For those into the finer things in life the Suffolk Food Hall is well worth making a special trip to buy all sorts of fine foods. The East of England has a fine range of speciality producers, many of which a represented in the range on sale. The produce is presented well, with details like the provenance and even in some cases the food miles it has travelled to get to the store.
The food hall has separate speciality sections for meat, fish, delicatessen, bread and cheese. The staff seem to really know their produce well, and can advise on the different cuts and how best to prepare some of the more unusual varieties. There are sometimes opportunities to sample some of the produce before you buy, which is a great way to discover new cheeses and meats.
As well as the specialist counters there is a wide range of fresh local and British-grown vegetables, local Aspall's cider and a large range of St Peter's beers form Bungay. From Norfolk there is a quite remarkable variety of marinades and specialist oils.
More Than Just Food - Food Related Events at the Suffolk Food Hall
The Suffolk Food Hall runs a number of tasting events and other events where the chefs show how to prepare seasonal produce as part of their Kitchen Club which is free to join. The events are usually on the first Wednesday in the month except for a break over summer.
Not Just Food at Suffolk Food Hall, Other Family-Friendly Attractions Too
The foodie can keep other members of the family entertained too - there is an enclosed children's play area with a large bouncy pillow, and for adult non-foodie members of a group there is Bourne's Garden Centre next door, and a café on the ground floor and Samford Restaurant on the mezzanine level with a view over the River Orwell Area of Natural Beauty.
The Suffolk Food Hall - a Gourmet's Paradise and a Great Start to a Good Suffolk Day Out
The Suffolk Food Hall is a gourmet paradise and everything is really beautifully presented. It won't necessarily be the cheapest source of some of the items, but having such a wide range of speciality foods under one roof is convenient and the service is very good.
The Suffolk Food Hall is only two miles out of Ipswich and is a good place to start a day out in the Suffolk Area of Natural Beauty of the southern Orwell shoreline. As the road wends its way past Friston to the old smuggler's haunt of Pin Mill, the attractive shoreline gives way to the mouth of the estuary which is often teeming with birds. The Shotley peninsula is great for walking and wildlife.
The Suffolk Food Hall opened in May 2007 to act as a local food hub in the Ipswich area. The building suffered a major fire early in the morning of the 27th January 2010 but didn't suffer too much damage due to the prompt action of the baker coming in to work and raising the alarm.
There is plenty of car parking on site, and toilets inside the building. Refreshments are available at the café and restaurant. There are picnic tables with a fine view over the Orwell, which is a great way to enjoy some of the produce in the open in summer.
More Information
Suffolk Food Hall website
Richard Mudhar - Originally from London, now enjoying a less hectic pace of life in Suffolk, Richard Mudhar is a keen wildlife sound recordist and ...
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