What a wonderful way to say hello to spring with these beautiful, premium, botanical
liqueurs with fresh flavours, offered by The Whimsical Forager. 

The Whimsical Forager use nature in its purest form to allow its unique flavour to be
enjoyed through drinks, cocktails and even in recipes and deserts whilst the inviting and
elegant branding show the pure craftsmanship that’s happening in Cornwall.

Whimsical Forager take their inspiration from the Cornish countryside. You can see the
vision and inspiration of their surroundings shine through within their range of artisan,
botanical liqueurs, all created using high quality fresh fruit and
Cornish Spring water.

From when we opened Whimsical’s Lemon and Basil liqueur, we were met with a beautiful strong citrus scent and upon tasting, the fresh tangy lemon flavour comes right on through. 
Two and a half lemons are used when creating this sophisticated tipple and with its
wonderfully refreshing zing it’s simply delicious served either on its own, over ice, as a
spritz or the perfect refreshing liqueur between meals. 

Upon taking a sip of the Orange and Tarragon liqueur we were instantly met with the herby fresh tarragon quickly followed by the fresh sweetness of orange.
This really is a beautifully balanced, hand-crafted liqueur which would work really well in a
cocktail.
Truly delicious was our overall thought. This delectable tipple went down well… too well,
even on a school night!

Before our lips even tasted the simple, pure flavours of the three ingredients within the
Nettle, Honey and Ginger liqueur, we savoured the deliciously sweet aroma of honey and
ginger. This soft, warming, earthy and incredibly versatile liqueur has the most
delightful ginger finish.
There’s a place in everyone’s drinks cabinet for this botanical beauty or perhaps  with a
generous splash, you could give your cooking the edge that is needed!

​If you don’t fancy taking the plunge and simply want to sample or experiment, all of
Whimsical Forager’s botanical liqueurs are available in not just 70cl bottles but 20cl too! 

Before we end our review, it would be mad of us not to mention the gift box!
Now, this is a gift your recipient won’t forget in a hurry.
Arriving in a smart branded box, our 3 handsome bottles were nestled in a well thought out inner case and nicely padded with natural straw.
A lot of thought has gone into this design and we absolutely love it!
Everything about Whimsical Forager says, NATURAL and QUALITY. 
​
Whimsical Forager’s goal is to create surprising & progressive liqueurs that capture the
essence of good taste. 
Fabulous Farm Shops feel they have already accomplished this and have hit the nail on the head with their completely natural and quite exceptional, handcrafted liqueurs. 

If you have a farm shop product and fancy a review, get in touch with THE TEAM

With the encouragement of her farmer husband and budding entrepreneurs (2 young
daughters) founder, Tory McLarens’ dream of launching her own business has recently
become a reality.
With the focus on delicious treats and foods that have a healthier twist and with their ethos
being all about cooking from scratch, using good quality ingredients, McLaren’s Kitchen
was born.

McLaren’s Kitchen has certainly worked tirelessly on creating ways for us to enjoy our food
whilst encouraging good gut health. This is achieved by McLaren’s creative ways of
implementing alternative flours. Today, McLaren’s grow their own Spelt Wheat which is
processed locally and gives a wonderfully natural and nutty taste to their range of cakes.

The team received McLaren’s NEW bake at home, Chocolate Brownie mix in a rather
smart, glass Kilner jar and immediately thought, what a great way to store your homemade
cookies, once made – if they make it that far! 
Eggs and butter are all you need to add as everything else you require to bake gorgeous
gooey chocolate brownies are already measured, weighed and packed neatly in this jar and
that includes Wheat Spelt Flour and a generous amount of Dark Belgian Chocolate chunks! 
​
If you’re unaware, Spelt Flour is a fabulous and healthy alternative. Ground from an easily
digestible ancient grain, it’s high in fibre and gives you a lighter texture in baked goods. 

And that makes these healthy chocolate brownies… right? 

With just having Mother’s Day, the team thought that this easy-peasy bake at home kit,
would make a lovely baking project for mothers to do with their children. The little people
can follow the simple and straight forward instructions without much measuring (as long
as they don’t eat all the mix before you bake it) and there’s very little mess to have to
deal with afterwards. Big bonus!

It’s safe to say after baking McLaren’s Gorgeous Gooey Chocolate Brownie mix, the team
were MORE than keen to sample our creation.
The mouth-watering chocolate smell filled our kitchen and it was clearly very difficult for
some of our team members to restrain themselves.
Suffice to say, upon our first bite, WOW!!
These incredibly delicious brownies offer quite a delectable and moreish mix of a firm
crisp texture paired with the gorgeous gooey chocolate chunks within. So good, that the
cute Kilner jar will not be required for storage. 

