This Friday is International Women's Day so I thought I'd just highlight that nearly all our 15+ businesses at White House Farm are run and nurtured by women. They have all built their businesses with us, have their skin in the game and really feel the pulse of the local economy. 💪
@knowles_studios for example have been with us many years, they are run by four sisters and a mega Mum. They capture the hearts of little girls, dancing their way to the stage every Saturday morning. 🩰
To clarify, when you spend with us, you are not only supporting independent businesses, women entrepreneurs but also empowering change.
Did you know that almost 1 in 5 UK companies are led by women? That's over 880,000 businesses. Thank you @hollytucker for highlighting the potential of women-led enterprises.
And as I read last week on my little trip to London. Margaret Thatcher once said,
"If you want something said ask a man, but you want something done, ask a woman" 👠
Thank you 🙏 @rebecca_strickson_illustration
Thank you Chris Hill and his team at @edp24 for covering this milestone for White House Farm, Norwich - a huge community effort.
- Today was a slightly surreal day as I attended a Community Food and Farming Champions Reception at 10 Downing Street by the kind invitation of @chloe_smith_mp
Both the Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries welcomed a whole host of guests from around the country within farming related professions. They pledged their support for all those in the farming community, the custodians of farmland, recognising the many adversities facing the rural economy. Farming is at the heart of what we do, it's our roots, our history and integral to our story. Without farmers, we have no food and as we all found out during the pandemic, food is a big deal!
The farm shop has forged strong bonds with a huge number of producers across Norfolk and it is a joy to welcome their produce each week to our shelves. As ever, we champion the community, the site's 150+ employees on the site and 15 businesses. It's testament to the fact that small acorns can become oaks. It all started from selling a few strawberries ten years ago. 🍓
Energy in a nation is like sap in a tree; it rises from the bottom up; it does not come from the top down.” (Woodrow Wilson 1912).
#familyfarming #independentbusinesses #community
As always, I thank all the faces of White House Farm, the farmer, our employees, customers, business owners and suppliers. It's a rich tapestry that makes a community, the community I represented today. Thank you all. 🙏
🐈 (In all honesty, the highlight for me was meeting the famous Downing Street cat, Larry. He took one look at the party and disappeared into a side room. If only I could have followed and heard his secrets!) 
Calling all butchers to @whfnorwich
We need someone 3 days a week to help Stevie Wonder. Can anyone help? DM [email protected]
#lovelocal #familyfarming #butchery #independentbusinesses #fullenglish
Red Velvet ❤️ cake taking centre stage today. Thank you to our wonderful baking team, it's quite a job keeping up with demand. We love your innovation and creativity that gives us something new each week. 🙏
We are also loving all the new customers this half term, especially the ones that heard us on the 'wireless' @bbcsounds talking stolen cups last Wednesday! 📻
Thank you for coming to see what all the fuss was about.
@kayleighpoacher- If you missed it live, listen again here as we talk stolen coffee cups! 11.30am after the Beach Boys! 🤣
We really do know our pottery is lovely, we've had it since we started out on this cafe quest in 2013 (because the farmer's wife is a jolly kinda person.) We even sell it in the farmshop, but we have noticed it slowly disappears from our café which is a touch disheartening. 👀
Where I ask myself; why would anyone want a dirty coffee cup in their hand bag?! Plus our team really loves washing up and when we are busy and we are out of cups....it can get a tad stressful! So even if you're tempted, please pretty please leave our pottery for someone else to enjoy! It's quite a challenge running a cafe without crockery. And we really don't want to be like everyone else and have boring white mugs with no personality! 🎨
✨ On the plus side, thank you so much to all the ardent Grammers out there who photograph and post gorgeous photos of your coffee/cake/food in the café. We never tire of these images and I'm sure they convince other people to come and try out coffee on the farm!
Please, keep them coming.
🎨 Remember if you're the arty tarty type, you can pop nextdoor to @dotty_pottery and paint your own cups, saucers and all sorts. It's wonderful.
#independentbusiness
#challenges
#farmshop
#cafe
#awardwinning
#sensationalbakes
Last chance to see our brilliant video on the BIG screen Cinema City Norwich
Showing in every film until Thursday! #community #tribe #familyfarming #cafelife #visitnorwich #lovelocal
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to the legendary Derek Spanton, a wonderful man who transcended Norfolk farming with his incredible knowledge of heavy horses and farming history.
Known for his breeding and love of Shire horses which he learnt from his uncle. He devoted hours to showing his horses all over the country, notably every year for 70 years at the @aylshamshow in Blickling. He recalled showing the horses on the Monday on show day and back farming them in Worstead on the Tuesday.
This year he took part in a pageant that showcased 70 years of farming from the horse and plough to towering present day machinery. It seemed a fitting finale for Derek. He leaves behind his beloved Herbie, aged 27 photographed here. RIP to a true farming hero. 🌱🐴🚜
For the good will you need at this wonderful team of year, let yourselves be cheered by the thought of @whitehousefarmprimary the farm's local school singing to our customers at the farm! How beautifully they sang, lifting the roof off with their gorgeous voices. We are so delighted to share our farm with young and old. It is community spirit at its best. ✨⛄
🎄Thank you to everyone involved, to Deputy Head Mrs Land for suggesting it and for all the teachers and parents that made this joyous event happen. Please do make it an annual event. 🙏
To all our lovely customers, peace be with you, wishing you a very Happy Christmas when it comes. 🕊️
Final count down, last week until Christmas. For all the festive cheer you need, head to White House Farm, Norwich #holidayseason #familyfarming #community #dogfriendly #visitnorwich #tribe #cafelife #lovelocal
Thank you to all those customers and stalls that attended today's market and for the hard working team behind the scenes that make us tick. You made the farm gleam today! 🙏 Cakes were looking fabulous, the cafe very festive and there was a feeling of good will amounts all!
