Malham - Town End Farmshop

One of the highlights of last year was a lovely walking holiday in Malham, in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park. The icing on the cake was discovering Town End Farmshop, which is on the road to Malham, just outside Airton.

Inside the shop there's a butchery, where they sell their own farm meat and charcuterie

including their own Yorkshire Chorizo and salami!

The shop is packed with all manner of foods, made from small and independent producers, many whom are very local.

Fifth-generation butcher, farmer (and star of ITV’s The Dales programme) Chris Wildman took over Town End Farm Shop and Tea Room four years ago.

I've already met Chris, who farms just up the road at Church End Farm in Kirkby Malham.  He's passionate about what he does, and fine butchery is in his blood - as these old bags (from his father's shop) show:

In the shops it's not just great local food, there are books from local authors:

I love the old signs in the shop - like this one promoting English Cheese:

which (sadly) I can remember.  The English cheese industry has moved on great guns from those days, and this shop stocks great local cheeses - like Bedale from the Swaledale Cheese Company, Ribblesdale Goats Cheese (the other creamery in Wensleydale), Swaledale Farmhouse Cheese, and Dale End Cheddar from Botton Creamery

There's plenty of nice drinks to buy, including Hetton Pale Ale, made by the Dark Horse Brewery - just 5 miles away in Hetton.

I was surprised how many gins they stocked, from God's own country (Yorkshire):

Upstairs there's an attractive shop selling gifts

including local crafts:

There is a lovely tea room, selling proper home made food - with home-made dishes like plumb crumble slice and hot drinks:

If it's nice weather you can sit outside and enjoy wonderful views looking towards Malham, which is just 2 miles away.

This is one shop I'd definitely make a significant detour to visit - but as it's in such a nice part of the world, I'm sure you won't mind...

Town End Farm Shop  
Airton
Skipton
BD23 4BE

Tel: 01729 830902

Web: www.townendfarmshop.co.uk