“Spreading our wings”

On The Farm with

Jimmy Doherty

Suffolk farmer and retailer

• “Attracting audiences”
• “Advice to my younger self”
• “Perks of partnership”
• “Life is good”
• “Exciting times”

Diversification has become a necessity within the farming industry, and at Jimmy’s Farm we are no different. At our very core is the working farm and everything that goes with it

However, over the years we have built the business to ensure that we can appeal to as many people as possible. There are risks associated with that of course; too many strings could be seen as diluting the offering, but we have distinct strands which we are working hard to keep fresh and the results of a year-long project have come to fruition. We now have a zoo licence!

This means so much to the farm in terms of potential, but also what we have gained so far in experience. Being granted a zoo licence is not a simple case of filling in a form, paying a fee and receiving a certificate – it’s a whole lot more! We have invested heavily in time, personnel and infrastructure, which in terms of sustainability bodes well for the future. We now have a full-time zoo-keeper and assistant, research programme with higher education establishments and, of course, new animals! Meerkats and wallabies have arrived and our butterfly house has been open – always a great draw! The day we were granted the licence and let them in to their enclosures was pretty special. The reaction we had from visitors over half term was fantastic, so it’s all very encouraging.

We’re heading in to the Christmas season and it’s so important to make sure that we’re able to reach as many customers, new and old, as possible and deliver on their expectations. We have recently revamped our online offering. Our new butchery website is a real representation of how beautiful our meat is. We want people to see what the products are and how they can be used. We want to inspire people to click the ‘buy’ button, and from that moment on make the buying experience simple but also deliver what people want.

The turkeys that we’re rearing right here on the farm can be pre-ordered for people’s Christmas dinner as well as all the butchery trimmings and delivered all over mainland UK; it’s quite a buzz to know we’re providing the main element of one of the most important meals that families will sit down to all year. We have regular orders from a customer in the USA who buys turkeys for her whole UK family. We really do live in a global economy now and everybody is part of it.

Commercially, life is very different from when we first started out and it’s all so exciting. We just need to make sure we are never complacent and are always prepared to move with the times. You never know what is around the corner.