Community gets behind farm shop

A new farm shop in Northumberland is receiving encouraging feedback from the local community a week after it was opened by new owners and farmers Charles and Debbie Rayson, who aim to sell as much locally produced food and drink as possible.

Herding Hill Farm Shop and Coffee Shop, near Haltwhistle, is a new business venture for Charles and Debbie who have farmed at Herding Hill for the last five years.

Debbie said: "We thought opening a farm shop and a coffee shop, located in a very beautiful location next to Hadrian's Wall, would go hand in hand."

But Debbie confesses opening a farm shop and cafe as well as running the farm itself was much harder work than she and her husband had anticipated. She added that if other farmers were looking to the same thing they should look at it as a long-term investment.

Together with three staff members, Debbie is selling the Raysons' own rare Dexter beef, Berkshire pork and Shropshire lamb in the shop. Meanwhile, Charles is helping to cook home made dishes in the coffee shop.

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