14 Suffolk food and drink businesses still offering home deliveries

Lavenham Butchers who have reopened their doors but are still making home deliveries to those in their local community Picture: Lavenham Butchers (Image: Archant)

Hank’s Deli, Ipswich

This Ipswich-based business specialises in a range of vegan food, drink and essentials, and has been working hard ensuring that the people of Suffolk have been well-fed during lockdown thanks to its delivery service. Its delivery radius covers the towns of Ipswich, Sudbury, Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Woodbridge, Aldeburgh, Martlesham, Shotley and many points in between, as well as Colchester on a Sunday now.

Famed for its bright and beautiful fruit and veg boxes, Hank’s has an incredibly large stock of vegan and plant-based goods that can be delivered straight to your door, including vegan-friendly dairy alternatives, household cleaning products and sought-after essentials such as flour and yeast.

Geoffrey Bligh said: “It has been really well received. Our fruit and veg boxes still sell really well, and people are really appreciative of the delivery service. We have found many customers that can’t use online systems or struggle with sight - so we take their orders over the phone. We still don’t charge and don’t enforce minimum spends - and this has been really well received. As long as people want us to keep delivering - then we will keep doing it.” All orders placed before 2pm will be delivered same day, and the team work seven days a week.

One of Hank's Deli's fruit and veg boxes, ready for a home delivery Picture: Hank's Deli / Facebook (Image: Archant)

Lavenham Butchers, Lavenham

This family-owned business shut its doors to the public on March 21, and spent lockdown ensuring that those who were shielding were still able to order essentials as often as they needed.

Jen Strolenberg, who runs Lavenham Butchers alongside her husband Greg, said: “We decided as a team to seal the shop door early to protect ourselves and our families, and only do local deliveries and collections. In the early weeks, we had an inbox of 700 orders!”

Mark Hull of Lavenham Butchers, a Suffolk business who is still offering home deliveries Picture: Lavenham Butchers (Image: Archant)

Lavenham Butchers then began to deliver its selection of locally-sourced, high-welfare meats alongside its very own handmade pies, sausage rolls, pasties, scotch eggs, quiches and pork pies. “We increased our order of fresh fruit and vegetables too with local asparagus and strawberries. We also collected prescriptions and got extra shopping from the Co-op next door in our deliveries.”

Realising that a lot of the elderly community couldn’t afford to bulk buy, or had sufficient storage, Lavenham Butchers ensured that it prioritised them on a daily basis. “We also donated six meat fruit and veg boxes to the church to support the families finding it hard in the village.

“We have really seen the very best and kindest souls during this lockdown period, and we feel very blessed to be supported by our wonderful village and surrounding areas. We will continue to offer a delivery service and collection service to suit our customers’ requirements.”

Open Tuesday to Saturday between the hours of 8.30am and 5pm, orders will take two days to process. There is a delivery charge of £2.50 for local delivery and £5 for those further afield within a 15-mile radius.

A meat selection pack from Lavenham Butchers Picture: Lavenham Butchers (Image: Archant)

Hopsters, Ipswich

While pubs have reopened across Suffolk, many people are still shielding or do not feel comfortable enough to head out yet. That’s where Hopsters comes in, as the craft beer specialist is still delivering over 200 different local, national and imported beers.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, simply visit Hopsters’ Facebook or its website to choose your beers. Once decided, ring Hopsters on 01473 806658 where payment will be taken and delivery will be arranged.

Let Hopsters bring the pub to your front door - as they can deliver over 200 different beers Picture: Sarah Lucy Brown (Image: Archant)

For those living in Ipswich, it’s a minimum £30 order, and Hopsters will deliver the same day. “We’re also delivering to the outskirt towns once a week for a £40 minimum order,” added Hopsters’ Steven Long.

Bidfood, Stowmarket

After opening up its Stowmarket depot to the general public for the first time during lockdown, leading wholesaler Bidfood has confirmed that it will continue to help those who may still be isolating with its home delivery and click-and-collect services.

Bidfoods making their way across Suffolk Picture: Bidfoods (Image: Archant)

Covering the entirety of Suffolk and Norfolk, there is a minimum order of £100 for home deliveries, and no minimum for click-and-collect.

To place an order, simply click the home consumer link, register, and choose from over 13,000 lines of products – including fruit and veg, meat, fish, dairy, baked foods, desserts, drinks, snacks and everyday essentials.

The Bakehouse Bakery, Woodbridge

The socially-distanced team at The Bakehouse in Woodbridge Picture: The Bakehouse (Image: Archant)

The Bakehouse has been busy delivering essential goods across Woodbridge and the surrounding areas during lockdown - and will continue to do so now restrictions have begun to ease.

