Summary (by AI): I was delighted to discover Hecks Farm Shop, a charming and historic cider shop that felt like a step back in time.
Blog: I recently decided to change the "E" category from "Events" to "Emporium." This new category will cover anything to do with shopping or the commercial side of things—shops, barns, and the like. I’d only ever recorded one event anyway. The trouble with events is that they are so time-specific. I don't mind going to them, but if I do end up at one, I think I’ll just wedge it into the "Tradition" category instead.
Anyway, I was wandering around a bit, looking for a place to buy some mead, when I stumbled across the Hecks Farm Shop. The moment I saw it, I thought, yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I hoped the Emporium process would throw up.
It is a stunning example of an old brewery shop selling cider. You walk in, and it is honestly hard to describe in words—hopefully the pictures do it some justice. It has these old wooden cider casks and beams hanging down. It looks like something right out of Arkwright’s time, or maybe even earlier than that. It was genuinely amazing, and I was so pleased to find it.
While I was in there, I managed to buy some of the local scrumpy made with the Kingston Black apple - the daddy of cider apples (apparently), and also a bottle of their local mead (see “drink”). It's a fabulous place, and I’m so glad I went. I’d highly recommend anyone pay it a visit, if only to step back in time. It is a total time capsule. In my mind, it's the sort of place that almost needs a preservation order placed on it so they never change a thing—not that they look likely to anyway.
The Map: