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THE FARM SHOP GUIDE: SUPPORT BRITISH FOOD AND FARMING

The Farm Shop Guide shown over The Times coverage

Support British Food with The Farm Shop Guide (as seen in The Times, Waitrose Weekend, and The Telegraph)

England, Scotland and Wales (and Ireland of course, but that’s a whole other book) have some incredible farm shops, artisan food producers, and farm shop cafés and restaurants. Printslinger’s new book, The Farm Shop Guide, will help you find them near you or when on your travels. To find local farm shops near you, plus farmers’ markets and foodie festivals, dip into our fresh new farm shop directory today. As Guy Singh-Watson, Riverford Organic Farm veg box pioneer, said, “Proper farm shops – ones that actually grow, rear, or make most of their own produce with love, attention to detail, and a genuine connection to the land – are a beautiful thing. This book will help you find them.”  

To make it easier for you to find and support local farms, farmers, food producers, and farm shops, The Farm Shop Guide features over 160 of them. It has organic farm shops, family-friendly farm events, seasonal farm experiences, and dog-friendly cafés on farms around the country. For farm-fresh produce from some of the country’s very best farm shops, get or gift a copy of The Farm Shop Guide today. It’s the ultimate book gift for the foodie in your life.

Highlights of The Farm Shop Guide

  • 165 farm shops and farm shop cafés and restaurants

  • Seasonal farm events including Easter, Halloween, Christmas, and seasonal activities

  • Info on pick-your-own (PYO) fruit, PYO vegetable and crops, PYO flowers, food festivals, and farmers markets

  • Icons to help trip-planners, i.e. dog friendly, family friendly, EV charging, parking, good vegetarian selection

  • Eight geographic sections, with striking maps and chapters on Scotland and Wales

  • 264 full-colour pages with beautiful photography and maps throughout

  • 15 farming and food-related charities featured: RSPB Fair to Nature, Nature Friendly Farming Network, Community Supported Agriculture, Pasture for Life, Buglife, Permaculture Association, the Biodynamic Association, Better Food Traders, OF&G Organic, the Soil Association, the Sustainable Food Trust, the Royal Countryside Fund, LEAF – Linking Environment and Farming, the Wildlife Trusts, and the Farm Retail Association.

  • A donation will be made to the Sustainable Food Trust for every book sold.

The Farm Shop Guide shown over The Times coverage

Support British farming and independent, local food businesses

At Printslinger books, we’re all about seeking out and celebrating smaller food businesses. The ones that go the extra mile for their staff, the owners who genuinely care about you as their customer, and the places that are there for you when the chips are down. Our three current guidebooks are The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services, The Coastal Café Guide, and The Farm Shop Guide. All have been Amazon #1 Bestsellers in 2024 (even The Extra Mile Edition 4, which came out in 2023).

It just goes to show that people love to support the local people, local businesses, and the local cafés and farm shops that our books bring to your attention. For farm-fresh produce, artisanal local food producers, and the best farm shops near you, support British food and farmers and get The Farm Shop Guide today. 

To buy all three books at the special bundled price of just £42 (currently better value than you’ll find them for on Amazon), visit our online bookshop today. 

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SURF, TURF, AND TARMAC: THE CAFÉ GUIDEBOOK TRIO WE ALL NEED

Three books on a table

The ultimate guidebook trio for foodies

If you’re getting ‘gift-giving anxiety’ about what to buy the discerning, book-loving foodie in your life, look no further than this unique foodie present. Our trio of foodie travel guides covers off-motorway cafés, farm shops, and cafés at the coast, with a total of around 600 memorable places top stop. This makes it the ideal gift for road-trip lovers seeking something different, or those seeking dog-friendly and family-friendly cafés and farm shops while on the road. Not only that, they’ll help you avoid motorway services and boring, big-brand food chains, helping you find, support, and enjoy Britain’s wealth of smaller, independent, local food and drinks businesses instead. 
 
Our three British travel guides for foodies are outlined below. Order today and in a few short days, you could be planning your next road trip avoiding the motorway services, sea-view seafood stop-off, or family-friendly farm-shop experience. Low-food-miles and more ethically minded eateries, here you come. And what’s even better? Buy the trio (which we’re dubbing ‘Surf, Turf, and Tarmac’) and you’ll get the three for cheaper even than Amazon – while supporting a small, independent publisher while you’re at it. Win, win, and thrice win! 
 

The Extra Mile Guide: an Amazon #1 travel bestseller in 2023 and 2024

The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services (4th edition.) is packed with independent cafés. It was one of 2023 and indeed 2024’s best-selling and ‘Most Gifted’ travel guides online, and it featured on BBC Breakfast TV, many BBC Radio channels, and elsewhere in print and online. It’s packed with over 275 delicious places to stop and eat just off junctions and near motorway and A-road junctions, to help you avoid motorway services and avoid chain food and find instead the best food stops on your British road trips. Use the foodie guidebook’s handy maps to find local farm shops near you, cosy cafés near motorway junctions, dog-friendly pubs or unusual places to eat just off junctions, while supporting the local, independent food businesses along your route. Covering areas just off motorway and main road junctions in mainland England, Scotland and Wales, it features:

  • Over 275 places to eat and drink with times, descriptions, images, contact details
  • 11 motorway-based maps to help you find places to eat just off motorways and junctions
  • Map showing cafés with EV chargers and restaurants with EV chargers

The Coastal Café Guide: a 2024 Amazon #1 Hot New Release 

The Coastal Café Guide is the ideal travel and café guide for anyone who loves food, loves the coast, and wants to find cafés on the coast, coffee at the beach, and seafood near the sea! An Amazon No #1 Hot New Release in July 2024, it’s also been featured in The Times Weekend, The Sun, and The Scotsman. It’s the perfect gift for beach lovers, coast-path walkers, surfers, paddle-boarders, seafood fans, water sports enthusiasts, holidaymakers, and those travelling with families and dogs. It’s perfect to help wild swimmers find a post-swim coffee by the sea, too. Inside The Coastal Café Guide, find:

  • 150 cafés, restaurants, beach bars, seafood cabins, and pubs at the coast
  • Dog-friendly and family-friendly places to eat at the coast, often with a sea view
  • 10 striking regional maps to help you find a café on the coast near you
  • Independent, smaller cafés and places to eat on the coast
  • Features on a dozen marine- and coast-relevant charities including (and with a donation per book to) Surfers Against Sewage
  • Places in England, Scotland and Wales (inc. Isles of Scilly, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Isle of Skye)

The Coastal Café Guide also features 12 coastal charities, including the RNLI, the Ramblers, The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), The Marine Stewardship Council (MCS), the Open Seas charity, The John Muir Trust, The Wave Project, the National Trust for Scotland, City to Sea, The Outdoor Swimming Society, and The South West Coast Path Organisation. Not only will you be supporting local food businesses and local communities, you’ll be helping raise the profile (and raising money) for some tireless UK-based charities. 

The Farm Shop Guide: as seen in The Times and Waitrose Weekend

This is the ideal food, travel, and farm shop and farm café guide and directory for anyone who loves fresh food, farm-to-fork experiences, and farm-focused events and activities. It became an Amazon #1 bestseller following some fab coverage in The Times Weekend, Waitrose Weekend, The Scotsman, Cotswold Life, and more. If you love farm-fresh food and local flavours and are keen to locate a farm shop, to shop seasonally and avoid flown-in food (while supporting Britain’s farmers and growers), this is the book for you. The Farm Shop Guide will help you find farm-fresh food and independent farm shops and cafés across Britain: perfect places for a weekly shop, an eat-out treat, or a family-friendly or dog-friendly day trip to a farm. In the book you’ll find:

  • First-rate farm shops, farm shop cafés, and farm restaurants
  • Farmers’ markets and food festivals
  • Dog-friendly and family-friendly places to stop, eat and shop
  • Farm shops with EV chargers for your vehicles
  • Farms and farm shops offering PYO (pick-your-own) fruit, veg, flowers, Christmas trees, and pumpkin places
  • Striking full-colour maps and full-page features per farm shop
  • Spotlights on food, farming, and environmental charities including: Pasture for Life, the Sustainable Food Trust, Buglife, RSPB Fair to Nature, the Permaculture Association, Community Supported Agriculture, and the Soil Association.
For local farm shops, farmers markets, this farm shop directory has all the information you need on Britain’s best farm shops, organic farm shops, artisan food shops, and family-friendly farm experiences. 
 

