The Hook family are passionate about their milk, and cows that produce it. They hate the way the food industry has turned milk in to a commodity and ruined the end product. As such they sell their milk RAW and direct and are the first to offer national delivery.

The story of raw milk may sum up the food industry. The Food standards agency say it is dangerous, whilst many others, like the Hook family and including some scientist, say it is the only milk to drink.

Raw milk is fresh from the cow, cooled and has a shelf life of about a week. All of the milk in the shops is pasteurised and or homogenised and lasts for about 3 weeks.

Raw milk is said to cure many allergies, including eczema, and can be made in to cheese or yoghurt as it sours naturally. Other milk last for 3 weeks and if not consumed, turns putrid.

Pasteurising means heating the milk to kill any bugs and homogenised means passing the milk through tiny holes at pressure to emulsify the fat in to tiny bubbles. This means the fat stays in the liquid and does not separate as the cream rising to the top.

Pasteurisation ALSO; destroys enzymes, denatures anti-microbial and immune stimulating components, diminishes nutrient availability, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B6 and B12, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth and behavior problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis and heart disease. www.realmilk.com

So why is raw milk banned in Scotland and only available in this country direct from the farmer? A dairy farmer is not even allowed to sell his raw milk to a local farm shop!

This a classic UK ‘food industry’ fix for the milk industry. Ignore the positive effects of raw milk and enforce pasteurisation.

This means that small dairy farmers cannot poison anyone, increase shelf life of all milk to allow a longer supply chain and make milk a commodity to reduce price, and stop people making their own cheese and yoghurt.

All very interesting, to find your local dairy try the BigBarn map and ask if you can buy raw milk direct from them. Or ask your local farm shop about installing a vending machine owned by the dairy farmer. Or buy now from Hook & Son in the MarketPlace.

Artisan producer Sympathy Teas have joined BigBarn and offer our discerning readers a special introductory discount on their FORLIFE range of teapots and fabulous fine teas, many using local ingredients.

This decade has seen the growing popularity of many types of tea. Not to just drink at breakfast and 4pm but all kinds of flavours and potions with medicinal qualities.

Many of my friends have 5 or 6 types of teas for all occasions and seem very proud to offer some new fancy infusion.

According to Wikipedia; Herbal teas can be made with fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds or roots, generally by pouring boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a few minutes. Seeds and roots can also be boiled on a stove. The tisane is then strained, sweetened if so desired, and served. Many companies produce herbal tea bags for such infusions.

Sympathy Teas have a huge range of naturally made teas with ingredients sourced locally wherever possible. The teas have no added flavours like many ‘off the shelf’ and are carefully mixed and blended for purpose. From blends for ‘Love Infusion’ to ‘Metabolism boost’ to ‘beddibyes’.

If you would like to be the first to get great new teas from Sympathy Tea and have a say in how some of the flavours and blends develop you can join their Tasting Club.

To get a special introductory discount with Sympathy Teas click to see their MarketPlace Shop and use discount code ‘ST3′ to get £5 off a £20 spend.

Or click to find other tea producers in MarketPlace tea producers or see if there are any deals in or Deal of the Day page, and don’t be afraid to phone first and get a recommendation.

What a great and versatile meat even for this time of the year. Cold roast beef salad or steaks and burgers for the BBQ.

Beef is a prime example of the difference between buying a quality local product and a mediocre supermarket commodity.

The trouble is, Beef is complicated, breed, time and type of hanging/maturing, age, different cuts, butchery method, type of feed, are all factors influencing taste and tenderness. And why so many people often opt for the wrong cut and pay far too much.

A great example is my cousin who bought the finest ‘fillet’ of beef from a supermarket only to throw most of it away because it was so tough. A piece of well-hung ‘topside’ would probably have been half the price and twice as good. Likewise the ‘chopped shin’ of a well-hung rare breed animal could be better and cheaper for stewing, than the more expensive ‘best stewing steak’ from the supermarket.

The great news is you don’t have to go to college or even buy a book, simply ask. Go and see your local butcher or better still, local beef farmer, and ask, how long the beef has been hung, what they recommend as well as how to cook it.

You can get great “minute’ steaks seam butchered from fore quarters at half the price of a usual sirloin or rump and make your own burgers from lean mince that has been well hung.

It is in the butcher’s and farmer’s interest to look after you, as they want you to buy again and tell your friends where you got the great meat.

So all you have to do is use our map to find your local beef, or for a delivery check our MarketPlace for beef or see if there are any deals in or Deal of the Day page, and don’t be afraid to phone first and get a recommendation. And for inspiration try our recipes.