Free Range Magazine February 2019

Free Range Magazine

The Magazine for Farms Shops and Attractions

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.

Eden

27 Farm shop and attractions news

33 EAG and the Visitor Attraction Expo

36 Outdoor Play

37 Church Farm Ardeley - Acres of Innovation

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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

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.

3. Can You Fish it?

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

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.

6. Transitioning Foods

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.

7. Cauliflower Power

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

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.

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%

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

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

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.

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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.

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

size Is Everything: BFREpA’s Campaign for Egg Equality

sent for processing rather than sold as a fresh shell egg.”

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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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

FREE RANGE News

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

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.

What Brexit Could Mean for Your Farm Shop

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

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.

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

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 Road- Safety 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.

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.”

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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

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

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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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