North west of Sheffield lies a community which is making a bit of a name for itself with the production of local food and drink. Bradfield and neighbouring village Dungworth are home to some of the city’s best known local producers and on Saturday I popped up to Bradfield farmers’ market to catch them all as they gathered under one roof.

Bradfield farmers’ market

Bradfield village hall and green

I’ve not been to Low Bradfield before, which is where the monthly market is located. The last couple of markets have coincided with snowy weather but today it is fine, which makes the drive up through the countryside on the edge of Sheffield even more pleasant. In the spring sunshine the village looks very picturesque, nestled in among the hills with a pub, village store and central green area.

The market is held in a modern village hall building. There are around fifteen exhibitors selling products such as beef, pork, milk, pies, chicken, ice cream, fruit, vegetables, beer, cheese, bread, honey, wax products, cheesecake, jams and cakes. Other items on sale include soap, bird feeders and fire wood. Refreshments are also available from a cafe.

Cheese

At places like this, half the fun is going around each stall and enjoying the free tasters. Although that isn’t to say that all the food is overpriced.

For example, the cheese (three for a fiver) is comparable to what you might pay in a supermarket plus you can pick up a dozen eggs for £1.70. And of course you know you are getting good products as well as supporting independent producers.

The major Bradfield and Dungworth names in attendance include the Sheffield honey company, Our cow Molly ice cream, Bradfield brewery and Bradfield meats.

Sheffield honey company candles

The Sheffield honey company has been around a couple of years now and as well as producing various types of honey (my favourite being the one with a vanilla pod in it) they now sell other beeswax products such as candles. You can now even buy a block of straight honeycomb which is supposed to be delicious melted on toast.

Production of the tasty Our cow Molly ice cream grew out of a dairy farm set up in 1947. In 2007, with the value of milk plummeting, they decided to diversify and the Our cow Molly brand was born. You are more likely to see it on sale in north or west Sheffield, although the Crucible and Lyceum stock it so make sure you try some as your interval snack next time you go.

Bradfield brewery beers

Bradfield brewery beers are already all over Sheffield and can also be found further afield. I think their most popular beer is probably Farmer’s blonde, which I would recommend. They all have Farmers in the title though so are pretty easy to spot and are available in bottles and kegs as well as on draught.

Lambing season at Our cow Molly

Laden with local produce, we decide to head back to Sheffield. We’d been given stickers at the market which entitled us to a freebie from the Our cow Molly ice cream shop, so can’t resist calling in on the way home.

It is a great time of year to visit Cliff House Farm in Dungworth, the home of Our cow Molly. The weather is finally warming up and lambing season is here, which means there is plenty on view.

Our cow Molly lamb

I last came to the farm for their big bonfire in November, which was great fun. On pulling up in the car park we are greeted this time by a lamb and its mother. There are also new born calves and goats to see, as well as cockerels, rabbits and of course cows.

Eddie the farmer is currently giving short tours of the lambs and their barn, and although we had just missed one, he is more than happy to take us round and talk to us about his livestock and the meat, milk and ice cream they produce.

Children are enjoying the animals and of course the prospect of finishing off our visit with an ice cream in the parlour is a treat for everyone.

Our cow Molly lambing tours: weekends in March and April, 11am and 3pm

Bradfield farmer’s market: upcoming dates

Sheffield: land of milk and honey on the culture vulture by Lucy Harper

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Our Cow Molly

On Saturday night we went up to Our Cow Molly at Dungworth for their Family Bonfire.  I’d hoped to take my gorgeous little nephew who’s nearly 2, for a ride on the fire engine they had hired out for the day but my big bro changed his plans at the last minute.  It didn’t look like there were many other people there without kids, but within minutes I was as excited as all the small people overawed by the fireworks, blaze and fabulous atmosphere.

Fire engine rides at Our Cow Molly

If you don’t know much about Our Cow Molly, it’s time you did.  Eddie Andrew is the founder of Our Cow Molly which is based at his family’s dairy farm in Dungworth and they’ve been making quality ice cream using their own milk since 2007.  Our Cow Molly was one of the first food producers to be branded with the Made In Sheffield mark.   In June this year, during the Sheffield Food Festival, they held a grand opening for their ice cream parlour as well as a massively successful event which featured some of Sheffield’s best local food producers and a new world record for the fastest ever production of 1L ice cream – 10.34 seconds!  They have over 80 cows and there are often new born calves to see at the farm when you pop up for ice cream and other treats from their farm shop.  A number of outlets around Sheffield sell the ice cream, but there are additional deluxe flavours that are only available at the farm, including honeycomb, wild cherry cheesecake, blueberry muffin and Bakewell tart.

Eddie has been advertising the bonfire for weeks and I was really looking forward to it.  We drove up there just after 5 and as we approached the farm, we could see the bonfire blazing in the distance.  We were ushered onto one of the farm’s fields to park (for free) and then started to realise how many people were there – hundreds! It must have been one of Sheffield’s biggest bonfire parties this weekend and rightly so, because Eddie and the team put on a truly fabulous event.  The fireworks were tremendous – definitely a cut above the ones we’d seen at a pub display the night before – and went on for nearly 2 hours – maybe longer, but we got cold and went home! If you were getting chilly, you could warm up quickly next to the huge bonfire – the man next to me muttered ‘I can feel my eyebrows about to go up in flames’.

Our Cow Molly bonfire

Fireworks at Our Cow Molly

More fireworks at Our Cow Molly

After a few ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahhhs’ at the fireworks, we went for a wander round the yard by the ice cream parlour.  As you’d expect for a farm that is passionate about local food, there was food and drink on offer from nearby producers, including a bar run by Bradfield Brewery, sausages from Bradfield Meats and Yorkshire Highland beef burgers – and of course the ice cream parlour was open too.

Ice cream at Our Cow Molly

There were huge queues for the hot food and the ice cream – but with it being a family event, there was no queue at all at the bar so we got some pints of Farmers Belgian Blue (4.9%), which is a Christmas beer with ‘berry overtones’ that’s only been available since the start of November.  No prizes for guessing that it’s also got a bluey-purpley tinge.

Bradfield Brewery Farmers Belgian Blue

As we drank, we watched the visitors enjoying the mini-disco in the yard and enjoying family time together – it was such a happy, positive event that I ended up feeling a little bit warm and fuzzy inside and – if this isn’t a bit OTT – feeling like I had a bit more faith in mankind.  It was pure wholesome fun, about food, drink, family, friends and fireworks in a beautiful spot overlooking a huge city but you’d never realise out there that you’re just 15 mins away from the centre of Sheffield.

As the queue for food was so long – perhaps they underestimated how many hungry visitors they’d have – we decided we’d eat at home, but buy a tub of ice cream for pudding.  Despite the thermometer outside the farm shop showing it was 6°C, the visitors were undeterred and I had to queue for about 20 minutes to get a tub of ice cream.  We chose a tub of honeycomb flavour (which had crispy chunks in a very smooth ice cream) and somehow, a pack of Round Green Farm venison and orange sausages managed to sneak its way into my shopping basket too.

Our Cow Molly is a true ambassador for local food and I’m immensely proud that we have it here in Sheffield.  They very deservedly shared the award for Favourite Family Friendly Food Operation at the 2010 Eat Sheffield Restaurant Awards and their fantastic bonfire party this weekend is a perfect example of why they’re so popular, and not just for the great tasting ice cream, but for the enthusiasm and warmth that is evident in all they do.