Creating your own farm shop: A simple, cost-effective solution

With farm shops seeing a significant boost in popularity since the Covid-19 lockdown, many more farmers may be looking for ways to sell their produce direct to the consumer, yet new build projects can be expensive and time consuming. 

Now more than ever, in a time of great uncertainty, it will be important to carefully plan diversification projects and ensure costs are kept to a minimum. 

With this in mind, Fisher Modular Construction UK says it can offer a simple solution for those looking to start their own farm shop, as well as many other diversification projects, offering a bespoke design and installation, off-site construction for minimal disruption, a relocatable module, and potential cost savings of up to 40 per cent due to reduced construction overheads.

The company designs, manufactures and constructs food production modules and facilities. It offers both off-site constructed modules and conversions of existing buildings, which are ideal solutions for on-farm and diversification projects.

The company says it can take each project from initial conception and planning through to manufacture, construction and finally completion. It covers all aspects of internal and external design to ensure the layout will meet all relevant food regulations and compliance and that the external profile suits the needs of the client.

Fisher UK’s food production modules are manufactured at its new 40,000 sq/ft facility in East Yorkshire. Keeping production in-house allows the team to monitor the whole process from start to finish, which is paramount to maintaining high standards and ensures consistent quality of the final product.

Once manufactured, the modules are ready for transport where they are loaded onto lorries and delivered to the farm or site. A member of the Fisher team is always present during the installation, and all that remains to be done is to connect the services and the client’s new production module is up and running.

Benefits of the modular format:

• Bespoke design – Each module is designed to accommodate customers’ requirements and Fisher always engages with clients throughout the whole design phase.
• Single-source responsibility – Fisher UK provide a full design, consultancy, planning, manufacture and installation package, allowing it to take on the potential stress of a build and giving farmers the time to continue running their business.
• Off-site construction – Building off-site ensures a streamlined construction programme and keeps on-site disruption to a minimum which is essential when existing operations need to be maintained.
• Cost effective – Modules are proving to be an increasingly popular, cost-effective alternative to traditional building methods. They can be up to 40 per cent cheaper because they are built off-site and therefore incur reduced construction overheads.
• Relocatable – They have the additional benefit of being relocatable, allowing the customer to move them to a new site as and when the business expands, and can be added to in the future, to create further space.

Fisher’s clients are nationwide and from a variety of backgrounds, but all produce top quality goods for the UK’s food industry. 

Farm shop and butchery projects

A mixed farm in Oxfordshire approached Fisher UK with the concept of building a modular farm shop, with facilities to process their own meat. The design team liaised closely with the client to develop the final layout and, following planning and funding approval, the build programme condensed to weeks rather than months.

The new building, comprised of three off-site constructed modules, provided the client with a farm shop, butchery and commercial kitchen – and, following the success of their enterprise, Fisher is currently developing a two-module extension to the butchery and production area.

Over recent years Fisher UK has also been proud to supply and install a number of single-module butcheries to members of the Pasture for Life organisation. These versatile and cost-effective butchery units allow livestock farmers to regain control of their finished products by processing on-farm and potentially selling direct to their consumer.

Whether Fisher’s customers specialise in meat, poultry, game, seafood, dairy or chilled storage, its versatile modules are tailored to their exact needs and requirements.

Originally from a farming background himself, Fisher UK’s founder, Jonathan Fisher, comments: “Being able to provide an efficient, cost effective solution for our clients underpins our ethos. From initial consultation to handing over the keys we pride ourselves on the quality of our service. We are a family business and so our personal touch is important to our customers and this is reflected in the quality of our work and the performance of our products.”

To find out more, visit the website www.fisheruk.co.uk or call 01964 529 512 to see how Fisher UK can help your business.