Surrey Hills ‘Field to Fork’ Royal Visit

Published on: 28 Sep, 2020
Updated on: 30 Sep, 2020

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, has visited Surrey Hills producers and retailers to experience first hand their “field to fork” collaboration.

She followed a path from Provenance Cuts at Coverwood Farm, Peaslake, to Surrey Hills Butchers and Squires’ food hall in Frensham.

The Countess of Wessex unveils a plaque at Coverwood Farm.

The countess’s visit was hosted by Surrey Hills Enterprises. It said the tour highlighted the importance of local food production, the challenges and opportunities facing farmers and food producers due to Covid-19 and the opportunities to meet the growing interest in supporting and buying locally and sustainably.

The importance and popularity of locally produced food and “field to fork” tracing has never been higher, according to Surrey Hills Enterprises, “ticking all the boxes of sustainability, reduced carbon footprint, high quality local collaboration and exceptional taste”.

The Countess of Wessex visiting Coverwood Farm.

The royal visit began at Coverwood Farm where she met the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Bill Biddell, and farmer Tim Metson, his family and staff who produce pasture-fed beef.

Mr Metson spoke about the key challenges and opportunities faced by farmers as a result of the Covid-19 crisis and other issues facing farmers, including pasture fed meat production.

The Countess of Wessex at Coverwood Farm.

The countess officially opened the farm’s new Provenance Cuts building, purpose-built to process and butcher locally farmed, sustainable meat.

Refreshments were served from the farm’s ‘airstream’ van, The Fillet and Bean, that has been used to support villages with food and drink during lockdown.

The countess continued her “field to fork” visit to the food hall at Squire’s garden centre in Frensham, where she was introduced to the executive director of Surrey Hills Enterprises, Wendy Varcoe, who explained the collaboration between Surrey Hills members awarded the trade mark Surrey Hills, a mark of local provenance, quality and sustainability.

She met Squires chairman Sarah Squires, and managing director Martin Breddy, who provided a tour around the food hall showcasing local produce and meeting staff who had worked throughout the lockdown to provide food for the local community.

The Countess of Wessex meeting the staff at Surrey Hills Butchers.

She also met Simon Taylor of Surrey Hills Butchers and captain of Team GB for butchery and specialising in high quality, ethical and locally sourced pasture fed meat.

Mr Taylor spoke about the importance of collaboration with local farms such as Coverwood Farm and the need to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable and ethically sourced food.