annual Food Fayre on the common. A good turnout of local businesses mean that a wide variety of both food producers and retailers were available to display their produce. With many proudly offering samples, visitors got to try many delights.

Some interesting companies were the smalll firm Sandyford Vineyard, near Great Samford to the more well established Russell Smith Farms of Duxford who supply local supermarkets with potatoes and a range of organic and conventional vegetables.

Although one of my favourites was a relatively new company, taking the best of the contents of our brown composting wheelie bins (filtered by the council into various grades, with the top - C1 - grade being used for plant fertiliser, pastuerising the compost, and growing some incredibly tasty mushrooms.

And another favourite was the Saffron Brewery, a relatively small independent distiller, specialising in supplying a handful of select pubs and other drinking establishments with over 9 varieties of bottled beer. Launched in May 2006, with a throughput today of around 10,000 pints  per month, the two owners showed great pleasure in keeping the business local, despite having imminent plans to double the throughput, and sell directly to the general public. For locals, tours are available (please mention saffronwalden.net) subject to numbers.

For more details of companies there, please contact us.