Buy the ultimate trio of foodie guidebooks today for just £42 

If it’s a foodie gift or foodie book you seek, our guidebooks really will put a smile on the most discerning food lover’s face…treat yourself and they’ll have the same effect.
 
The three guides (either alone or together) make great gifts for gourmets, and those who love to avoid motorway services and big-brand chain food because they prefer farm shops, fresh food, local food, or perhaps food with a view. Our foodie travel guides also make great artisan food gifts for chefs, cooks, and Masterchef fans, who like to go the extra mile themselves when it comes to eating out, entertaining, and cooking. 
 
Support local, smaller food growers, producers and businesses, and easily locate independent cafés and farm shops near you and at the coast, wherever you live and wherever you travel around Britain. 
 
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THE COASTAL CAFÉ GUIDE: THE IDEAL GIFT FOR SWIMMERS, SURFERS, AND FOODIE BEACH LOVERS

Image of three copies of The Coastal Café Guide

The Coastal Café Guide gathers a huge cross-section of the best coastal cafés in Britain into one brilliant guide. For cafés by the sea, beachside eateries, and restaurants with a sea view, look no further. Upon release this summer, it quickly became an Amazon #1 hot New Release, and then a travel category #1 bestseller. Need a present for the swimmer, surfer, or seafood lover in your life? Voilà!

Who’s the guide for? Packed with surf-friendly and post-swim ready cafés, it’s for anyone looking for a small, local, independent café on the coast. It’s for those who love to stop for a coffee after going wild-swimming at the beach, it’s got cafés that make great stop-offs for coast-path walkers, and it has restaurants offering sustainable seaside dining across the land. Check out a few of our favourite coastal cafés below.

To buy The Coastal Café Guide – it makes a great gift for wild-swimmers, a wonderful Christmas present for surfers, or the perfect gift for someone planning a coast-path walk – visit our online bookshop today for single and great-value book bundle deals.

The Boathouse, Uphill, North Somerset

Gemma and Giulio have revolutionised this nautical and very dog-friendly coastal café near Uphill’s marina, lake, and touring park. A summer hot-spot, it is a short stroll from the southern end of Weston-super-Mare beach so is perfect for those seeking a café near the sea in Weston. The colourful outdoor area has a beach-striped coffee and gelato hut. Here, tropical sorbets, riotously rich gelatos (all homemade on site) and seasonal specials create dilemmas for ice cream aficionados.

The Boathouse is favoured by those with families, dogs, and bikes, as it gives onto the Brean Down Way walking and cycling route. Yachties and rowers from the local gig club also swing by for epic cakes, posh fish finger sandwiches, big breakfasts, and…did we mention the local gelato? Pick up doggie treats before hitting the beach, or climb Uphill Beacon for views across to Glastonbury Tor or the hills of Wales. An ideal café near the coast in Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset. 

The Boathouse on Facebook

 

The Sandy Salt Pig, Studland, Swanage, Dorset

Looking for a café on the coast right next to the sea in Dorset? Look no further. This café is a coast-path walker’s dream. “Not many stories begin with the words “I worked locally as a shepherd for 14 years…” but this one does. The Salt Pig coastal café and kiosk is well loved locally. Its founder, James, worked the coastal fields near Kimmeridge Bay and now brings the region’s distinctive flavours to the fore through The Salt Pig’s farm shops, cafés, and now The Sandy Salt Pig beach cabin: a refreshing sight for coast-path weary eyes. It’s the perfect post-swim café or food stop for beach goers.

At The Salt Pig’s farm, rare-breed pork is reared with landscape, nature, and sustainability in mind. James’s goal is for locals to connect to their landscape, to understand the benefits of farming, and to be proud of local produce. Kick your shoes off at a beachfront bench to devour a homemade sausage roll or a pulled-beef burrito before strolling along Studland’s famed beach with a Purbeck ice cream. If you’ve walked the South West Coast Path or plan to, or seek a gift for someone who’s about to, The Coastal Café Guide is ideal.

The Salt Pig on Facebook

 

The Beach Café, Littlehampton, West Sussex

Super popular when the sun shines, The Beach Café also has one of West Sussex’s coolest watersports hubs. Vast sea views are included, both from inside the club house and up on the rooftop. Of course we had to include it in our book of epic post-surf cafés and for wild-swimmers seeking a café on the coast.

Whether you’ve come to eat or to kitesurf, swim, paddleboard, windsurf, or wingfoil (ask about lessons and kit hire), this friendly place with its surfy vibe has it all. This coastal café was created as a place to share tales of near-misses and heroic surf saves, all fuelled by great food and drink. It is now the beach hang-out for a community that is keen to enjoy all that the ocean offers. Once off the water, head inside for surfer wraps, vegan breakfasts, stone- baked pizzas, and succulent burgers. Visit the West Beach Nature Reserve or stroll along the river Arun while in town.

The Beach Café on Facebook

The Beach Cafe in Littlehampton

The Norfolk Coffee Pedlar, Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk

This is a water’s-edge coffee stop-off with a difference. Sustainable coffee aficionados will love the Norfolk Coffee Pedlar. Many people pivoted in their careers in the wake of Covid…far fewer converted a trike into a mobile coffee shop. Enter Sandy and Dave. Conscious of the environment (and their stunning creek-side location), they serve coffee in beautiful hand-thrown ceramics made by local artists with no disposable cups.

If you want to relax by the shore, or walk the coast path to the beach, you can borrow (or buy) a cup. Taking the boat out to Scolt Head Island? Ferryman John will even drop the cup back for you. Here, locally roasted coffee is served alongside hunks of home-baked cake: the ginger and orange is a firm favourite. Keep your eyes on the skies as, with the Pedlar’s exposed spot, wind and rain can stop play.

The Norfolk Coffee Pedlar on Facebook

The Lookout on the Pier, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

For something a little different in a town you think you might know, head to this fantastic coastal café with its sea view and harbour view tables. Scarborough’s Lookout on the Pier is an integral part of the town’s lively, Grade II-listed working harbour. Evocative boaty sights, sounds, and authentically fishy scents accompany your stroll to this seafood restaurant’s industrial staircase. Head up and into this atmospheric first- floor space, with its striking views across working wharfs and up to the ruins of once-mighty Scarborough Castle. Chef Alex’s house special is the chowder. In fact, ‘all seafood’ is where he excels.

Secure a popular balcony table in fine weather to get involved with plates of criminally fresh oysters or moules marinières, while lobster dishes parade temptingly around on route to eager tables. The seafood platters are show-stopping. This really is an excellent seafood, seaside, sea-view dining experience. End your day with a trip to the Museum of Coastal Heritage and Geology. 

The Lookout on the Pier on Facebook

The Beach House, Portobello, Edinburgh

Where to eat on the coast in Scotland? We’ve got a few great coastal cafés in Scotland in our guide, and this beachside eatery is a favourite. In its lifetime, Edinburgh’s Portobello area has made everything from glass and lead to paper and pottery. Today, its prom and award-winning beach attracts a different energy, with events from the Big Beach Busk to triathlon and volleyball meets. Near Portobello’s Sailing and Kayaking Club is The Beach House, a pretty little café with cakes and pastries arriving fresh each day from its own bakery in Leith.

