Leckford Estate Farm Shop (owned by Waitrose)

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Paul Hargreaves

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I was a little surprised to see that the lead story in the “Retail Farmer” magazine Autumn 2013 extolled the virtues of the Leckford Estate Farm Shop (which is, of course, Waitrose’s new farm shop in Hampshire) without offering a critique of how the impact of Waitrose opening farm shops might affect its members

After all Retail Farmer is published by FARMA, who are, despite many farm shops I have talked to not having heard of them, are the national association for farm shops and farmer’s markets. Most of the farm shop owners and managers I know, depending on location, see Waitrose very much as one of their main competitors within the fine food sector, so I know that farm shop owners reading this magazine would be more interested in the potential threat of Waitrose opening up farm shops than hearing about how wonderful the place is! It is rumoured that one of the owners that has, in effect, run FARMA for the committee of farm shop owners has been involved in consultancy for the Waitrose Farm Shop project.  Be that as it may, but let’s explore the case here of whether Waitrose, or the John Lewis Partnership, can run a genuine farm shop.

According to the article much of what goes on there would definitely fit the normal criterion of a farm shop:  growing their own produce, buying local products and set very much on the farm which owns it.  Many though would struggle with the concept of an £11 Billion company having a retail outlet within the domain of independent retail, and to be honest so am I!  So too perhaps the Commercial Manager, Andrew Lazenby, as when asked what Coca Cola and Heinz baked beans were doing on the shelves, he said, “ ..until a local producer pops up to make these or similar products to the same high quality, they will have a place in the farm shop”.  I almost spluttered on my gin & tonic!  Some news for Andy, there is a young entrepreneur based just down the road in Newbury making a range of baked beans products, On the Pulse – and the Fentiman’s Curiosity Cola is a far superior product from a UK company than Coca Cola.  (By the way my gin and tonic is also a Fentiman’s product!)

Mr Lazenby is adamant that Waitrose have no plans to roll out further farm shops.  He claims, “…this farm shop is absolutely a proper development for the Leckford Estate, and Waitrose does not own farms anywhere else.”  I and many others in the sector remain suspicious.  If this really was the case why would the whole Waitrose board turn out for the opening of this tiny shop, whose turnover will be lower than one of their smaller stores?  Possibly a bit of positive PR in the light of recent news that they are becoming much more like the other supermarkets in the way they deal with suppliers, or something more sinister?