Farm shops enjoy rise in popularity as supermarket shortages continue

Courtesy of the Hog & Hen

After pictures of empty supermarket shelves began circulating on social media last month, farm shops in Suffolk and Essex are reporting an increase in customers looking to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.

Many farm shops have taken to social media to share photos of their shelves fully stocked with fresh produce, as shortages and rationing in major supermarkets are predicted to last until late March.

However, farmers and growers are warning that we could soon see shortages of British produce, as soaring costs have forced many to reduce or even cease production.

Courtesy of Roselea Nursery, Trimley St Martin, Suffolk

Roselea Nursery Farm Shop in Trimley St Martin, Suffolk stocks a variety of fresh produce grown on the three-acre farm or sourced locally. Steven Medley told Farmers Guide:

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in trade [since the supermarket shortages]. People have been coming in for the items they can’t get in the supermarket, such as cauliflowers, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.”

Amy Rowe at Hog & Hen Farm Shop & Café in Stonham Aspal, Suffolk, agreed: “We definitely have noticed an increase in the shop, with new customers doing food shops and regular customers now doing bigger shops. We’ve been surprised at how many people have been willing to pay a higher price for goods such as tomatoes and red peppers, rather than go without.”

Similarly, Matthew Barrie of Hall Farm Shop & Restaurant in Colchester, said there has been a noticeable increase in customers since the supermarket shortages. During the egg shortages of a few months ago, there was also an upswing in people coming to the shop specifically looking for eggs.

“Government must support growers”

Roselea Nursery has seen “tremendous” increases in running costs over the past year, with fertiliser doubling and tractor diesel nearly trebling, as well as a rise in electricity and wages, but the price they get for produce has remained largely the same. As a result, the three owners of the business have not taken a pay increase since 2015.

As well as the rising cost of packaging, fertiliser and chemicals, Hog & Hen has struggled with dramatic increases in feed costs for their poultry and the compulsory housing of birds in England due to avian flu has meant they can no longer label their eggs free range.

Matthew, of Hall Farm Shop added: “The production and even the storage of food uses a lot of energy – in winter our fridges aren’t working as hard but we’re having to heat a restaurant and shop. In summer we won’t have to heat the buildings, but the fridges will be working very hard. We’re not a huge venue but we’ve got five walk-in fridges, half a dozen display fridges and chest freezers so it’s really energy heavy.” The business’s energy bill has increased by 134% in the past 12 months.

Supermarkets failing to pay producers a fair price is a core part of the problem, local farmers say.

Courtesy of Hall Farm, Colchester, Essex

Steven explained: “We can produce all this food in this country – if people want tomatoes and cucumbers at this time of year, they can be produced in glasshouses, but the supermarkets have got to be prepared to pay the price for English produce […] as it’s a major expense to heat the glasshouses. […]

“Supermarkets have for too long drummed into peoples’ heads that food is a cheap commodity, and it isn’t. The Government has either got to do something to support growers or supermarkets have got to be prepared to pay growers a fair price.”

Matthew, Hall Farm, speaks regularly to the shop and restaurant’s vegetable supplier, who says the open market has been flooded by supermarkets. Producers are calling for a higher price as production costs rise but are often forced to produce at a loss if they’re on a rolling contract, or they can end up in a stalemate with supermarkets. He added: “Using independent shops for fruit, veg and meat means that the entire chain gets a fair price.”

The Hog & Hen team said: “Due to suppliers not being paid fairly, the supermarkets are able to buy fresh produce at very low prices all year round. This has a big effect on small businesses like us, who pay fair prices directly to our producers. Therefore, the rates are slightly higher and once the produce is on our shelves it is priced with a noticeable difference compared to those in the supermarkets.

“More issues come from the increasing costs of production, along with the cost of living, meaning it’s hard to push prices up in retail.”