Take It Slow in Aylsham
Aylsham, says Sarah Hardy, is a place for foodies to enjoy life in the slow lane
Aylsham, half way between Norwich and the coast, is perfectly situated to be a popular and thriving market town and, to be honest, it is.
It seems to have managed to dodge the twin assaults of being just a commuter town for Norwich or a second home enclave. Rather, it retains its own character, has good facilities and a very pleasant feel to it, with an old fashioned sense of community.
It’s actually one of just three ‘cittaslow’ towns in Britain – the other two being in Wales, Mold and Llangollen. Italian for slow city, it’s a movement which emerged in the 1990s, encouraging people to embrace a more mindful, less frenetic pace of life. As part of that, priorities are caring for the environment, promoting a healthy lifestyle and celebrating the character of the local area and its producers and businesses.
The town also has a Slow Food group, which furthers campaigns for a better way to eat by celebrating the rich food traditions of the area. Pat Prekopp, chair of both Cittaslow Aylsham and Slow Food Aylsham, says a cornerstone of both groups is the town’s annual food festival, held in the autumn. ‘It takes place on the first weekend in October and includes a gala dinner held with the high school, a Sunday brunch and a farmers’ market.
‘It’s a great way of bringing people together, and especially helps to educate school children about what they eat.’
Stroll around Aylsham and it’s easy to see its appeal, especially for foodies. There’s a busy Market Place, with attractive Georgian buildings, where a flourishing market takes place every Monday and Friday and a farmers’ market on the first Saturday of each month.
There is a first class selection of independent food shops, plus cafes, pubs, tearooms and one of the newest additions is M’s, a fish deli and cocktail bar. Run by Emma Payne, M’s has just opened in part of the former ironmongers, Clarkes, a Grade II listed building which was bought and beautifully renovated by farmer Tim Briscoe in 2018.
Emma explains: ‘It was too good an opportunity to miss and something I have wanted to do for a while. It’s been going really, really well – I couldn’t be more pleased!’
Also in the building is artisan bakery and cafe, Bread Source, who have a real following for their speciality breads. A third business, a pizza restaurant, is also expected to open soon. Above these shops is a boutique B&B business, Ironmongers, which has eight stylish bedrooms. All individually named and decorated, the rooms are very luxurious, with Tim saying: ‘It’s something different for Aylsham – we don’t offer food or drink, rather we want people to pop out and enjoy all the local businesses – whether it’s a morning coffee or a fine dining evening meal.’
Another addition to the town is Hodson and Co Cheese Room With Deli which opened in 2020. Chef Charlie Hodson has an amazing cheese counter, offering up to 60 different cheeses, especially local ones, plus chutneys, charcuterie, coffee, biscuits, cereals, sausage rolls, oils and more – with much of the produce locally sourced. His pop- up evening restaurant, held in the deli twice a week, has tables for two or four, and is another great addition for foodies.
Aylsham is lucky enough to have two great butchers; Coxford’s is run by Johnny Payne and Jason Gibbons and always boasts a really excellent counter display, while GF White’s dates back to 1855.
There’s a tempting chocolate shop, Carousel Chocolates, where local and Belgian chocolate is on sale – look out for the handmade Norfolk truffles which are a real treat – and a family-run greengrocers, S&M Brett, who grow many of their own vegetables on their land between Cawston and Aylsham.
Eating out options are also extensive. Pride of place on the Market Place is The Black Boys, a busy pub with a great reputation for food. Portions are on the hearty side, and meat comes from nearby Swannington Farm to Fork. Biddy’s Kitchen, which also has a branch in Norwich, is a quirky spot for lunch or one of their splendid afternoon teas where you can choose from a range of 50 loose-leaf teas. In a higgedly piggedly building, next to the parish church, it is full of atmosphere and exceedingly yummy cakes – do try the chocolate orange bread and butter pudding. No more needs to be said!
There’s also the Old Tea Rooms, where a Norfolk cream tea is on offer, The Conservatory is another alternative, where breakfasts are said to be excellent, and Flour and Bean, where you can grab a chunky Cornish pasty to go!
Just on the town’s outskirts are two garden centres, Aylsham Garden Centre, and Woodgate Nursery, which both have excellent cafes where people can enjoy a refreshment stop as they browse for garden goodies.
So, it’s easy to see that Aylsham has a great range of first class independent shops – there are also great fashion stores, a lovely florist, a design store, and more, plus a smattering of High Street names.
It shows you can shop locally, buying produce either grown or made in the area and thus support businesses where you live, helping to keep cash in the area and ensure jobs are retained, too.
It’s also a lovely way to shop – the way our grandparents did. Moving from one shop to the next, filling our shopping baskets with fresh, seasonal food, produced by people with passion.
It’s slower, it’s simpler and surely a better way of living.
Don’t miss The Big Norfolk Sausage Bash in the town on May 22 which celebrates this family favourite – plus live music. Find the event on Facebook and Instagram.