There’s everything you need for a glorious Christmas of eating, giving and receiving at the farm shop crowned the best in the county at the Cheshire Life Food & Drink Awards. Val and photographer husband John Allen visit to take a look at the goodies, as well as the Little Budworth lodges.
From humble beginnings at the roadside to a fabulous cornucopia of farm shop, deli, butchery, bakery and forest lodges, The Hollies has become a Cheshire Christmas lodestar.
A dishonestly appropriated 'honesty box' triggered the journey of the Hollies Farm Shop, started in 1959 by Richard and Hilary Cowap. Now their sons, Ed and Phil and daughter Sue are following in their footsteps. Richard's passion for freshly grown produce has evolved from a humble market stall through to an award-winning destination farm shop showcasing more than 60 local suppliers. We met Ed and his team the day after they had won Local Produce Shop of the Year at the Taste Cheshire awards, following on from being crowned the 2023 Cheshire Life Farm Shop of the Year award this summer. Surprisingly lively after a celebratory evening, he showed us through to the Christmas wonderland he and the team have created.
We entered into a series of exquisitely decorated small rooms looking like sets for a Christmas movie. Wherever you look, there is something beautiful to behold. I could have taken home armfuls of the transparent ovals of honesty and stunning silk flowers to make my own Christmas display, but then I'd have little space for the delights that followed.
A table full of baskets holding jewel-like baubles glint under the glow of a magnificent chandelier. Swathes of Christmas garlands entwine shelves containing the softest, subtly coloured throws. Icicles dangle from clusters of frosted pine branches. Iridescent bubbles containing idyllic winter scenes can be awoken with a gentle shake of the globe. Tasteful Christmas lights wind their way around decorative willow deer. Gorgeous scented candles and diffusers waft the evocative scents of Christmas through every room of the house. Whoever devised all of this has a talent for theatre.
Christmas interiors are all about atmosphere and the whole hall has this in abundance. Gisela Graham baubles and ornaments, festive animals and ornamental whimsy hang in co-ordinated displays of colour in every alcove. Leaves of varying hues catch the light amid many frosted fruit shapes. Emma Bridgewater pottery is dotted around with tempting Christmas designs to brighten up a seasonal table. Dartington Glassware provides elegant goblets for the wines, cocktails and spirits of the festive season. Soft toys abound to delight children and adults alike.
Those with canine companions have the most select choice of doggy brands, housed in shelving kennels created by the in-house joiner. There are wittily decorated bowls, the latest soft tweed collars, leads and lots of carefully selected playthings to treat four-legged members of the family.
Around the corner there is the most astounding display of ornamental gingerbread houses, although trickery is afoot because most are not edible. And so to the heaving Christmas larder with shelves upon shelves of biscuits and panettone piled high on tables in every conceivable flavour and size. The Hollies' own Holly Farm ultimate Christmas plum puddings are being snapped up by eager customers, as are the mince pies and logs of fruit-laden stollen containing the soft marzipan interior, drenched in snowy icing sugar. There are tempting displays of cakes piled high before we come to the marinated and spiced figs, the festive chutneys, pickles and jams.
What was the restaurant has evolved into The Friesian Rooms Takeaway – plenty of spacious settings inside and out to sit in comfort and enjoy the delicious offerings. The only difference is you order and collect from the till. Dogs are welcome outside and there are doggy treats available to buy.
Stay awhile
The Forest Lodges are a short walk along a little winding path through established trees that take you into a world, away from the madding crowd. Part of the Hollies Farm Shop estate, they are set on the edge of Delamere Forest, opposite the entrance of the Cheshire Polo Ground, a couple of miles or so from Oulton Park and a short trip from Tarporley. The location is unsurpassed and the lodges have it all – the perfect place for a short break, or a long, relaxing week.
You can snuggle up into soft blankets in the glow of candles, the scents of Christmas, warm spices, the sharp tang of spruce and the gentle scent of wood smoke from the log-burning stove. Revel in the sweetness of rich hot chocolate, breathe in the spices of a glass of mulled wine. Feast your senses on the tasteful, beautifully lit and decorated lodge before exploring the outside with your own private hot tub. There are ceramic egg-style Kamado barbecues to play with too.
Then take yourself off into the farm shop just down the path and choose your own favourite things from the stunning array of food. There are platters from the delicatessen, golden pies, freshly sliced hams, antipasti, local cheeses such as Nantwich blue, the Hollies' own blue and Tarporley blue, accompanied by unctuous chutneys and juicy ice cool grapes. And if the sharing platter style of eating is not for you, the butchery at the farm shop has something for everyone. The caramelised onion sausages are to die for and as for the tomahawk steak, there are no words. Or perhaps there are. I sampled the tomahawk marinated in black garlic sauce. Started for a couple of hours in a very, very low oven, then finished quickly with either a searing in a hot pan or barbecue, this was the most stunning piece of beef I have had the privilege of cooking for myself. To finish off this indulgence, pick your favourite Christmas fruit cake or perhaps break up the softness of an icing-sugar-drenched stollen, finally stealing a piece of crumbly farmhouse cheese. These are the luxuries that define the season of winter wonder. Even down to sprout truffles.
Outdoors or indoors, there is comfort to be found everywhere at the Forest Lodges. The Danish don't have exclusive rights on hygge (the word that describes a cosy, contented mood evoked by comfort and conviviality). Cheshire folk know how to create atmosphere and experiences. At Forest Lodge you can experience it all.
Tarporley Road, Little Budworth, Tarporley theholliesfarmshop.co.uk/farm-shops/ farm-shop-little-budworth
