Take a short drive out of Faringdon on the A420 and follow the signs for Little Coxwell and you will find a farm shop with a difference. Gorse Farm Goodies, run by husband-and-wife team Matt and Martina Eyre-Brook, provides a truly delicious farm shop shopping experience and is worth visiting, particularly in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Gorse Farm is a third-generation family farm; Matt was born and bred in Little Coxwell and growing up on the farm, he went on to study agriculture at Wye College before joining the British Army. Following his Army career and having met Martina, who had worked as a veterinary surgeon in her native Germany, the couple returned to live at Gorse Farm to enjoy the quieter country life and raise their two sons, George, and Felix.
Essentially Gorse Farm’s main focus is its herd ‘The Oxford Reds’ beef cattle. Feeding on the rich leys with its mix of herbs, legumes, and grasses, provides the cattle with the perfect place to live a happy healthy life. “We have dedicated our lives to ensuring that our cows are super happy and in the best possible health,” says Martina. “Happy cattle make regenerative farming so much more enjoyable, which is reflected in the delicious, nutritious, sustainable beautifully marbled, Himalayan salt dry aged Prime Beef that we sell in our farm shop.”
The cute little farm shop with its twinkly fairy lights and wildflowers growing in the carpark has grown in size since Matt and Martina created their first ‘wardrobe’ farm stall in March 2020 during the Covid lockdown. “We used an old wardrobe turning it into an egg-selling shed located by the roadside where our two boys could offer chicken and quails eggs from the farm to anyone who wanted to buy them. Customers loved the eggs, so we added honey for sale. Almost two years later, in February 2022, as Storm Eunice was raging, we realised that our beloved wardrobe was not strong enough to stand up against the winter storm. So, we built a strong wooden shed for the eggs and honey and later upgraded this with a small 14-litre fresh milk dispenser.”
Little did Martina realise that the milk dispenser would become so popular, and she was constantly running back and forth along the farm track to refill it. With great positive feedback from their local customers, the couple looked into getting a proper automated milk vending machine, capable of holding 100-litres of milk and which could also make milkshakes. As shed ‘two’ was too small to accommodate the new equipment, once again Gorse Farm Goodies farm shop was upgraded to provide additional space. The large new shed/shop enabled Matt and Martina to stock a treasure trove of goodies either from their own farm or carefully sourced from other local farms to ensure that people can “Shop local! Shop British!”
With more space available, there is a chilled vending machine from which you can purchase ‘The Oxford Reds’ beef and their own pork sausages, bacon, and pork chops from their rare breed pigs. Fresh chicken and duck eggs from the farm are also available. There is a range of dairy products supplied by local dairies (including Jersey ice-cream, Guernsey milk, butter, and natural yoghurts), along with the delicious milkshakes using milk from the Berkeley Farm Dairy. Milk can be purchased in 500ml or 1 litre milk bottles.
For honey lovers, there is delicious seasonal raw honey on offer. You can also buy honey-based soaps and pure beeswax candles, made with the support of other local businesses.
If you go along on a Sunday morning, if time in her busy schedule permits, look out for Martina’s freshly baked sourdough baguettes and homemade cookies.
There is a picnic area outside the shop where customers are welcome to enjoy their goodies whilst taking in the fabulous view. If you have time, there are some wonderful circular walks through the farm if you have an hour to spare.
Gorse Farm Goodies is open seven days a week from 8am until 8pm but relies on the honesty of their customers.
For further information please visit grosefarmgoodies.co.uk or search Gorse Farm Goodies on Facebook/Instagram. Martina can be contacted by email at gorsefarmgoodes@gmail.com
