Holiday Parks Management | February 2019

Holiday Parks

Management FREERANGE tHe title for tHe rural tourism entrePreneur incorporating

february 2019 • Issue 37

The Magazine for farM Shop BuSineSS and aTTracTionS

DIVERSIFICATION:

Church Farm Ardeley

WATERSIDE

Bodmin’s Sustainable

Holiday Resort www.HolidayParksmanagement.com issue 27 l June 2017 www.freerangemagazine.com

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Hello

and welcome to At the end of last year, I was honoured to be asked to be a judge for the respected Rural Business Awards. I looked in depth at fantastic businesses from all over the countryside, producing all manner of amazing foods, drinks and other products. They all had something in common - because of their remote locations, they soon found that they needed to create a visitor centre, a cafe to allow people to have refreshments and a shop - in order to sell their own products on site. In fact, one company pointed out they made 70% more profit on products that they sold in their own shop as opposed to through other retail channels. On top of that - all of these businesses had to try even harder than those on the high street to attract people via the internet. When people have to travel for 30 minutes or more to reach you - then you need to make sure there are things for the kids to do and create a ‘destination’.

Holiday Parks

Management This is what many rural businesses are now doing so the gap between ‘Farm Attractions’ and Holiday Parks - which are themselves rural businesses often with their own retail outlets - is narrowing all the time.

So we made the decision to widen the remit of Holiday Parks Management to include Farm Businesses and Attractions - to look more closely at retail and catering and at outdoor kids attractions which are to the benefit of all. Thanks also to David Robinson of World of Rides who gave me the inspiration.

Steph Editor

What’s in this issue?

04 news 15 Focus: Waterside Eco Holiday Park, Cornwall

19 VAT On Caravan and Lodge Sales 21 Landscaping and Grounds 23 New Products 25 SPATEX report 26 Free Range: News 33 EAG Report 36 Outdoor Play 37 Focus: Church Farm Ardeley Published by: Upgrade Publishing Ltd. t: 07887 928819. Registered Business: 47 Oliver Close, London, W4 3RL Other Publications: International Glamping Business - www.glampingbusiness.com Publisher: Upgrade Publishing Ltd. Steph Curtis-Raleigh e: steph@upgradepublishing.com Editor: Steph Curtis-Raleigh t: 07887 928819 e: steph@upgradepublishing.com Reporter: William Rusbridge Sales: Kathryn Kelly t: + 44 (0) 7575 408580 e: kath@upgradepublishing.com Design: Dean Coulter, Design on Tap www.designontap.co.uk www.holididayparksmanagement.com Other Events: The Glamping Show - www.glampingshow.com © Upgrade Publishing 2018. No part of this publication may be reproduced nor stored in a retrieval system by any means without the prior permission of the publisher.

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parkNews Park Leisure To Embark on Seven-Figure Refurbishment A Yorkshire Holiday Park operator is to refurbish its two holiday parks with the support of a seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK.

Park Leisure Marketing, which is headquartered in Hornsea, operates the Beachcomber Holiday Park & Entertainment Centre in Cleethorpes and Longbeach Leisure Park in Hornsea. With HSBC UK’s financial backing, the business is redeveloping Beachcomber’s 200-seat Sports Bar & Restaurant, known as Bucket’s, and updating general facilities and accommodation across both its parks.

Once completed, the redevelopment will create 12 new jobs and increase turnover by 20 per cent over the next 12 months.

Richard Varley, Director of Park Leisure Marketing, said: “Since starting the business in 1991 we have always looked at new ways to improve our Holiday Parks. Beachcomber and Longbeach offer fantastic accommodation and entertainment facilities for holidaymakers across the UK, as demonstrated by our upcoming event with boxing superstar Tyson Fury in Cleethorpes.

With the backing of HSBC UK, we’re looking forward to welcoming regulars and new faces alike for many more years to come.”

Parks welcome new board member with investment agenda Park Holidays UK has signalled another year of major investment in its parks by announcing the appointment of Richard Ullman to the group's main board of directors.

Since joining Park Holidays UK six years ago, Richard has led the company's capital expenditure programme across its portfolio of 30 parks in southern England.

Last year alone, the group invested £28 million in a raft of upgrade projects from the building of new clubs and leisure facilities to the expansion of its holiday home rental fleet.

Richard, who now takes the title of Chief Operating Officer, says he will continue driving the programme forward with the emphasis on the development of customerfacing facilities: "Our aim has always been to continually raise the bar on both the quantity and the

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quality of what our parks provide to guests and holiday home owners," said Richard.

East Sussex, and in high season employs some 1,600 full and part-time staff.

"Much of our business is generated by repeat sales and personal recommendations - and we achieve this by delivering experiences which people know can't be replicated elsewhere.

Prior to joining Park Holidays UK, Richard spent five years as divisional director of Enterprise Inns plc, Britain's largest pub company with around 5,000 properties.

"For that reason, our board is committed to a policy of escalating investment in new facilities both at our long-held parks and at those we have taken on through acquisition," added Richard.

Formed just over 25 years ago, Park Holidays UK has its headquarters in Bexhill-on-Sea in

Richard, aged 45, and his wife Fiona are residents of Tring in Hertfordshire where Richard also manages the local football and cricket teams in which the couple's two children play.

There is more information about the company on its website at www.ParkHolidays.com

parkNews CPES LAUNCHES SIMPLE-TO-USE contactless card payment meters New to the CPES product portfolio – a din rail mounted RFID card meter, the world’s first four-module MID Approved RFID card meter.

Traditional card meters had a slot that a paper card had to be inserted into for credit transfer. The paper cards caused problems if they got damp or dirt on the cards prior to insertion into the meter.

Security is also an issue as there are numerous sources for the cards if the code for the meter is known.

With RFID, the card is simply held over the reader embedded into the meter, just as you would use any contactless card.

The current rating of the meter is 63A therefore the meter can be utilised for any touring, holiday home or lodge development.

Used in conjunction with the CPES Alpha software, a card reader and re-usable plastic cards, this is a simple yet versatile way of ensuring payment for electricity prior to consumption.

Hoburne acquires eighth park and launches new “Hideaway lodge” accommodation In a move to strengthen its leisure proposition to holiday makers and holiday home owners, the Hoburne Group has acquired a new holiday park on the edge of Bodmin in Cornwall, which will boast a new range of bespoke luxurious Hideaway lodges. The first phase of this ‘exciting’ acquisition will launch in February 2019.

As one of the leading family-run holiday park operators, established in 1912, Hoburne is an expert in providing UK holiday breaks and holiday home ownership already owning seven holiday parks across the most picturesque counties in Great Britain,

Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and the Cotswolds. Hoburne acquired the new 17-acre site in the village of St Mabyn for its eighth park.

With a primary focus on holiday home ownership, the new development at Hoburne St Mabyn will house “Hideaway” lodges and aims to create an idyllic lodge escape for owners and holiday makers, enabling them to relax and unwind in an environment which offers a tranquil quiet space without the busier traditional park facilities and can be used as a base from which to explore the local area.

The first phase of the new “Hideaway” lodges development will officially open in February 2019. This includes 25 plots, 17 of which are available for ownership and eight for holidays, as well as a lodge reception for two full-time park management personnel.

Hoburne has partnered with Pathfinder Homes to design and develop modern, wellappointed luxury lodges all of which will have the provision for hot tubs built into the private landscaped recreational space. The lodges will be in a choice of three interior design themes - country, coastal and New York loft style. Each home will be built to make the most of the outdoors with a centre lounge living area framed by large glass windows overlooking an external space for entertaining.

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parkNews Cosgrove Leisure Parks UK acquire Shurland Dale Holiday Park and Ashcroft Coast Holiday Park

Financial director celebrates 25 years’ service to Salop Leisure The financial director of an award-winning Shropshire and Mid Wales leisure company is celebrating 25 years’ service to the business.

Stephen Higgins joined Salop Leisure on December 1, 1993, when it was known as Salop Caravans, having previously served the company for four years as an external auditor employed by Whittingham Riddell in Shrewsbury.

