Notes for Editors

·         The ‘Best of Kent ’ range is now available at all ASDA Stores across Kent (10 in total)

·         ASDA established their dedicated Local Sourcing Team in 2001.  They have since launched the ‘Best of Cornwall and the West Country’; ‘Best of Yorkshire’; ‘Best of the Lakes’ ‘Best of the North East’ ‘Scotland’s Best’, ‘Best of Wales’, ‘Best of East Anglia’ and 'Best of the North West'.

·         ASDA’s Local Sourcing initiative aims to find local products from small suppliers for all 306 ASDA stores  

ASDA’s ‘Best of Kent’ – Local Prodcuers

Bank Farm – Best of Kent’  ASDA’s latest hub initiative is Best of Kent.  Over eighty new local products from over 20 small suppliers will make the small journey from Bank Farm to ASDA stores in Kent marking Bank Farm as the eighth hub initiative launched by the ASDA local sourcing team. 

Owners of Bank Farm, Doug and Steph Wanstall have carried the farming business down through the generations, since Doug’s great grandfather bought the land in 1918.  With over 4,500 acres of land and thousands of animals, the hub initiative has been their latest challenge. 

Owlet Apple Juice  This company has been producing apple juice since 1990. At this time they were producing only one variety, however today they have increased their range to 14 different flavours. Over the years, Owlet has gained a reputation for producing high quality juices. Their Cox Juice was voted ‘Best single variety apple juice’ by the BBC ‘Good Food’ magazine.  

Bank Farm Produce  Situated in Aldington, near Ashford in Kent, Bank Farm is notorious for its dedication to the environment, animal welfare and contribution to rural life. The family feed their hens a natural GM-free diet and allow the birds to roam freely amongst natural habitat, in turn this produces high quality tasty eggs.Not only will Bank Farm run the hub and deliver to the stores in Ashford and Canterbury, they will also supply the two stores with their free range eggs.   

The Wooden Spoon Preserving Company  This small family business has been producing a unique range of quality preserves, fruits in liqueur, chutneys and sauces for more than 25 years. They use natural ingredients prepared by traditional methods, using local fruit where possible.  Wooden Spoon jams contain no artificial colourings or preservatives. 

Willesborough Windmill  Willesborough Windmill flour is actually produced in Ashford, by a voluntary team who are devoted to the conservation of the smock mill. The flour is milled in a traditional way using French Burr stones and is perfect for wholemeal bread, biscuits and cakes.  

Opies  This private family-owned company based in Sittingbourne Kent produces a range of Chutneys, Cocktail Products, Finest Call, Fruits in Liqueur, Ginger, Monin Syrups, Organic, Pickled Walnuts and Pickles. Opies, formerly known as Bennett Opie, is one of the oldest private family-owned companies in the county and this year it will celebrate 125 years of business.  

Beult Honey  In 1987 Richard Fryd developed a hobby, beekeeping, into a small business with the aid of Margaret Thatcher's enterprise allowance scheme. He built up over 200 hives in Kent and East Sussex and proceeded to sell the honey. Now various beekeepers from Kent` help Richard to supply the increasing demand for the finest honey - marketed under the Beult House Bees banner. Bottling is done manually in a small building - 100 metres from the river Beult from which it derives its name. Thatcher's enterprise all 

Kentish Tea  The Kent tea and trading company based in Pluckley, is a family run business and was established in 1982 when the Smith family returned from India after two generations of tea planting. 

Daizylake  Daizylake cakes are famous in the area for their homemade cakes and biscuits.  Daizylake have been awarded two Great Taste Awards for their traditional sweet treats! 

Kentish Hills  Kentish Hill produce spring water, sourced from a natural spring amongst an ancient woodland in Westerham.  All their water is bottled at source and owners Robert and Nicky Page are proud of the fact that Kentish Hills was the first natural spring water company in Kent. 

Plaxtol Bakery  Based in the heart of Kent, the Plaxtol Bakery has been a family business for over 25 years.  With  shops that serve the whole of Kent as well as South East London, their business is forever growing, with ASDA being their latest customer.  They produce hundreds of bakery lines, from pies and pasties to seasonal lines such as mince pies. 

Hoppers  Hoppers Farmhouse Bakery is situated at Herne Bay in Kent, it produces a wide range of baked products mainly mince pies, flapjacks, treacle and jam tarts to name but a few, in there own brand label and for many of the big stores. 

Darenth Valley Based in the Darent Valley in the heart of the Kent countryside, Darenth Valley develop and produce distinctive chutneys, speciality vinegars and traditional pickles.  Supplying to retail outlets throughout the UK, or direct to the customer via mail order or online, ASDA are the most recent retailer to add Derenth Valley to their supplier list. 

English Wines Tenterden Vineyard is the home of English Wines plc, who make wines under the Chapel Down brand. Tenterden Vineyard encompasses 25 acres of vines planted on south-facing slopes.  English wines are the largest producers of wines in the country and will supply ASDA with a number of products. 

Westerham Brewery Established in 2004 by Robert Wicks. The Westerham Brewery Company is proud to bring brewing back to the historic town of Westerham. With a rich brewing heritage, Westerham can once again be proud of locally brewed, top quality real ales. Locally sourced malt and hops are chosen with skill to produce ales with a distinct yet traditional flavour.  

Shepherd Neame The Faversham Brewery dates back to the foundations of the brewery ion 1698.  Shepherd Neame now has some 370 pubs across the South East.  Eighty five percent of the beer that is sold in the pubs is produced at the Faversham Brewery in Kent. Three centuries after its foundations, Shepeher Neame are doing their very best to ensure that Kent's unparalleled brewing heritage survives and flourishes for generations to come.