The Real Food Store is open and busy!

Sitting down to write a bit of an update on the Real Food Store's first few days of trading, I am having to pinch myself: yes the store is open! it really is happening and people are loving it! What a great way to welcome in the Spring and the change of season. It is a such a thrill to be able to say that the store and cafe have been busy and that from the feedback we are getting, the RFS is getting it more or less right! Emma's bread is flying off the shelves, as are the delicious hot cross buns; the fresh veg is a real hit -have you tried one of the enormous Shillingford cauliflowers yet? a bargain for £1- and the cafe has been hugely popular at lunch times especially where Sima's daily specials and the spring time menu has been a hit.

For those of you who haven't had the chance to visit the store yet, a reminder that what is on offer is a food store selling a wide range of locally grown seasonal veg & some imported fruits e.g. bananas and citrus; Dairy produce including milk (excellent value organic and local high quality), cheese, yogurt and butter; Eggs -excellent value local free range as well as delicious local organic eggs; Meat including organic & some non-organic meat where we are satisfied that the producer meets high standards of animal welfare; Real bread, delicious cakes as well as rolls and buns baked at the in-store Emma's Bread bakery by Emma and Anne & the team. There are many other local Devon made products including jams and preserves, oils and vinegars, pies and biscuits, chocolates & a wide range of fruit juices and some beers and ciders.

At the Take-away counter you can choose from a range of sandwiches, pies and drinks, also soup and of course tea and coffee. We are proud to be serving Origin 'Farmer 30' 100% arabica coffee from estates in South America where the growers get a good deal and provide an excellent quality product. The beans are roasted in Cornwall and delivered fresh on a regular basis. Come and try our coffee! You can buy the Origin coffee in store too. There is a pleasant sit down cafe area downstairs by the takeaway counter where you can be served a wide ranging menu.

The store has a ground floor disabled access toilet with baby changing facilities.

There is an upstairs cafe with a number of tables; you choose your table and then go to the counter to order from the spring menu ... there are 2 baskets of children toys to keep your little ones entertained.

The Real Food team, recognisable in RF T-shirts and red or green aprons, are happily settling into things and always happy to talk about the products we sell, explain where they are from and we are keen to hear your suggestions either directly in the shop or via the contact page on the website. All feedback is good! The Real Food Store is work in progress and we will develop all sorts of interest over the next few days and weeks and on an on-going basis for example you will soon be able to find out lots more about our suppliers, who are the growers? about the store itself (it is a community owned business!) who makes the jam, where does the honey come from etc. All of our menu items are home made from ingredients available in the store; this means that we can be efficient and I've been so impressed to hear from Sima the cook and Sally and Ian the managers that we are producing hardly any waste at all. Naturally we recycle as much as possible too. The store is powered entirely by renewable energy through our contract with Good Energy and you will very soon be able to read all about this on the website.

Bear with us as we get the website updated and improved with lots more to find out about community enterprise, organic, local and much more.

By the way we now have card readers so you can use your credit card to do your shopping!

We look forward to welcoming you to the Real Food Store soon!

Please click on ning to see the latest photos of the store or click on our twitter feed: Join ning and twitter to join in the chat about Real Food ...

Sarah