What a brilliant gift for any chocolate lover to enjoy and if by chance they can refrain from
devouring them all at once, they can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

This is a company with a heart and with family at its core. The team are excited to see
what McLaren’s continue to create!

If you have a farm shop product and fancy a review, get in touch with the TEAM

Inspired by their surroundings of the North Cornish coast, its sunnier climes and its lush
green grass pastures ensures Davidstow’s high-quality Cheddar cheese is naturally rich in
buttermilk.
With a loyal team of expert cheesemakers, Davidstow Cheddar have been meticulously
crafting their cheddar for over 70 years, never rushing the process as ‘Taste Takes Time’. 
Davidstow allow their cheese to slowly mature and develop into the rich & flavoursome,
award-winning cheddar they’re rightly famous for.

This company not only cares about their customers taste experience but also their local
rural & farming communities, through its partnership with the Prince’s Countryside Fund. ​

We received Davidstow’s new range of six exciting cheeses to review, specifically for farm shops, with maturities ranging from 12 to 60 months…

We started with Davidstow’s 12 Month Classic with it delighting our senses with a full
flavoured, creamy cheddar. This we felt would be our ‘go to’ cheddar, perfect for your
everyday bubbling cheese on toast topper or in a simple sandwich. 

The team were genuinely surprised at how, even by moving onto Davidstow’s 24 Month 
Crackler, the noticeable difference in this mature Cheddar. 
This firm textured cheese is strong and tangy in taste and will definitely add some va va
voom to your Ploughman’s. 

By this time, we were all pretty keen to sample Davidstow’s 36 Month Reserve Cheddar!
Now THIS packs a punch and really gets our taste buds going.
This is a mighty strong, robust cheese and with its punchy, full flavour and deliciously
crunchy texture, you really don’t need to be a genius to figure out why this has won multi
awards!

We began with Davidstow’s 20 Month Crackler.
Made with exacting care, using 100% Cornish milk, this extra mature ingot, delivers a
smooth flavour with a fabulous texture. We found this a perfect all-rounder and with its
slight crunch, this cheese would perform well at any cheese night!
 
The 40 Month Reserve waxed ingot is simply divine and hit us with its distinctively rich
flavour, intense creaminess and superb crunchy texture.
Unsurprisingly, yet another multi award-winner!

Which then lead us on to Davidstow’s 60 Month Special Vintage Reserve. 
And wow! 
Where are the awards for this one we asked ourselves?
The gritty texture of this special, SPECIAL cheese is nothing but excellent and its intense
flavour offered us a long-lasting after-taste and left us wanting more… much more.
Yes, we nibbled through this entire block in one sitting!

Every one of Davidstow’s cheeses are beautifully matured and well presented and our
review was not only a wonderful experience AND an education but a privilege too and we whole heartily recommend Davidstow’s scrumptious range of Cheddars for any cheese
board.

If you’re a farm shop looking for something special, why not enquire HERE?

​

If you have a farm shop product and fancy a review, get in touch with
theteam@fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

The idea of Gattertop’s beautiful craft vodka products came from growing up in and
around nature, where childhood days were spent fruit picking from their historic,
Herefordshire family farm.
Gemma Standeven​ the founder of these inviting drinks has experimented for many years,
with various spirits until she finally found her award-winning recipes.
Gattertop isn’t just about making wonderful drinks, the importance of sustainability is
clear to see.
Being environmentally responsible, Gattertop hold a Soil Association certified organic
license and implement organic methods within their organic orchard. Even Gattertop’s
labels and marketing material are thoughtfully created using recycled paper. 

​The team began their review with Gattertop’s Botanic No7 and we were all really impressed
with its simple, yet elegant design.
Gattertop have clearly worked hard to get this drink just right.
This 100% British made grain spirit is balanced perfectly; infused with seasonal damson
blossom, apple blossom, elderflower, basil, lemon, rosemary all foraged throughout the
year from Gattertop’s ancient orchards, hedgerows, fields, woodlands and gardens.
Traditionally distilled in small batches in copper pot stills, this earthy & crisp, yet
completely natural vodka was a real treat for the team when paired with soda water.

The team were intrigued by the dark colouring of Gattertop’s Damson No12  craft Vodka.
We served simply over ice and this didn’t disappoint!
Home-grown damsons are steeped in quality British Vodka for an entire year to develop its
incredibly deep and nutty, yet fruity character… a perfect after-dinner drink.

With its delicious fragrant aroma and sweet smooth taste, it comes as no surprise to the
team that Damson No 12 has won multiple awards AND is an award winning Great Taste
champion!

