Celebrating Delicious Suffolk Food

Suffolk is known for its fresh produce and farms, attracting thousands of visitors each year to sample the local delights. The county’s produce is favoured by some of the UK’s best chefs such as Jamie Oliver, and also Tom Kerridge, who uses only Suffolk chicken and pork in his Michelin starred pub. Here Windmill Lodges puts the spotlight on some of the best places to stock up on food and drink while you enjoy a short break in Suffolk with us.

Beer

Adnams, an award winning brewer, works with local farmers and producers in Suffolk to supply their breweries, hotels and pubs to make great products without harming the earth. Their famous distillery is based in Southwold, and here you can enjoy a tour around the facilities before sampling some of their wines, beers and spirits. Adnams is sold throughout Suffolk by a number of shops and pubs, and is one of the most popular brands with the locals.

Sausages

Jimmy’s Farm is found in the heart of Suffolk, where you can buy a variety of fresh meat, including their speciality sausages. Voted Britain’s Top 10 Sausage by The Independent, the sausages feature a wide range of flavours, from Marmite to more traditional flavours such as pork and leek.

Chicken

Sutton Hoo’s free range chickens are famous in the area for their dense, succulent meat and delicious juicy flavours. All of the chickens on the farm are allowed to roam freely on 40 acres of pasture, found next to the ancient Anglo-Saxon National Trust site at Sutton Hoo. All of the birds enjoy a natural, additive free life and have gained a national reputation for the high quality and welfare of the birds.

Bread

Winner of the BBCs Best Food Producer 2012, Pump Street Bakery in Orford is branded as one of the best places in Suffolk to buy bread, pastries and cakes. Each loaf of bread is handmade using the finest ingredients with no preservatives, additives or softeners. Pump Street Bakery also sell bean to bar chocolate, handmade from scratch to create delicious and unique bars of chocolate.

Pate

The Suffolk Pate Company supply many of the local delicatessens with pates in a multitude of flavours, from chicken liver with port and brandy, to blue cheese with lemon and parsley. These can be served traditionally on toasted bread for a light lunch or snack, or can be incorporated into recipes such as Bolognese for a rich flavour. 

Cyder

Aspall, based in the village of Aspall near Debenham, is a well-known manufacturer of cyder in Suffolk. They have always spelt their cider with a y to show that it is of high quality. This is also to indicate that the cyders have been fermented twice, giving them a stronger, nicer taste.

 

Smoked Eel

For the more adventurous, why not try some smoked eels while you stay with us on a short break in Suffolk. Pinney’s of Orford sell both slices and chunks of smoked eel which are hot smoked over oak to bring out the succulent, delicate flavours. These are rich in oil, and are a popular delicacy in Europe. Serve at room temperature with lemon and toast for a refreshing and healthy meal.

Pesto

Pesto is a great thing to stock up on while staying with us, ready for a quick meal or sandwich before rushing out for a busy day in the countryside. Purely Pesto sell a variety of pesto dips and sauces and are based in Leiston, Suffolk. All of their products are handmade and made in small batches to give them a unique taste and texture. They also sell soup, hummus, guacamole, and taramasalata.

Strawberries

Goslings Farm in Felixstowe, home of the famous “Suffolk strawberries”, sells a wide variety of fresh produce. They specialise in pick your own strawberries, so you can enjoy a day out picking some of the ripest and freshest strawberries you can find. You can also pick your own raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, blackberries, broad beans, runner beans, French beans and courgettes throughout the year.

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Local Suffolk Markets

Enjoy a local shopping experience in Suffolk and visit some of the country markets where you can buy fresh produce and handmade gifts. These take place on a regular basis and are ideal for meeting the locals and farmers, and to find out more about what is produced in the area. Our luxury lodges in East Anglia are just a few miles away from some of the very best farmers markets, where you can pick up some delicious delights to take back to our self-catering lodges.

Crafts and Produce Market at Yoxford Village Hall

Yoxford, a small village in the east of Suffolk, is just a 20 minute drive from our luxury log cabins, and here they hold both a farmers’ market and a Brocantes on the second Saturday of every month. A Brocantes is the French word for a flea market. At these markets they sell a large variety of fascinating wares, including vintage clothing, homewares, bric-a-brac, cards and stationary, and jewellery. They also sell a selection of fresh produce and plants such as sausages, pork joints, vegetables, marmalade, artisan breads, and cakes.

In addition to the markets, this pretty village is known for its antique shops where you can pick up some interesting gifts. Spend the day in Yoxford, and after trawling the shops and market you can enjoy a lunch at one of the village’s two local pubs, The Griffin and The Kings Head. Yoxford is also surrounded by beautiful parklands, so you can enjoy a stroll after lunch. 

