Welcome to the future

- Published: 10 February, 2006

A futuristic urban food store has become the winner of the Countryside Alliance's Best Rural Retailer of the Year.

Weeton's opened in Harrogate only six months ago and is on target to turn over £1.25 million within a year. It has a staff of 20 and has plans for another outlet. The main selling point is local produce, with more than 35 Yorkshire farms responsible for half of its stock. This will rise to 75 per cent as fruit and vegetables become available in the spring, all from within a radius of 40 miles.

Pink Pig Organic Farm, which started trading from a trestle table at the farm lane six years ago, was highly commended. Initially Sally and Andrew Jackson's Holme Hall, near Scunthorpe, supplied supermarket chains before deciding to sell directly to the public.