#cafe #farmshop #butchery #familyfarming
Meeting so many lovely folks at today's Christmas Market, on until 3pm. #dogfriendly #visitnorwich #familyfarming #holidayseason #christmasevents #community #cafe
Ho ho ho.. it's our Christmas Market today until, come and join the fun!
We are also serving Full English breakfasts ALL DAY! #familyfarming #holidayseason #butcherynorwich #visitnorwich #christmasevents #community #cafe #dogfriendly
INGREDIENTS
90 g harissa paste
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 butternut squash
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE FETA SALSA
15 g fresh parsley
15 g fresh mint
100 g feta cheese and 150g yoghurt
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
juice & zest of 1 lemon
TO SERVE
sprinkle of pomegranate seeds
sprinkle of flaked almonds toasted
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 180°c fan/200°c/gas 6.
Combine the harissa paste, honey, extra virgin olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then let the mix bubble away and reduce for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the skin from both the butternut squash, then use a sharp knife to cut them in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Place the squash on a chopping board, cut side down, and place a chopstick on either side. Carefully make a cut every half a centimetre, so that the knife hits the wood and doesn’t cut through the squash completely.
Place the hasselbacked squash onto a baking tray and pour over the harissa mixture. Use your hands or a pastry brush to coat all sides of each squash (including underneath), trying to get the glaze in between the cuts. Finish each squash with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, then roast in the oven for 1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes, basting the squash with any liquid in the bottom of the tray halfway through, until soft and slightly charred.
Meanwhile, you can make the feta salsa. I used my @nutribullet to blitz the parsley, mint, lemon juice and zest, yogurt and feta cheese. Then spread this on a nice flat serving plate to place the warm but not piping squash on top.
Once the squash is ready, serve topped with toasted flaked almonds and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
Recent reviews
- “Went here to today and had a lovely time. We had a lovely lunch, jacket potatoes filled with tuna with scrummy hot chocolates followed by the most yummy lemon drizzle cake.” Sarah L.
- “Considering it was busy the service was excellent . We had a lovely browse around the shops.
Will definitely be returning.”Lily P.
- “Great butcher, fantastic meat, great coffee and cakes!” Jim B.
- “A Hidden Gem, I love this place as it has so much to offer, a lovely coffee shop with a real fire, a butchers with great local meats. The BBQ chicken kebabs are great. There are new businesses outside, Hairdressers, Florists, Nursery (children's) - lots on offer.” Brian G.
- “Lived in Sprowston for 20 years but this was my first visit to White House Farm. Wish we'd gone sooner. Lovely farm shop with great produce. We bought a couple of egg and bacon baps and ate them outside in the sunshine with two very nice coffees. Friendly and prompt service. Recommended.” Jonathan G.
- “The sausage rolls are amazing! Can't leave without one.”Sarah
- “Great place - a wonderful family run this place and are always very welcoming. Coffee, cakes, and GREAT butchers.”Nathan
- “Lovely family run cafe and shop, staff are very friendly and even though they were extremely busy, they still provided excellent service! We had a fabulous lunch with delicious soup and amazing cakes!”Beth
- “Wonderful place! Pleasure to drink coffee here”Aldona
- “Amazing place! The staff are so friendly, the sausage rolls are awesome and the chocolate cake was to die for. Coffee was fab too.”Vanessa
- “Lovely little shop and a very warm welcome. Wish we had more places like this back home.”Becca
- “Went here to today had a lovely time. We had a lovely lunch, jacket potatoes filled with tuna with scrummy hot chocolates followed by the most yummy lemon drizzle cake. Considering it was busy the service was excellent . We had a lovely browse around the shops. Will definitely be returning.”Sarah
- “Love the sausages and meat. Always fresh and tastes so much better than from anywhere else.”Carol
- “Visited today for the farmers market, first visit in a while, and very impressed with all the new additions here. Well worth a visit, keep up the good work.”Gary
- “What a wonderful place! I wish I had visited sooner. Delicious lunch and some fantastic local produce on sale in the shop. Very friendly staff. Will definitely be back!”Leyla
- “A really good work force. Good customer service, and most of all the food is good too.”Mike
- “This is our third year buying our Halloween pumpkins from White House Farm. The children love it and we love picking up a little extra in the Farm Shop. The White House Farm apple juice is divine.”Amy
- “Great cafe and fantastic farm shop. And the bonus of lovely little shops in the new converted barns”Darren
- “You wouldn't believe the city is nearby... Lovely... ”Ctibor
- “Simply a lovely place. PYO Paradise! Friendly and very professional family enterprise. Superb food: even the sausage rolls are in a class of their own! Well worth a visit.”David
