Farm shop able to extend with new bakery thanks to REPF funds
Last updated: 28/11/2024
A farm shop in Rushcliffe has introduced a new bakery with support from the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), enabling the business to extend its product line with freshly baked goods and attract new customers.
Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) granted over £10,000 of REPF towards the project at Harker’s Farm Shop who also matched with nearly £16,000 to transform part of the shop into a bakery, producing new products to sell including homemade pies, sausage rolls, pasties, cooked meats and more.
The new oven and kitchen area at the Clipston on the Wolds business near Cotgrave will enable the business to grow by increasing the number of products available to customers and producing high-quality inhouse products for consumers to enjoy.
RBC’s Deputy Leader Cllr Abby Brennan recently visited the shop to meet the Harker’s Farm team and see how the new inhouse kitchen and bakery is supporting the business.
Cllr Brennan said: “The new facilities for cooking and baking freshly made products in-house are a fantastic addition to the shop, which will support the business by increasing existing customer spend and attracting new customers.
“The REPF grant funding has also helped to further secure employment with the new bakery in place. They have a wide selection of delicious freshly baked products such as pies and sausage rolls, all made in-house.
“Without this project, the shop could not cook and bake on the premises, and they would not have been able to take this innovative step forward to diversify and grow further.”
Harker’s Farm Shop Manager Tracy Harker added: “We are always looking for ways to improve our farm shop and an inhouse kitchen and bakery has been on the wish list for a while.
“With the support of RBC and the REPF grant our plans have materialised a lot sooner than we could have hoped for. We are already producing lots of new and exciting products including our delicious pork pies, sausage rolls, pasties and lots more for our deli counter.”
Photo caption from left to right: Harker's Farm Shop Manager Tracy Harker, Rushcliffe Borough Council's Deputy Leader Cllr Abby Brennan, Harker's Farm Shop Bakery Manager Sarah Parkinson and Harker's Farm Shop Owner Samuel Harker.