Ashford Farm Shop at Venn Valley opens its doors

Shoppers in North Devon looking for an alternative to supermarket produce have the choice of a new farm shop between Landkey and Swimbridge.

Ashford Farm Shop at Venn Valley opened its doors last month in new premises on the Venn Valley Vineyard site on Blakes Hill Road. The shop is owned by business partners Fran Wilson and Sarah Thomas, who had worked together previously at a similar business.  

Fran explained: “It’s about ‘local’, supporting local suppliers, local food, seasonal produce. It is a place that people can come to find out about and support their local farmers.  

“We do a big organic range, so it’s an amalgamation of a farm shop and health food shop as well.” 

The emphasis is on supporting North Devon producers, with the shop stocking vegetables from Braunton and Ilfracombe, honey from Umberleigh and West Buckland, milk from Chittlehamholt, and other local suppliers whose products are not in supermarkets and may otherwise struggle to find an outlet. 

The shop also has a ‘refill’ service whereby customers can bring their own containers and refill them with dried goods and cleaning products, reducing the environmental impact of waste packaging. 

Feedback since opening last month has been good, with a varied mix of customers coming in. 

Fran said: “Some people come because we sell organic fruit and veg and organic produce. Some people are here for the real local products you can't find anywhere else.  And then you get the people who are popping in to grab something for lunch.” 

Fran and Sarah recognise that running a business of this kind can have particular challenges, especially in letting customers know about it. 

Sarah said: “That's our main struggle. Because coming here is a destination. If you're coming down to here, you're making a special trip, you're not just going to walk past.” 

Farm shops have seen a surge in popularity since the release of Clarkson’s Farm, the television series chronicling Jeremy Clarkson’s experiences running both a farm and farm shop in Oxfordshire. 

Unlike Clarkson however, Ashford Farm Shop is working in harmony with its neighbours, stocking products from other businesses on the Venn site, such as bread from Lucho’s Bakery, and eventually Green Man cider. 

As it becomes established, the shop plans to expand its offering with delivery, and veg boxes –boxes of seasonal vegetables which change weekly ideally from local farms. It is also meeting the increasing demand for products such as vegan and gluten-free items. 

Sarah added: “We want to be a community shop, somewhere that people from the local areas can come. I think small Devon villages need little hubs.”