This is just a small section of the fresh produce available at our local farm shop,
Dents. There's a better range and quality of root veg here than you'll find at Tesco in Downham Market including 'Dirty Carrots' and 'Dirty Parsnips'. Rather than offering carrot batons or grated carrot, the farm shop goes to the other extreme and offers a straight from the ground option at a lower price than its washed and scrubbed neighbours.
Not only can we buy vegetables and fruit, much of it grown on the owner's farm, but it's also the source for last minute gifts, the place where we buy our Christmas tree and the garden centre we visit for annuals and hanging baskets. We buy local beer here, Norfolk honey and freshly baked bread. The staff at Dents are always happy to have a chat and because we're local (in a non League of Gentlemen way) it's a proper chat. Basically it's the good old days and I'm delighted that they're expanding so that by the summer we'll benefit from a deli, butcher, cafe and bakery too.
In a retail environment that seems to be defeating any business that isn't digital in some way, the independent trader is flourishing in our area and as you can see online is not top of the agenda for Dents. NFN? I'm not totally sure but we certainly know a significant number of people who don't rely on the big brand names for all of their spending activity.
Good old Dents. Pop in if you're in the area. I mean dirty root vegetables - more 50 shades of graded soil than 50 shades of grey granted - but it's got to be worth a look for that alone. You won't be disappointed.
