Lower Hardres Farm Shop is a few short miles south of Canterbury.

We met John there, he's one of the partners in the business, along with his mother-in-law. He repeated what we have heard many times during the short time we have been producing this web site, that small businesses like their farm shop give a fair price to the farmer and still manage to sell much of what they provide at lower prices than you'd see in the supermarket. Not only that, but the money spent with them remains in the local area rather than being totted up electronically and transferred into shareholders' bank accounts.

John spoke passionately about supporting local businesses. He mentioned that the last pub in the village had closed - it wasn't supported until too late, whereupon there was an outcry at its closure. We all have to do our bit - there is no use crying over spilt milk.

John and the other local businessmen help each other out, lending a van, or tools, doing odd jobs that they are skilled at which their friend may not be able to do for themselves. No money changes hands, it all evens out in the end. Can you imagine the reply on asking your local supermarket if you could borrow one of their vans and a driver for the evening?

The shop stocks its own berries, including blackberries, gooseberries and raspberries along with its own home grown leeks. In addition, they support local producers, selling items such as Mead Farm Cakes from Stelling Minnis, Kent honey and "Core" fruit juices - drinks minus the E numbers, colouring and preservatives found in mass produced varieties.

We saw 25 kg bags of Kentish potatoes at prices you'd be daft to miss out on, boxes of Kentish apples and other locally grown vegetables (which make up around 90% of the total). You can't (yet) grow oranges and other exotic fruits locally of course, but where they can do so, they source locally.

They were selling locally cut logs for the fire, a sustainable source and avoiding the use of fossil fuels, plus Kent made bird boxes supplied by Quartet Enterprises in Thanet. There were other items in the shop that are not locally produced, but that is unavoidable nowadays, too many small cottage industries have disappeared and it's sometimes necessary to find what you need elsewhere. Perhaps if you're a local cottage industry, you could get in touch with people like John, to see if those products they have to source from elsewhere can be provided locally.

We spent around 45 minutes in the shop, late on a Saturday afternoon, whilst people were popping in for various items, John asking after their well being, each by name. We bought a brace of pheasant - locally produced of course - before we left.

If you're from Canterbury or the surrounding area, pop in to the shop, there are items there you might not find elsewhere, fruit and vegetables at very fair prices and which have given the farmer a fair price too. You'll help John and other local businessmen out - after all they spend money in your local area, which helps you out too.

lower hardres farm shop