Hoxne Artisan Market at St Edmunds Village Hall

This historic village market has over 20 stalls of handmade crafts and fresh home-grown food, and is held on the second Saturday of every month, from 10am till 2pm. There is also usually a local demonstration of craftsmen at work at the event, where they show you how some of their items are skilfully created. The village café is open during the market, selling warm soups, cakes, bacon butties, and tea and coffee.

Hoxne is full of ancient history, and King Edmund was martyred by the Danes just yards away from the market’s venue. Discover the past of Hoxne on a day out, and enjoy the strong sense of community found here. Hoxne is just a 20 minute drive from Windmill Lodges.

Felixstowe Giant Sunday Market

Held every Sunday, this market brings you all of Felixstowe’s best bargains. Found just 45 minutes away from our scenic log cabins, Felixstowe is an Edwardian seaside town full of charm. At this market you will find food, garden furniture, flowers, books, plants and clothing, among many other items.

For a fun family day out, after visiting the market why not take your children on one of the rides at the beach front amusement park, or try your hand at adventure golf? Alternatively, you can enjoy a walk along the beach, or on hot days you can go for a paddle or swim in the water.

Framlingham Market

Framlingham has hosted a weekly market since the town was granted a license by Hugh Bigod, the third Earl of Norfolk in the 13^th century. This twice weekly market is hugely popular with local residents and tourists, with its friendly atmosphere and beautiful location. This market takes place on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from 8am to 5pm, however the stall holders tend to finish earlier on a Tuesday, so make sure you get in quick.

While browsing the market you can buy plants, flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, fudge, fish and meat. You can also buy jewellery, wine and clothing from shops such as Jamboree Bag and Crafty Mrs Fox. 

Vintage Soul Market at Southwold

For something a bit different, why not visit the vintage soul market at Southwold, where you can buy a unique selection of clothes from the forties, fifties and sixties? You can also find retro handbags, shoes, tea sets and jewellery here, with many handmade items. This friendly market has a lovely atmosphere, and is ideal for a family day out from our luxury log cabins.

The whole family will enjoy a day out in Southwold, and you can visit the boating lake and nature island, or hire a pedal boat on the lake.

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Discovering the Magic of Sutton Hoo

Found near Woodbridge, Sutton Hoo is the site of two ancient cemeteries where archaeologists unearthed significant finds dating back to the Anglo Saxon era. Sutton Hoo can be visited for a fun and informative day out with the family, with three main sections to visit on your day out: the Royal

Burial Mounds, an indoor exhibition and the 20^th century built Tranmer House.

Sutton Hoo is just a 30 minute drive from our luxury log cabins. Here you can enjoy a day of exciting activities while learning about the ancient history of England. You can round off your visit with a stroll through the countryside following one of the National Trust’s designated walking routes.

The Royal Burial Mounds

This consists of eighteen burial mounds, many of which have been eroded over the centuries. These early burials can be traced back to the seventh century AD, although unfortunately there are no written records of the people who were buried, so there is no way of knowing exactly who they were. Many of the mounds were robbed in the Tudor period; however, two of the mounds remain untouched and loom over the grounds spectacularly.

Mound One, one of the untouched mounds, is the richest burial ever found in northern Europe, and was the grave of a king and his 90ft ship. King Raedwald was said to be buried here, the great King of East Anglia who was heavily criticised for establishing an altar for Christ and an altar for the old gods next to each other. The actual 90ft boat no longer exists and has long since disintegrated into the acidic soil, and now there is only an imprint of where the majestic vessel once lay.

Found under Mound Seventeen was the double burial of a warrior and his horse, surrounded by weapons and everyday items such as combs.

Exhibition

The Exhibition Hall at Sutton Hoo is the perfect place to learn more about the burials and the history behind them. Here you will begin by watching a short film about the era, followed by a tour around the exhibition where you can learn more from information boards.

There is even a reconstruction of the burial chamber which allows you to see how the ritual would have taken place as the king was laid to rest. This also shows how the treasures would have been carefully placed around the king in the ship. Also found in the exhibition are some of the artefacts from Mound Seventeen, where the warrior and his horse were buried, including gold harness pieces and weaponry.

Sutton Hoo hold ‘Out of the Case’ sessions once a month where you can get a closer look at some of their replica treasures, made using the very same skills and tools as the Anglo-Saxon craftsmen.

Tranmer House

Originally named Sutton Hoo House, this beautiful Edwardian home was built in 1910. Soon after it was brought by Edith Pretty, who owned the house when the treasures were unearthed. This warm and aged house looks over the River Deben and the town of Woodbridge, and is the ideal place to discover the story behind the archaeological digs in the 1930s.

With wood panelled interiors, grand marble fireplaces and views across the vast fields outside, you can sit back and enjoy Tranmer House on your visit while history is brought to life around you. Play music on a gramophone, or sit in a chaise lounge reading 1930s magazines to immerse yourself in the past of Tranmer House.

Tranmer House was built with no garden as it was believed that rabbits would destroy it, and part of the house was demolished later on to save heating costs.

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