Today’s the day when Marshall’s Farm Shop’s drive-thru on the A96 near Kintore finally opens to the public.
I reported on its announcement last week, but being the impatient person I am, I had to get in there to find out what would be on offer.
To join the drive-thru queue you’ll have to get off of the A96 and pull into the Marshall’s Farm Shop car park. From there, you’ll swing a left and follow the signs which will lead you around the back of the building, hugging it as you do so.
You’ll then arrive at the ordering point and a board outlining what’s on offer. To get the staff’s attention, press the buzzer on the ordering point. I didn’t do this and waited to see what happened, so be sure to press it.
When my boyfriend and I visited we didn’t have anyone in front of us, so drove straight ahead to the first window where we paid and received our food and drinks.
If it is busy, you’ll join the queue and for those with big orders you may be asked to veer into the waiting point which is at the end of the building on your left.
Once we received our food we pulled up in the car park to enjoy our meals. You can ask for cutlery, sauces and napkins at the window.
Marshall’s Farm Shop Drive-Thru
Double burger with cheese and chips
Served in a carboard box, the burger (£4), which we’d made a double (£2) and added cheese (5op) looked absolutely delicious.
You couldn’t help but noticed the melted cheddar dripping down the sides of the smash-like patties, albeit they were a bit bigger than traditional smash patties.
There was plenty eating in it and the beef was cooked really well and was lovely and juicy. It is also nice to know it is their own beef burgers you’re getting.
The only bug bear I had was the roll as it was floury. While it held everything together the flour did get everywhere, thus resulting in a bit of a mess in the car.
The hand cut homemade chips I added (£2) were full of nostalgia for me as they were just like how my mum used to make them in the deep fat fryer.
Skin-on and cooked well until they were a deep golden colour, some were crunchy and crisp while others were long and floppy.
Top tip: It’s worth getting a double patty.
Stovies
Nothing screams a traditional Scottish dish quite like stovies (£5). But have I ever had them at a drive-thru? Not until now.
When we got to the ordering point we were asked if we wanted regular or gluten-free oatcakes – a nice touch I thought. At the window beetroot slices were offered (for no additional charge) to which we said yes to.
The stovies themselves were served in a big rectangular cardboard box. The mix was super chucky with large pieces of boiled tattie in it as well as plenty thick pieces of shredded beef.
It was a little dry in places, but the flavour was really good and there was also long strands of thin onion throughout which I loved.
The four piece of beetroot weren’t too overpowering and added a different colour and texture to the mix. I tried to use the three large oatcakes as a utensil to scoop the stovies out but returned quickly to the wooden fork when that failed.
Farmers piece box
The farmers piece box (£6.50) came with a variety of deli items, cold meats, cheese, chutney and oatcakes.
There was a quarter of homemade Scotch egg, a piece big piece of sausage roll and a slice of cheese and tomato quiche.
Salad featured too – with chopped red, green and yellow peppers plus lettuce – and the two varieties of cold meats were beef and ham.
Three sticks of cheddar cheese were also included and the red onion chutney was absolutely fantastic. This really elevated the oatcakes and cheese offering and made me feel like I was having a much healthier lunch than the burger as it was fresh and full of colour.
I think the savouries will change regularly with whatever is in the cabinets in the shop, so these may vary visit to visit.
The verdict
I absolutely love this concept. The fact this is the first independently run drive-thru that showcases quality local produce is located in the north-east is huge for the area.
Our businesses are leading the way in innovation and pushing boundaries that only chain restaurants have done before, and to see a farm shop step into this area says a lot for the farming sector, too.
The food was of a great quality and I didn’t raise my eyebrows at the prices, which is always a good thing. While it isn’t cheap, it isn’t extortionate either and they’ve found a good balance, especially with the quality of the produce.
I especially thought the burger and chips was great value and a nice alternative to a chain drive-thru where you’d likely spend similar. The stovies and farmers piece box offer different options to usual drive-thru menus and the breakfast offering sounds just as tasty too.
Information
Address: Boghead Farm, A96, Kintore, Inverurie, AB51 0XD
T: 01224 790493
Price: £24 for the three dishes plus two Diet Coke’s
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