Some of the very best farm retailers in the UK have been named after being shortlisted for the national Farm Retail Awards, sponsored by Fieldfare. The finalists, who are from Devon, Kent, Lincolnshire, London, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Scotland, Shropshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Surrey, will now go through to the glittering awards ceremony on Wednesday 12th…

Some of the best Pick Your Own Farms in the UK have been named Some of the best Pick Your Own Farms in the UK have been named after being shortlisted for the national Farm Retail Awards, sponsored by Fieldfare – chosen, frozen and ready to pick. The finalists, who are from near Edinburgh, Staffordshire…

The Farm Retail Association (FRA) is delighted to join the global community in celebrating World Farmers Markets Week from 4th to 10th August. This annual event, spearheaded by the World Farmers Markets Coalition, highlights the vital role farmers markets play in connecting consumers with local producers and fostering vibrant communities. With over 1,070 markets held annually…

YOU’RE INVITED THE MUST-ATTEND SPECIALITY TRADE SHOW! As a member of FRA, you’re invited to come along free to Farm Shop & Deli Show, the sector’s leading event. Returning to the NEC Birmingham 29th April – 1st May 2024 as part of the UK Food & Drinks Shows, it also incorporates National Convenience Show, Food & Drink…

Some of the very best farm retailers in the UK have been revealed after the Farm Retail Association announced its national finalists in the 2024 awards. Innovative and inspiring businesses from all corners of the country have been shortlisted across eight categories; from the Rising Star Award which celebrates business development and newcomers to the…

Some of the best Pick Your Own Farms in the UK have been named after being shortlisted for the national Farm Retail Awards, sponsored by specialist retailer COOK. Two of the finalists hail from Yorkshire and one is from Worcestershire. Last year’s winner of this category was Cammas Hall, Bishop’s Stortford, Essex. The category has…

The World Farmers Markets Coalition (WorldFMC) will host its 1st General Assembly Meeting on May 21 & 22, 2023 in Rome, Italy For the first time, more than 100 agricultural and community development leaders from around the world will gather in Rome to introduce a farmers’ market community of practice to the world. A momentous…

Some of the best farm retailers in the UK were crowned winners on Tuesday 7th March 2023 in an annual award ceremony hosted by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Winners were selected in the prestigious awards organized by the Farm Retail Association (FRA) which was formed in 1979 to support the industry. Hugh presented awards to…

Farm shops and Farmers Markets are experiencing increased demand, partly due to the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in some supermarkets in recent weeks. As supermarkets continue to ration some fresh produce after bad weather in north Africa and southern Europe hit crops, the Farm Retail Association is reporting a brighter outlook for customers…

Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been announced as special guest at the Farm Retail Association annual awards in Exeter next month. Hugh will present awards to some of the best farm retailers in the UK at the event (sponsored by specialist retailer COOK) which will take place on Tuesday 7th March as part of the…

See why you should be attending the FRA Stronger Together event 6th – 8th March 2023….

The Farm Business Innovation Show is the inspiration event of the year for forward-thinking farmers and land-owners. Farm Retail Association will be exhibiting at the show – stop by and see us at stand FM1484. Here are 5 more reasons you should visit: 1. Meet over 500 Exhibitors Over 500 exhibitors will provide ideas and…

NFU Mutual has issued an urgent security alert to farm shop owners following a spate of sophisticated burglaries across North West England and the West Midlands. Over the last month the leading rural insurer has been alerted to raids on six farm shops in Staffordshire, Cheshire and West Yorkshire. CCTV images suggest that the same…

Brought to you by the Guild of Fine Food – organisers of Great Taste and the World Cheese Awards – Fine Food Show North is a showcase of over 150 of the finest food & drink producers from across the UK, gathered under one roof at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate. It is an…

Britain’s farm shops generate a staggering £1.4 billion in sales nationally, employing 25,000 workers, brand new research shows. And they’ve proved to be invaluable throughout the pandemic with 89% of farm retailers reporting an increase in sales since 2019. The fresh findings were revealed today at the annual Farm Retail Association Conference after it undertook…