During his time at Salop Leisure, the company moved its Shrewsbury headquarters from Meole Brace to state-of-the-art premises at Emstrey in 2006, which provided the springboard for major expansion and diversification.

Today, the company has satellite sales centres in Machynlleth and Stourport-on-Severn and owns nine caravan parks, the Love2Stay resort and Love Plants specialist plants centre.

Stephen, who will be retiring next March, began his career with Whittingham Riddell in 1972 and worked for the company for 22 years before moving to Salop Leisure.

As of the 6th December 2018 Cosgrove Leisure Parks UK have purchased and taken over ownership of Shurland Dale and Ashcroft Coast holiday parks, two of the biggest holiday parks in Sheerness. They are delighted to be expanding their brand across Sheerness and the rest of Kent.

Cosgrove Leisure Parks UK have invested in Sheerness holiday parks in the past and seen great success in their ventures. Using tried and tested methods, they expect to achieve a similar level of success on their two newly purchased parks.

“We have a great long history if investing in and developing the holiday parks we acquire and we’re excited about our plans for improving Shurland Dale and Ashcroft Coast,” said Paddy Cosgrove, CEO. “We hope that by investing in these parks and applying our holiday park expertise we can draw holiday makers to the area drive tourism,” said Andy Johnstone, Operations Manager.

Cosgrove Leisure Parks UK would like to invite any and all readers to visit any of their five holiday parks to find out more about the exciting growth plans.

Working alongside Tony Bywater, Salop Leisure’s chairman, he has contributed to significant business growth - turnover has increased from £5 million to around £40 million and staffing has risen from 60 to 300.

“I have the utmost admiration for Tony who still has the vision and passion to drive the business forward,” said Stephen. “He was the litmus paper that ignited my enthusiasm to take the business forward on a financial front and he remains an inspiration to the accounts team.

“I have especially enjoyed seeing the development of our young accounts team who have so much knowledge of the business and the caravan industry.

“It has been challenging at times, but it has led ultimately to my wife, Kate and I becoming the joint owners of Foggy Bottom Holiday Home Park at Churchstoke, which is managed by our son, Scott.”

Stephen was joined at Salop Leisure, at different times, by his three children, Amy, Emma and Scott, who went on to become sales and marketing manager.

Mr Bywater said: “Stephen has played a major part in the progress the company has made over the last 25 years.”

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parkNews Tingdene Donates to British Heart Foundation & Animals in Need Work is set to be completed in the middle of February with a public Open Day on the 23rd February launching the new and improved Visitor Centre and the 2019 range of residential park homes and holiday lodges.

Refurbishment of the Tingdene Visitor Centre began in the latter part of last year. The Centre has had a similar layout and design since it opened its door back in 1984, making this project an exciting step in the future of Tingdene. The new layout promises to provide increased accessibility to all homes via a ramp and raised platform. A new seating area and café have been provided for customers as well as new interior and exterior design displays housing hundreds of samples to view.

In the lead up to Tingdene starting refurbishment work on their exhibition centre, a clear-out was required to make space for the new showroom layout and the new homes and lodges which would be on display. The Tingdene team decided to hold an in-house desktop sale to raise money for charity selling off unused soft furnishings and props which were formally used for Tingdene’s show homes.

Staff at Tingdene were asked to look at ex

stock which was no longer re-usable and make a small donation on anything they wanted to go towards The British Heart Foundation and local charity, Animals in Need. A total of £60 was raised for The British Heart Foundation along with furniture, lamps and home accessories which were collected from Tingdene by the Charity.

Animals in Need received a cheque for £135 which was hand delivered by two staff members from Tingdene. Bags of towels, soft bedding, food and biscuits were donated to the animal shelter to help contribute during the winter months. The charity was incredibly grateful for Tingdene's kind generosity and shared the news on their own Facebook page.

Hendra raises a record-breaking amount for charity Hendra Holiday Park, in Newquay Cornwall, handed over £13,398 to Macmillan Cancer Support last month, the proceeds from fundraising at the Park throughout the year.

Janine Hyatt, Director, said: “We chose MacMillan as we want to help them continue their very important work of supporting people through cancer. This is the largest amount we have raised and is certainly the result of the hard work of Hendra team members. Our guests opted into making a donation with their accommodation booking, took part in fundraising activities and dropped cash into charity tins on the park, and we are grateful for their support.”

your job, even your ability to pay the bills.

But life with cancer is still life.

trying to find their best way through cancer with Macmillan’s support.”

“We want to help everyone with cancer find their best way through, from the moment of diagnosis, so they’re able to live life as fully as they can. That’s why this money is so vital to us and will make a real difference to those

Image attached. From left: Hendra Director Jon Hyatt, Park Manager Chris North, Directors, Bob and Janine Hyatt, Will Dexter, Emma Wright for Macmillan, and Director Rebecca May.

Emma Wright, Senior Fundraising Manager said, “We would like to say a huge thank you to Hendra Holiday Park and all of their guests for raising such an amazing amount of money for Macmillan Cancer Support. The number of people with cancer continues to rise, and increasingly, people are living much longer with and after cancer. While cancer is not always life ending, it is nearly always life changing. The support available is not always good enough: if we are struggling to meet demand now, how will we cope with increased demand in the future? Being told ‘you have cancer’ can affect so much more than your health – it can affect your family,

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parkNews Holiday park managers head to InterFun Expo, Leeds for inspiration On April 30 and May 1, 2019, family holiday park managers will converge in Leeds for the InterFun Expo, a brand new event that will showcase all the latest products and trends in the world of indoor and outdoor play, amusements and adventure sports.

Holiday park managers will find inspiration and innovation to help attract families to

their locations and keep their parks ahead of the curve. In addition to a product showcase there will be a series of free seminars.

The InterFun Expo takes place at the New Dock Hall, Armouries Square, Armouries Drive, Leeds, on April 30 and May 1,2019

The UK’s staycation trend tipped to continue in 2019 thanks to a glamping boom

It’s very easy to reach and free to attend.

Register now at www.interfunexpo.com/register

looks like 2019 will be another positive year, partly driven by an increased popularity in glamping.

“At Whitemead we have invested in new glamping pods to meet demand and also added new activities such as zorbing and water scooters.”

The trend to stay ‘home’ for a family holiday was recently confirmed by VisitEngland.

Results released in October 2018 showed more than half of accommodation providers said their bookings would be up on 2017 while domestic holiday trips in the first half of the year, before the summer boom, were the highest for more than nine years at 16.2 million.[1]

Whitemead Forest Park in Forest of Dean reports increase in occupancy levels A self-catering family holiday resort in the Forest of Dean is predicting 2019 will be another bumper year for staycations after reporting increased bookings.

The trend for holidaying in the UK took off in 2018 thanks to a range of influences – from a summer heatwave to nervousness over Brexit and a poor exchange rate for the pound.

Now Whitemead Forest Park, owned by Boundless, has released figures which show the phenomenon is boosting tourism not just in coastal resorts but also in countryside locations.

The figures show:

The stats from 2017 showed Brits are taking almost six million more short-breaks in England than they were a decade ago – and the overall figures for 2018 are expected to show another rise.

Over the past five years Whitemead has seen an increase in room nights across all units by 5,000.

“These are encouraging statistics and we certainly feel the market for self-catering family breaks is strong,” added Mandy.

Glamping has seen an 8 per cent increase in occupancy levels in 2018 compared to 2017

“There’s no doubt that a summer heatwave helped in 2018 but the wonderful thing about a forest or countryside break is that whether it’s a summer visit, a magical autumn getaway or a cosy winter stay the woodland setting makes it a special holiday regardless.”

Mandy Watkins, General Manager at Whitemead Forest Park said: “When you read stories about an increase in staycations the reports often focus on seaside destinations and coastal resorts, such as Cornwall or Bournemouth.

“We’re finding the demand for forest parks and countryside resorts is on the up too. It

In addition to glamping pods, Whitemead also offers cabins, lodges and apartments for up to eight people as well as kids’ activities on site and free live evening entertainment

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From Bronze Age

to New Age

by william rusbridge

waterside cornwall can be found just outside bodmin in the centre of the county of cornwall. Peregrine mears architects and waterside cornwall have been working together since early 2017 developing proposals for the site to create a sustainable holiday resort.