The café prides itself on buying local and organic. Tables have fresh posies and the kitchen garden brims with herbs and fruits. Some end up in the best-selling Porty Smash: Portobello mushrooms, smashed avo, thyme and garlic aioli, balsamic glaze, and pine nuts (topped with an organic poached egg). Try a homemade gelato or summery sorbet, or boost your vitamin C with some local sea buckthorn.

The Beach House on Facebook

Visit our online bookshop now to discover more about The Coastal Café Guide and its 150 coastal cafés, restaurants by the sea, pubs with sea views, and dog- and family-friendly places to eat at the seaside around the coast of Britain. Bestselling foodie travel guide, The Coastal Café Guide, is available now from Printslinger. Also available as at 2024: The Farm Shop Guide, and The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services. Buy the three-book bundle for serious savings on this tempting trio.

Cover images of The Coastal Café Guide, The Farm Shop Guide, The Extra Mile
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PYO PUMPKINS: 10 OF THE BEST PICK-YOUR-OWN PUMPKIN PATCHES 2024

As autumn arrives, the leaves begin to change, and the night of the spirits and ghouls approaches, there’s no better – or more Instagrammable – way to embrace the season than by visiting a pumpkin patch. From selecting the perfect pumpkin to enjoying crisp autumnal air and enjoying a steaming spiced latte, pumpkin patches offer a delightful experience for families and friends alike.

Here, we’ve collected some of our UK favourites from the newly published Farm Shop Guide, so you can explore some of the best pumpkin patches, right on the farm. And while you’re there, you can fill your basket with a whole selection of harvest-time produce. So grab your wellies and cosy jumper and get ready for a day in the field!

As always, please remember to check websites/socials for booking details and availability before travelling.

1. Maxey’s Farm Shop, Nottinghamshire

Maxey’s P…P…Pick Up A Pumpkin event is one of Nottinghamshire’s best loved pumpkin picking experiences. Visitors can roam through rows of vibrant pumpkins, selecting the perfect ones for carving or cooking. The picturesque setting is ideal for family outings, with ample photo opportunities among the colourful gourds.

Furry friends will have to stay home for this one – they’re not allowed on the farm.

2. Cammas Hall Farm, Hertfordshire

A positive extravaganza of all things pumpkin. This Halloween season, Cammas Hall Farm offers an exciting array of activities, including spooky tunnels, interactive Halloween characters, and the show-stopping giant erupting Pumpcano! Visitors can enjoy seasonal snacks in the patch while exploring a stunning selection of 50 varieties of pumpkins and squash.

On select days, the farm will also feature Tractor Trailer Rides, adding to the festive experience. For those seeking a thrill, Cammas Resurrected invites everyone to brave the patch after dark, where they can navigate the eerie tunnels filled with surprises. Parents should note that the Terror Tunnel will include scare actors at night, making it suitable for guests aged 12 and up. It’s a spooktacular night not to be missed!

3. Manor Farm Catthorpe, Leicestershire

The pumpkin patch is welcoming visitors every day from 10 am to 4 pm until October 31st! With free entry — guests only pay for their pumpkins — there’s no need to book in advance. Families can enjoy a day out with minimal mud, thanks to the hard-standing paths, and have the chance to meet friendly animals and capture memorable photos.

On Saturday 26th October, visitors are invited to showcase their creativity by entering the colouring competition! Completed sheets should be submitted by 2 pm for a chance to win exciting prizes. Sheets are available in the shop. Additionally, a fancy dress competition will take place, so come dressed in your scariest or cutest outfits.

4. Over Farm, Gloucestershire

If you prefer your pumpkins after dark, Over Farm is the place for you. As the sun sets and the stars emerge, the pumpkin patch transforms into a spooktacular adventure, perfect for daring pumpkin hunters of all ages. Pull on your wellies and venture into the patch under the moonlight to capture fabulous snaps among the pumpkincredible displays, or hop a ride on the tractor trailer for a hauntingly hilarious journey around the farm.

After exploring the patch, grab a drink at the bar, toast some marshmallows, and prepare for some sensational fire dancing that will set the mood alight, just in time for a live music set in the roundhouse. With a variety of delicious dishes from carefully selected independent food traders, there’s something for everyone.

In response to last year’s muddy spots, the farm has worked hard to create improved paths in the car park and leading to the pumpkin patch to keep things as dry as possible. However, wellies are aways advised.

5. Kenyon Hall Farm, Cheshire (SOLD OUT – CHECK FOR LAST MINUTE TICKETS)

Discover the ultimate pumpkin picking experience! This autumn, ticket holders can look forward to a fantastic time at the expansive pumpkin patch, featuring thousands of pumpkins grown this year. Whether seasoned pumpkin pickers or first-timers, visitors will find something for everyone to enjoy. There are photo opportunities galore among the unique displays of varied pumpkins and squashes (and family photo shoots available) to create lasting memories.

Tickets are priced at just £2.95 for both adults and children, while infants under 18 months can enter for free. It’s important to note that tickets do not include a pumpkin, allowing guests the freedom to choose their favourites directly from the patch.

6. Drewton’s, Yorkshire

A pumpkin-picking adventure. Spend a day outdoors foraging for the perfect pumpkin in a four-acre field filled with home-grown pumpkins in various sizes and colours. Visitors can choose their ideal pumpkin and then unleash their creativity in the designated pumpkin carving area. The Pumpkin Shack will be serving delicious refreshments and snacks, including the farm’s famous pumpkin soup. For those wanting a sit-down meal, the restaurant is open for brunch, lunch, or afternoon tea, but reservations are recommended to avoid disappointment. In addition to exploring the pumpkin patch, there’s a foraging field where guests can wander and discover hidden treasures. For those who enjoy walking, the estate offers lovely trails through rolling Yorkshire hills, providing a perfect backdrop for wildlife spotting and enjoying the beauty of nature.

Guests are also welcome to bring dogs (on leads and with poo bags handy), making it a fun outing for the whole family. With plenty of great photo opportunities, including backdrops and cut-out boards, you can capture memorable moments throughout the day.

7. Farrington’s, Somerset

Join the fun at Farrington’s annual Pumpkin Picking Festival! Wellies at the ready, grab a wheelbarrow and immerse yourself in a true pumpkin picking experience, with all pumpkins grown right on the farm. From classic orange ‘Cinderella’ pumpkins to unique white ‘ghost’ pumpkins and knobbly ‘knucklehead’ pumpkins, there’s something for everyone. In addition to the pumpkin patch, Farrington’s offers plenty of other activities to enjoy during the visit. Whinny the Witch of Farrington Gurney will be in the Witches Wood, where guests can toast marshmallows in her cauldron for just £2 per stick—just watch out for any spells she might cast! The big carving marquee will also be open, allowing guests to carve their pumpkins into spooky faces while leaving the mess behind.

Make sure you buy your ticket in advance.

8. Forage Farm Shop, Glamorgan

The highly anticipated Forage pumpkin picking experience is back and ready for everyone to enjoy this autumn! With over 25 types of pumpkins planted—including green, orange, white, blue, and even warty varieties—there’s something for everyone. Visitors can expect to find unique pumpkins such as Polar Bear, Wicked, Crown Prince, Lemonade, Baby Boo, Specter, Big Max, and Cauldron, among others.

Families can take aim and splat the villain with the exciting pumpkin catapult, or unleash their children’s imaginations with a variety of fun games, pony rides and face painting. The tractor rides are not to be missed, as guests will hunt for the witches’ belongings along the way. Photography enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunities to capture the magic of the day, with perfect picture backdrops scattered throughout the farm. From the enchanting pumpkin carriage to the giant spinning pumpkin, there are countless spots for memorable snapshots.

For thrill-seekers and spooky enthusiasts, the after-dark pumpkin picking experience offers an eerie yet exciting twist to the festivities.

