I is for Independents
Our independent producers, retailers, pubs and museums are too often celebrated as our best kept secret. That’s just bonkers, our best kept secret must be a secret no longer!
Welcome to the next instalment of my new A - Z Chilterns Treasures journey of discovery in the Chiltern Hills. This week it’s the letter I for the outstanding Independent businesses, serving up a Chilterns storm for us locals and visitors.
I have been looking forward to sharing my list of outstanding local independents who add wonderful variety, quality and surprises.. but best of all, they add important ingredients to the story of the Chiltern Hills as a living, working region. Often tucked away down a country lane, they ask of their customers just that bit extra:
Between them all is a wealth of experience and intricate knowledge of what is growing or being reared by season and who needs a hand to get them going.
You will pay more for some of their products and services because they are not buying from anonymous suppliers far away - they know every link in their supply chains, buying from micro producers or producing the products themselves.
Join in and be a part of the story this Chilterns family brings all of us.
Our best kept secret must be a secret no longer!
Thank you for all the suggestions for inclusion in my list. It includes businesses right across our region, yay! If they didn’t make it, it’s because I haven’t yet visited and am always looking for any excuse to stop, chat and drink a brew.
In no particular order let me introduce you to:
Not just a pretty face, Hambleden Village Store “…if Carlsberg did village shops”…certainly got a lot of love and has a lot of love of local produce. This beating heart of the community sometimes has to detach from reality as popular movie location.
I recently featured Puddingstone Distillery in my B2b series because Ben and Kate have created amazing links to their landscape to bring us all wonderful gin.
Conveniently located at PE Mead & Son’s Farm Shop, who are included here because Simon has long been a local food and producers’ champion. His farm shop not only stocks very tasty produce, but he developed a food producers hub.
Blue Tin Produce at Ibsden Emma and Robert have been weaving their free-range magic in the tiny hamlet of Ibsden at Blue Tin Produce, building a herd of Dexter cattle and Gloucester Old Spots - all bred and reared on the farm. It’s also a popular stop-off for walkers.
An independent museum and registered charity, Amersham Museum doesn’t receive a penny from local or central government. Run almost entirely by volunteers and a small team of museum professionals, this gem tells the story of Amersham as a working town with links across the country and into Europe.
Another local independent that receives no government funding is the brilliant Chilterns Open Air Museum that also depends on their volunteers and small museum’s team. A favourite of mine, they rescue threatened historic buildings, rebuild and preserves them in a traditional Chilterns landscape. Go visit!
Padron Peppers with permission from the Alford Arms Becky and David go to great lengths to bring you fresh local ingredients at the Alford Arms which was in fact one of the first pubs I visited before moving to the Chilterns. Once a keen cyclist, it was the obvious place to refresh ourselves after an outing from London to cycle in the beautiful Ashridge Forest.
Tring Brewery is almost a cult! The smell of hops wafts over the town and I wonder what Richard and Andrew are up to. Their beers have wonderful local names: Side Pocket for a Toad, the Liberator, Ridgeway and Mansion Mild.
Harvest at Oaken Grove Vineyard I recently featured Oaken Grove Vineyard near Henley on Thames in my B2b series because English wine is enjoying a renaissance. Winemaker Phil was almost born amongst the vines and invites you to taste what he cultivates.
Of course I have to include my very own Chilterns Gifts, brought to you with my mate Zoe, the most talented graphic designer. All lovingly inspired by where we live and manufactured locally, or in the case of the mugs, Stoke Potteries.
Use them or loose them
Let’s support these businesses! If the museum’s are closed, their shops will be open. Take your friends and families, stop off on a the way from a walk or a cycle, discover who is making all these tasty goodies and buy buy buy, many are now online too.
I am looking forward to next week’s A - Z instalment with the letter J. J is for…..?
All images (unless otherwise indicated) and content are copyright of Mary Tebje and may not be reproduced without permission. If your business is featured above, please share this post and spread the ❤️
Links you will need to get tasting and buying this Christmas
Take a look at this handy list that PE Mead & Son’s Farm Shop has on their website.
Here are some other letters of the Chilterns alphabet that also include information about their local shops and attractions.