The re-development of Waterside Cornwall represents a large step forward for tourism in the south west of England, promising not just a large holiday resort, but an incredibly ambitious project with sustainability in mind, that promises to celebrate the area that it is set in. The vision behind the proposals is of a resort that highlights the natural beauty of the area, whilst also commemorating the history and heritage of the people who live there. Work towards these proposals has included consultations with planners, current Waterside Cornwall staff and building users and the local community. The vision for the re-development includes 118 new eco-lodges set over 100 acres of land, with each group of lodges adopting different characters dependent upon their setting; lakeside and treetop for example.

A host of leisure and fitness buildings are also planned, including a 25-metre swimming pool, an indoor climbing centre, outdoor tennis courts, sports pitch and a gym and fitness studio. Also included in the proposals is a boutique hotel with a spa and wellness centre, enhanced restaurant and wedding and conference facilities. As of 2019, full planning approval for the re-development of Waterside Cornwall has been granted.

Holiday and Farm Parks Management asked Peregrine Mears, Practice Director of Peregrine Mears Architects what the timescale for the project will be, “I think it will be built out in a series of phases, probably over the next four to five years. At the moment we’re looking at potentially six phases. The first one to put in the central facilities, things like the swimming pool, sports hall, climbing barn and the leisure and fitness suites, the all-weather attractions to enhance what the resort currently provides.

After that we then imagine the lodges will be built out in a series of probably four smaller phases with the hotel and spa being the final phase.”

Planning permission for the re-development of Waterside Cornwall was granted at the end of 2018 and when asked about when development would begin and what the budget for the project was, Peregrine said, “We’re anticipating it could be as early as the latter part of this year. At the moment the

approximate cost estimate is coming out at about £30 million.”

The vision for Waterside Cornwall is to create a sustainable holiday resort, when asked how sustainability effected the design of such a large site and it’s construction, Peregrine explained, “There are obvious things that we can do by using the orientation and siting of the lodges and there’s a lot to gain by positioning in terms of sun path so that the properties have a bright sunny outlook. Also, we can use off-site construction to get a very high thermal performance for the envelope of all the new buildings so there’ll be a very low energy demand required of them. We will look at sourcing materials responsibly and sustainably as well.”

Peregrine also noted that the large size of the site has actually opened up a lot of possibilities when it comes to sustainability, “Because of the scale of the resort we’re able to look at alternative energy sources, so at the moment it has been proposed to use ground source heat pumps for heating the lodges. This is something the scale of the project allows for, whereas it might not be possible for smaller projects. There are also things like grey water recycling and careful water management, so it’s partly in the management but also in the design and construction of the units to make them as energy efficient as possible.”

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118 new eco-lodges are to be built in groups across the 100-acre site with various sizes available. Asked about the specification of the lodges, Peregrine said, “There’s a range of sizes, we’ve got ten of what we are calling short-stay lodges which are one-bedroom units for people who are staying one or two nights. Then there’s a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom lodges of different designs.”

The lodges will be built in smaller groups across the site, each group designed to fit in with the setting in which it is placed.

Discussing the lodge’s characters and how they’ll add to their immediate environment, Peregrine said, “We’ve got eight premium lodges that are right on the water’s edge with a very contemporary design, so the idea’s

that they will project out partly over the lake so you can sit on your terrace or potentially your hot tub at water level looking out over the lake.

the different lodges rather than everything being completely uniform, we’re trying to draw out different features that the site has to create a sense of character in each zone.”

“We’ve then got a series of lodges based around what we are calling a village green, where they’re grouped in a circular plan form which replicates some of the bronze age settlements that West Cornwall is known for in archaeological times. Then there are what we are calling the tree-top lodges, not quite treehouses but lodges that are taking advantage of a hillside, a sloping location, so you come in at the back of the higher level and then as you walk through the lodge you’re almost at tree canopy level at the front giving a different sensation. The idea is that we’ve got five distinct areas or characters for

The boutique hotel and spa is a particularly exciting part of development. Currently, an existing house, the re-development of Waterside Cornwall will see it converted into the boutique hotel with an extension forming the spa and wellness centre. Talking about the role that the hotel and spa will play in the overall atmosphere of the resort, Peregrine explained, “The hotel will be the redevelopment of what’s called the manor house at the moment, it’s currently an eleven-bedroom big house that people rent out. Our proposal is to extend that to create a boutique spa which will face one of the

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and ecology. It’s all part of the story that the site has to tell you and it’s more than just the physical things, like what you see, but trying to understand the history behind it and allow some of that to come through in the finished scheme.”

The ecology of the local area also played an integral part of the design development. The proposals for the redevelopment include a number of landscape enhancements, one of which is the introduction of nature trails with wildlife hides and ecological habitat creation. smaller lakes. So, the hotel/spa complex will be slightly set apart from everything else. It will be a quieter aspect of the site. The idea is that people who are staying in the lodges can go down and have a spa day while they’re there, or you might come and stay for a night or two in the hotel itself.”

Situated in the countryside to the west of Bodmin in Cornwall, the landscape that the site sits in has played a large part in the overall design. Holiday and Farm Parks Management asked Peregrine how he made the most of the Cornwall landscape during the design process, “Part of our research for the site was to look at ancient land use, field patterns to see how the land had changed and try to get a real steer for what the site was telling us in terms of geology, geography

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Discussing the impact that the local ecology has had, Peregrine mentioned, “One of the first constraints that we faced was that the western end of the site was a SSSI (a site of special scientific interest) a sort of boggy wetland area on the top of Bodmin Moor. But we chose to interpret that as a positive and rather than say that we can’t build in there, we thought about what we can do to open up that area to people staying on the site.

“So, working closely with the ecologist for the project, we proposed a boardwalk that goes into this wet woodland area possibly with interpretation boards and maybe even hides and cameras set up so the guests can immerse themselves in the nature of the site and get more out of what the site has to offer.

Rather than just using it as a place to travel

off here, there and everywhere it’s a chance to get down and close to the natural world and to understand ecology and use that as an educational resource.”

It’s clear that the history and heritage of Cornwall have played a big part in the design of the resort re-development and are being represented in a number of ways, from the placement and design of the lodges to enhance the beauty of the site to the landscaping proposals that have been put forth.

Asked about how important it was to create not just a holiday resort in Cornwall, but a holiday resort for Cornwall, Peregrine replied, “That’s reflected in some of the landscaping proposals which include an arboretum, nature trails, natural sculpture areas, an avenue of gold with trees with golden leaves highlighting the mining heritage of the area.

We’re trying to celebrate everything that Cornwall has, and that particular part of Cornwall, across the site so it’s much more of an experience for people staying there.”

For more information about Waterside Cornwall please visit https://www.watersidecornwall.com/.

For details about Peregrine Mears Architects please visit https://www.mearsarchitects.com/.

VAT on caravan and lodge sales: is tHere poteNtiAl for sAviNgs? from a Vat perspective, operating a residential or holiday park is often a complex undertaking, and many questions we receive from our clients in the sector follow similar themes. often these questions are “compliance-led” in nature, with clients looking to ensure that they are adopting a stance which is consistent with Hmrc’s. alongside these more traditional areas of focus, there are also a number of lesserknown but potentially lucrative options for increasing margins or securing cash refunds. these areas of focus can achieve value, whilst remaining compliant with Vat law, and also factor in that Hmrc’s published guidance is only its interpretation of established legislation.

From a VAT perspective, operating a residential or holiday park is often a complex undertaking, and many questions we receive from our clients in the sector follow similar themes. Often these questions are “compliance-led” in nature, with clients looking to ensure that they are adopting a stance which is consistent with HMRC’s.

Alongside these more traditional areas of focus, there are also a number of lesserknown but potentially lucrative options for increasing margins or securing cash refunds.

These areas of focus can achieve value, whilst remaining compliant with VAT law, and also factor in that HMRC’s published guidance is only its interpretation of established legislation.

This article briefly explores one of the most valuable areas of focus for operators in our experience, which can lead to substantial retrospective refunds and future efficiencies where the fact pattern is conducive and appropriate advice is sought.

