Regional & Seasonal: Kimbers’ Farm Shop, Somerset
Good animal welfare is the key to quality produce at a Somerset farm shop and food supplier
AMISTY VEIL LINGERS over fields tinged milk-white with a dusting of frost; the first signs that change is in the air, and a new season is beckoning. In forest and woodland, fallen leaves in shades of bronze and russet litter the floor, and dappled light filters through golden foliage as it clings to bare branches, lending a final lustre to the last of the leaves. A starker beauty is beginning to define the landscape, with silhouettes etched against the pale blue of a November sky.
Nestled in the folds of Blackmore Vale, a farm shop shelters between green pastures and fields sprouting late autumn crops. Inside the shop, an assortment of tender, ethically reared meats adorn a butcher’s counter alongside shelves of local produce, including delicious cheeses, spices, unpasteurised milk, condiments and preserves. This is Kimbers’ Farm Shop; a familyrun business between Bruton and Wincanton in Somerset, with an adjoining café and trading barn for antiques, where animal welfare and traditional farming is at its heart.
The Kimber family have been farming for 350 years, with the farm shop born from humble beginnings. “In 2000, we started to gain a presence at farmers’ markets, and people would come to the farm to buy our fresh meat,” says owner Ruth
Kimber. “Due to the growing demand, my husband, Paul, and I converted the garage into our first farm shop in 2006, but by 2015, it had become too popular for the space. When the current property came up for sale, we bought the site, including 15 acres of land and buildings.”
Today, the shop delivers nationwide, offering carefully selected meat boxes, with the finest cuts, fresh from the farm and prepared by an expert butcher, alongside groceries, meal boxes, dairy products and gift hampers, containing produce from across the West Country. “My son Tom is now the farmer, and my daughter Naomi runs the retail business,” she adds.
Throughout its growth, the farm’s ethos has remained unchanged, with animal welfare being central to the good quality produce. “Our Aberdeen Angus beef is free range and grass fed. We also grow welfare-friendly rose veal, Gloucester Old Spot pork, lamb and mutton. We have a dairy herd of Shorthorns and British Friesians, and produce our own raw milk,” explains Ruth. “Local suppliers provide our chicken and duck, as well as local game and goat.”
During the colder seasons, homegrown wheat, maize and meadow hay are used for animal feed, while in summer, the
cattle are allowed to graze in the pastures surrounding the farm.
Visitors are encouraged to ask about the provenance of products, and there is also an opportunity to try the produce first-hand in the adjoining café. Aptly named The Kitchen at Kimbers, it is run by second eldest daughter Rebecca and her husband, Danj, with most of the ingredients sourced from the shop or local suppliers. Terracotta paint decorates walls adorned with wall hangings, contrasting with a ceiling of vibrant green. “This brings a warmth in winter and freshness in summer, with large windows providing elevated views,” says Ruth. “But, as with the shop, the focus is always local wherever possible.”
The farm also incorporates the Somerset Trading Barn, a converted hay barn, with two storeys, which sells an eclectic mix of antiques, fabrics and upcycled furniture from local traders.
Ruth savours the radiance of each season on the farm. “We enjoy the vibrancy of summer and look forward to the colours of autumn. In winter, we are awaiting the arrival of spring.” But at the heart of the farm is a dedicated family. “It really is a family affair, and it’s wonderful.”