July 2021 | Issue 13

From our favourite producers

We are really happy to welcome you to our 12th Monthly Post! Who would have thought that after a year we would have almost 1000 subscribers and we are so grateful for you all!

This month we are really delighted to have a large amount of fresh fruit and veg supplied by Secretts Farm in Milford and 15 Mile Foods in Fetcham, talk about local! We also have a beautiful range of plants, flowers and pots in stock this Summer, so come and take a look at our blooms and displays for a little creative inspiration.

Following a busy month of seeing our friends again, we’d love to share a bit of our love for local suppliers and friends of Kingfisher, Chalk Hills Bakery, Silent Pool and Rawlings Butchers… all of whom we have caught up with over a tea, coffee and perhaps a little G&T. Read on to find out more!

Looking towards the end of the month it is a certain special someone’s (Barrie’s) Birthday, so we thought that he may enjoy a bit of thanks from the team! We’ve collated some of our favourite photographs of the Father of Kingfisher, as well as a few words to show our appreciation. Happy Birthday Barrie!

In Sunny July …

Fruit & Veg…

• Kingfisher Watercress

• Broad beans

• Peas

• Runner beans

• Isle of Wight Tomatoes, Aubergine & Romano Pepper

• Local Lettuces: Red Oakleaf, Green Oakleaf, Cos, Little Gem, Butterhead, Salanova (Secretts)

• Local Cucumber (15 Mile Foods)

• Local Strawberries (Secretts)

• Local Raspberries (15 Mile Foods)

• Stone Fruit: Cherries, Nectarines, Peaches, Apricots

Flowers…

• Dahlias

• Scabious

• Cornflower

• Larkspur

• Scented Roses

• Nigella

• Sunflowers

… And we’ll create a display to suit

In the Flower Shop this month we’re busy with petite weddings and small gatherings, creating tablescapes and bespoke vase arrangements.

If you are entertaining in any small way, feel free to dust off your favourite vase and bring it us to fill with our selection of seasonal blooms. Give us 24 hours and we will transform your empty vessel into a floral extravaganza!

Please take a look at the bouquets below or our Online Shop for a little bit of inspiration.

Call us: 01306 730 703

Email us: flowergirls@kingfisherfarmshop.com

Barrie & Margaret’s first Farm Shop employee!

As the Farm Shop marks its 50th anniversary, we had a conversation with Robert Rawlings, renowned butcher of Cranleigh, who was in fact, the first Saturday boy here at Kingfisher Farm Shop.

 With a cup of tea in hand, Robert reminisced about working in Abinger as a young teenager in the late 1960’s, prior to the shop opening.  He would cycle from Walliswood to stay with his grandparents, Charlie and Mrs Rawlings at Frog Island, Abinger Hammer.  Robert would stand by his Gran bunching watercress, help Margaret’s father Bert milking the house cow, or take a trip down to Arundel in the back of a Morris Minor pick up to go and help with work in the watercress beds there.  

On opening the farm shop in the late summer of 1971, Robert extended his repertoire of jobs and skills; helping Barrie unload the van from market, helping to display the fresh produce in upturned bushel boxes, learning the importance of stock rotation, serving customers and sharpening up is mental arithmetic. In those days there were no calculators, so mental arithmetic was key. This initiation into the world of shop keeping stood Robert in good stead.  On leaving school at 16 he left to work at Waitrose where he trained to become a butcher. The rest, as they say is history!  Robert has worked hard, gained an adept knowledge and has a very successful business as a butcher.

December 1998, with the expansion of the farm shop, Robert was happy to rekindle a working relationship with Barrie and Margaret.  He has supplied an extensive range of cuts of meat, 6 days a week to the farm shop ever since. 

 In Robert’s words about his teenage years working at Abinger, “I would do it all again!”.  Those halcyon days, learning to hand milk the house cow, “who can do that, these days?” Or picking basketfuls of damson from the trees by the stream to sell, “That was money for nothing!”

Our vegan options may surprise you…

Flora’s vegan tour of the shop went live on our Instagram page last month and much to her surprise she was a huge success. We’ve got a lot of deceptively vegan products on our shelves…things that aren’t usually thought of as vegan that actually are! Watch her tour of the shop below to hear about Flora’s favourites.

If you’d like to keep up to date with our Instagram comings and goings then give us a follow. We’ve got plenty more Farm Shop & Flower Shop content up our sleeve.

World Gin Day…

We celebrated World Gin Day in a big way this year, with a pop up stand at Silent Pool Distillery.

On Saturday June 12th we set up shop and were joined by many other local businesses. Rosie had made fresh watercress pesto & watercress purée for customers to try. Celebration Bakery provided us with mini watercress & cheese scones, which we topped off with watercress butter.

Despite the scorching heat our watercress recipes were a hit with gin filled customers, who snapped up all of our recipe cards. Our firm friends Chalk Hills Bakery kept us going with Bakewell slices, which were washed down with a celebratory Silent Pool mojito to end the day.

Thank you to those of you that came to say hello & of course to Silent Pool for hosting the event at their Albury Distillery.

Meet Barrie…

For most, there is no need for an introduction! Barrie, father of Kingfisher, has had his wellington boots firmly planted in the flowing spring water here at Abinger Hammer since 1957, the start of his career.

Barrie began his career as a watercress grower under the guidance of his father and grandfather.  In the summer time days started at 4am, for watercress to be ready to put on the train at Gomshall to send to the wholesale markets in London and up and down the country.

Upon marrying Margaret in 1965, Rose Villa, Abinger Hammer became the family home. Here he has lived life full to the brim, immersed not only in work and family life but Young Farmers, Abinger Sports Club, Abinger Parish Council and Abinger Village Hall. A man equally happy on car park duty at Abinger Fair or chairing a Parish Council meeting….as long as he saw the job was getting done!!  Invariably the whole family were given duties to do too! Car parking at the Young Farmers Cowpie Rally with the caravan in tow as the counting house and refreshment base, was a family outing!

 By 1980 Barrie was running the business and with Margaret, they equally kept the family business going with passion and hard work.  Kingfisher watercress was in fact the first to be packed in ice, a turning point for the business and for the watercress industry as a whole.  A proud moment for Barrie.  Other proud moments Barrie recalls are;

• 1st January 1960, taking ownership of a brand new Landrover which led to many an adventure with the Young Farmers!

• On being awarded 'Pride of Surrey 2014’ by Surrey Life Food and Drinks awards…

• Upon reaching his Golden Wedding Anniversary with Margaret and most recently…

• Receiving a Royal visit from HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

As father here at Kingfisher, he continues to keep a watchful eye, providing sage advice, sharing his knowledge and enthusing about the future of the business.  

 Happy 83rd Birthday!

Photography Credit: @chloe.hardwick