Real Food Store Producers

Our Suppliers

Here we showcase some of our producers who work closely with the Real Food Store to help give access to some of the highest quality local food in the West Country. Our producers provide us with top quality local produce that is not always easy to find in the city. From cheese to chorizo, radishes to rice and mushrooms to milk, we aim to keep Exeter awash with fabulous seasonal food from across the region. Approximately 70% of our produce is sourced from within Devon alone.

The list of local suppliers below is only a tantalising sample of those we work with. We also have regular Meet the Producer events in-store and we are more than happy to talk to customers about suppliers and their produce if you would like to know more:

The Tiny Marmalade Co.

Food miles: 0.4 miles

In Paloma's own words 'Everything is better in miniature format. This is how the tiny marmalades arrived in my life. I have more than 100 different tiny jars at home.' The Tiny Marmalade Co. take pride in making their preserves with love. Based right here in Exeter, less than a mile from the store, Paloma makes her little jars of marmalades, jams and chutney using organic and Fair Trade ingredients. Each of Paloma's jars of preserve are essentially a limited edition as every batch is made from a unique harvest that is dictated by the weather. This is real local farming (we can't resist) and produce made with passion.

The flavours on offer are unusual, delicious and include Strawberry and Chilli marmalade, Cherries and Rioja marmalade, Plums and Chamomile jam and Apple and Courgette Chutney. The preserves are sold individually or in beautiful gift packs. The jars are also the perfect size for trying a multitude of flavours within a short period time. These tiny jars contain produce that is seriously addictive. Perfect with cheese, on toast, with ice cream or with meat and seafood. Eat more local preserves - sounds like a reasonable instruction.

Sandford Orchards

Food miles: 8

Sandford Orchards is a traditional farm business, pressing juices and ciders, run by Barny and Marie Butterfield and located just 8 miles from the store. Their methods are simple and so is their ethos: they only bottle the best, and believe that Devon ciders and juices are the best in the world. In 2010 they were awarde the highest prize in cider making ‘Champion Cider of Great Britain’ by CAMRA 2010.

Shute Fruit

Food miles: 17

Lori Reich and David Lamboll’s farm overlooks the Teign estuary, 17 miles from the store. Lori Reich uses fruit from the farm, and wild fruit from it’s hedges and neighbours to stir up over twenty different delicious varieties of preserves using plenty of love, traditional recipes, family secrets and contemporary innovations. Shute Fruit produce includes their scrumptious strawberry jam - served as part of our Devon Cream Tea in the café and their equally delicious raspberry jam.

Midfields Granola

Food miles: 14

Started almost 10 years ago, Midfields Granola now employs 4 people in addition to founder Sharon Davies and husband Brian. They are passionate about local food and supporting local people. Midfields Granola is made entirely from natural ingredients and contains no added salt. A thriving cottage industry, they are located inside Dartmoor National Park just 14 miles from the store. Winners of 3 Gold Awards at Taste of the West 2011. 

Emma's Bread

Food miles: 0 - baked on the premises

Emma Parkin and Anne Codling are shown above picking up the Devon Life award for Best Baker 2011 in November last year ... and well deserved it was too. The home of Emma's Bread is The Real Food Store and every day the tempting smells of Borodinsky Rye, sourdough, pain au levain, farmhouse whites, stoneground wholemeal, plus any number of sweet treats including chocolate brownies, lemon polenta cake and gingerbread, eminate from the instore bakery.

Emma has been a regular at farmers markets across the West Country for many years and her produce is well loved. Typical ingredients include spelt flour, real butter and free range eggs. Emma's Bread is proper, artisan bread made using traditional methods and organic products wherever available. Emma and Anne use a dough mixer in the store bakery, but every loaf is weighed out and shaped by hand, making for a more time consuming but very rewarding process.

Shillingford Organics

Food miles: 3

We work very closely with Shillingford Organics, a family farm located at The Barton on the outskirts of Exeter, near the village of Shillingford Abbot 3 miles to the West of the store. Shillingford Organics supply most of our freshly picked vegetables on a daily basis. They are a team of committed and passionate organic growers led by Martyn Bragg, growing over 120 different types of vegetables and herbs organically since 2000. Seasonality of produce is vitally important to both Shillingford Organics and The Real Food Store so you can look forward to a regular changing of fruit and veg in the store, from strawberries and broad beans in the Summer, to apples and squash in the Autumn, Shillingford help us to provide you with the freshest seasonal produce possible without leaving the city or growing it yourself.