This is the second of a two-parter - read reasons 1 - 5 by clicking here.
6. Get more variety
Smaller shops which sell a wide range of products encourage competition and diversity and, according to the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association (Farma), local producers selling direct at farmers’ markets, through farm shops and pick-your-own, like to offer something different. So whether it’s squirrel meat (really!), cheese such as Norbury Blue from a Surrey farm, rare-breed pork or freshly-dug potatoes huddled in Surrey soil – local shops are much more likely to stock those unusual local delicacies.
7. Get really personal service
Local businesses are almost always passionate about what they do, are a font of knowledge about the products they sell and have staff who give one-to-one personal service (and remember to ask about that dinner party you were stressing about). “We really care about what our customers want,” says Joanna at Two Many Cooks, Brockham, who runs a catering business and also a coffee Shop in South Street, Dorking. “Only last week, we dropped some food around to a customer’s house and although it was no big deal, people really appreciate those extra touches.”
8. Save money
A marketplace bulging with small businesses tends to create more innovation and low prices over the long-term. Independent research conducted by Deliciously Yorkshire, the regional food group for Yorkshire and Humber, found that vegetables such as baking potatoes and tomatoes cost about a third less, and leeks were on average 14 per cent less expensive at farm shops compared with supermarkets. Plus, if you add in travel to out of town shops and parking costs, or delivery fees, the cost can be much higher.
9. Meet the makers
“We know where everything comes from and have photos of the producers who created the food on the wall!” says Ruth at The Larder, a lovely farm shop at The Medicine Garden in Cobham. “What’s more, local suppliers are often happy to come in and do tastings so people can often get a real flavour of what’s on offer, and try before they buy.” This is the best way to discover new foods and flavours, as you can be sure the person offering the tasting will be able to tell you not only where the product comes from and how it was made, but how best to use it. It's win-win, the local way.
10. Build a sense of community
It’s much easier to play a part in local ife, find out about Surrey's events, festivals and news and make friends with people in your neighbourhood, if you shop in your own town or village. James Slayford, owner of The Running Horses, Mickleham, a 16th century coaching inn on Old London Road, agrees, and says if everyone ate and shopped remotely the sense of community would be lost. “When people stop going to their local pubs and shops they lose a little of their identity. Local inns are now few and far between and villages can disappear once these community hubs disappear.”
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