Farm shop cooks up expansion with grant
A farm shop based on the outskirts of Coventry is preparing to expand after securing a £37,000 Rural Enterprise Grant. The owners of Berryfields Farm Shop have transformed the mezzanine floor above the property into a coffee shop.
The shop has been run by Chris and Fiona Barber since 2000. The pair sell meat sourced from their own stock as well as a range of locally produced food and drink.
The grant, which helped finance the expansion, was administered by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.
Fiona Barber said: “We’ve been selling produce from the farm for some years now and back in 2008 we turned one of our farm buildings into a shop and butchery.
“The business has really taken off since we opened the new shop and it became clear that the two table coffee area we had was not enough.
“So we put together the plans for what we call the Hayloft, a dedicated coffee shop area on the mezzanine where we can sell drinks and hot and cold snacks.
“We hope this will not only help us to provide a better experience for customers who visit but will also attract more customers who have not visited us before.”
Dorothy Coleman, Rural Enterprise Grant programme manager, said: “Berryfields is a marvellous example of a rural business in the food and drink sector which is growing through diversification.
“The coffee shop is a great addition to the business and we hope it will be a major success.”
