A Norfolk farm shop can be the answer to a very specific Saturday problem: you want good local food, but you do not want to spend half an hour wandering past decorative candles and chutney that costs more than lunch.

The useful question is not simply which shop looks nicest.

It is what each one does particularly well. Is it the meat counter, vegetables grown on the farm, homemade pies, a strong local-producer range or a combination worth making a detour for?

This is a starting shortlist, not a final ranking. We have checked current business information and picked one practical reason to visit each.

Now we want Norfolk readers to tell us what belongs in the finished

Top 10.

1. Walsingham Farm Shop, Little Walsingham

Guild Street, Little Walsingham, NR22 6BU.

This is the one for a proper local-food shop rather than a quick roadside stop.

The business lists fresh produce, dairy, meat and poultry, artisan bread, Norfolk wine and local beer, alongside its own pies, butchery products and deli meals.

What to buy: start with one of the homemade pies or something from the butchery counter. If you are building a picnic, add Norfolk cheese and bread.

2. Salhouse Farm Shop & Café, Salhouse

At Black Barn Farm near Norwich, Salhouse combines a farm shop, butcher, deli and café. Its shop includes Norfolk jams, honey, cheese and vegetables, while the café gives it an easy “make a morning of it” appeal.

What to buy: ask at the butchery counter for a weekend centrepiece, then add something from the deli. The café makes this a sensible stop when not everyone in the car wants to shop.

3. Blofield Farm Shop, Blofield

58 Yarmouth Road, Blofield, NR13 4LQ.

Blofield makes a strong case for shoppers who want variety without losing the Norfolk angle. Its large butchery counter and extensive deli sit alongside local honey, jams, fruit, vegetables, bread and cakes. There is also the Butterflies café next door.

What to buy: meat for dinner, then a Norfolk cake or preserve for later. It is the sort of shop where a short list can easily become a full meal.

4. Algy’s Farm Shop & Café, Bintree

Bintree, Dereham, NR20 5PW.

Algy’s is particularly useful if your idea of local food starts with vegetables. The farm shop sells seasonal produce grown on site, with further supplies from Norfolk farmers, dairies, bakeries and artisan producers. Fresh bread, milk, meat and fish are listed among the regular range.

What to buy: whatever vegetables are looking best on the day. If tomatoes or seasonal greens are available, build your shop around them rather than treating them as an afterthought.

5. Norfolk Food Hall, Norfolk Showground

This is the big, destination-style option. The Norfolk Food Hall says it showcases local producers, with an in-house butcher, deli counter, local cheeses and a restaurant.

Its profits go back to the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, which supports Norfolk food, farming and the countryside.

What to buy: use the butcher and deli counters to assemble a Norfolk-focused dinner, or choose one distinctive local product you would not normally see in a supermarket.

6. Colmans Farm, Ormesby St Michael

Manship Lodge, Main Road, Ormesby St Michael, NR29 3LN.

Colmans has a particularly clear farm-to-shop story: the family business grows its own vegetables and offers seasonal vegetable, salad and fruit boxes.

The shop also supports local and independent suppliers, with homemade bakes and fresh flowers among its wider offer.

What to buy: a seasonal box, or the freshest vegetables you can use that week. This is a good nomination for readers who value produce over presentation.

7. A.G. Meale & Sons, Stalham

Wayford Nurseries, Stalham, NR12 9LJ.

A.G. Meale is part farm shop, part plant centre, part pick-your-own destination and part café. Its own-grown list includes potatoes, strawberries, raspberries, sweetcorn, runner beans and tomatoes, subject to season and availability.

The business also highlights Cromer crabs and fresh fish from visiting suppliers.

What to buy: plan around the season. In summer, that could mean tomatoes, berries or sweetcorn; on a fish-van day, add potatoes and salad for an easy supper.

8. Yare Valley, beside the Norfolk Broads

Yare Valley’s distinctive product is its cold-pressed rapeseed oil, along with dressings and infusions made on the farm. Its self-service farm shop also carries local goodies and sits beside Teles Café and Patisserie.

What to buy: the rapeseed oil. It is the obvious cupboard staple and a useful Norfolk-made present that does not require guessing someone’s taste in cushions.

9. Spurgeon’s Farm Shop & Butchery, Brooke

Spurgeon’s is a meat-led choice near Norwich. The family-run business says its Brooke farm shop stocks locally sourced pork, beef, lamb, poultry and game, alongside freshly baked pastries, pies, sausage rolls and homemade ready meals.

What to buy: ask for a cut you would not usually cook, or take home a ready meal with seasonal vegetables when time is short. The point here is the butchery counter, not a basket of decorative extras.

10. Landymore’s Farm Shop & Tea Room, Stow Bridge

The Causeway, Stow Bridge, PE34 3PP.

Landymore’s offers seasonal fruit and vegetables, homemade preserves, local produce, eggs and dairy, with a tea room serving cakes, scones and hearty meals.

 It is a useful option for West Norfolk readers who want shopping and a sit-down stop in the same trip.

What to buy: homemade jam or a seasonal item from the shop, then see whether the tea room’s cakes settle the question of whether you really needed that extra jar.

So which one deserves a place in Norfolk’s reader-built Top 10?

The answer may depend on what you value most: meat, vegetables, homemade food, a café stop, a special journey or simply a shop that helps you buy local without making you feel judged for needing a normal-sized basket.

NOMINATE YOUR NORFOLK FAVOURITE — and tell us the one thing people should buy there.

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