9. Algy’s, Norfolk

he beloved Pumpkin Patch will welcome visitors from October 1st to October 31st, 2024, making it the perfect destination for those looking to pick their ideal pumpkin.

No Booking Required—Just Show Up! Guests don’t need to book in advance; they can simply come along and explore the patch, which features a fantastic selection of pumpkins ranging from weeny to extra large. Whether you’re searching for the perfect pumpkin for carving, decorating, or cooking, there’s something for everyone.

This year, the Pumpkin Patch will also offer a variety of delicious food options to make the experience even more special. Attendees can indulge in freshly made pizza, pulled pork, hog roast, hot dogs, and bacon rolls — ideal for refuelling after a fun day of pumpkin picking. It’s dog friendly too: well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome to join in the festivities.

10. Westerton Farmers, Kincardineshire

As Halloween approaches, families are invited to get outdoors and hand-pick the perfect pumpkin at Westerton Farm. This beloved autumn event is back for its sixth year, running daily from October 11th to October 31st. In addition to selecting their ideal pumpkins, families can take on the bale maze and conquer the impressive bale mountain, or run off some steam with the usual range of inflatables and activities inside the barn, no matter what the weather. Join in the Autumnal Festivities.


Pst. It looks like you like your veggies fresh from the field. So do we! Check out our Farm Shop Guide for a run-down of some of the UK’s finest independent, nature-friendly growers and farmers. Click below to buy a copy (it makes a great Christmas gift).

Farm Shop Guide cover
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TOP GIFTS FOR MOTORISTS

image of The Motorway Card Game (c) Bubblegum Stuff

1. A 'coffee by post' gift subscription

Need to buy a gift for a driver or a present for a motorist? Our top tips will provide all the inspiration you need.

Now, our first suggestion isn’t the most obvious gift for a motorist but it will surely become their instant favourite. Many local roasters (such as Unorthodox Roasters in Kinross, if you’re local to them) provide brilliant ‘coffee grounds by post’ packages. Buy a three, six or 12-month subscription to keep your favourite driver alert when on the road. Join The Extra Mile’s mailing list between 11th and 18th December 2023, to be in with a chance to win a 12-month subscription from Unorthodox Roasters, worth £126.

Explore coffee subscriptions here.

2. Make them a modern-day mix-tape

This is my personal favourite: take advantage of tech to make the driver in your life a modern-day mix-tape. It’s the perfect present for a motorist as they can simply pop it into their USB port to hear your lovingly compiled tunes while driving to see you. Alternatively, make one for them to play on the way home to hasten their journey back to you. 

Explore and customise your options on Etsy.

Image of a modern, USM mix-tape

3. Buy The Extra Mile near-motorway café guide

C’mon, of course we were going to recommend our best-selling, ‘most gifted’, indie café-packed guidebook in this list! To be honest, I’m surprised we managed to wait until No. 3. The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services truly is the perfect gift for drivers and motorists who prefer independent cafés and like to find fresh local food when on the move. For those who (inexplicably) love motorway services and know them too well, read on: you’re going to love No. 5. 

Support local! Buy The Extra Mile from our online shop. 

Ele holding The Extra Mile book

4. An audiobook subscription

If you haven’t heard of audiobook provider, Audible, we honestly don’t know which soundproof rock you’ve been living under these last years (other audiobook subscription services are available). But what a great gift for a motorist. It’s an easy way to help them while away those long, tedious road-trip hours by listening to their favourite authors, plus if you’ve missed the last post, this can all be sent digitally. Check out the differences between service providers below. There’s even a free audiobook service called Librivox whose strap-line is: acoustical liberation of books in the public domain. Sounds brilliant: here’s to acoustical liberation!

Get your geek on and compare services at TechRadar.

Image of the word audio to suggest audio book

5. The Motorway Services Game

Now, though we might avoid motorway services like the plague (apart from the fantastic, local food focused ones like Gloucester and Tebay, of course), we do love this game. Dubbed ‘The “Pit Stop or S*** Stop” Card Stealing Game’, it really is a great gift for motorists who find themselves on the road a lot. Buy them The Extra Mile first, then pop this one in their stocking or glovebox as a little something extra, too.

Buy The Motorway Services Game.

 
image of The Motorway Card Game (c) Bubblegum Stuff

6. FM Transmitters (for drivers with older cars)

I’m not sure I’ve ever driven a car younger than myself, so ‘in-car tech’ is never a strong point when it comes to my vehicles. If you need a present for a driver with an older car, consider one of these handy little FM transmitter gadgets. Plugged into the lighter socket, it will allow you to broadcast your phone’s audio out via the radio. No idea how: some higher magic is at work. The perfect gift for drivers who are tired of flipping through radio stations to stay interested: choose your own noise.

Read more and buy your FM Transmitter here.

Image of bluetooth transmitter

7. The AA's emergency car kit

This is a genuinely useful gift for drivers who mightn’t be as prepared as they could be. Find everything inside from a folding snow shovel and torch to a hi-vis vest, booster cables and a rain poncho. The perfect present for a new driver, or those driving in remote areas or bad weather (image is indicative, check your chosen version for specific contents).

Dip inside the AA’s emergency car kit: be ready for anything.

Inside the AA's emergency car kit

8. Travel activity packs for drivers with children

Journeys can seem oh-so-much longer for drivers when there are kids in the back to entertain, too. Browse around or create your own in-car travel activity pack, with anything from stickers and colouring to card games, quiz books and more. Some pre-made examples exist from organisations like Friends of the Earth and the excellently named ‘Keep’em Quiet’ company. Browse their age-banded activity packs which make a great gift for drivers heading off on car holidays ‘en famille’.

Explore the range by Keep’em Quiet.  

9. A cup-holder-ready reusable coffee cup

There are many fantastic reusable coffee cups on the market but we love this one (as does The Independent, which has awarded Circular Cup Co. its Best Buy for three years on the trot). Drivers need coffee, and perking up, and gifts. So, for the motorist in your life, this is an excellent choice.

Circular Cup Co. A great gift choice for the driver in your life. 

Circular Coffee Co cups

Gifts for motorists: any great ones we've missed?

Here at The Extra Mile, we always love to hear from you, whether it’s with ideas for new farm shops and cafés to go in our guides, or suggestions to add to our ‘listicles’ like this. Do email me if you have any ideas to brighten, enrich or further caffeinate our lives here at Printslinger Publishing HQ. Bye for now; happy holidays and we hope that this list of great gift ideas for drivers and motorists has struck a few road-trip related chords. 

Email Kerry today.

Buy The Extra Mile. 

Coffee competition: runs 11-18 Dec 2023

Graphic of coffee offer, valid 11-18 Dec 2023

Visit this post for info on our Christmas 2023 coffee competition. Simply sign up to our mailing list between 11 Dec and 18 Dec 2023 to be in with a chance to win this fabulous prize from Scotland’s inimitable Unorthodox Roasters, of Kinross. 

Visit Unorthodox Roasters here. 

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WIN COFFEE GROUNDS FOR A YEAR

Unorthodox Roasters, Kinross, image of barrista

Win coffee: delivered to your door for a year!

Would you like to wake up and smell the coffee not once, not twice but monthly for a whole year? Join Printslinger’s mailing list from 11th – 18th December 2023 for your chance to win one pouch of coffee grounds per month for a whole year (Jan-Dec 2024) from Scotland’s inimitable Unorthodox Roasters. This is an excellent treat-to-self or we can provide a lovely virtual voucher so you can give this as a gift this Christmas. How to win friends and caffeinate people…

To enter, join our coffee-fuelled newsletter community here. Find out more about Unorthodox Roasters of Kinross (and this offer’s Ts and Cs), below.  

