Become Our Local Suppliers and Producers for Our Farm Shop Opening in Early 2027
A good farm shop starts long before the doors open. It starts in muddy fields, warm bakeries, dairies before sunrise, orchards in blossom, and kitchen tables where small producers perfect a recipe one batch at a time.
As we prepare to open our farm shop in early 2027, one of the most important jobs is building the right mix of local suppliers and producers. The shelves, chillers, baskets, and counters will only be as good as the people behind them. That is why we are taking our time, meeting makers properly, tasting carefully, asking questions, and getting to know the stories behind the food.
Our aim is simple: to create a farm shop that feels rooted in its area, supports good local businesses, and gives customers food and drink they can trust.
Why local supply matters to our farm shop
Local produce gives a farm shop its character. Anyone can fill shelves with the same products found elsewhere. We want ours to feel different from the moment customers walk in.
Working with local suppliers means we can offer food that reflects the seasons, the soil, and the skills of nearby producers. It also means shorter journeys for many products, clearer traceability, and better relationships with the people who grow, bake, rear, press, pickle, brew, and make what we sell.
There is another reason it matters. When a customer buys from a local farm shop, that money often stays closer to home. It supports family farms, small food businesses, independent makers, and rural jobs. It helps producers keep doing the work that gives an area its flavour.
For us, local is not a slogan. It is a practical promise. We want to know where products come from, how they are made, and why they deserve a place on our shelves.
What we are looking for
We are now shaping the final supplier list, and we will be sharing individual names as opening day gets closer. However, we still need more.
Fruit and vegetable growers
Fresh fruit and vegetables will be a key part of the farm shop. We are looking for growers who understand seasonality and harvest at the right time, rather than forcing produce to fit a fixed supermarket-style calendar.
That means spring greens when the weather allows, proper summer berries when they are at their best, orchard fruit in autumn, and sturdy roots and brassicas through the colder months.
The joy of local produce is that it changes. Some weeks there may be a glut of courgettes or plums. At other times, a crop may be limited because of weather. We want to celebrate that rhythm rather than hide it.
Dairy, eggs, and chilled produce
The chilled section will be built around quality and traceability. We are looking for local producers of milk, cream, butter, yoghurt, cheese, and free-range eggs, as well as makers of chilled savouries and ready-to-cook dishes.
For these products, consistency matters. So does trust. We want suppliers who care about animal welfare, food safety, handling, and flavour. A good cheese, a rich yoghurt, or a box of fresh eggs can become the reason someone comes back every week.
Bakers, millers, and sweet makers
Bread is one of the great farm shop staples. We want to work with bakers who make proper loaves, pastries, buns, cakes, and biscuits using skill rather than shortcuts.
Local baking brings a sense of warmth to a shop. The same is true of small-batch sweet makers, chocolatiers, jam makers, honey producers, and preserve makers. These are often the products people buy as treats, gifts, or weekend comforts.
We are especially interested in producers who make things by hand, work in small batches, and use ingredients with a clear origin wherever possible.
Butchers, livestock farmers, and prepared foods
Where meat and prepared foods are part of the offer, we want them to meet high standards. That means clear sourcing, responsible rearing, careful butchery, and honest labelling.
We are interested in working with farmers, butchers, pie makers, sausage makers, and prepared food producers who can explain exactly where their ingredients come from. Customers should not need to guess what they are buying.
The best local food counters are built on confidence. If someone asks about a cut of meat, a sausage flavour, or a pie filling, we want to be able to answer properly.
Drinks, pantry goods, and handmade extras
A strong farm shop is not only about fresh food. The pantry shelves matter too.
We are exploring local and regional suppliers of juices, cordials, ciders, beers, chutneys, oils, vinegars, sauces, cereals, flour, coffee, tea, and store cupboard staples. We are also considering a small selection of handmade non-food items where they fit naturally with the farm shop, such as candles, soaps, cards, ceramics, and garden goods.
The test will always be the same: does it feel right for the shop, and does it offer something customers will be pleased to take home?
If any of this sounds like you, please contact Kim or Anna on 01228792732 or email operations@netherbyhall.co.uk
How we choose our suppliers
Choosing suppliers is about more than liking a product. We are looking for long-term relationships with people who share our values.
Before a product reaches the shelves, we will be thinking about:
Quality
Does it taste good, look good, and hold up well for customers?
Traceability
Can we clearly explain where it comes from and who made it?
Reliability
Can the producer supply us in a way that works for both sides?
Seasonality
Does the product reflect the right time of year where relevant?
Care
Has thought gone into ingredients, welfare, production, packaging, and presentation?
Local fit
Does it add something meaningful to the farm shop?
We know small producers do not always work like large wholesalers, and that is part of the appeal. Some items may be available only in short runs. Some may change with the seasons. Some may sell out quickly. Rather than seeing that as a problem, we see it as part of what will make the shop feel alive.
What customers can expect when we open
When the farm shop opens in early 2027, customers can expect a carefully chosen range rather than an overcrowded one. We would rather stock fewer products that we truly believe in than fill every gap with items that do not fit.
The plan is to create a shop where every section has a purpose. Fresh produce should feel seasonal and inviting. The chilled counters should feel trusted and useful. The pantry shelves should be full of things people genuinely want to cook with, gift, or keep at home. Treats should feel worth it.
We also want customers to discover new favourites. That might be a chutney from a nearby kitchen, a cheese from a small dairy, a loaf from an independent baker, or eggs from a farm just down the road.
Over time, we hope the farm shop becomes a place where supplier stories are visible, not hidden. Customers should know when a product comes from a nearby field, a family-run business, or a maker who has spent years perfecting their craft.
We will be sharing more as opening day gets closer
There is still plenty to do before early 2027. Shelving, counters, signs, systems, stock planning, tastings, and supplier agreements all take time. But the heart of the shop is already taking shape through the people we are meeting.
In the months ahead, we will introduce our local suppliers and producers, share behind-the-scenes updates, and give a closer look at the products planned for opening.
A farm shop is built on good food, but it is also built on good relationships. We are proud to be starting with local growers, makers, farmers, bakers, and producers at the centre of the plan. When the doors open, we want every shelf to tell part of their story.
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