Organic growth at north Norfolk shop

Kathryn Cross

A popular north Norfolk farm shop enterprise is expanding to open a new branch later this spring.

Walsingham Farms Shop is recruiting staff to run a new shop at Norfolk Lavender at Heacham where they will also be taking over the running of the caf� which is hoped will be ready by Easter.

Elizabeth Meath Baker, one of the partners, said they had been hoping to expand for some time and finally decided it was time to take the plunge.

“The Walsingham shop only opened in 2006 so we felt we were not really ready to jump into a new project until now,” she said. “We are going to move into a converted farm building and offer a similar shop as at Walsingham and keep it very much part of our ethos to help farming and provide direct access to the market using local producers.”

The new shop will have a butchery and kitchen so they can offer the same home-cooked food which has been so successful at Walsingham.

Mrs Meath Baker said: “Our producers are very excited and we have already been in discussion with the staff at Walsingham about new food lines which include the lavender.”

She added that they were very pleased with the progress of the Walsingham Farms Shop which has done very well even though it has had to grow in a recession.

“I think if you start a business in a recession you can only go up,” she said. “There are a lot of retired people up here and while their disposable income may be smaller they still want to treat themselves in small ways. People want to cheer themselves up.”

The business is looking to recruit a senior butcher, trainee butcher, restaurant chef, farm shop cook, fishmonger, shop floor supervisor and assistant, and a deli assistant but more jobs are likely to be available soon.

To apply email a CV to ann@walsinghamfarmsshop.co.uk or telephone 01328 821888 for an application form.