​Arriving in a handsome box and beautifully packaged, there’s no doubt that Gattertop’s gift
boxes would make a brilliant​​ present…

Gattertop’s ‘Entertaining at Home’ with Botanic No7 Vodka gift box includes a 70cl botanic
No7 Vodka, French rosemary almonds, natural light tonic water, soda water, lemon and
thyme olives as well as a timeline classic game.
The team were delighted with the innovative gift selection. Gattertop have certainly
thought this through and we feel this gift box is a ‘fun night in’ winner!

As the team continue to enjoy the flavours and delights in this gift box, all that is left to say
is cheers, bottoms up, we hope you enjoy Gattertop’s award-winning drinks as much as
we have!

If you have a farm shop product and fancy a review, get in touch with 
theteam@fabulousfarmshops.co.uk

Whenever the team get to receive an award-winning food they are instantly excited.
Bottlebrush Ferments produce live, raw and naturally fermented Kimchi’s and
Sauerkraut’s which are not only great tasting but help improve people’s gut health in a
quick, easy and convenient way. 
Fermented the traditional way using ‘wild’ lacto-fermentation to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria, that when eaten regularly, Bottlebrush’s ferments can boost gut health, as well as all-round health and well-being. 

Bottlebrush Ferments co-founders Ben Payne & Hesh Daud have 30 years of experience in
their fields of personal trainer/health coach & chef and their passion is clear – HEALTHY
LIVING – which they feel, starts with the live products they create. 
​ The name of the brand Bottlebrush is taken from is a flower which was grown in both their back gardens when growing up in Australia and even when miles apart, this flower was able to show its adaptability and resilience just like this amazingly talented pair!

​When opening this jar of Kimchi, we were hit with the most wonderful aromas of garlic
and chilly.
When they say ‘bursting with flavour’ then this is IT!
Bottlebrush’s jar of Kimchi is packed with super fresh Chinese cabbage, spring onions,
garlic, a pop of chilli and a zing of ginger. It’s delicious, different, crunchy & definitely
moreish so it wasn’t too long before this jar was devoured. 

The Yellow One‘s aroma was beautifully sweet with a scent of ginger and turmeric.
This live, raw and unpasteurised Sauerkraut is zesty and fruity, reminiscent of a summers day and would be a pretty perfect and, let’s not forget, HEALTHY topping to your burger this BBQ season.

The White One is Bottlebrush’s ‘plain and simple’ Sauerkraut.
We don’t feel that way though!
The distinct flavours of the Horseradish and dill within this healthy jar of goodness brings it to life and will add a zing and a crunch to any dish you wish.

​​There’s a reason why Bottlebrush have bagged so many Great Taste awards. 
Their 100% natural Sauerkraut and Kimchi range tastes amazing & will love you from the inside out, helping us all to eat well & look after our gut!

​If you have a farm shop product and fancy a review, get in touch with THE TEAM

​What a delightful package to open especially given the lockdown; our team were so excited
to try the vibrant, colourful and elegant designed alcoholic canned drinks from Sipful!

It is nice to see, with the whole world changing its view to become more sustainable and
environmentally friendly, that Sipful Drinks have taken this on board.
​
The company’s founders Darius and Emily have really touched upon how people love to
socialise and these drinks make the perfect company for any such occasion with a touch of
sophistication. By using organic wine and 100% natural fruits, shows us the sense of care
& thought gone into creating these products.

​Not only being vegan, gluten and dairy free, Sipful’s range come in recyclable cans. In fact, each can you pop in the recycling bin can be back on the shelf within 60 days!
​
It’s worth mentioning the wonderful design on the cans too, which we feel tells you
all we need to know about the exciting flavours that await!

​​We sampled Sipful’s current range which consists of Organic Bubbles, Peach Bellini and
both the Orange and Blood Orange Mimosa’s.

The sweet and 100% REAL Peach Bellini was temptingly intense & before it even hit our
lips our mouths were watering, and our senses filled with summery peach delight. 
A bubbly & refreshing tipple with a superb tangy aftertaste which clearly has been expertly
mixed using selected organic bubbly.

The Blood Orange Mimosa came out on top with the team…
The exceptional flavours and the deep fruity taste made us think of those summer evenings kicking back and having a get together with friends & watching the sun go down
(remember those evenings?)
This quite delicious, totally natural, yet alcoholic cocktail, is delivered in a recyclable can,
and we’re impressed!​

After lockdown, we believe Sipful’s premium range of cocktails will be spotted on
numerous picnic tables, at BBQ’s & festivals across the land. 

​Sipful’s​ drinks have a real honest favour and certainly a product our team would be happy
to review again… and again!