Caravan and Lodge sales – the starting point As with many things in the VAT regime, few things are simple, and selling caravans and lodges is no exception! Depending on a number of different factors, the sale of a new caravan or lodge may take one of three different VAT liabilities – namely: subject to VAT at the standard rate (20%), the reduced rate (5%) or the zero rate (0%).

A “small” caravan (that is, one not exceeding either 7 metres in length or 2.55 metres in width) is subject to VAT at the standard rate.

A structure which exceeds either of these dimensions - but is not manufactured to British Standard 3632:2005 - is subject to

VAT at the reduced rate of 5%. One which exceeds the either of these dimensions, and is manufactured to BS3632:2005, can be zero-rated.

The second hand sale of a caravan may only be zero rated if it: exceeds 7 metres in length or 2.55 metres in width; was occupied before 6 April 2013, and meets BS3632:2005 For completeness, BS3632:2005 specifies design and construction requirements for an ex-works residential park home which is suitable for year-round occupation and can be used as a permanent place of residence.

Removable Contents – Potential Opportunity Whilst the VAT liability of the supply of the “structure” of a caravan or lodge is as outlined above, and whilst any goods supplied as part of this structure which would ordinarily be incorporated into a new dwelling assume the liability of the structure, the same cannot be said for the “removable contents” sold with the caravan. Removable contents include (but are not limited to) free standing furniture, tables, chairs, carpets, washing machines and so on.

Removable contents are always subject to VAT at the standard rate, irrespective of the liability of the structure of the caravan, and therefore must be valued in order to declare an appropriate amount of VAT on the sale.

Crucially, this valuation can be made in any way which is ‘fair and reasonable’ and – provided it can be shown to be reasonable – does not need to conform to HMRC’s prescribed view.

HMRC’s ‘suggested’ methodology is to treat removable contents on the sale of a caravan

or lodge, as representing the same proportion of the selling price as they did on purchase. Whilst this may appear reasonable, from experience this often results in VAT being declared far above what is appropriate.

Take, for example, two lodges, of the same make and model, with the same removable contents. Both are purchased for the same price from the manufacturer, yet one is sold on a park (for example purposes only) overlooking a lake in the Lake District, and one is sold at an objectively less desirable location. The first lodge could sell for £500,000 and the second for £100,000, and using non-bespoke methodology, VAT would be declared on removable contents at a value five times higher on one sale than the other.

Whilst this conforms to HMRC’s approach, it is clearly not equitable for the dealer, as it cannot feasibly be argued that the contents themselves increase in value depending on location or the structure selling price.

In our experience, there are many savings opportunities to be had in approaching the VAT on removable contents in a more bespoke way as opposed to suggested methodology which does not reflect the true economic reality of the sale.

If you require any assistance on this or any other VAT matter, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Alex Nicholson is VAT Director at Armstrong Watson LLP and specialises in advising the tourism, hospitality and leisure sector. He can be reached on 07718 479 724

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Landscaping News Housing association Karbon Homes is responsible for the management and maintenance of almost 30,000 properties, making it one of the largest organisations of its kind in the North East and Yorkshire.

As part of a business partnership with the Byker Community Trust (BCT), Karbon Homes provide BCT with a dedicated Grounds Maintenance Team, responsible for the upkeep of the Grade II* Listed Byker Estate. Helping Grounds Maintenance Officer Dan Thompson and his team of five with the woodland maintenance is a QuadChip 160 from GreenMech.

The summer sees the majority of the Byker team’s time taken up with grass cutting but in the winter the maintenance programme switches over to include leaf clearance, tree work and shrub maintenance. “As well as over 2,500 trees, there are lots of hedgerows and open spaces that all require upkeep” explains Dan, who has been with Karbon Homes for two and a half years. “As the estate was constructed in the 1970’s, it’s quite complex in nature with tight spaces in which to manoeuvre any equipment we purchase.”

GreenMech QuadChip lightens the workload for North East Housing Association “My manager suggested we looked at the QuadChip because of its turntable, giving the operator discretion over the direction of the chip and improving manoeuvrability and safety. Peter Bagguley from GreenMech came in to do the demo and there were a number of factors that confirmed it was going to be the right machine for the estate. Firstly, and importantly, it’s under 750kg meaning all the guys can tow and operate it without an additional licence. The hopper is a generous size meaning it can handle larger timber than similar models, and it was also quieter than other chippers we’ve used which is great for

working earlier in urban areas.” Following the successful demonstration, Dan took delivery of his GreenMech QuadChip 160 in March 2018, from their local dealer Lloyd Ltd. Prior to its purchase, Dan and the team were borrowing a chipper from another Karbon Grounds Maintenance Team. “Having our own machine means it’s there and ready for any response jobs through the summer, and then in use daily for all of the winter maintenance.

My team really have their work cut out and having the QuadChip has made the busy winter period that much easier.”

Lakes park set for wildlife boom as beeches get the boot Red squirrels will be among the wildlife raising a cheer as a massive beech tree extraction project gets underway in a forest near Ambleside this winter.

Scene of the full-on felling exercise are the 130-acres grounds of Skelwith Fold caravan park where too many beeches are blighting the lives of woodland creatures.

Working in co-operation with the Forestry Commission, the park's Henry Wild says that their reprieve will be taking place over the coming months.

The problem, says Henry, is that the dense canopy of the beech tree casts a dark shadow on the forest floor and produces a dense carpet of fallen leaves and seed husks.

This prevents most other woodland plants from growing – many of them the type of species which can provide food and habitats for a wealth of wildlife.

But according to Henry, the extracted trees – some more than a century old – will be embarking on a new afterlife once they have

been removed from the woodlands.

That's because the park will be up-cycling the timber for a wide range of practical purposes including planters, fencing, construction and the crafting of furniture using traditional carpentry skills.

Many of the tables, chairs and other items will find a new home in some of the recently renovated holiday properties on the park.

"It will give our bio-diversity a fantastic boost, and our ground team is looking forward to the challenge of seeing how many ways the beech timber can be given a new lease of life," added Henry.

The felling has coincided with Skelwith Fold's winter wildlife feeding programme which helps its red squirrels maintain their energy levels in the colder months.

Henry intends to find a good use for virtually every last splinter. Even smaller branches will be put to work in compost piles as habitats for beneficial insects, and the chippings used as mulch.

"It might seem a bit incongruous to go about felling trees as a way of giving nature a helping hand, but in this instance that's exactly what the outcome will be," he said.

"Once the beech trees have been removed, we should see the forest floor begin to bristle with many new plants including shrubs, wild flowers and hardwood saplings.

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A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR WET CLOTHES

park Improvements

Nigel Eades moved to West Wales from the Midlands six years ago and loved it so much that he bought a shepherd’s hut, called the Angharad, and set up a luxury selfcatering off-grid, hygge style business for adults only to enjoy the outdoor life, forest bathe, relax and most of all enjoy a digital detox.

During their first season the Angharad won the GOLD award from Visit Wales, making them the first shepherd’s hut in Ceredigion, West Wales to have won the GOLD award.

Most of the couples that stay at Angharad want to enjoy the outdoor life. Many want to dry outdoor clothes during their stay, such as swimwear, dry and wet suits, cycling, fishing, horse riding and walking gear. After searching the marketplace for outdoor drying rooms, Nigel found that although there are plenty of drying rooms available for engineering and manufacturing companies, there is no outdoor drying room available for the leisure or domestic sector. The industrial drying rooms that are available typically cost in excess of £20k new and are primarily manufactured for large scale organisations, such as construction and utility companies and are usually marketed as “Drying Rooms” or “Staff Welfare Units.”

The findings (or lack of them), led to a “WaterShed” moment, the design and development of the WaterShed, enabling guests at the Angharad to “shed the wet.” However once started, it quickly became apparent that the absence of a suitable product in the marketplace for eco-friendly, off-grid garment and equipment drying, could provide an opportunity for a successful business venture.