Why bother developing your people?  What can training do to answer these questions and challenges? Your front line team members: They create have most of the customer contacts in the business, so how can we help them to care as much as you do?  Who should define what a good customer experience looks like in your business? …

Tuesday 16th November, 6pm  Premiere and live Q&A to be hosted via zoom – all welcome Join us for the live premiere of a behind the scenes tour of PYO of the Year 2021, Cammas Hall Farm. Many of you joined us for the behind the scenes tours of The Farm, Stratford and Darts Farm Shop at…

The latest news and resources for meat producers and retailers We’re delighted to be working with the AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) to ensure our members are up to speed with all the latest news and resources for meat producers and retailers, from beef, lamb and pork yielding guides to direct selling information. Whether you are…

Help us shout about the true value of Britain’s farm shops to the nation An extensive project which aims to discover the true value of Britain’s farm shops to the nation has been launched by the Farm Retail Association and Harper Adams University. The project – which is being backed by researchers in Harper Adams’…

Speciality & Fine Food Fair announces exclusive product launches and extended opening hours Speciality & Fine Food Fair is set to welcome a wide range of new producers, partners, features and products when it returns to Olympia London on 6-7 September 2021. The Fair has seen huge enthusiasm from the fine food & drink industry since…

World Farmers Market Coalition (WFMC) launched The inaugural meeting of the newly formed World Farmers Market Coalition (WFMC) took place in style in July as part of the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit. The WFMC – a project launched and led by Coldiretti, the Italian Farmers Market Association – is made up of farmers’ market networks…

Have you considered organic wine as part of your product range? Vintage Roots bring the best organic wines to the UK, with its HQ and warehouse at a farm base in Hampshire, delivering all over the UK mainland. It has a portfolio of over 500 organic wines, spirits and beers and a proactive sales team…

Best Pick Your Own farms shortlisted for national awards Some of the best Pick Your Own Farms in the UK have been named after being shortlisted for the national Farm Retail Awards. Finalists have been shortlisted from Worcestershire, Northumberland, Kent and Swindon for this category and they will go through to the award ceremony in…

Registration opens for Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2021 Visitor registration has opened for Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2021, which takes place on 6-7 September at Olympia London. The Fair will invite independent retailers, high-end caterers and speciality wholesalers to discover the very latest new products and trends in the world of speciality and fine food & drink at the first major post-lockdown trade show for…

Would you want to help children who live in food poverty by selling your surplus produce? The short answer is of course Yes… 2.3m children live in food insecurity. This has a devastating life-long impact on their health, education and wellbeing. Malnutrition costs the British taxpayer £23.5bn each year, while 3 million tonnes of food…

Are you ready for Halloween & pumpkin season 2021? If planning for Halloween, can make you want to scream (and not with excitement) as the season draws ever closer, here are some handy tips on how to make your Halloween experience only terrifying for your customers. With many attractions hoping for a successful and profitable…

Seasonarians was established in 2020 by its three founders, Gareth Jones, Izzabella Fisk and Surrey Hartshorn,as a way of promoting eating seasonally, locally and sustainably. Established in West Wales as A community Interest Company it now has members throughout The Southern Half of The UK. “Whilst anyone who wants to eat a plant based diet…

Wednesday 21st July, 6pm Session hosted via zoom The Farm Retail Association is delighted to be joined by Jay Moran of Cheshire West & Chester Trading Standards, for an informal talk about the legal controls for market traders when placing goods, including food and drink on the market place. The talk will be from a trading…

Entries open for the 2022 Farm Retail Awards The hunt is on for the best farm retailers in the UK as entries open next week for the Farm Retail Awards 2022. The national Farm Retail Association (FRA) will launch the awards on Monday 31st May when members are encouraged to enter their businesses to compete to be the…

The Farm Retail Association are delighted to have partnered with Chestnut Brae Farm, an award-winning business in SW Australia. Go behind the scenes at this incredible business – we challenge you not to be inspired by the journey John & Linda have been on – their passion is catching! What does this event entail? About…