Summer booking boom for farm’s new holiday lets

The project: In a nutshell

The recent pig crisis prompted the Morgan family to consider how they were running their 1,700-head pig business. Bearing the brunt of the post-Brexit and Covid-19 market disruption, the family business needed an additional income stream. The whole process began just under three years ago when the farming trio earmarked a nearby piece of land for their diversification project and, shortly after, the Morgans received approval from local planners.

The family business applied for EU grant funding to help offset the total project cost and the sisters chose to work closely with advisers from holiday let expert Hoseasons throughout the development process.

New to diversifying 

Although the farming family have no previous experience in hospitality, they ploughed ahead with their plans. Rachel said, “We were feeling very apprehensive about diversifying. This was all new for us. We’re used to animals, not dealing with the general public and at first we thought, can we really do this? However, it soon became clear that we could.”

Rachel continued, “Hoseasons’ support has been invaluable in supporting our diversification process. They’ve helped us considerably with industry tips, hospitality advice, and above all, the team gave us the confidence to move forward with the different aspects and stages of our journey. Specifically, we were planning to complete all the lodges before launching but Hoseasons gave us the reassurance to launch with two completed lodges. We’re glad we went ahead.”

In 2022, over 50% of new owners who joined Hoseasons were still in the development stage of their farm diversification project. Rachel agrees, the sooner the better: “For anyone else out there embarking on a farm diversification project, my main piece of advice would be to involve Hoseasons during the early stages. We wish we’d got in touch sooner, before we actually started the process. We know now that the team would have been able to advise on other decisions during the infancy of the project such as recommending the size and scale of the lodges. Specifically, the team gave us the confidence we were doing the right things, they supported us every step of the way. We’ve had members of the team meet with us in person, contact us over the phone when we need support – their help has given us the reassurance we needed to make this work.”

The farm’s units were resourced from a nearby manufacturing company, and the team carried out alterations to ensure the six lodges were in line with the family’s vision. At the start of spring this year, the family business opened Kesters Country Lodges, a hidden gem nestled in the rolling Yorkshire Wolds featuring four two bedroom, two bathroom units and two with two bedrooms and one bathroom.

Family run

Rachel said, “Six lodges was the right number for a family-run business, we’re really happy with that amount. Guests have enough space and it’s manageable for us while we also run our pig farm.” On a day-to-day basis, the Morgan sisters manage the pig farming side of the business, and it’s Rachel and her mum, Sue, who run the holiday-lets. The pair clean the lodges, liaise with the guests and Sue even makes homemade welcome biscuits for the guests.

Rachel said, “It’s busier than we expected, and we’ve been shocked at the number of bookings we’ve received. It is hard work because we’re both doing our full time jobs. However, it’s to be expected during our first year of trading. Our next step is to recruit some staff to help with cleaning and maintaining the holiday lodges.”

The financials

The new business has been receiving 5-star reviews from guests since its launch and the Morgans predict they will turn-over £80k during their first year in business having benefitted from the marketing and bookings support from Hoseasons. Commenting on this Rachel said, “The sales support Hoseasons offer has really worked out for us. The team have helped us with the bookings process and advised on how to define our pricing strategy. We’ve attended a series of Hoseasons’ quarterly seminars and industry talks which have been an invaluable way to discover staycation trends and what customers need.”

Luke Hansford, senior vice president business development, at Awaze – the parent company of Hoseasons and cottages.com – said, “We’re seeing increasingly more farmers and landowners diversifying; there’s certainly been an influx in the last five years. As a result, we’ve seen new developments crop up across land and farming hubs across the country. The Morgans have created such a welcoming and peaceful location in a short space of time. We’re incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved, and it’s been a pleasure to watch their ideas come into fruition.”

He added, “We will continue to nurture their new holiday rental business and will provide ongoing support should they need it. We have no doubt that the location will continue to thrive – they have a successful recipe comprising of unspoilt land and luxury lodges, making the perfect combination for a thriving diversification.”

Rachel concluded, “Yes, we felt nervous at the beginning but with the right support our confidence increased, and it became clear that we’d made a good choice. One thing that has been really great is how helpful other local hospitality businesses have been. You think they will see you as competition, but they have all been very happy to share ideas and tips and show me round their sites. It’s also been really lovely reading the customer reviews – we must be doing something right! Now as we look to the future, it feels reassuring to have a different stream of income to support what we do. It’s a worthwhile investment for our future as a farming family.”

If you are a farmer or landowner and have been thinking about introducing a holiday let diversification to your land then get in touch with Hoseasons to discuss how they can support you with your project.