This led to the launch of an innovative, high quality, eco-friendly, off-grid outdoor wooden drying room, called the WaterShed, for the drying of clothes and equipment. The WaterShed needs NO electricity to run, comes flat packed, can be self-built in less than 30 minutes and requires NO tools for assembly. The waneyedge spruce wood for the WaterShed is grown, cut, planked and dried in West Wales. The drying of clothes inside the WaterShed is achieved using the age-old science of convection.

Cold air enters the WaterShed through mesh panels at the base of two walls and air gaps in the high-quality decking floor. It then mixes with hot air warmed by the sun through the clear polycarbonate roof to both air and heat dry the contents of the WaterShed.

And on top of this, for each Watershed sold, £50 is donated to the Wales Air Ambulance.

You can find out more about the Watershed at www.mywatershed.co.uk.

Family-run catering equipment manufacturer shortlisted for prestigious award

A Gloucester-based catering equipment manufacturer has started the new year with a bang after being shortlisted as a finalist in the prestigious Family Business of the Year Awards 2019.

Target Catering Equipment has been shortlisted in the ‘South and South West’ category of the acclaimed awards and will now come up against 13 of the region’s elite family-run businesses for the coveted accolade.

The firm, which was founded in 1988 by David Pedrette and his wife Elizabeth, has been producing quality, bespoke catering equipment to the foodservice industry for over 30 years.

David said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Family Business of the Year Awards 2019. We’re celebrating turning 31 this year, so it’s a great way to start 2019!

Target is widely known for its commercial induction ranges, which have been recognised as highly sustainable products by industry body CESA/FCSI and the Carbon Trust. Because of this, Target has helped to deliver thousands of pounds worth of Carbon Trust grant funding to its clients, which has assisted them in the purchase of equipment.

Target also design complete commercial kitchens, including kitchen ventilation systems and has assisted customers with overcoming difficult ventilation and equipment issues that have caused contractual problems and require compliance with strict planning and DEFRA guidelines. www.targetcatering.co.uk

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park Improvements VITRA TILES: A COMPLETE SOLUTION VitrA Tiles is a well-known brand in 78 countries and exhibited at last month’s SPATEX show, looking to build on the success it enjoyed when exhibiting at SPATEX for the first time in 2018.

The manufacturer offers a full range of tiles for the wet leisure market. All tiles for UK distribution are available for immediate delivery via their network of distribution partners.

VitrA ProColour is a range of tiles developed for the swimming pool market based on the RAL colour matching system; they can be coordinated with tiling on all aspects of a leisure project from pool tank to foyers and changing rooms. Modularity is another key feature of the range, giving swimming pool designers the maximum flexibility in achieving their design aspirations.

VitrA Tiles launched a new Swimming Pool Brochure at SPATEX 2019 and promoting its latest RIBA-approved CPD on Swimming Pools with a Tiled Finish, as it seeks to promote its brand more strongly in this sector than ever before.

VitrA Tiles is offering a full branded solution for the UK swimming pool market. VitrA ProColour is a range of tiles developed for the swimming

pool market, based on the RAL colour matching system, it is available for next day delivery via their distribution network.

VitrA Tiles is demonstrating its commitment to quality in this market with the launch of its latest RIBA-approved CPD presentation, entitled Swimming Pools with a Tiled Finish.

Designed to enhance the understanding of designers and specifiers in this sector, the new CPD describes the main considerations for the specification of tiles for swimming pools, with reference to the relevant British Standards.

Technical requirements, safety considerations and aesthetic requirements are all considered within the CPD presentation and also addressed by the product range from VitrA Tiles. The latest CPD joins VitrA Tiles’ two existing RIBA-approved CPD presentations Understanding Specifying and Designing with Tiles and Specifying Tiles in the Hospitality Sector.

“VitrA Tiles are a major brand internationally,” says Ken Aston, UK & Ireland Sales Manager at VitrA Tiles. “We are determined to grow our presence in this sector in the UK. We have great products, which offer modularity with the RAL colour system and greater efficiency for our

customers, because of the design solution that our range offers. We work with our customers to help them achieve the design solution they need.”

ProColour from VitrA Tiles offers the complete colour solution for swimming pool design The VitrA Tiles ProColour range includes 38 RAL colours for modularity and colour consistency, including the core swimming pool colourways of natural, white, blue and black.

The full range of the best-selling tiles from the VitrA ProColour collection are held in stock.

Tiles can be specified and purchased from the VitrA Colour Collection in all colour and size options, for both residential or commercial projects, without the worry of extended delivery times.

“Our ProColour range consists of fully vitrified tiles in RAL colours which enable coordination with tiling throughout a swimming pool or leisure centre project,” says Ken Aston, UK & Ireland Sales Manager at VitrA Tiles. “Our competence to produce RAL colours is a big advantage that we can offer to UK specifiers.” www.vitraglobal.com

Connect to Your Crowd with the ‘OnPark’ Mobile App As the name suggests, the ‘OnPark’ App has been created especially for the Holiday Park industry to help improve communication with its guests. All your staff need to do is to advise guests on check-in to download the free app from the app store and enable push notifications; you can then send them messages through a very simple management portal. The messages can contain immediate information on special offers in the bar or restaurant during quiet times, reminders about entertainment and special events, weather reports, safety matters and access issues

How do you stay in touch with your guests once they have checked in?

The ‘OnPark’ Mobile App is one very easy way to stay in touch and to pass on messages and special offers. These are sent immediately to guests that have enabled their push notifications for the app.

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The more you promote the app on your park, the more successful it will be. To make it easy, ‘OnPark' can send you QR codes which can be placed on posters in guest accommodation, bars and reception promoting the app’s use. With the potential to bring the park extra revenue, ‘On Park’ will also deliver the message that the park is up to speed with the latest technology.

The app is designed to allow park operators to have a number of low cost accounts, which means that if you had a different set of offers and messages for your ‘owners’ you could have two or more accounts. One account costs a £100 setup fee and £60 a month for 12 months. A second account (no setup fee) would cost £50 per month, and subsequent accounts £40 per month. You can pay monthly or up front if you prefer. This gives single park owners the option of having one or two accounts; multiple park operators can have any number of accounts. Each account can be controlled by that park’s management team and any number of allocated staff members could access the system at one time. Given the seasonal nature of the industry, the app can be disabled over the winter period to ensure the most effective use for your business.

The ‘OnPark’ app’s creators at ‘Resort’ also develop bespoke apps should an operators want on tailor-made www.connectacrowd.com

SPATEX 2019 MAkes A splAsH the Holiday Parks management team visited the 23rd edition of sPateX 2019 - the wet leisure industry’s spectacular at coventry’s ricoh arena. this is now the only relevant wet leisure trade show in the uk and featured no fewer than 56 spa companies and a large number of swimming pool suppliers and related products.

It is also the Industry’s greatest source of FREE knowledge with CPD points and certificates of attendance available to all attendees of the seminars in Arena 1. For 2019, the esteemed Institute of Swimming Pool Engineers (ISPE) once again up trumps in designing its own, much-loved technical workshop programme.

This year, there are 22 different sessions running throughout the three days of the Show including 18 NEW titles.

Aside from a raft of new products, SPATEX 2019 will also welcomed a host of new exhibitors to the Ricoh Arena with companies such as Blue Whale Spa, Clearwater Swimming Pools, Contech UK, FITT, HydroFlux Aqua Products, Pacific Breeze, Princess Spas Ltd, Recotherm Ltd, Rockford, Spa Solutions, Mosaic Spa Company, Institute of Swimming, MSPA, Guangzhou Taisheng Sanitary Ware, Pool Products Ltd, Water ID

and Sunbeach Spas all making their entrance. The floorplan has been ingeniously restructured to provide more space and allowed a greater number of larger stands for companies such as Fairlocks, Superior Spas, Aqua Warehouse, Astral, Villeroy & Boch and Certikin. www.spatex.co.uk

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The Magazine for farM Shop BuSineSS and aTTracTionS

FREERANGE It can often feel like the world is at our fingertips, with exotic locations and colourful dishes strewn across newsfeeds. But, despite all the glamour of the globe, people are starting to look a little closer to home.

And what do they see?

