Peak District Holiday Cottage

Fabulous Peak District holiday cottages

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Telephone: 01298 808280

  • Cottages
    • Hayloft Cottage
    • Byre Cottage
    • Cliffe Cottage, Castleton
  • Availability
  • Reviews
    • Hayloft Cottage reviews
    • Byre Cottage reviews
    • Trip Advisor reviews
  • Experience
    • Places to visit
    • Outdoor activities
    • Towns & villages
    • Eating & drinking
    • Events & festivals
  • Blog
  • Find Us
  • Other Info
    • Christmas and New Year
    • Dog Friendly
    • Cyclists welcome
    • Short breaks
    • Late availability
    • FREE Peak District guide
    • Why book with us?
    • Accessibility guidance
    • Environmental Policy
    • About Us
  • Contact Us

Behind the scenes at Chatsworth Farm Shop

History of the Farm Shop

The Chatsworth Farm Shop was established in 1977 by the later Dowager Duchess, Deborah Devonshire, to make best use of the livestock raised on the Chatsworth farms. It was just a very small outlet, selling whole beef and lamb carcasses.

Five years later, the Chatsworth House chef was asked to make some extra cakes that could also be sold in the farm shop. The rest, as they say, is history.

Chatsworth Farm Shop deli counter

The award winning shop now boasts a butchers counter, fish counter, fresh fruit and veg, delicatessen, patisserie, a growing selection of ready meals and chilled items, an extensive range of wines, beers, gins and soft drinks and all manner of store cupboard items too.

Philosophy of the Farm Shop

The philosphy of the farm shop is to source as locally as possible, the estate first, then the tennant farms, then other Derbyshire businesses. Only if a product cannot be sourced nationally will an international supplier be sought.

As you would expect, quality is paramount and corners aren’t cut in production. For example, a good amount of brandy goes into each fruit cake and Christmas pudding and those products are left to mature for a minimum of 6 months.

Behind the scenes in the bakery
The bakery with ingredients measured out and fruit soaking in brandy under the counter

Behind the Scenes

On a behind the scenes tour you’ll get to meet the faces and personalities who bake, butcher and cook a lot of the produce that is on sale and discover some fascinating facts along the way.

Behind the scenes at the butchery
In the butchery

 

A real surprise to us was the scale of production at the farm shop. I think that we were expecting it to be bigger, however, the produce is not mass produced, production line style. Care and attention goes into each cake, pie or butchered joint.

There are three production areas bakery, butchery and main kitchen. Each is only a little bigger than our own kitchen. The staff are there 364 days a year, the bakers being the first on shift each day at 2:30am.

Behind the meat counter
The view from behind the counter

 

Part of the tour is to sample some of the produce and to experience the Farm Shop Cafe. Yummy!

Trying samples at the farm shop cafe

The tours are only run three or four times a year but, if you get the opportunity, it’s a fascinating way to spend an evening.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Other Recent Posts

  • Everything you wanted to know about Derbyshire Oatcakes
  • Dovedale
  • Quirky facts about Derbyshire’s Caves
  • But the attractions are all closed!
  • Behind the scenes at Chatsworth Farm Shop

Blog post categories

  • Attractions & Places to Visit
  • Eating & Drinking
  • Events
  • Holiday Basics
  • Peak District & Derbyshire Customs
  • Peak District & Derbyshire Places
  • Peak District Animals & People
  • Special Times of the Year
  • Things to Do
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • Hayloft Cottage
  • Byre Cottage
  • Availability, Pricing & Booking
  • Short Breaks
  • Late Availability
  • Reviews
    • Hayloft Cottage reviews
    • Byre Cottage reviews
    • Trip Advisor reviews
  • Dog Friendly
  • Cyclists Welcome
  • Family friendly
  • Find us
  • Contact us
  • Cliffe Cottage, Castleton

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Flagg
☰
5°
Partly Cloudy
08:0815:50 GMT
Feels like: 0°C
Wind: 30km/h WSW
Humidity: 74%
Pressure: 992.9mbar
UV index: 0
15h16h17h
5°C
5°C
4°C
SunMonTue
6/3°C
5/1°C
10/2°C
Weather from Weather Atlas

Telephone: 01298 808280
Email: info@peakdistrictholidaycottage.com

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Inspired by the Peak District
  • Home
  • Hayloft Cottage
  • Byre Cottage
  • Availability, Pricing & Booking
  • Short Breaks
  • Late Availability
  • Reviews
  • Dog Friendly
  • Cyclists Welcome
  • Family friendly
  • Find us
  • Contact us
  • Cliffe Cottage, Castleton

© Copyright 2010 - 2019 · Hayloft & Byre Cottages-Peak District · All Rights Reserved