Sarah Moss said: “We have been very busy delivering to around 30 of our wholesale customers, who in turn do home deliveries. We have also been doing home deliveries to our regular customers who have been shielding and cannot come to our shop.”

Specialising in bread, cakes and other baked goods, the bakery has also been delivering a range of savouries, pies, sausage rolls and essentials including flour, yeast and eggs.

The Bildeston Crown, Bildeston

While pubs and hotels have since reopened, The Bildeston Crown is making sure that those who are unable to go out yet are still able to have food and drink delivered to their front door. This hotel will be continuing its hugely popular food boxes, which can feed a family of two or four for one week.

For £60, you can feed a family of two, or £99 for a family of four. Each box will contain a variety of essential foods including fresh fruit and vegetables, sausages, chicken breasts, pork chops, minced beef, haddock, coley, bream and bass.

Focus Organic, Halesworth

For all of your organic needs, Focus Organic in Halesworth is continuing its home delivery service - specialising in world foods, fresh bread and pastries, vegan, gluten-free and speciality foods alongside beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and toiletries.

Available Monday, Wednesday and Friday, there is a £30 minimum order value. For orders up to 10 miles, there will be a £5 delivery fee, and £1 per mile thereafter.

The Dolphin Inn, Thorpeness

This pub and hotel is continuing to deliver its vegetable boxes to residents throughout Aldringham and Thorpeness on Mondays and Fridays. Costing £20, the vegetable box contains an assortment of fruit and vegetables, four pints of milk, a loaf of Pump Street Bakery bread and six eggs.

The Friendly Loaf, Bury St Edmunds

This artisan bakery is running a click-and-collect service from its Bury St Edmunds store. Open Tuesday to Saturday between 8am and 3.30pm, please allow 24 hours from the time of your order before picking up. Goods available on its extensive list include essentials such as bread, free-range eggs, butter, a variety of flours, fresh yeast, milk as well as baked goods including quiches, croissants, brownies and doughnuts.

Brown & May, Eye

Serving households across Suffolk, as well as Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, Brown & May are continuing their online home delivery service.

Customers can buy a range of groceries including fresh and frozen seafood, desserts, cupboard staples and more.

Group general manager Richard Woodward said: “We have had an increasing number of sales and many requests to keep the service running, so we have decided that the home delivery service will continue to provide high quality fresh fish and frozen seafood products for the foreseeable future.”

Simply spend £40 and delivery is free.

Hog and Hen Farm Shop, Stonham Aspal

Hog and Hen Farm Shop will continue running its home delivery service for those within a delivery radius of five and 10 miles of its Stonham Aspal shop.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, between the hours of 8.30am and 4pm, simply head to their website and fill in the online form, indicating the quantity of products you require from the list. Once completed, staff at the shop will contact you either via telephone or email to confirm and arrange delivery. Delivery is £2.

Items available include fruit, veg, bread, milk, eggs, Suffolk Gold cheese, sugar, bacon and potatoes.

Jamie’s Meat Inn, Sudbury

Situated on Sudbury’s North Street, Jamie’s Meat Inn offers a variety of locally-sourced meat and is still running its home delivery service. Open everyday except Sunday between 7am and 5pm, this butcher is to continue selling its isolation pack.

Costing £39.99, the isolation pack contains a selection of fine meats including 10 homemade sausages, five chicken fillets, 1kg steak mince, 10 eggs, four homemade pork and apple burgers and more. In addition, you will receive a free 1lb chicken stir fry with every order.

To qualify for next-day delivery, your order must be placed before 5pm the day before, and delivery is free for anyone within five miles of the shop.

Two Magpies, Suffolk Coastal

Two Magpies, which has branches in Darsham and Southwold, will still be offering customers its click-and-collect service.

Selling an array of baked goods including breads, pastries, cookies, cakes and savouries, Two Magpies also stocks essentials such as eggs, coffee and Baron Bigod cheese. Simply place your order 48 hours in advance by 10am, where you will then be able to pick it up from the Darsham store Tuesday to Friday between 10am and 11am.

Additionally, the bakery is also doing click-and-collect sourdough stonebaked pizzas. Available between 4.30pm and 8.30pm from their Darsham branch on a Friday and Southwold on a Saturday, prices start from £6.50 for garlic bread and £8 for pizzas.

Country Cuisine, Saxmundham

Let Country Cuisine bring the BBQ to your back garden with its very own BBQ Box. With a minimum order for four people, this BBQ Box contains an assortment locally sourced meats supplied by Friday Street Farm Shop Butchery, including 100% local British beef burgers, free-range Blytheburgh pork and herb sausages and spicy Moroccan lamb kofta. No BBQ is complete without sides, which is why the box also includes homemade freshly baked rolls, salads, cous cous, dressings and a lime and ginger cheesecake for dessert.