Lunch - OVER 4 VISITORS.

Please note: we will supply hot and cold drinks & light snacks throughout your studio photography session, but if you require lunch for your company, we suggest your order via this company in Northampton - The Bread and Butter Factory. They will deliver to our studio but please order by 10am the day before your shoot.

LOCAL PUBS

Earls Barton has two pubs: The Old Swan and The Stags Head. We recommend The Old Swan, which is located on the Square and serves great pub food - it's also dog friendly. We also have a Micro Brewery, called The Saxon Tavern, where you can buy local ales and pies from the butcher next door,

STAYING OVER?

Many of our customers book 2 and 3 day shoots at our studio, so you may require accommodation. A firm favourite is the Premier at Billing Aquadrome, which is just off the A45 expressway and only 3 miles from our Earls Barton studio. If you would prefer something a little different, then a number of our clients have stayed at the World's End Inn at Ecton or the Aviator Hotel at Sywell. If you would prefer to be based in Northampton town centre and within walking distance of the pubs and restaurants, then the new Premier in Swan Street could be ideal. If you are a regular customer with Travelodge, we are close to their Northampton hotel, so this could be ideal.

SOMEWHERE TO EAT in the evening?

To be perfectly honest, Northamptonshire isn't best known for eateries, so these recommendations are based on our own experience. If you are staying at the Premiere Inn at Billing, we can thoroughly recommend the Red Lion at Brafield, especially as it is located just 3 miles away. Two great pubs that are well known for their food are the Red Lion & Rose and Crown at Yardley Hastings, but do book before you go - they are very popular! To complete a trio of Red Lions, you might also consider The Red Lion at Denton (located between Brafield and Yardley). It's a small gastro pub, but the reviews are very favourable. If you are staying in Northampton, you might like to try the Church Restaurant and Les Olives is a great little Tapas bar.

WORTH A VISIT

Northampton may not be well known with foodies, but we certainly know how to make a pair of shoes and I would highly recommend a visit to The Barker Shoe Factory Shop. It's located just 5 minutes from our studio in Earls Barton and, during a lunch break we would be pleased to show you where it's located. Barker Shoes was founded by my Great, Great Grandfather back in 1880 and, before I took up photography, I worked at the factory learning all about shoemaking. The name 'Barker' is also associated with shoemaking - a "barker' was someone who stripped the bark from the oak trees that was used in the tanning process. In the middle ages, Northamptonshire had a wealth of Oak forests and cattle, so this is probably why we became the centre on shoemaking. If you would like to learn more about the shoemaking industry, Northampton has an excellent shoe museum and Earls Barton has it's own tribute to the industry located above Jeys on the village square. Finally, no visit to Earls Barton would be complete without a quick visit to our Saxon Church, which is over 1000 years old. It's just two minutes walk from the Barker shop, so you can easily see them both over lunch.

Another interesting venue is Beckworth Emporium just 3 miles up the road at Mears Ashby. Originally a garden centre, this is now Northamptonshire's very own Fortnum & Mason (OK, that is stretching it a bit) but the food hall is excellent and well worth a visit if you would like to take home some of Northamptonshire's finest produce.

FOOD SHOOT CUSTOMERS - DO YOU NEED ADDITIONAL ITEMS?

For fresh vegetables and fruit we recommend White's Nurseries on outskirts of Earls Barton near the A45. Their address is Whites Nurseries Ltd, Clay Lane, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire NN6 0EP. If you require other produce, then it's worth trying the Co-Op in Earls Barton - 12, High Street, Earls Barton, NN6 0JJ. Sainsburys in Wellingborough, 260 Northampton Road, Wellingborough, NN8 3GZ or Tesco, Victoria Park, Turnells Mill Lane, Wellingborough NN8 2EF. If you need Waitrose, it's a little further in Rushden: Waitrose, Crown Park, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 6AR