The great British countryside, which is no surprise considering nearly 70% of the UK’s land area is employed by agriculture. In fact, these rural businesses have been the beating heart of the UK for hundreds of years, and, as uncertainty looms, they look set to stay that way. Of course, they’ve changed a little over time, diversifying into farm shops, campsites and even wedding venues, but they remain an integral part of every rural economy.

While ‘local’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘traceable’ may just be buzzwords for some, they are the guiding principles of farm shops across the country and are becoming more important to the British public year on year. What’s more, as these ideals are embraced, people are increasingly turning to the countryside not just for their food, but as a destination for their holidays as well, with ‘staycations’ in the UK becoming more popular than ever.

These rural businesses are at the centre of Free Range Magazine as we strive to provide breaking news, in-depth stories and industry tips to the UK’s leading ffarm shops and attractions and farm shop suppliers. Welcome to the first edition.

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FREE RANGE News

Top Food TRENds FoR 2019 Online retailer FreshDirect has predicted the top ten food trends shops can expect next year. Some of them we’re starting to see already, others are less easy to predict. The company says that by working closely with farmers, fishermen, artisans, and producers as well as emerging brands, they are at the “cutting edge of what’s happening in food”, and have made the following predictions:

1. Shelf-stable foods getting a fresh makeover Foods are shelf-stable (aka ambient foods) are generally highly processed in order to accommodate storage. The shift against highly-processed foods means that producers are finding ways to make traditionally shelf-stable products fresher, more natural and more sustainable. This eventually leads them to be refrigerated foods — think fresh pasta sauce that comes in a pot rather than a jar.

2. Cannabidiol Cuisine

isn’t your average tinned tuna. High quality, artisanal products are becoming popular with consumers as it is a convenient way to try a variety of species from around the world.

4. Oats, Mainly for Milk Dairy-free alternatives have become increasingly popular, and one front runner stands out amongst the rest: oatmilk. It is generally considered as healthier, cheaper and more sustainable than most other plant-based milks, and has already been making a splash in the UK with Oatley's controversial campaign.

5. Spice Packets Gone are the days of spice racks and a thousand and one packets of unknown powders. Next year will apparently see a boom in pre-mixed spice packets allowing consumers a simpler way to add a fullpallet flavour to “protein, noodles, or veggies in a portion-controlled, convenient” way.

Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, is a non-psychoactive element of marijuana. It has grown increasingly popular in recent years, finding its way into tinctures and beauty products for its supposed anti-inflammatory properties along with pain and anxiety relief and helping with depression. Supposedly, the step taken in 2019 will be CBD-infused cuisine, firstly in drinks and then increasingly in elements of food such as salad dressing.

The number of people buying organic has grown year-on-year, but it seems that people are more concerned about the actual environmental impact of what they eat than official labels. This has led to the purchase of goods as farms go through their transition to organic — a three-year process before certification. This allows consumers to buy foods grown organically at cheaper prices.

3. Can You Fish it?

7. Cauliflower Power

There is expected to be an increase in the amount of canned fish being sold, but this

A controversial vegetable to say the least, with kids across the UK demanding

6. Transitioning Foods

its removal from our dining tables.

However, 2019 is set to be the year of the cauliflower as people look for plan-based alternatives to popular foods. Cauliflower is a low-carb alternative to grains and still holds up and absorbs flavour. This means it is being used as a replacement for starch-heavy foods like rice, pizza crust and crackers.

8. The Kid’s Snack Shake-Up It looks as if snacks for children will get a healthy makeover, and traditionally “adult staples” will become more childfriendly — changing flavours and textures with a “shift towards more nutritious and clean ingredients”. This has already been seen in come UK farm shops with their kid-friendly ready meals.

9. Doubling down on Local Produce The trend in locally sourced goods has been happening for quite a while and is again expected to grow in 2019. This includes using new farming techniques — such as vertical gardens — and other advances to produce exotic or off-season goods locally. Additionally, a resurgence in the consumption of local fish that have been shunned for a long time is expected.

10. Diverging Drinks There will apparently be a move towards more natural alcoholic beverages, especially with wines and ciders.

Additionally, an increase in the number or low-alcohol drinks, such as session IPAs, and zero-alcohol “spirits”.

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FREE RANGE News Rural Business Awards open 2019/2020 Awards With the Rural Business Awards recently announcing their 2018 winners across the UK, there isn’t any break before their gearing up for the 2019/2020 awards.

Despite the national final not being held until Thursday 28th February 2019, businesses can now apply for the 2019/2020 awards. The regionals will once again be announced in October, meaning there are many months ahead, but what’s the harm in entering early?

What makes this year slightly different is that there will be no entry fee for the regional awards. This makes it a fantastic opportunity for farm shops to get themselves in the national spotlight at the cost of only a little of their time.

The Rural Business Awards have a three broad categories — Land Based businesses, Land Related Businesses and Other Businesses located in rural areas — and any applicant must fall into one of these. This is with an aim to “celebrate the achievements of our rural businesses, from engineering through to artisan food producers and professional services organisations,” according to the organisers. Furthermore, the awards will be judged by a panel who are themselves part of the rural business sector.

The awards themselves are then divided into eleven more specific categories, and each business must decide where they best fit. The categories for the 2019 awards are: Best Rural Start Up Business Best Rural Diversification Project Best Rural Retail Business Best Rural Professional Services Business Best Rural Creative, Artisan or Crafts Business Best Rural Digital, Communications or Media Business Best Rural Social Enterprise, Charity or Community Project Best Rural Tourism Business Best Rural Recreational or Outdoor Pursuits Business Best Rural Food or Drink Business Rural Young Person of the Year When applying, any farm shop should include an introduction to their business along with their ethos, aims and objectives. Additionally, they must try to show their uniqueness, successes and vision along with how their values link to the rural sector. Moreover, they should try to demonstrate how their business impacts the rural economy and way of life. There should also be an overview of financial information and plans on how the business will grow.

Finally, applications should be backed up with images of the businesses ‘proudest moments’, a logo at print quality, testimonials and relevant contact information — including a link to a website if there is one.

According to previous judges, which include Holiday & Farm Park Management Publisher Steph Curtis-Raleigh, the financial information Is key, many entrants would have scored higher if they had submitted even the most basic info, such as percentages. It is worth noting that all judges sign non-disclosure agreements and take privacy seriously, according to the organisation.

Entries close on Friday 7th June 2019, and further details on how and where to apply can be found here. www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk

Eight out of Ten Farmers Fear for Their Future Farmers are the lifeblood of farm shops, clearly, but it seems as if this lifeblood is seeping away, with a recent survey finding that 80% of UK farmers fear for their future, according to FarmingUK. In addition to future fears, 46% of the farmers surveyed do not believe their business is profitable or secure, the publication writes.

The two main concerns of farmers, and their two biggest barriers to profitability, were fluctuating prices and the availability of land, FarmingUK writes.

Of those surveyed, 52% said that the changes in price of their products was what currently holding their business back the most, according to the publication. Meanwhile, almost half also saw this as a future problem too.

When it comes to land availability, 34%

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reported that it was currently a challenge to their business, and 30% said it will be in the future, according to the publication.

Furthermore, the research found that 49% of farmers said that there can be a shortage of buyers for their products, meaning they haven’t got a choice about where they sell.

Only 32% of respondents said that there was always an abundance of buyers and a competitive market, the publication writes.

Almost half of those asked — 47% — said that buyers should be clearer about what they’re are seeing and what they will buy.

But, that doesn’t mean UK farmers aren’t looking toward the future, the publication writes. In fact, those in agriculture seem very forward facing, with 82% of respondents saying that future success depends on trialling new ideas and approaches, according to FarmingUK. However, despite their intentions

being in the right place, only 56% of farmers said they seek out new tech to help their businesses, 67% trial new tech once a year or less and 19% said they never trial technology that could help their farms. Furthermore, 51% of farmers admitted to not making significant changes to their business to stimulate growth or improve efficiency in over a year.

The survey was carried out by Hectare Agritech — parent company of SellMyLivestock — and looked into the future business plans and outlook of 342 UK farmers.

FREE RANGE News Diversification is Key in Post-Brexit Britain Changes are coming to the farming sector, and those rural businesses who are looking forward will be the ones that not only survive, but prosper, according to Richard Corbett of Roger Parry & Partners.

