Emmett's Cafe

Met the owner at a Spanish food event about 20 years ago and bought oil and vinegars. Tootling away in the van one day we both wondered where we knew Peasenhall from. We then both yelled "EMMETTS" and stopped for supplies. The strawberry tree honey is still talked about. Now we stop whenever in the area. The date and lime chutney is wildly addictive and pairs with cheese and of course the wonderful beech smoked ham. The black bacon and ham is unique and had a taste of its own. Try getting the black streaky and wrapping around dried apricots or prunes (soak in brandy with star anise and chilli) for a winter treat. The oak honey is rich and a small amount added to yoghurt and granola adds a subtle sweetness.

Emmett's store, cafe and courtyard is marvellous place to visit. They have been running the cafe from 1820 which is nearly 200yrs. They have some excellent ham, bacon which are sourced locally and don't use any nitrates. They also have a great selection of Cheese and Olives. The store also have artisan chocolates, savoury products and biscuits. There is a garden cafe in the backyard to sit and enjoy their freshly prepared salads along with other items on the menu. If you visiting Peasenhall, a quaint little village, it is well worth a visit.

World class ham. The Suffolk Black is always well received by my family. 'The best ham in the world' is all they will say! Mark really knows his stuff and is always willing to give some delicious recipe suggestions with your purchase.

Whilst on the way to visit to a friend we thought it would be nice to pick up some local gifts as a thank you. We came across Emmett's store and it looked ideal with lots of lovely items. The welcome and the service was warm, which is not surprising considering the cost of the items. For example a small bag of chocolate almond clusters was £16.95! But by the time everything had been put through the till, resulting in a total of £51 for a few bags of sweets and two bottles of apple juice, it felt rude to start putting things back and time was not on our side and others were waiting to pay. In fairness the prices were displayed in small stickers attached to the bottom of the items but we had not seen these until we left the shop. As we drove away we joked about how we had happened on the most expensive shop in Suffolk and were prepared to put the experience behind us but on opening the packet 30 minutes later we discovered the chocolate almonds had been exposed to excessive heat and suffered from fat bloom (white discolouration), which was embarrassing after already having given them as a gift. Needless to say we will not be getting caught by this 'tourist trap' again although it is a shame not to support local businesses so we can only advise others to check the sticker prices very carefully before committing to the purchase. *Update* The owner of the store reached out to us and his response and resolution was excellent and we are most impressed with the customer service.

The cafe is closed (I last visited just pre Christmas 2021). The produce is excellent. Some unusual produce, including the black ham, which has a distinctly sharp flavour (possibly from long smoking). Earl grey ham had no discernible tea notes but was very tasty ham. Outstanding cornichons. Good salami/cure meats. Seems to stock the world’s biggest collection of glacee fruit. Prices are very high. I like to patronise this shop as it’s local and independent. But so is Fortnum & Mason’s. The prices are comparable.