Creake Abbey is a thoroughly charming venue and a popular destination for foodies and those of us who simply enjoy a good shop!
It’s set just a few miles from the bustling hot spot of Burnham Market, nestling in gentle farmland with the River Burn running through it. Pride of place belong to the remains of an 12th century Augustine abbey which are as evocative as they sound, and the adjoining Grade 1 listed house where Diana and her family, husband Anthony and their three children, Arthur, aged 17, Freddie, aged 15, and Aurelia, aged 13, live.
It’s easy to see what attracted Diana and her husband to the site set in 240 acres, almost 20 years ago, in 2003. ‘It was a working farm but had had very little investment,’ she says. ‘I knew I would have to make some sort of business out of it to simply get the cash to get the leaky roof repaired!’
First Diana renovated some of the old farm buildings and invited a selection of artists to have their studios in them, and open them to the public. In time, the units were let by businesses and they now include a florist, hairdresser, lifestyle store, vintage fashion shop, gallery and more, all carefully selected to offer something a little bit different but with high standards guaranteed.
A monthly farmers’ market began in 2005, with Diana explaining: ‘We started with nine producers including Candi’s Chutney and Ethnic Fusion – and Sarah Pettegree and her pork pies.
‘Food has always been central to my life, I grew up in the Suffolk countryside and I love to cook, and my daughter now loves to cook, too. We grow lots of our own fruit and veg, and some of it is used here, in the Cafe.’
The markets were immediately successful, with Diana really putting an emphasis on local, top quality producers who use local ingredients for their goodies.
Now they have up to 64 artisan producers present, selling a wide range of tasty treats, and there is a waiting list of 50, which is really impressive. They have been joined by gift fairs and a gardeners’ fair, all attracting those vital visitors to the site.
The aforementioned Cafe soon followed and in 2011 Diana took the decision to create a new, larger food hall with a cafe, in an old boat-building shed at the site. She kept many of the original features – a pair of old wooden doors are very impressive – and there’s an industrial feel to it, with high ceilings, big windows and exposed gantry equipment.
The idea, she explains, was simple: to both stock and use the great produce offered at the farmers’ markets. It has developed over the years, with Diana taking over the running of it in 2017. ‘It’s known for its deli counter,’ she says. ‘And it’s a food hall rather than a farm shop as we don’t produce goods here for it. It does mean that I have great fun deciding what we do want to stock!’
About a year ago, the Cafe attracted a new head chef, Abbi Saunt, and Diana can’t stop singing her praises. ‘She is the chef I have been waiting for! We have had some fantastic chefs here over the years but Abbi is definitely the sort of chef we have been looking for. Her dishes are so seasonal, light, and very colourful.’
Now based in Norwich, Abbi has worked all over the world so brings a sophisticated air to the menu where
you can expect to see honey, garlic and soy chicken skewers, a miso glazed salmon superfood salad or Belgian waffles for breakfast. The cake counter continues to groan!
Sunday roasts are very popular and the Cafe is fully licensed, with local beers, such as Moon Gazer Ales from nearby Hindringham on offer. A monthly ‘Round the World’ supper evening also takes place, with a different country selected each month, with The Middle East being the theme for one on September 24.
Alongside establishing the Food Hall and Cafe, Diana was one of the leading figures involved in the highly popular North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival which takes place every September at Holkham. She helped to promote the local producers, using knowledge acquired at her own farmers’ markets, and was always keen to help those starting out on their own journeys. ‘I was on the committee for 10 years, I think,’ she says.
Diana isn’t one for self congratulation or indeed for standing still. She is constantly looking at ways of promoting what is available at Creake Abbey and knows she has to move with the times. The Cafe, for example, serves more vegan and vegetarian dishes than ever before, and Diana is more than aware of the huge rises in the cost of living, not least the increase in fuel prices, which, for a rural destination, is critical. ‘Yes 2023 looks challenging – it is all about survival,’ she says, but if anyone is up for the fight, it’s Diana!