Many industries will face large-scale changes post-Brexit, and for farm-based businesses, diversification is key.

The most recent Farm Business Survey by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that 38% of farms in Wales and two-thirds of farm businesses in England have diversified. But, this means that a significant number — more than half — still haven’t.

This is understandable, since not all farmers are ready to face the need for diversification, but “those farm businesses that are prepared… will be the most resilient… [and] be best placed to take advantage of any future opportunities,” according to Corbett.

There are many opportunities for diversification in the UK, such as forestry. A new demand is being driven by Biomass heating systems and multi-fuel household stoves, according to Corbett. And owners of woodland could see profit by taking advantage of Government grant schemes for felling and replanting.

Additionally, weddings are another great way to diversify with converted bars, or simply a field, now proving popular alternatives to a church. In fact, only about 27% of couples now choose a religious building, according to Corbett.

There are also many other popular ways to diversify, including energy, poultry and free range egg production and brewing.

In order to make these changes, Corbett

calls for decisiveness, skill development and financial investment. Farm businesses need to look at their entire model and decide how to improve its profitability.

Farming businesses should not diversify without careful thought, however, as “diversification has to be well planned and well-resourced so as to add to, rather than distract from, the core farming enterprise,” Corbett says.

size Is Everything: BFREpA’s Campaign for Egg Equality sent for processing rather than sold as a fresh shell egg.”

Sometimes, small changes can make a big difference. One such change that British consumers can make is to stop themselves from always going for a box of large eggs, and eat a range of egg sizes instead.

Consumers eat almost 13 billion eggs in Britain every year, according to the British Free Range Egg Producers Association, and the majority of shoppers prefer large or very large eggs as opposed to medium or mixed weight boxes. This creates a supply imbalance since only “half the eggs laid by British free range hens are classed as large or very large, which means that half are medium or small,” according to James Baxter, a free range egg farmer and chairman of BFREPA. “Consumer preference means medium eggs – which are just as nutritious and tasty – are worth less at the farm gate and more will be

This imbalance can be exacerbated by external factors such as weather — in 2018 hot weather lead to hens eating less and therefore laying more eggs that were graded as medium. Furthermore, “Hens naturally lay smaller eggs when they are younger and the size increases as birds get bigger,” according to Baxter.

BFREPA is trying to address this imbalance by launching a campaign to encourage consumers to buy a range of sizes, since this is the way that hens naturally lay. This shift in buying habits would be better for hens and farmers, according to Baxter. The current preferences mean that “medium eggs – which are just as nutritious and tasty – are worth less at the farm gate and more will be sent for processing rather than sold as a fresh shell egg.”

Their campaign began with the launch of a video that featured free range egg farmer

Susie Macmillan and 18,000 of her organic free range hens. In a slightly unpolished looking video, which only serves to add authenticity, Macmillan walks the viewer through her family farm and the benefits of encouraging consumers to buy what chickens naturally lay — a range of sizes. The video obviously stuck a cord with consumers, gaining more than 30,000 views in the first 72 hours — a number that now stands at more than 86,000.

Farm shops could get involved by promoting the campaign and help to inform their customers’ choices by providing information.

This not only helps the farmers, the hens and BFREPA but the farm shop itself by increasing the range of goods they can sell and establishing their business as one that is in touch with farmers, changing trends and local foods. Furthermore, if a farm shop has its own egg supply, consumer education will ultimately help improve the price of medium and small eggs.

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FREE RANGE News IRI’s predictions FMCG in 2019 With the New Year just behind us, IRI have put together their predictions about what changes may be in store for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods in 2019. It’s never too early to plan ahead, and farm shops that get organised are likely to stay ahead in what could be a turbulent year. So, here are some of IRI’s staff’s top picks: The controversy of plastic, a topic that Free Range Magazine has discussed in the past, is set to gain ever-more prominence in 2019, according to George Knowlson, Insight Analyst at IRI. Manufacturers will need to consider choice of packaging to create more ethical, environmentally-friendly products. This, of course, extends to retailers, who should ensure their practices live up to the high standards of modern consumers — such as zero-waste stores.

Retailers need to focus on customer engagement rather than loyalty schemes, according to Paul Hinds, Senior Vice President of International Retail Solutions at IRI. While loyalty programs are important to many retail models, they too often fall into the trap of point-chasing rather than meaningful engagement with a brand or retailer, according

to Hinds. Thus, it can be hard for retailers to justify continued investment in the schemes.

This is especially true with the emergence of online retailers and speciality clubs — that leverage online content and the convenience of home deliveries to really engage customers.

Moreover, there is a split between those retailers using loyalty programmes’ byproduct of rich, customer data and those who aren’t.

The businesses that are going to pull ahead in 2019 are those that create highly personalised programmes for customers based on this data and make impactful decisions across their business when analysing what, when, where and how customers shop.

In the coming year there will be an increasing demand for local and national goods, according to Olly Abotorabi, Senior Regional Insights Manager at IRI, which is great news for farm shops. Recent surveys have shown that there has been an increase in the number of people who are shopping locally and, more importantly, in those who are willing to pay a premium to do so. The focus on local products is expected to continue in 2019, and Abotorabi has some tips on how to capitalise on this: “Retailers and manufacturers will need to

What Brexit Could Mean for Your Farm Shop and £341bn respectively. How this trade will look after Brexit, or the end of the agreements in December 2020, is not yet known, but it could be similar to other countries in the European Economic Area.

Because of this, there is a chance that retailers will faced increased costs due to tariffs not currently experienced, the need to comply with two different regulatory policies — the UK and EU — and the possible impact of a loss of influence in the EU.

There are several ways Brexit may affect the retail sector for both the better and the worse, according to a recent report by CMC Markets, a UK-based financial derivatives dealer. Firstly, there is a very strong trade link between the UK and the European Union, with the EU accounting for 44% of UK exports and 53% of imports — £274bn

An effect of Brexit that will affect all of retail, but hit agricultural retail particularly hard, is the potential restrictions on freedom of movement leading to a reduced labour pool. Due to the reliance on an EU migrant workforce by many sectors, there could be difficulties in recruiting new staff as well as an increase in labour costs.

Furthermore, there is expected to be delays in the import and export of goods and

work smarter to ensure they can convert those shoppers who are ‘interested’ but not yet ‘buying local’ by promoting authenticity, making sure the price is right and ensuring they can find the products on the shelves before they walk out of the store.”

Farm shops are, of course, in a far better position to do this than other, larger retailers but that doesn’t mean they can’t promote the “local” aspect of their businesses even more in 2019.

Furthermore, there is an increased uptake in “free-from, vegetarian and vegan products, and movements like zero food miles” according to Abotorabi. While this may not be the traditional fare of many farm shops, perhaps 2019 is the year to add some new ranges to the shelves. But, that said, nothing is more vegan than fresh local vegetables. disrupted supply chains. It is not yet known how this will affect farm shops, but considering the recent report issued to local councils about food supplies, there will no doubt be an impact — potentially both positive and negative.

The weakness of the pound is a real worry for much of the retail sector since it means less buying power when importing goods.

However, as farm shops rely on locally sourced produce, this could have a lesser impact on them or even provide a small boost. In fact, the short term impact of Brexit could see an increased international demand for British goods thanks to the weaker pound, which could certainly be capitalised on by farm shops and artisan producers. Furthermore, the CMC Markets report points out that locally-sourced and locally-produced goods could be more attractive when compared with those that are imported. This is already a food and drink retail trend, but could be accelerated

by Brexit.

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Holiday Parks Management

IN THE april issue

Annual Holiday Parks Management and Free Range Suppliers Directory

Visit www.holidayparksmanagement.com for your free listing

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EAG and Visitor Attraction Expo UNitiNg tHe AMUseMeNts ANd oUt of HoMe eNtertAiNMeNt iNdUstries children’s rides have long been a staple of holiday and farm parks and are an ideal way of keeping kids entertained while their parents shop or enjoy a cup of tea.

However, there are so many other innovations that rural tourist attractions can discover to add another dimension to their locations.

