Old Style in the North East any tips please?

viccig

Hello anyone who reads this

I am 6 months pregnant and on a really tight budget at the moment, I have read the Old Style board with interest for some time now, but never really posted.

I have been doing a lot more home cooking lately and dropped my hours at work meaning I have time to spend making things from scratch, batch cooking etc.

Have a BM and slow cooker and am loving experimenting with them, I was also hoping to find some local companies that do organic fruit/ veg boxes as well as a decent butcher where I can get quality meat (was very interested in buying half a lamb to freeze down, but don't know of anywhere in the North East that do this)
If anyone has any links or information I would be very greatful.

Regards
Vicky

Butterfly_Brain

Have you got a costco nearby or a Trade shop that allows members of the public to join a shoppers club? This has saved us pounds over the years. Look in the local phone book and see if there are any up your way or go to a Farm and talk sweetly to a farmer. Good Luck x

domestic_goddess

I would be really interested in any recommendations for the North East too:beer:

oystercatcher

Well the veg box scheme I use, River Nene, asked us to recommened their 'sister company' River Swale, to friends and family in the north.

If you google them you'll find the site.
River Nene have been good and are pretty good value compared to local supermarkets.

Oystercatcher

lil_me

F&V boxes there is a couple depending which part of the north east you live in, have a look on www.bigbarn.co.uk I didn't find River Swale any good for me but others might

Costco there is one in Gateshead

Markets completely depends what you are looking for, I like Newcastle but again only go there if there anyway for something else

Butchers, most butchers will do orders for half lamb etc again depends which area you live in. I get most of my meat from a one in Durham but that is no good to someone who lives in Northumberland/Cleveland.

lindadykes

I use Bluebell Organics for fruit and veg and find them good value.

http://www.bluebellorganics.co.uk/

I buy most of my meat from Broom House Farm.

http://www.broomhousedurham.co.uk/

The meat is fantastic, just like meat used to taste - can't recommend these highly enough.

lil_me

I found Broom House very expensive so stuck with Aldin Grange Meats mainly (sorry no website that I am aware of but can provide more info) Would have liked to try Bluebell but appears we're too far away

Greenbynature

Hi I've tried Bolams in Sedgefield a few times and found their meat pretty good, they also do fruit and veg. I first went there for dog food as they do quite a bit for dogs including tripe that I can't get anywhere else

anguk

I live near Broom House Farm and agree with lil-me, it's very expensive so not much good if you're on a budget. I got a River Swale veg box when they had a stall at an exhibition thing recently, to be honest I wasn't very impressed, it seemed expensive for what you got and the veg was past it's best after a couple of days so wouldn't be much good for a weekly delivery.

The north-east is quite big so if you could give a rough idea of the area you can shop it may help.

donny-gal

Hi Folks

When in the UK, I'm at the very southern end of the NE, if you stretch it a bit. I just use the local market which is very good for fruit/veg, meat/fish. I think the prices are much better than "farmers markets" which IMHO are just firms who charge OOT. You have to walk about and watch the stalls that only have in season fruit/veg rather than the stalls which are just market veg shops. Talking to the stall holders will let you find out more about them.

The other options are Aldi/Lidl/Netto, as everyone is now using them they are turning their fruit/veg over very fast and I have found it lasts much longer than other supermarket fare. I cannot remember which, but I am sure I have seem some organic stuff in one or the other of them, worth a check out.
DG

denise_h_2

sickofhavingnomoney wrote: »

I would be really interested in any recommendations for the North East too:beer:

I live in Seaham just south of Sunderland and I get my organic box from http://www.butterby.co.uk/

They deliver around Durham and the surrounding area