Subscribe to enter

Unorthodox Roasters in The Extra Mile​

Unorthodox Roasters joined The Extra Mile for our new 2023 edition. One of their founders and chief roasters, Chris, is so happy with being in our guidebook that he’s made an over-the-top-generous offer to supply one of you with free coffee for a year. This is excellent news and we’re going to pretend that we don’t work here so that we can enter ourselves: sssh, don’t tell him.

Interior of Unorthodox Roasters

This is what our 2023 café guide ,The Extra Mile (an online ‘Bestseller’ and ‘Most Gifted’ in its category) has to say about Unorthodox Roasters. 

Everything about Unorthodox Roasters is just that: unorthodox. Their beans are roasted and named with humour; each chat with the friendly baristas spirals off in an entertaining direction; and their flavours are punchy and bold.

Chris and Neil started roasting beans at home while saving up to launch their first place. Their Kinross roastery and café is fun, with bronze and bare bulbs against blue and white walls. You’ll be greeted by a V60 brew bar and manual espresso machine: every stage of the process has gravitas here (though it’s all served without pretension and with a smile). Grab and go or settle in for brunch or some home-baking with your expertly crafted drink.

Their best-selling beans are the single origin Wee Stoater, with notes of chocolate, hazelnut and caramel. Other treats include beetroot hot choc; experimental lattes (‘Chai Harder’), and an ethical tea range. Browse the coffee-lovers’ kits and take some pouches of beans to enjoy at home.

If you like who we feature and how we phrase things, why not check the guide out for yourself? It makes a great gift for anyone who drives a lot and likes to eat well. You can buy it at many of the venues featured in the book (such as Unorthodox Roasters if you’re passing) or you can order direct from us here. Get in quick if it’s meant as a gift for 2024. 

Like Unorthodox Roasters on Facebook here. 
Follow Unorthodox Roasters on Instagram.
Buy their Single Origin coffee for delivery.                 

Draw Terms and Conditions

  • One entry per person.
  • One name will be chosen at random from those who sign up to join our Mailing List between 11th and 18th December 2023 to win this prize. 
  • First name, last name and a correct email address must be included in order to be entered into the draw. 
  • The winner will be contacted via email on 19th Dec. Two attempts at contact will be made within 14 days. If no response with the further information required is received by the original winner within 14 days of the second attempt, we reserve the right to redraw and to contact another person, drawn at random, to receive this coffee subscription. The original winner will forfeit their right to this prize and no alternative prize will be available or offered. 
  • The winner will allow for the prize, or the first instalment thereof, to be delivered by end January 2024.
  • The winner must provide Printslinger Ltd. with their full name and postal address, to be passed on to Unorthodox Roasters, for them to correctly deliver the coffee.
  • Unorthodox Roasters will supply the coffee(s) of their choice which will depend on availability and other factors. 
  • Unorthodox Roasters reserve the right to deliver the total weight of coffee in larger packages (i.e. 500g+) if agreed with the winner, to reduce packaging. 
  • This competition is only open to mainland UK-based entrants. 
  • The prize, of 12 x 250g coffee pouches (or the equivalent weight in different weight pouches), includes free delivery to one mainland UK address. A postal surcharge may apply to some Highlands, Islands and other non-standard UK addresses. 
  • The winner’s first name, last name and town/ city of residence, for example Kerry O’Neill from Bristol, may be used across our online and offline channels to publicise the competition once finished.
  • Further opportunities for the winner to participate in Social Media promotion following their win may be offered; participation is totally optional. 
  • This competition is being run by Printslinger Ltd., with a prize provided by Unorthodox Roasters.
  • With any questions, please contact The Extra Mile via email
  • Printslinger Ltd accepts no liability for any damage, loss, injury, or disappointment suffered by any entrants as a result of participating in the competition or being selected for a prize.
  • You agree that any personal information that you provide when entering the competition will be used by Printslinger Ltd for the purposes of administering the competition and for the other purposes as specified in our Privacy Policy.
  • Printslinger Ltd reserves the right, at any time and without prior notice, to cancel the competition or amend these terms and conditions.

Buy The Extra Mile guide today

Visit The Extra Mile Guide’s online shop to buy your own edition of the guide today (or buy a few to give away – it makes a great gift for your foodie friends). 

The Extra Mile edition 4 cover
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WIN TICKETS TO THE THREE COUNTIES FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

Three Counties Blog Header Image

The Three Counties Food and Drink Festival

The Three Counties Food and Drink Festival is the most exciting culinary event to hit Malven in…as long as we can remember. Packed with first-rate local and artisanal food products to sample, award-winning chef demos to watch and fantastic stalls to browse, this event has us clearing our diaries for Sat 29 and Sun 30 July in anticipation. 

Win two free one-day tickets to the show (worth £24)

As readers and lovers of The Extra Mile, we know that you love to eat locally. You like sampling freshly-made flavours and talking to producers who really care about where their ingredients come from. At the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, this is exactly what you can expect. To give you a little helping hand on your way to the show – freeing up a few pounds to spend on the excellent foodies wares once you get in – we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away. Simply visit our Facebook or Instagram pages and Like the relevant Three Counties food and Drink Festival post, tagging in a friend, to be in with a chance to win. We’ll announce the winners on 24 July, to give you a handful of days to get organised.

What's on at the Festival

Cookery demo at the Three Counties Food and Drink Festival

There is an embarrassment of activities to enjoy, including demos, tastings, cocktail-making, family-friendly workshops and more.  There’s a Celebrity Chef Cookery Theatre, with guests including Rosemary Shrager, John Whaite, Matt Pritchard, Chris Bavin,  Matt Tebbutt, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Masterchef finalist, Pookie. 

Celebrity Chef Cookery Theatre

To find out more, visit The Three Counties Food and Drink Festival, and set your Sat Nav for WR13 6NW now (opens Google Maps).  To be in with your chance to win two free tickets, head over to our Social channels and Like and tag in a friend now. Good luck!  

Image of a wine tasting at the Three Counties Food and Drink Festival

The Festival line-up for foodies!

Visit the Three Counties Food and Drink Festival’s website here. Find them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Here’s their full What’s On timetable. And if you can’t wait for the competition winner to be announced – get your tickets online in advance. Have a great show everyone! 

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PLACES TO EAT ON THE WAY TO GLASTONBURY

Glastonbury Festival's pyramid stage

Road tripping to Glastonbury? Looking for somewhere to stop for food on your way to the mighty Glasto? If you’re in need of proper, good food ahead of a weekend of hedonistic indulgence, we’ve got you covered. These fabulous local businesses are mere minutes from some of the main road routes to the great tented music city.

Driving to Glastonbury from the north: Hartley Farm Shop

Hartley Farm Shop

For those wending their way south of the M4 on the way to Pilton, it’s worth planning a stop at Hartley Farm Shop near Bradford-on-Avon. You can line stomachs with proper farm house breakfasts or wood-fired pizzas (depending on the time of day) and grab some car snacks for the onward journey. We’ll never stop going on about sausage rolls as a supreme car snack, and theirs are excellent. A first-rate place to stop to eat en route to Glastonbury. 

Heading to Glasto off the M5: Honey and Ginger

If you’re driving the fast M5 route to Glastonbury, it’s a short swoosh off the carriageway to find Honey and Ginger. As the Extra Mile is Bristol-based, you’re in our stomping ground so we’re regulars at this fabulous shop and café. Grab yourself a frothy coffee and pastry to tide you over the rest of your journey, and if you’re a late arrival to the festival and passing on a Friday, don’t miss the doughnut specials.

Driving to Glasto from the east: Teals Farm Shop, Somerset

Driving to Glasto from London or the east? The A303 takes you most of the way from London to the Glastonbury festival site. The most direct Google maps route will take you off a little earlier to cut through Warminster, but stay on the main road a bit longer and you’ll avoid some traffic AND get to stop at the marvellous Teals Farm Shop. You can stock up on camping supplies in the cavernous food hall, have a hearty plate in the café, or cool down with a gelato ice cream.

