Farm Shop Thrives As Customers Buy Local

Nikki Pollock, manager of the Ardross Farm Shop, commented, “We have definitely seen an increase in customers who want to buy locally and are shopping more regularly for fresh foods. It seems that in times of hardship, people are changing their buying and eating habits by reverting back to good old-fashioned home cooking, rather than opting to eat out or prepare lavish dishes at home.

“For the last three years we have run out of fillet steaks on the morning of delivery however during the last month or two it has been the cheaper cuts of mince/stew/briskets that are flying off the shelves.

“Obviously it is a time of worry right now for all retailers but I believe our sales have remained strong because of the local, farm fresh, factor. We grow all of our own vegetables and pick them fresh every morning giving the customer maximum shelf life and minimum food miles. It appears that even during times when our purse strings are stretched people are concerned about where their food has come from and how it is produced.”

Ardross Farm is run by farmer Rob Pollock. Previously the farm supplied the large supermarket chains however rising costs for fuel and the changing economic landscape began to seriously affect the farm business and as a result the family set up the Ardross Farm Shop in 2005. Originally it was created to provide a retail outlet for the farm selling their produce locally. However its commercial success has been such that Rob cancelled his contracts with the major distributors and now only supplies this business. Every product sold in the shop comes from the fields of Ardross Farm and from other farms and farm shops across the UK.

Sales at the farm shop are continuing to rise and plans are now in place to expand their premises in Spring 2009 in order to stock more produce and meet growing customer demand.