Hello.

I'm Stegzy Gnomepants. You might remember me from such websites as Haunted Inns of Great Britain and Badgerfish (nee Mazcom).

In the spring of 2002 my wife (then fiancé) and I were out exploring Merseyside when we discovered a farmshop. I had lived close to the area of Halewood for most of my life and was surprised to see a sign directing us to the Yew Tree Farm shop. Being short of provisions we thought we would pop in and have a look.

That was the start. My understanding of the dire state of the British High Street broadened as the mystery behind the decline was finally resolved. I realised that supermarkets were killing off our towns and villages as smaller producers and suppliers could not compete with the vast megalithic buying powers of the supermarkets and were forced to close. I had only ever been familiar with prepackaged meats and foods made either in far off cities or countries that I had never heard of. I recalled how, when as a youngster, I would accompany my grandmother on shopping trips to the variety of grocery shops in Speke, Liverpool and also my mother to the equally varietous shops in Woolton Village, Liverpool: The greengrocer for fruit and veg; the butcher for meat; the fishmonger for fish. By the time I had realised their decline it was nearly too late and the majority of these businesses had closed their doors.

Since then I have endeavored to only shop at farm shops, farmers markets or co-operatives. I am now fortunate to live in a small village on the outskirts of Barnsley and Hemsworth South Yorkshire and I am able to reach a healthy selection of farm shops and farmers markets in the area. Therein I have tried all manner of food and drink from the local area. From the finest apples to the tastiest yams (I don't like zuccini). So now, in an effort to promote the industrious suppliers and producers of some of the tastiest foods in England I have created this site.

Muckybadger is here to review and promote all things local and independant. You wont find major brands manufactured by faceless people in faceless factories here. Instead you will find links and reviews to some of the finest foods available. I hope you enjoy trying them too and if you like something made local be it food, cosmetics or something else. Please join up and share your experiences good or bad and let us praise (or indeed admonish) those that work hard to produce quality foods.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 May 2007 )

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