The 10th Anniversary EAG International & VAE drew to a close last month with an overwhelmingly positive mood amongst both exhibitors and visitors. Alongside the more traditional amusement machines, there were many products, such as sit-on rides from World of Rides and Formula K, which can be used outdoors as well as indoors and are safe for even very young children.

“Farm parks are now one of our biggest markets,” says David Robinson of World of Rides.

His company has developed children’s leisure rides for over 46 years and has the widest range in the UK. All rides comply to the highest safety standards and include battery rides, water rides, sand and ball pool diggers and track and pool designs.

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Have you ever considered Virtual Reality for example? It may seem a little high tech – but if you choose a sports simulator or a rollercoaster ride, it could prove to be a big draw for families – especially when the weather is not so good outside. There were a number of exciting virtual reality attractions on display at the EAG/VAE show from companies such as Hologate, Stereolife Europe, BANDAI NAMCO Amusements and Harry Levy Group – who had two virtual reality experiences which did not require an attendant, Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride and Beat Saber. “Virtual reality is popular in all kinds of leisure and tourist locations,” says the company’s Commercial Director Matthew Deith.

Other exhibitors at the show were displaying cashless systems for amusements, which can be used for a wide range of activities within farm and holiday parks. Going cashless is easier than it sounds – it can often be achieved through retro-fitting cashless readers to existing equipment and means that you never lose a sale – especially in areas of your business which are unattended, or that require some form of vending. Most systems will also tell you if you are low on stock or will alert you if someone is trying to tamper with a machine.

If you have ever considered adding amusements to your holiday or farm park offering, the EAG/VAE show, which is held in Excel in London is an ideal first port of call. There are some companies, such as BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Europe, who will provide a complete turnkey solution, from games through to operation for a profit share.

Otherwise, if you just want to find an unusual children’s ride or novelty vending machine, there are many to choose from.

Bacta Chief Executive John White was very pleased with the 10th Anniversary show: “The EAG was once again a fantastic showcase for the industry. With new product and reinvented concepts the amusement machine and entertainment sector demonstrated that inexpensive fun was, is and will be, available for our customers in high quality venues up and down the UK. With strong visitor numbers, more exhibitors and a positive vibe I would argue that EAG 2019 was one of the best in its distinguished ten year history,” he said.

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outdoor Play World of Rides, the leading manufacturers and distributors of children’s coin-operated and free-play rides for nearly five decades have relaunched their revised range of ‘Parent & Child’ 24v battery operated Driving School cars to UK holiday operators for 2019, to influence children’s road-safety education… as well as providing a colourful, popular, and very profitable new attraction for all their guests and visitors to enjoy.

Their road range currently consists of the Mini Cabriolet and the Beetle Cabriolet and their off-road range has begun with their fabulously innovative Outlanders.

Additionally, all their Driving School vehicles can be produced in almost any customer themed colour scheme.

The large right-hand-drive side-by-side twin seat cars are fitted with a realistic dashboard, started with an ignition key, and have fully-operational seat belts, horn, head lights, direction indicators, along with accelerator and brake pedals that are both exclusively colour-coded, with working brake lights! In addition, they also have a reverse gear, and they can be driven on a street

Driving School RoadSafety Edutainment designed track, where, depending upon the operator’s imagination and budget, children can experience all the thrills of driving on the open road.

“Although our main purpose is to edutain children, we never forget that all our rides provide… FAMILY FUN FOR EVERYONE” said spokesman Andrew Robinson, “and our site testing with leading operators across both the UK and Europe, was boosted by many additional regular all-year-round bookings

by Road Safety Groups, Youth Clubs, Police Forces, Schools and Education Authorities… resulting in much higher levels of income.”

Operators can also organise supervised and higher priced pre-driving classroom-based learning sessions, a hands-on driving lesson, and then the children can be presented with their very own special driving license and a copy of the Highway Code.

All their cars can either be run on free-play, coin-operated or supervisor-operated by remote control! Their remote coin or token payment machines, can also incorporate redemption ticket dispensers.

Their cars can be viewed on their website: www.worldofrides.com

Sutcliffe Play spins into the New Year with new rotators in its range Sutcliffe Play, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of children’s playground equipment, is introducing a new range of spinners and rotators for 2019.

“We’re always looking to go that extra mile with equipment that’s guaranteed to excite and delight, and our new range of rotators and spinners is no exception,” says Andy Love from Sutcliffe Play.

New products include: Whirlybob Roundabout – with a simple rotator design aimed at younger users, the Whirlybob Roundabout is centred around a revolving pole, with four curved HPL seats.

Users can sit facing inwards or outwards on the roundabout and hold on to one of the four multi steel core ropes for added support.

Hula Rotator – suitable for most ages, the hula rotator is modelled on the hula hoop, allowing users to stand inside the rotator with a rubber disc at the base that offers security when standing. Additional users can hold the hula ring as a hand grip and run around the outside to make the rotator spin faster or slow down.

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Space Trainer – designed for juniors and teens with added appeal for older age groups, this dynamic rotator is designed to be used by standing on and leaning slightly backwards into the frame for support. Centrifugal force then holds the user in place, allowing for spinning or rotation, whilst leaning backwards means you can keep going faster for longer – offering a more thrilling play experience.

Maelstrom – a deceptively simple spinner, with a twist. When the user overbalances, the Maelstrom will spin even faster as users use their own weight to increase centrifugal force. Users can slow down by positioning their legs outwards, while tucking legs in will increase the speed of rotation.

Andy continues: “Our range of spinners and rotators is perfect for any child looking for an exhilarating play experience, whether that be as a standalone item, or as a playground filler when used in conjunction with our wider play offering.”

something for everyoNe by eden flaherty

Very few farms these days are “just farms�, with diversification being integral to modern rural businesses. some choose to open campgrounds, others focus on farm shops and others still have onsite cafes and recreation areas. there are a select few, however, that decide to do it all and create farms so diverse that you never want to leave. one such rural enterprise is church farm ardeley, and we caught up with their customer experience manager, tom large, to find out what makes it so special.

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Church Farm Ardeley is a community interest company and was set up to create sustainable small farm enterprises. The farm itself is 170 acres and includes an orchard with a variety of fruit, grasslands, vegetable fields, woods, ponds, kitchen gardens, a two acre walnut orchard and much more.

At Church Farm, they take “field to fork” to

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heart, producing every cut of meat, vegetable and fruit they can on site as well as doing their own butchery, processing and ready meals.

One thing they can’t do? Eat it all! So their products are sold at their pub, cafe and farm shop to keep the whole endeavour going. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, there

are about 48 full and part time staff as well as volunteers, interns and a supervised work program for adults with learning difficulties.

The farm shop, open every day, offers “fresh, local produce… a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, ready meals, meat and eggs collected from healthy, happy Church Farm hens.,” according to Tom Large. As well as

having Church Farm’s own range of fresh bread, jams, pickles and chutneys. The cafe and the pub, the Jolly Waggoner, “use only the finest traditionally reared Church Farm meat, eggs from orchard raised hens and vegetables, salads and herbs from our kitchen garden or organic suppliers,” according to Large. The entire menu, which is of course seasonal, is handmade by their inhouse chef and includes an all day full English breakfast and children's meals. The pub has been a fixture of the area for many years, with Church Farm Ardeley recently taking stewardship to serve “local ales and a wine list featuring organic and artisan wines from small producers,” Large adds.

As a social enterprise, the farm gives back to the community in many ways, one of which is through their educational programme, which offers “training and work experience for people with learning disabilities and/or

mental health issues” as well as working “in partnership with North Hertfordshire College to provide accredited training for their students with learning disabilities,” according to Large.

With so much to see, it can be hard to do it all in a day. Luckily, Church Farm Ardeley offers “camping all year round, from large groups to one person sleeping in a hammock in the wood” as well as 22 cabins and 10 glamping bell tents. If you swing by in the summer, the campsite has events every weekend with bonfires and BBQs as well as a beerfest at the pub.

With so much happening at Church Farm Ardeley, there is a lot to be proud of. But, when it comes down to it, what is most important to Tom Large is “The enjoyment we bring to people that don’t have much interaction with animals and nature”.

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