Farm-fresh demand is fuelling customers
THE VENTURE WILL SELL MEAT, VEG AND FRESH MILK
A NEW farm shop has opened, offering fresh milk and other farm products.
Charnwood Forest Farm Shop, in Nanpantan, is now open and features a wide range of produce, including meat, cheese, bread and cakes, fruit and veg, jams and chutneys.
The shop has been launched by the Tomlinson family.
Five years ago, Deborah Tomlinson set up a milk bot on the farm, enabling customers to buy farmfresh raw milk from a self-service machine. This is still open, from 5am until 9pm every day.
According to daughter Evie, the idea for the new farm shop progressed from that.
Evie said: “We grew the business by adding eggs and yogurts and bread. Five years on, we had a huge demand from the customers for more products. We realised that we had outgrown the milk shed and there was definitely a spot for our new farm shop journey to begin.”
Evie added: “Unfortunately, many family-run dairy farms over the years have disappeared due to the dairy industry being a very hard industry to be in when you are getting very little for your product, but we wanted to have a future and we believe that milk must have a future in England.”
She spoke to her mum’s cousin, who is a builder, and got him involved in the farm shop project. Building started on March 8, and the shop opened on April 3.
Evie said: “It was hard work with a fast turn around but I was determined to open for Easter weekend.
“We have been overwhelmed with the support from all our regular customers and all the amazing new customers we have gained.
“It really has shown us that there still is a lot of people who back British food and care where their food has come from.”
The shop has a large selection of meat, supplied by family-run business 19
Gales, a variety of cheeses from Fowlers, and an antipasti counter with cooked meats, olives, hummus and more.
The dairy fridge is filled with a range of yoghurts, butter, cream and other local dairy products.
You can get an array of quality British fruit and vegetables, all plastic-free, and products from Hambleton’s Bakery, including bread, cakes and tarts – all of which have no additives or preservatives.
There’s a deli counter, featuring sausage rolls, Scotch eggs from Noni’s Family Kitchen, samosas from Samosa Wallah, and sweet treats including bob cakes, brownies and chocolate Scotch eggs.
Other products in the shop include cordials, natural honey, natural apple juice, crisps with compostable bags, popcorn and pork scratchings, sauces and locally-made jams and chutneys. Charnwood Forest Farm Shop on Charley Road, Nanpantan is open Monday to Friday from 10am until 6.30pm, Saturday from 8.30am until 6.30pm and Sunday from 10am until 4.30pm.
It really has shown us that there still is a lot of people who back British food and care where their food has come from.