Local Produce in Wickham

Hampshire food from the Meon Valley and beyond

Wickham sits in the Meon Valley, an area with a long agricultural history and a continuing tradition of food and drink production. The village and its surrounding countryside produce a range of food and drink that reflects the quality of the Hampshire landscape.

Wickham Vineyard is the most visible local producer, growing grapes on the south-facing slopes near the village and producing a range of English wines. The vineyard has been established since the 1980s and produces whites, roses, and sparkling wines that have won awards in national competitions. Hampshire's growing reputation as a wine region owes something to pioneers like Wickham Vineyard.

The Meon Valley produces excellent farming produce. The chalk downland around the valley supports sheep farming, and Hampshire lamb is well regarded. Beef from local herds, pork from traditional breeds, and free-range eggs from smallholdings are all available through farm shops and farmers' markets in the area.

Hampshire watercress, grown in the chalk stream beds of the county's rivers, is one of the county's most distinctive products. The Meon itself is a chalk stream, and the landscape that produces the clear water is the same landscape that supports the agriculture.

The Flowerpots Brewery at Cheriton, a few miles up the valley, produces real ales that are sold at the Flowerpots Inn and at pubs across Hampshire. The brewery's beers are a genuine local product, made with water drawn from the Meon Valley chalk aquifer.

For Wickham residents who seek out local food and drink, the combination of the vineyard, nearby farm shops, local meat producers, and the wider Hampshire food scene provides real quality. The food miles are short, and the connection between the landscape and the plate is direct.