Earlier this year the East of England Co-op opened its first showcase store dedicated to its Sourced Locally initiative – the Darsham Hamper store and café, which stocks 80 per cent of its products from local suppliers across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

The Darsham Hamper features some of the newest suppliers to the Sourced Locally range including Skinners Pet Foods, based in Stradbroke, so now even the region’s pets can enjoy locally-sourced food!

The store opening also enabled existing suppliers such as Havensfield Eggs in Hoxne to launch new product options. Having been a local supplier for over four years, Havensfield has provided Darsham customers with even more choice by offering the option of loose, free range eggs which have been selling well in 2s, 4s and trays of 36.

Two months on, the Darsham Hamper continues to expand its offering. Coinciding with barbeque season a new environmentally friendly, instant lighting charcoal cube, made in Creeting St Mary near Ipswich, has been introduced in store. The Barbecube’s cube-shaped cardboard packaging doubles as the fuel for lighting the charcoal inside, providing an hour’s cooking time from just 15 minutes after lighting.

Darsham is also currently supplying locally grown asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries and raspberries, which are now in season. However, the fruit and vegetable lines in store change regularly to accommodate the different produce coming into season for local farmers.

Another product proving popular is the walnut and mallow whirls from Hadleigh Maid, and these now include three brand new flavours - raspberry, orange and coffee.

Other local products available include wines and ales, meat and fish, fruit and veg, dairy products and flour, cakes and snacks, plus sauces, oils and preserves, teas and coffee.

And, don’t forget, the in-store café is also run by local supplier Assouz El Mahraoui of Coffeelink in Ipswich. It offers visitors locally blended tea and Suffolk roasted coffee alongside freshly prepared meals using locally sourced goods.