The Jolly Farmers Food Emporium

Words by Jane Garrett

Jon and Paula Briscoe are used to changing things round. They turned the Leg of Mutton and Cauliflower from a drinking den into a lovely restaurant and meeting place for Ashtead, and then the Wise Old Owl in Kingfold from a nightclub back into a pub/restaurant for the local community. Then came the Jolly Farmers project at Buckland... 

“We were looking at the licensing changes and thought food was the right road to take,” says Jon. “We have always worked with local suppliers, trying to help independent shops, but we also dreamed of owning a farm and having a farm shop.

“We knew how to operate pubs and restaurants, however, so we decided to bring the farm shop inside the pub. Now it is a complete food emporium.”

The farm shop cum delicatessen occupies what was once one of the bars in the pub, and visitors can wander from bar to shop to restaurant to garden in this unique integrated business. They can even buy the raw materials for cooking at home and eat meals made with the same ingredients in the restaurant.

And the shop element benefits from the same opening hours as the pub, closing at 11pm, so if you run out of olive oil or need some fresh lettuce for supper at 8pm, you can just nip down and buy it – and maybe stay for a glass of wine as well. Most of the produce in the shop is sourced locally too.

“We have an intense desire to purchase from and support local suppliers,” says Jon. “There are some superb farms and it is great to be able to showcase their products. We get great local meat through the Surrey Hills butcher at Oxshott and Gregs at Ashtead.

“People should question where food comes from and why it is so cheap in the supermarkets. The problem is what they are not being told. We should all ask questions about where food is grown and where it is shipped on for packaging before arriving here.

“We should celebrate local food – not how cheap we can find something. I get a real feel-good factor because our jams and chutneys are made so close to the pub. I like to focus on local and seasonal, creating the link between farm and plate.

“But ultimately the world of local food is just great fun.”
This sweetly savoury tart (right) is made from Norbury Blue cheese, produced just a few miles from the Jolly Farmers Food Emporium at Norbury Park Farm in Mickleham. The recipe is a favourite with Jolly Farmer customers. 

• The Jolly Farmers Food Emporium is located on the A25 at Buckland, just outside Reigate. Tel: 01737 221355 or visit http://food-emporium.co.uk/

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Michaela’s Norbury Blue & Caramelized Red Onion Tart

Ingredients
(* All available from the deli at the Food Emporium)

Filling
6 Red onions* l 50g butter
50g flour* l 300ml milk*
100g Scrumpy Sussex Cheddar cheese*
1 x Free Range egg – beaten* l Salt
200g Michaela’s Norbury Blue* l Olive oil*

Short crust pastry
250g flour l 125g butter or lard
180ml cold water l Pinch salt

Equipment
1 x quiche / flan dish l 1 x frying pan
2 x sauce pans l Baking beans

Method

To make the pastry

• Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl.
• Dice up butter and add to the flour.
• Rub ingredients together until it forms breadcrumbs.
• Slowly add cold water to combine.
• Press in to a ball and rest in fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out to fit tin.

To make the tart base

• Roll out pastry and put in to a greased tart ring / quiche tin.
• Lightly prick the base with a fork and cover in baking beans.
• Bake at 180C for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven, remove the baking beans and cook for a further 10 minutes.

To make the filling

• Thinly slice red onion.
• Heat olive oil in pan over high heat and sauté in small batches until brown and caramelized.
• Season onions with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the cheese sauce 

• Heat the milk in a separate pan and bring to a simmer.
• In an additional pan, melt the butter.
• Slowly add the flour to the butter and combine with a wooden spoon to make a smooth paste.
• Slowly add the hot milk to the paste, and keep stirring until all the milk has been added and a sauce consistency is achieved.
• Add the Scrumpy Sussex Cheddar cheese and stir till melted into the sauce.
• Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, then remove pan from heat and whisk in the beaten free range egg.
• Fill pre cooked tartlet case with onions, pour over warm cheese sauce and then cover with grated Norbury Blue cheese.
• Return to oven and bake for a further 20 minutes, until just brown on top.

Serve with olive oil* dressed, fresh wild rocket*, cherry tomatoes*, shavings of Twyneham Grange* English Parmesan Style Cheese, and balsamic vinegar*

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