The Farm Shop, Mayfair

1  Farm Shop

Let’s start our journey at the Farm Shop itself, where I had the pleasure of meeting Zeb, a knowledgeable guide who shared fascinating insights about the produce and products on display. 

First, I love exploring good food shops and deli’s. The Farm Shop is a foodie’s paradise. I wish I could transport you there, but instead, I will do my best to describe it.

As I mentioned, the shop proudly showcases produce from the Farm, distinguished by a green label. But what truly sets it apart is the work of Kenny, the farm’s forager. Kenny’s role is to discover unique plants,herbs, and other ingredients from the Farm, which he transforms into exquisite sauces, vinegars, and chutneys. Kenny has a dream job.

You find evidence of Kenny’s work can be found all over the shop with brilliantly named products such as Ladies Smock vinegar; for those of you who do not know, Ladies Smock is a wildflower, back in the day, was a remedy for scurvy and fevers. It was also prescribed for kidney stones and ulcers, to aid digestion or stimulate the appetite, and as a diuretic. For those of you who know me, you will know I do not carry this knowledge around in my head (thanks, google), but Kenny does. In my search, there was an explanation why the wildflower was called Ladies Smock, but as I’m a gentleman and it’s a food website, I will leave you to speak to Mr Google.

Anyhow, you get the idea that this Farm shop belongs to a working Farm. The range of sauces and chutneys is one thing, but also on show is a range of fresh produce that is all seasonal and British. You will never see an avocado on display. 

The Farm Shop has a unique way of doing things – not only does it showcase its own farm’s produce, but it also collaborates with small producers and start-ups. This approach brings a diverse range of products to the shelves, highlighting a commitment to variety and quality that can be seen throughout the shop.

I should mention that the farm has a vineyard and produces its own wine and sells a range of gins and gins mixes, including my favourite, the Negroni.

The shop also stocks British cheeses and some lesser-known Swiss cheeses, which is not surprising as the owners are from Switzerland. It also stocks a wide range of preserves, honey, and breads.

Also offer was an excellent range of fresh sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee. It did made me smile that the coffee machine was named after Constance Spy the aformentioned owner of the premises, a nice touch.

2 Butchery

Also the Farm shop has a butchers.

There is only one butcher shop in Mayfair. You will find a butchers inside the well-known store Fortnum & Mason, but this is a separate, standalone butcher shop. You can access the shop from Aldford Street, or you can enter through the Farm Shop entrance.

Continuing the theme, the Beef and Lamb are from the farm, with the pork from a local farm in Somerset. The meat was beautifully presented, and after chatting with the butcher, we found out he is a Master butcher and a former supplier to our late queen’s household.

I always thought you could judge a good butchers or fishmonger by their display and as you can see by the picture above the meat was beautifully presented.

3 Wine Bar

The wine bar is located downstairs, which is a clever idea that perfectly complements The Farm Shop. The decor is rustic and goes well with the Farm Shop and butchers. However, the walls are covered in artwork, which shows that a lot of thought went into the design. As a result, the wine bar is an inviting space.

We visited on a Wednesday lunchtime and noticed that there was only one spare table available. When we left, people were still coming in, which is a promising sign considering the wine bar has been open for less than six months.

Anyhow, on to the food and drink. The wines first. As you would expect, the wine list includes wines from their farms’ vineyards. We started with sparking rose, which was a very pleasant way to start our lunch. Also, we enjoyed a white from Switzerland (another nod to the owners), and this was a lovely, clean, fresh wine. Wines from Austria and Switzerland are gaining much recognition from those who know their wines. We finished with a Beaujolais recommended by the delightful Nobuko. 

The drinks offering is comprehensive, including wines, sparkling wine, champagne, and even a beer and cider. At this stage, dear reader, I should mention prices; good news, wines start at £4.50; I don’t think you will find many other wine lists in Mayfair starting at that price point.

The food menu is equally interesting and takes advantage of the farm shops’ cheese and charcuterie. The cheese selection is dominated by British cheese, with the addition of a few Swiss cheeses.

The charcuterie selection offers Coppa, salami, and braesola. 

Sharing boards are a popular addition, and I’m told the cheese & Charcuterie is the wine bars best seller. Also on the menu are three additions from the kitchen: half rotisserie  chicken, steak tartare on sourdough toast and Minestrone soup.

We had intended to go for a board of cheese and charcuterie sharing as it was lunchtime. However, while in the butchers, we were hit by the smell of the rotisserie chickens being cooked. Also, we were informed that the chickens are put in brine for five days before roasting to enhance the flavour and keep the moisture in during cooking. 

Any self-respecting foodie would have to agree; there was no turning away from trying the chicken.

Served as a sharer of half chicken with a small roasted potatoes and a mixed leaf salad. Expectations were high and completely fulfilled; from now on I will now be brining my chicken befor roasting. I have used this technique with pork belly in brine before cooking, but never a chicken. It was delicious, and just as importantly, the potatoes were an excellent addition, and our salad was perfectly coated in a lovely dressing. Little details matter so much in creating a perfect dish.

After the chicken and a suitable rest, we went for the cheese and charcuterie, and because I know you would like to know about the wine bar’s best seller. This included three British cheeses and a selection of all the charcuterie. The gherkins were crunchy and sharp with vinegar and perfectly pickled, and there was a delightful homemade chutney (thanks, Kenny) and appetising crackers.

Amazingly, we cleared the board in no time. However, I would recommend choosing one sharer for lunch. However,on the table next to us, two hungry chaps ordered one chicken sharer each.

So that was our extended visit to the Farm shop, which will be a regular stop-off and pit stop for me. As somebody who spends much time in Mayfair, I’m well placed to say it adds something different to the culinary options available and will be an undoubted success.

Final thanks go to Nobuko, Zeb, and the entire team for looking after us so well. They were knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and they made us feel very at home—so much so that we lost track of time and stayed longer than intended, which is a compliment in itself.

The Farm Shop

64 South Audley St, London W1K 2QT

www. dursladefarmshop.co.uk/pages/farm-shop-mayfair