Teals of Somerset signage

Driving west to Glastonbury: Longstock Park Farm Shop

If you’re driving from the east to Glasto on the A303 and want to find somewhere good and local to eat on your way, a 10-minute detour can have you at the door of Longstock Park Farm Shop. Estate-harvested ingredients are whipped into  delicious brunches and lunches and the cakes are second-to-none. Grab a bench in the orchard to peruse the set listings over an iced coffee before you reach festival bedlam. This is actually the farm shop of Waitrose and Partners (not a lot of people know that) so the quality is predictably high.

 

Longstock Park Farm Shop, Waitrose's Leckford Farm

Driving to Glastonbury from Wales: visit Haughmond Village Store

Driving down to the festival of festivals from North Wales? Split the journey at Haughmond Village Store, Café and Bakery. As the name suggests, it’s an all-rounder. Pep yourself up with a coffee while you charge your electric car, tuck into a homemade pasty, or stash some sandwiches and supplies for later in the journey.

Haughmond Village Stores and bakery from above

Driving from Wales to Glastonbury: Forage Farm Shop

Those making the pilgrimage to Glastonbury from South Wales would do well to stop at Forage Farm Shop. A celebration of Welsh food and flavours, the kitchen serves up tantalising and hearty meals (even late into the evening on summer weekends), so you can enjoy a proper feed before letting loose on the dance floors. The farm shop shelves are stocked with seasonal, natural products too, so it’s a good place to stock up the cool box.

Driving to Glasto from the South West: Sheppy's Cider Farm

Get into the Glastonbury spirit by pausing your journey at a Somerset cider farm. Sheppy’s is a well-established family cider business that has successfully branched out (pardon the pun) into hospitality. Non-drivers could sup a refreshing glass of the good stuff, while everyone will enjoy the sizzling sausages and tasty plates in the café. Stash some deli goods in your bags for some decadent festival treats later in the weekend. A classic West Country stop on your way to the West Country’s best-known event. 

Food stop near Pilton: take me to The Bridge

Just half an hour away from Pilton, you’re probably at the fringe of the festival traffic here, so if the queues are getting too much pull into The Bridge Bakery and Canteen for a tasty brunch, cooling sorbet milkshake, or moreish cookies. Enjoy a moment of rest on the banks of the River Parrett before embarking on the final furlong of your Glastonbury journey. A great place to stop to eat on your way to Glastonbury 

The Bridge Bakery and Canteen

Buy The Extra Mile Guide: find better places to eat

Enjoy finding places to eat near you and near motorway junctions that are more interesting than boring big brands? Buy The Extra Mile Guide, out now and currently an Amazon No. 1 Bestseller (as at April – June 2023). It’s packed with almost 300 better places to eat where you can find local food and flavours produced, picked or made by local people, to help support the UK’s small food businesses. 

Coming next from The Extra Mile team: The Coastal Café Guide

In 2024, Printslinger Publishing (the team behind The Extra Mile) will bring out a new guidebook to the best cafés and places to eat around the UK’s coastlines. Visit our new website here and follow us on FB and Insta to keep up to date with Coastal Cafés. Got a great suggestion for somewhere that would be great in this new coastal café guidebook? Email us today. Happy Glastonbury, all!

Man with Coast book
Woman with coast book
Coastal Cafe woman with dog at tent at festival
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WHERE TO EAT NEAR ME IN SCOTLAND

Loch Leven staff with fresh veg

You’re enjoying a road-trip around glorious Scotland when the hunger kicks in. You ask yourself, “Where to eat near me?”, “Is there a great farm shop near me?” Perhaps you want a cosy local café for some tasty specialities, or a dog-friendly café near you. The Extra Mile guide is full of fab places to stop for food whether you’re eating in, taking-out or compiling the picnic to end all picnics from fresh local produce. 

With The Extra Mile guide (buy yours here), you can find dog-friendly cafés, farm shops with EV chargers, and family-friendly places to stop near you. Take a look at some Scottish highlights, below, from our bestselling guidebook. We’ve teamed up with the award-winning Loch Leven’s Larder, to offer a fantastic picnic hamper for two to one lucky winner, in celebration of National Picnic Week 2023 (see below). 

Delicious picnic hamper from Loch Leven's Larder

No#1: Loch Leven's Larder in Kinross

Pictured above,  Loch Leven’s Larder is very near to Junction 8 of the M90. It’s an award-winning farm shop, café, food hall, bakery, deli, gift shop and more, with high-quality local food, whatever-the-weather walks, quirky corners, a wonderful canopy café and more. 

To help The Extra Mile celebrate National Picnic Week in 2023 (June 17- June 25), they are offering our readers and followers the chance to win a Scottish Picnic Hamper in our June competition – visit The Extra Mile on Facebook for more details and to enter (runs until end June). 

Women with dog overlooking Loch Leven in Scotland

#2 Charleton Fruit Farm and Farm Shop in Montrose

If you’re looking for some fruity PYO fields or a family-run farm shop near you in Montrose, enter: Charleton Fruit Farm. The happy folk in The Stables serve tasty meals all day long, from soups and salads to ever-popular panini and an arsenal of cakes. There’s even the occasional BBQ and the proper burgers alone are worth the detour. 

The Pod in the Park offers hot dogs, ice-cream and teas and coffees to go, with PYO pumpkins, raspberries, apples and pears in season. The farm shop stocks home-sewn crops and local gifts and delicacies galore. The fortress and treasure hunts create excellent journey breaks for those travelling with children. A great farm shop in Montrose. 

Charleton Fruit Farm building

#3 Cairn Lodge Services and Farm Shop in Douglas

Picnic seekers will love Cairn Lodge, a first-rate farm shop and kitchen that champions exceptional Scottish food, drink, craft and design. Its as-good-as-homemade cakes, savouries and colourful seasonal salads come from over 50 local producers. If you’re travelling through Douglas, Cairn Lodge has a fab café near you that isn’t to be missed. 

There’s no mass defrosting here. There are snacks and artisanal gifts galore, while the coffee bar has charging points to help humans and devices top up together. This dressed-to-impress destination is a sister company to the famed family-run Gloucester and Tebay services and farm shops. A top-notch local-food focused café in Douglas.  

Cairn Lodge and Farm Shop - interior

#4 The Bothy Bistro in Burghead

If exploring the coast between Inverness and Aberdeen, there are some great foodie stops and cafés near you like The Bothy Bistro (and its sister eaterie, Bootleggers on the Hopeman coast). ‘It’s fresh and exciting because it’s not posh’ said Masterchef judge William Sitwell, naming this bistro among his top 15 favourite UK restaurants.

Owner Ruth likes to know where things are caught or picked, and loves promoting her local flavours. Driftwood décor suits this coastal address, which is a failsafe stop-off if seeking artisan coffee and still-warm goodies from the in-house bakery to take on your coastal cruise or picnic. A first-rate independent café near the coast in Burghead. 

Bothy Bistro image of their outside seating

#5 Gloagburn Farm Shop in Perth

Gloagburn Farm Shop. What a find! If you’re adventuring around the Perth area seeking picnic goods, this is just four minutes from the A9. Want a great farm shop near you? This is it. Set in the gently rolling hills of Perthshire, its view is maximised for those inside by the stunning floor-to-ceiling windows. Food with a view at its best. 

 

The farm shop has its own beef, eggs and home-baking, plus artisan products such as pottery, art prints and homewares. Everything stocked here must pass the family’s ‘tried and tasted’ test before reaching the shelves, so it’s a great place to stock up on supplies for your picnic or holiday destination. 

Gloagburn Farm Shop picnic produce

#6 Unorthodox Roasters and Café in Kinross

If you seek coffee grounds for your picnic or self-catering holiday cafetière or moka pot, visit this independent coffee roaster which is near you if you’re passing Kinross. Unorthodox Roasters have some great names for their locally roasted coffee beans: Mindblown is our favourite brew by a country mile.

