Derbyshire is one of the richest food counties in England, and most people barely scratch the surface. The Peak District alone is home to some of the country's finest cheesemakers, including Hartington Creamery, the world's smallest Stilton producer, handmaking cheese since the 1870s. Add to that a craft drinks scene that rivals anywhere in the UK, with Thornbridge, Buxton Brewery, and a growing cluster of gin distilleries putting Derbyshire on the map for spirits as well as ales.
Then there's the heritage. Bakewell Pudding has been made here since the 1800s, with competing bakeries still arguing over who holds the original recipe. The Ashbourne Gingerbread Shop operates from a building dating to 1492, making gingerbread from a recipe originating during the Napoleonic wars. Owlgreave Farm has been producing traditional Derbyshire oatcakes on the same Peak District farm since 1949.
Beyond the famous names, Derbyshire is home to organic beef farms on the Staffordshire border, family butchers rearing their own livestock and processing on site, beekeepers managing hives across the heather moorland, rapeseed oil pressed from crops grown on Peak District farms, and chocolatiers handmaking truffles and bars in workshops across the county.
These producers are often harder to find than they should be. Many sell from farm gates, village shops, or farmers' markets rather than through any online presence. Enter your postcode and we'll show you every independent food and drink producer within 20 miles of your door.
