VISITORS the length and breadth of the UK are enjoying a taste of Saddleworth thanks to a Greenfield farm shop.
Locals too are relishing the chance to buy quality competitively priced ‘home-made’ produce including bread, milk, meat, preserves, honey and even soap!
Prospective customers needn’t worry about running short. The thriving shop at Well-i-Hole caravan and camping – run by owner and tenant farmer Damian Russell and partner Adele Lindsay – is practically ‘open all hours’.
The couple, who farm a number of rare breed sheep (Manx Loaghtan), pigs (British Saddlebacks) and turkeys (Red Bourbons), are delighted people are literally buying into their shopping vision especially supported by the local community.
“It wasn’t always the case,” said Damian, who took over the site tenancy on July 1, 2019.
“But we are seeing loads of people coming a distance to visit us: Bristol, Portsmouth, some boroughs of London as well as the North East to holiday with us.
“We are a shop window for Saddleworth helping link a lot of unique local businesses.”
Adele added: “People say it’s like visiting Scotland but it is easier to come here.
“You can be looking out on a view you might have in Scotland but haven’t had to travel that far.
“It is beautiful in the Lake District, but it is beautiful here too.
“Yet it is the locals who have driven the shop forward. We opened so campers arriving late could get bread and milk.
“Then the locals started coming down having a look and making suggestions especially for veg and local produce.”
Damian added: “There has always been stuff sold from the site so we basically picked up from where Nigel Hadfield left off.”
Pam Jones at Saddleworth Cookery School, Diggle provides bread and cakes, Denshaw based McLintock’s Dairy supplies milk, Saddleworth Honey Company produces honey and soap while Saddleworth Butter Company in Grasscroft is another supplier.
Organic North provide all theorganic fruit and veg from, where possible. UK growers. You will also find organic cheese, apple juice and cereals available too.
Additionally, the shop also has ties with Longley Farm and Lily’s Pickle from Holmfirth and Donkeystone Brewery, Greenfield.
“You won’t find cheaper organic veg anywhere else,” added Damian “It is the same with the meat.
“We don’t charge a fortune because everyone should be able to afford it and have access to quality produce.”
And it is readily available. The store opens at 8am and closes when the last person has shopped.
“We are a traditional farm shop,” said Damian. “We live on site, so if the shop is shut, ring the buzzer; because we are always up and about.
“Ideally, the plan is to employ someone to run the shop.
“It hasn’t been easy because of lockdown and having so many popular Saddleworth events and festivals cancelled.
“It would have taken off quicker if everything had still taken place,” said Adele.
“It wasn’t meant to be but we haven’t done badly,” she added.
“We are still here and with what has happened with Covid and the lack of revenue, I think we are lucky.
“The shop has helped so we want to spread the word not just to the campers and caravanners but to the local people to come and find out what Saddleworth has to offer.”
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