If you would like to try locally produced sweet and savoury treats, locally grown fruit and vegetables, locally reared meat, poultry and game, sustainably sourced fish and everything in between, then there is plenty of choice across The Malverns – Malvern, Upton upon Severn, Tenbury Wells and the Teme Valley.
Please see our list of independent food and drink shops below. If you think we’ve missed somewhere, please let us know [email protected].
If you give independent food shops a try you might be introduced to your new favourite cheese or sourdough loaf or artisan chocolates. Perhaps you like to be adventurous with your palate and like to buy from small producers because they spend more time on their products to ensure a better flavour. Many of the independent bakeries, butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers and chocolatiers in the area only sell locally sourced produce to ensure quality and freshness.
For delicious carbohydrates and picture perfect, mouth-watering tarts look no further than Le Delice in Malvern. They sell authentic French bread and beautiful patisserie made onsite by the French owner. You can ring up in the morning and they will kindly reserve products for you. Or why not try the 100 year old family run Colston Bakery which has 4 stores in Malvern and 1 in Upton upon Severn. The Pudding Shop in Upton upon Severn is the place to go for homemade savoury and sweet puddings. They have so many different flavours and even a special selection for customers with gluten and wheat intolerances. You will certainly be able to find your perfect Christmas Pudding: they offer traditional, gluten and wheat free, alcohol free and a luxury range which have been fed with a choice of liqueurs. They also offer free local delivery.
The Malverns is awash with wonderful farm shops which include family run Clives Fruit Farm near Upton upon Severn and Roots of Rushwick which sells high quality organic produce straight from their farm so you can follow the flavour of the seasons. They also have an online shop for your convenience. Natural Choice is another family run business and the only greengrocer in the area. They specialise in locally grown produce and excellent customer service, delivering delicious, healthy fruit and veg boxes to your doorstep. A healthy alternative to the usual High Street shops is Greenlink in Great Malvern. It was the first organic food shop in Worcestershire and their second shop in Malvern is helping the planet by providing zero-waste re-fill wholefoods. The wonderfully named The Smiling Goat is a lovely deli in Tenbury Wells and offers a range of edible products for locals and visitors who want an alternative to supermarket shopping.
There are many small local breweries, cider and perry makers and vineyards in the local three counties and Malvern Cellar in Great Malvern specialises in supporting these small independent producers who are honest about their ingredients and transparent about their methods of production. They sell drinks sourced from local ingredients and made with artisan attention to detail which can’t be matched on an industrial scale. If you want to go straight to the source Astley Vineyard in the Severn Valley is one of the oldest vineyards in the UK and prides itself on crafting the best wine. You can buy wine in their shop at the vineyard or online and they offer free local delivery.
We all know how important it is to shop local and support independent establishments, even more so now with the pandemic. We often get a much better service from independent shops and they introduce us to alternative products, local produce and unusual gifts. Independent shops help keep our high streets looking interesting and different from every other town or city and help keep so many local people in jobs and ultimately help the local communities. There are many independent shops across The Malverns and they would be greatly missed if they disappeared, so please try to ‘Support Our Local Shops’.