A fresh retail presence on Tunbridge Wells High Street

Tunbridge Wells is leading the march for a resurgence in fresh, local produce available on the high street. On Friday 27 November a new Farm Produce Store opens its doors to the discerning shoppers of the area.

In the wake of the already well-received butchers and fishmongers, the new Taywell shop will sell locally grown fruit and vegetables, local cheeses, dairy produce and local wines and beers. It will also have an in-store bakery, delicatessen and confectionery counter.

Running adjacent to the Farm Produce Store will be Taywell's Shake & Juice Bar selling freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, milk shakes, yoghurt shakes, teas and coffees. With a seating area, complete with WiFi access and newspapers, Taywell will cater for both a take-away and eat-in customer base. The Shake & Juice Bar is targeted at commuters, shoppers, office workers, mums meeting up and kids after school, among others - a comfortable place for anyone to shop or stop for freshly made cake and a coffee.

Taywell is the brainchild of local farmer and entrepreneur Alastair Jessel. "We already have Taywell farm shops in Goudhurst and Lamberhurst, but Tunbridge Wells is our most exciting project - bringing the countryside to the town," he says.

"We know the market in Tunbridge Wells will welcome good quality, locally-sourced food. We think they will also appreciate our ethos of less packaging, reduced food miles and our friendly, informed service. Offering milkshakes is a natural progression from our hugely-popular ice cream, already supplied to many local outlets and restaurants," he continues.

Taywell Ice Creams, formerly Farmhouse Ice Cream, has been rebranded and repackaged to complement the Taywell retail operation. The new ‘cool' 500ml packaging is made entirely from sustainable cardboard and is fully recyclable.

The ice cream includes an organic range of flavours, which will form part of the Taywell store's extensive range of organic and gluten free products. The company also produces ice creams and fresh fruit sorbets, suitable for the diabetic market.

Opening in the run up to Christmas, Taywell will have lots of local gift ideas in-store, including gorgeous hand-made chocolates, hampers and Taywell gift vouchers. It will also, of course, be the perfect place to source brussels and parsnips for Christmas lunch.

Taywell Farm Produce Store and Shake & Juice Bar will be open seven days a week, Monday to Friday 7.30 - 7.30, Saturday 8.30 - 6.30 and Sunday 9.30 - 5.30. The new Tunbridge Wells store will be located at 12 - 14 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1UX, formerly the Shao Lin futon shop.

For more information on Taywell, see the website: www.taywell.co.uk