COMMENTS MADE

• On Rainbow Vegetarian Café:

  Posted on 11th of July 2008

  My son is allergic to gluten and milk. He eats in the Rainbow Cafe with complete confidence despite the fact that he is extremely sensitive to even small amounts of cross-contamination. The menu is clearly marked so it is easy for him to know what dishes he can have - he can have a normal dining out experience.

• On McLauchlans of Boxted:

  Posted on 21st of June 2008

  They grow and sell Strawberries, Raspberries, Jam strawberries, Gooseberries, Dessert Gooseberries, Redcurrants, Blackcurrants, Broad Beans, Sweetcorn, Frozen Fruit. As well as Pick-Your-Own they sell the produce ready picked from the Farm Shop. Several varieties of strawberries and raspberries are available - including two varieties of superbly flavoured strawberries only available as Pick-your-Own as they do not travel well enough for supermarket selling. Local produce, including potatoes from a neighbouring village and cream from a Colchester Dairy, is also sold in the Farm Shop. The whole fruit farm is superbly signposted with information about all the varieties at the end of each field - as well as details of what is being grown on land which is currently being rested. There is a children's play area and a toilet at the rear of the farm shop. Smoking is not allowed on the farm and buckets of sand are provided in the car park to allow cigarettes to be extinguished safely.

• On McLauchlans:

  Posted on 7th of July 2006

  Growers of strawberries, raspberries, jam strawberries, gooseberries, dessert gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, broadbeans, sweetcorn. They do pick-your-own and also sell ready picked. In the farm shop they also sell frozen raspberries and strawberries out of season, potatoes from a neighbouring village and cream from a Colchester dairy. There is a lot of information up in the growing fields about the crops – including the crops they grow on areas being rested where they plant to encourage wildlife (including interplanting with sunflowers to feed the birds). During the picking season they send e-mails weekly to tell customers which variety is currently available. They do varieties not available in the shops which are superior in flavour etc. but which lack suitable shelf life for supermarkets.