There are some great sightseeing spots around, from Lochleven Castle and Lochleven Nature Reserve to the Lomond Hills Regional Hills. Get your coffee and cake to go for an impromptu picnic and take a few pouches of their moreish coffee beans to enjoy once home. A memorable café near the M90 and A81. 

Unorthodox Roasters, Kinross, image of barrista

#7 Craigie's Farm Shop and Café in South Queensferry

Looking for somewhere to eat near you in South Queensferry? Look no further than Craigie’s Farm Shop and Café. Found near the M90, Craigie’s is perfect for those seeking a sit-down meal, or who want to browse the impressive local foods on offer in the café and farm shop. 

The shop has a butchery, the Buffalo Farm, and the café crams local ingredients into a menu of salads, sandwiches, specials and home-baked cakes and coffee to have in or take away. Dog-friendly and handy for picnics on Craigie Hill.

#8 Kilnford Farm Shop and Café in Dumfries

If you’re travelling on the A75 and seek a café or farm shop near you, set a quick course for the Kilnford Farm Shop and Café, just one minute from the A75. The farming family puts animal welfare first and rears world-class Galloway beef and Blackface lamb: there are superb BBQ cuts and picnic treats to be found. 

In a hurry to get to your picnic? Order a veggie or fruit boxes in advance to collect – though you might want to stay awhile anyway to browse the cheeses, meats and olives at the deli. At their new Kilnford Bothy, try the ‘Steak, Cattle and Roll’ burger (a hit with gourmands and punsters alike). A great farm shop and café in Dumfries.

Cow in Kilnford Farm Shop's fields

#9 Drift Café on the coast in North Berwick

A superb ‘container’ café in a spectacular location on the North Berwick coast is Drift, off the A1 near West Barns. You can eat in at the café for food with a view, or buy wraps, rolls, coffees and cakes to go.

Drift works hard with Scotland’s agritourism sector and its small, cooked-from-fresh menu has earned it a Visit Scotland ‘Taste Our Best’ award. Buy to go and picnic on the beach below. 

#10 The Mainstreet Trading Company, St Boswells

If you’re looking for a unique café in The Borders or St Boswell’s, The Mainstreet Trading Company really is something else. You can pick up all kinds of things there, from picnic materials and coffee, cake and savouries to eat in or take away, to deli items, books and gifts. 

A previous winner of Britain’s Best Small Shop, The Mainstreet Trading Company (books, café, deli and home) should feature in every journey via the Borders. Browse the fabulous bookshop before refuelling on dishes inspired by the boss’s ‘Cookbook of the Moment’, perhaps.

Mainstreet Trading Company from outside

Win a picnic hamper from Loch Leven's Larder

Thank you once again to the multi-faceted Loch Leven’s Larder for providing us with a Scottish goodie-packed hamper for our National Picnic Week (17-25 June 2023) competition this year. Simply pop to our Facebook page to enter, no purchase necessary. 

We’ll pull the winner at the end of June and will be in touch to send out your hamper. With such incredible farm shops and scenic spots all across Scotland, we think it should be National Picnic Year…every year!

Buy our bestselling food guidebook today

The Extra Mile is the perfect gift for people who like to eat well when on the move. It’s packed with farm shops, independent cafés, tearooms, pubs, delis and ice-cream parlours. Maps help you find cafés and restaurants near you, and filters help you find dog-friendly places to eat, family-friendly restaurants, EV chargers and more.  

Head to our Shop to buy your copy for just £14.99 (+ postage). Buying direct helps support another small independent company: us! Thanks for reading and good luck in the June 2023 National Picnic Week competition: visit us on Facebook for more. If you’re a venue keen to feature in our next book, email us today

Image showing book cover of The Extra Mile 4
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2023 EDITION LAUNCHES 27 MARCH

Cover of The Extra Mile 4

LAUNCH MEDIA RELEASE:

‘The Extra Mile’ guidebook launch: avoid Motorway Services food this Easter 

The new, fourth edition of The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services launches in print and online on 27 March. Designed for those who dislike motorway services food, this glovebox guidebook (with its companion website and online map) will steer you into more than 275 better places to eat across England, Scotland and Wales – all near motorway and main road junctions. 

View from Drift cafe, North Berwick, Scotland

How The Extra Mile works 

The Extra Mile (384pp) helps people find their perfect pit-stop by road or by region. It also helps them find and support the country’s smaller, independent food businesses. The book has:  

  • 20 full-colour maps (motorways, regions and EV chargers)  
  • Over 275 farm shops, cosy cafés, family-friendly stops, dog-friendly pubs, attractions with restaurants, RHS and National Trust attractions and more 
  • QR codes so readers can get directions or visit places online with ease. 

Thoughts on modern car travel, from Alastair Sawday (editor)
 
“When travelling these days, the scenery is often of warehouses, service stations, other roads, and giant distribution centres (is that all we do – distribute other people’s stuff?). It’s dispiriting. Travellers need a break from the ugliness, somewhere to rest their battered eyes on green space. They also need to eat some delicious food.  

“The 2023 edition of the much-loved guide, The Extra Mile, will bring relief and touches of delight to thousands of weary or nervous road-travellers. I founded the company a few years ago after decades as a travel-book publisher and am delighted that the longing for ‘good things’ is growing, and that we can support good people. The book is part of the food revolution, and I challenge anyone not to love the idea. (It is important to note that I no longer own Alastair Sawday Publishing, now a thriving employee-owned company. The Extra Mile is an independent publication.)”

Different images of The Extra Mile book

Book launch: 30 March, Bristol 
The book’s launch event runs from 6.30pm-8.30pm on 30 March 2023 at a central Bristol location. The Printslinger team will be there to say a few words, along with some speakers from the local food movement. This event is free but ticketed due to space, please contact kerry@theextramile.guide for details if you’d like to attend. 

Pre-ordering and discount codes 
From w/c 20 March, the book will be live to pre-order online on our website (RRP £14.99). Visit www.theextramile.guide/shop. For a discount code to share with your online audiences, contact kerry@theextramile.guide 

What people are saying   

“Turn travelling from ordeal to a voyage of discovery! A few extra miles can open up new vistas of enjoyment, and better health too.”  
Helen Browning OBE, CEO of the Soil Foundation 

“My work in food, festivals and sustainability takes me all around the country. The Extra Mile Guide works on several levels: it helps drivers find fresh and often unusual places to eat, it supports local jobs and economies, and it brings the country’s vital network of smaller food producers to more people’s attention.”  
Sidharth Sharma, local food campaigner, co-founder of Shambala Festival  

“Of course it’s easier to just pull into a service station, but why would you when fresh food is being grown and served at independent farm shops and cafés just around the corner? This thoughtful guide will steer you into more interesting places to eat, while supporting the country’s smaller producers.”  
Natasha Astara, Tablehurst Community Farm, Best Food Producer 2022 (BBC Food and Farming Awards)  

There are many wonderful (and virtuous) reasons for travelling The Extra Mile way, from experiencing lovely food, places and people to supporting a more sustainable food system. You also realise that saving time by using motorway services rarely brings any benefit at all to your day.”  
Barny Haughton, Organic chef, food educator and founder of Square Food Foundation  

“A brilliantly simple and clever concept, these guides are hugely helpful for anyone who cares about good food, supporting small businesses and sniffing out the good stuff. Makes a stop-off en route a destination in itself.”  
Elly Curshen @ellypear, Author and Columnist  

About The Extra Mile/ Printslinger Publishing 
Kerry O’Neill – author of The Extra Mile edition 4 – is a Bristol-based freelancer specialising in wine, food, adventure, and travel. Following a two-year desk-bound period, hitting the road to research and write this book sounded like the best thing since non-sliced bread. O’Neill will soon oversee Printslinger’s publishing activities, in partnership with Laura Collacott (author of editions 1-3) and venue liaison and publishing co-ordinator, Eleanor Weeks-Bell. The team’s expertise covers local food, travel, publishing, marketing, sustainability and more. Printslinger is planning several new titles for 2024.

