Thyme and Tides Delicatessen, Stockbridge

How lucky are the residents of Stockbridge! This small market town on the A30 north east of Salisbury, right in the heart of the Test Valley in Hampshire, is home to 600 very fortunate people indeed. Google Street View has judged Stockbridge as the 2010 winner of “Britain’s Most Foodie High Street” award, and one walk up and down the length of this broad and bustling road will very quickly convince you how they beat off the stiff opposition. Award winning butcher, John Robinson and Sons, with sawdust strewn all over the floor and enticing window displays of seasonal lamb and beef cuts, starts you off on the left, followed by the local pub, a genteel tea room, a wonderful greengrocer, several restaurants and a whole myriad of other chic boutiques, kitchenware, garden and gift shops. The River Test is a few yards away, renowned for trout fishing, hence the number of fishing and country pursuit stores. But the real jewel of the Stockbridge sparkly kaleidoscope crown is the new delicatessen, Thyme and Tides, right in the middle of the high street.

As you approach the building, you cannot fail to be impressed by its wide open entrance, wooden benches and scrubbed tables laid out for the bistro customers, blackboards emblazoned with the catch and specialities of the day. Think River Cottage meets Daylesford Organic Farm Shop meets St. Mawes on a sunny day. White walls, slate tiles, good lighting, clean layout, a joy to behold. As you enter, your eyes are immediately drawn to the icy fish counter, spotlessly clean and beautifully stocked with fresh, shiny fish. Most of the fish is sustainably sourced from the port of Brixham, or from Cornish day boats, the trout is local, the salmon is from Scotland and the fishmonger knows all the regulars by name. That is a very good start: put your finest asset right in front of the door.

The chrome shelves are filled with all the delicatessen delights that a good cook would want for a successful dinner party: lots of colourful Spanish ingredients from Brindisa of Borough Market and larder essentials by Seggiano, Olives et Al, Very Deli and The Seed Company. There is Carnaroli and Arborio rice from Gli Aironi, and, as a Lombard risotto lover, I approve wholeheartedly. There are teas by Bellevue, coffees by the Monmouth coffee company, and peppermint creams from Summerdown mint farms. There is every imaginable type of cracker from The Fine Cheese Company, and jars of giant, preserved butter beans by El Navarrico. A state of the art cheese counter tempts me too far, as I loiter with intent to eat the sweet Portuguese custard cakes, blueberry muffins and almond croissants near the till.

Outside there is a spacious seating area with white umbrellas, or you can sit inside, with the wide open view of the beautiful High Street. The waiters are friendly, quick and alert. Young mothers walk in with smiley toddlers in tow, who point chubby small fingers at the fresh focaccia slices. An elegant elderly couple cannot decide between the malted brown loaf or the rye bread, in the end they buy both, to save arguing, and sit down for lunch. This is not just a food shop, this is a community meeting point. The sense of commerciality is imbued with attention to locality, provenance and authenticity. For the young owners, Iain and Sally Hemming, their good, clean and fair philosophy is laid out clearly on their website, www.thymeandtidesdeli.co.uk

“Thyme and Tides is committed to buying the very best of British food that we can lay our hands on. To prove this, we pay market rates to local allotments and gardeners to bring in their vegetables that are in glut. Let us help you to turn this seasonal headache into great tasting dishes in the bistro for you to come and enjoy”.

Stockbridge residents and visitors should support and be proud of this enterprise. It is a rare and precious thing to find such a place.

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