Mint Newcastle

There’s nothing quite like an impromptu Sunday excursion to the Northumbrian countryside, so I jumped at the chance to join my partner and his daughter, Lucy, on a trip to Bays Leap Farm’s Organic food shop.

I knew that Lucy regularly visited the farm shop, located near the small village of Heddon on the Wall, to get her supply of raw milk products, free range eggs and organic beef, but I wasn’t sure what else would be on offer. I guess I was envisaging tables loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables, rustic loaves and bottled juices. So I was a bit surprised to see that it was just a room containing a handful of vending machines dispensing beef and dairy produce.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised at the produce on offer, given that it was a dairy farm; and the vending machines made sense if it enabled the farmers to get on with the job of tending the cows. It also makes the produce accessible from 10am to 7pm daily. But I confess I was a bit disappointed not to see a rosy cheeked farmer’s wife in wellies behind stacks of fresh produce straight from the ground.

In fairness, given that I’m currently trying to avoid cow’s dairy and eggs due to allergies I wasn’t exactly their ideal customer. Even the array of ice creams or the opportunity to make my own milkshake couldn’t tempt me. But I didn’t come away empty-handed, as I did find buy some delicious chilli jam and some ‘live’ fermented produce including sauerkraut and kimchi. At £5 a 315g jar for essentially some pickled cabbage I thought that was a bit pricey, but it did have good credentials and the attractive jars are reusable. And I did manage to pick out some of the few items that weren’t actually produced on the farm.

In comparison the organic beef produce seemed very good value considering it comes from grass-fed cows. When I spotted a couple of ribeye steaks without either of those attributes in Marks and Spencers the next day for an eye-watering £35 I was certainly regretting not having purchased any.

Having since read about the benefits of raw milk products (which is essentially unprocessed, untreated milk straight from the cow), I’m also kicking myself for not having given that a try. Apparently it not only has much more nutritional value than pasteurised milk, but studies have shown that children who drink it are 50% less likely to suffer from allergies and 41% less likely to develop asthma. So maybe I am their ideal customer after all….

My hesitancy came not just from my suspected intolerance to cow’s milk but also a slight fear that maybe the produce may not be as safe as conventional milk. But, having researched the topic, I now understand that it’s not a question of whether raw milk, which is only possible if the cows are grass fed, is safe; it’s more a case of conventional milk from grain-fed cows not being safe until it’s treated.

Given the choice it appears that cows would much rather feed on grass than grain, so it seems that by interfering with their diet we’re also forced to also interfere with their milk in order to make it safe for us to consume. So it seems that nature, and cows, know what is best for them!

Now that I’ve educated myself I’ll be back to the farm. Apparently they’re in the process of building a bigger farm shop, so maybe I’ll soon be able to get my earthy spuds from there after all. But I’m really intrigued to try some grass fed produce – not only for the health benefits but because Lucy informs me it tastes delicious.

Before heading home we stopped to say hello to some cows in a nearby barn, presumably there for their daily milking. They did look very happy I must say, though I’m told this is nothing compared to their unbridled joy upon being released back into the nearby meadows.

It made me sad that such a small proportion of British cows are as fortunate as these ladies. Though I did take solace in reading that Kerrygold butter comes from grass-fed cows in Ireland. So if I do go back to cow’s dairy that will be my number two choice.

But first I intend to take a leap of faith and re-visit Bays Leap farm. Because, who knows, maybe the thing I’ve been deliberately avoiding is actually the thing that can help cure me! And besides, I will just feel better if I’m consuming the product of happy animals. In fact, being kind in my shopping choices could be just the tonic I need. Especially if it involves a trip to the countryside to see some contented cows chewing the cud. That’s all part of the therapy!