John Rowswell - Fine Devon Produce

The Rowswells have lived in the Somerset village of Barrington for 500 years.

Ten years ago John Rowswell’s family faced an uncertain future. For almost a century, they had kept cattle on a small farm near Ilminster but with farming in decline were struggling to make ends meet. John’s brave new idea was to specialise in unusual varieties and to do it exceptionally. Today he is many a South West chef’s favourite producer as he personally delivers 50-60 varieties of year round, colourful and unfamiliar goodies bursting with freshness and natural flavour. Opponents to the supermarket’s prepacked, ‘wash everything in chlorine’ culture will fall in love with the fields, sheds and barns that make up this near-organic, leguminous treasure chest.

A trip around his farm shop is an education in just exactly what can be grown with a little imagination and without the need for pesticides and chemicals. ‘Tigerella’ tomatoes, Romanesco, a sweet crunchy cauliflower, black and golden French beans and red Jerusalem artichokes are just the tip of the iceberg. There are sixteen types of tomato, at least seven prolific varieties of chilli and a repertoire of nine different potatoes including the Pink Fir apple potato, a waxy, old-fashioned spud favoured by the likes of Rick Stein. Salad lovers are more than catered for with seven kinds of lettuce and nine types of salad leaf including Japanese red mustard and mizuna.

It’s hard not to be swept away by the enthusiasm that John exudes. His passion for the novel means that he is now busy preparing for a monster harvest of banana shallots, long favoured by the French, and so called because of their shape. He is the only person in the country growing these and last October planted half a million from seed that were quickly snapped up by top hotels and restaurants. In 2006 John was made the UKTV Food Hero of the Year for the South West and last year he was honoured as the Best Food Producer in Somerset.

To visit John for yourself please telephone 01460 53835.