My day in cups of tea Farm shop owner, Ruby Tildsley
WE ASKED FARM SHOP OWNER RUBY TILDSLEY TO TELL US ABOUT HER DAY IN CUPPAS
Morning, oh it’s early! What are you up to?
We run a no-dig market garden and farm shop: we deliver organic veg boxes and make cordials, craft cider and bread. Adam is the gardener and cider maker and I’m the baker and shopkeeper, so I’m up early. At 6.30am, we all have a cuppa and biscuit in bed, then it’s on with the day.
Tell us a bit about where you’re based.
We live in an 1890s joiner’s cottage on the south side of the North York Moors. We enjoy big open skies, though it’s almost always windy. We’ve converted our garage into the farm shop and microbakery and, last year, we started our market garden on a 2.5-acre plot down the road.
And how does the rest of the morning unfold?
With three boys under four and lots of bread to bake, I have to be strict. The shop opens at 9am and, with hens and veg to tend to, it can be crazy. We try to have a cup of tea around 9.30am when the baby is napping and the eldest are at nursery. And our flat-coated retriever, Jude, is never far away when tea and biscuits are concerned.
It’s elevenses – what can we get you?
English breakfast please, strong with a dash of blue top milk. I can’t resist a biscuit – I like Doves Farm fruity oat biscuits for dunking.
Bet you have something tasty for lunch.
It’s usually a homemade soup, salad or veg – whatever Adam brings home from the field. There’s always lots of fresh bread and cake, too.
And what happens in the afternoon?
Our shop closes at 3pm and then I look after the boys. I start work again at 6.30pm when they’re in bed, baking cakes for the following day and tackling the mountains of admin – and laundry.
Talking of which, when do you down tools?
I usually finish around 10pm, just in time for a last cuppa, just before the baby wakes up.