Food Businesses Combine Skills

The bakery recently moved to a purpose built 1,200sq ft kitchen on the farm, which is nearly three times the size of its previous premises. The collaboration means the shop now has a daily supply of fresh, artisan bread, while the bakery has been provided with the means to significantly increase production.

“We’ve been selling bread from the company for a while, and one day just struck upon the idea of letting them bake from our farm. So far it has gone down incredibly well with our customers – we sell out of bread most days,” said Paul Castle, business manager at the store. Speciality products on offer include soda bread and sour dough, as well as breads made from foraged ingredients including potatoes, rosemary, nettles and dandelion.

“The owners, Duncan Glendinning and Patrick Ryan, are such young and energetic guys. They’re great to work with. It also helps that their production methods really fit in with our eco-friendly ethos, which is a very important factor for us,” he explains. 

Farrington’s Farm Shop sells vegetables from its own organic land, buys produce from local, sustainable sources and is dedicated to preserving the farm’s natural eco-system. Similarly, reducing its environmental impact is one of The Thoughtful Bread Company’s founding principles. The company has powered its fleet of vehicles with biodiesel since starting up, and re-uses or recycles as much waste product as possible.

“Supporting local producers is a big part of what we do and I would urge other shops to do the same if they have the space. We’re always on the look out for new companies to collaborate with, provided their ethical standpoint fits in with ours,” concluded Mr Castle.