Unorthodox Roasters, Kinross, image of barrista

—– ENDS —- 

NOTES FOR EDITORS 

ABOUT THE EXTRA MILE GUIDEBOOK (EDITION 4) 
The Extra Mile guidebook helps road users avoid motorway services and boring, big-brand food. It directs them to hundreds of better places to eat instead – all near motorway and main road junctions. Spend locally, support smaller food and drinks businesses and choose lower food miles, all while turning your journey into more of an adventure. Book contains illustrative motorway, regional and EV charger maps. 

ABOUT THE COMPANY 
The Extra Mile is from Glovebox Guides, an imprint of independent publisher, Printslinger Ltd.  
Please note that while Alastair Sawday founded Printslinger Ltd., both it and The Extra Mile book are separate from Alastair Sawday Publishing (Sawday’s), which is now an employee-owned organisation.  

Ben's Farm Shop, Staverton, Devon
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GIFT IDEAS: BEST REUSABLE COFFEE CUPS

Britain has developed a vibrant coffee culture over the last decade or so, and the morning (afternoon and evening) brew has become an important daily ritual for many of us. In the UK, we drink around 98 million cups a day, as part of an industry worth more than £9 billion.  

On the flip side, Britain gets through 2.5 billion disposable and hard-to-recycle coffee cups each year, a number set to increase by a third by 2030. Fortunately, the amount of coffee cup recycling facilities in the UK is growing along with an awareness of the problem.  

Sidestep the hassle of what to do with your used single-use coffee cup by carrying one of these handsome reusables in your car instead – bagging the discount that frequently comes with a BYO cup while you’re at it.  The Kitchen at Croxley for example – an Extra Mile venue – offers a 20p discount if you bring your own cup (their takeaway cups are compostable, too).  

Circular&Co Reusable coffee cup, £14.95 

A cup, made from old single-use coffee cups. If there’s a more guilt-free way to enjoy your coffee on the road, we’d like to see it. You can open the lid with one hand and drink from any side, yet it’s still leakproof. Designed to last for 10 years, it fits in most car cup holders and is safe to put through the dishwasher.  

Stojo collapsible coffee cup, £12.99 

This is a compact option if you’re short on space and it can be tucked into most shoulder or handbags. Made of silicone, this little cup concertinas down into a pocket-sized disc when you’ve finished using it, while a lid plug ensures no coffee residue leaks out. A rigid plastic cuff saves your fingers when your coffee is hot.  

Klean Kanteen insulated TKWide with café cap, £25.95 

This vacuum insulated cup will keep drinks hot for 11 hours (or 38 hours, iced). It claims not to retain or impart flavours which is appealing if you’ve ever tried in vain to rid a flask of lingering milk smells. Works as a water bottle, coffee mug, sport bottle and insulated cup. Designed with an impact base-cap to protect it from bumps, it’s chip resistant and the lid can be disassembled for easy cleaning.  

Smidge travel cup, £15.40 

Double-walled stainless steel stops heat escaping anywhere fast, while a screw-top lid with two silicone seals claims to be 100% leak-proof. It comes with barista-standard internal measuring guides, fits under most coffee machines and is available in a range of cheerful colours (with matching water bottles). The cup is only suitable for hand-washing at the moment, but is easy to disassemble and clean.  

Coffee BugBear, £18 

If the pandemic has left you more germ-aware than ever, try BugBear’s reusable cup with patented antimicrobial protection shielding its stainless steel walls. Double-skinned to keep in the heat, it has a screw-on cap to prevent slips slopping out.   

SoleCup, £16 

An aesthetically appealing cup made in the UK from tempered glass with a cork band for easy grip. With the option of an infuser accessory, it works as well for smoothies and tea as it does for coffee. For the eco-minded, the cup is 100% recyclable and arrives in plastic-free packaging.  

Bru coffee cup, £17.99 

Made to last from powder-coated stainless steel, with matching bottles available if you’re a co-ord kinda person, this is a stylish cup for on-the-go. It’s designed to fit under most coffee machines (though perhaps not in car cup holders) and is large enough to hold a standard, 340ml latte. Dishwasher safe and can be recycled with scrap metals at the end of its useful life.  

Chilly’s Series 2 coffee cup, £36  

Shaped like a drinks can and available in a wide range of patterns and colours, this stainless steel coffee pod is a stylish addition to your road trip. Get yours engraved with your name if you’re not up for sharing, and put ownership arguments to bed forever. It’s not dishwasher safe, but – tip – use bicarbonate of soda if you ever need a thorough clean.  

Corkcicle Travel Cup, £44 

Prefer your coffee cup with a handle? The whopping great Corkcicle could be for you. It’s triple insulated, has a snug, clear, see-through lid and has a stay-put grippy silicone base so it doesn’t slide around the dashboard.  

Frank Green reusable cup, £28.99 

A handsome design that comes in an array of colours (including neon lids), Frank Green is a discerning choice for the travelling coffee drinker. It’s easy to use with one hand (thanks to a push-button lid), is designed to fit in cup holders and is spill resistant. Despite the ceramic lining, its makers claim the base is unbreakable, which means you can polish the stainless steel exterior to your heart’s content with the microfibre polishing cloth supplied with it…if polishing is your thing. 

Huskeecup, £14 

Made from coffee husks, this cup is a waste-free wonder. Durable and insulated, it’s designed for coffee-to-go, and when it’s no longer at its best, you can exchange it in a participating café through HuskeeSwap (see the app for details) or return it to the company for recycling.  

If you’re an Extra Mile café or eating experience that offers a discount for those bringing their own cup, let us know and we’ll promote you below. If reading this, you obviously prefer your hot drinks to be HOT – whether at home or on the go – or you’re buying a gift for someone who really cares about their coffee. Get the most up-to-date edition of The Extra Mile guidebook here, to make the ultimate birthday or Christmas gift combo for the hot drink lovers in your life. 

Venues offering an own-cup discount

The Kitchen, Croxley

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WHERE TO HIRE A CAMPERVAN

Red and white VW Camper van

Looking to make a proper road-trip of it? You’re going to need a campervan. Like Airbnb, a number of companies now offer campervan hire direct from owners, so you can rent a home-on-wheels no matter where you are in the country.

Camplify 

A platform for renting recreational vehicles, with a range of sizes and styles. Van owners are all personally verified by the team and RAC cover means you don’t need to worry about breaking down. Some owners will even deliver the van to your holiday destination.  

VW T25 campervan

Paul Camper 

Home to more than 1,000 private campers, you can take your pick on Paul Camper. Although the sharing website was born in Berlin, it’s spread to the UK and has a range of vans across the country. Handovers are in person so you can visit it and take it for a test drive before finalising the booking.  

Old fashioned VW camper at a lake at sunset

Quirky Campers 

Specialists in hiring out bespoke campervans, Quirky Campers rents out a range of beautifully designed motors so you can live out your #vanlife dreams, if only for a little while. The company prides itself on sustainable credentials so expect vans fitted out with masterfully reclaimed materials (see picture below from Quirky Campers), as well as carbon offsetting for your driving miles.  

Go Boony 

Boonies are a New Zealand term for beautiful, untouched places, so Go Boony is a nod to where the founders of Go Boony met – on a campervan trip, naturally. They claim to have the largest fleet in the UK, with pet and bike friendly options easy to find.  

Quincy Campervan (c) Sam Howard, Quirky Campers

Suitably inspired to hit the road? Find perfect pitstops and idyllic farm shops at which to shop and stock up, in The Extra Mile guidebook – friend of campervan gloveboxes everywhere – or by using the online Venue Finder