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Yorkshire on a plate: Authentic taste of our county
THE Yorkshire farm shop of Yorkshire farm shops officially opened its doors yesterday – and promised to recommend its customers to move on to rival establishments.
The new business with the generous spirit is a food hall and caf calledFodder, selling a selection of the best of Yorkshire produce, in a new 5m "regional agricultural centre" built by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS) at its showground on the outskirts of Harrogate.
The YAS was given a 10 per cent grant towards the cost by the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, but expects to recoup its investment by taking a commission on sales through Fodder and by letting office space in the rest of the building.
The YAS itself is the first tenant and is confident of pulling in more – especially now that the demise of the Royal Show in Warwickshire has elevated the importance of the Great Yorkshire Show and its venue.
The chairman of the YAS, Simon Theakston, said: "There's a growing recognition that successful food and farming businesses will help pull Britain out of recession.
"The role of the regional agricultural centre is to assist farmers to flourish."
The showground attracts half a million visitors a year – 125,000 to the Great Yorkshire Show and the rest to events, conferences, shows and parties, using the fields, showrings and buildings.
Some have already been through Fodder during two weeks of staff training leading up to the official opening, and shop manager Rachel Burberry said there were encouraging signs that local people wanted to use it as an upmarket store for regular locally sourced shopping.
The bakery, supplied by Via Vacchia of York and Domouchel of Garforth, Leeds, was proving particularly popular.
But the YAS said Fodderwas intended to guide people to other farm shops rather than to take trade away from them, and visitors would be given leaflets telling them how to find their nearest, via www.fodderweb. co.uk.
Six of the chosen suppliers for Fodder turned up to help launch it yesterday.
Liz Joyce of Denholme Gate Apiary (denholmeapiaries.co.uk) is supplying honey, beeswax polishes and other products derived from 100 hives she and husband Mike run near Bradford.
Stephen Crabtree of Bolton Abbey Meats will manage his flock to supply Yorkshire lamb all year round (boltonabbey.co.uk), while Jenny Clarkson and her family make Just Jenny's ice cream at Hazel Slack Farm, Barkisland, near Halifax.
Dianne and Jeff Gill (ivyhousefarm.co.uk) are supplying organic cheeses which they make at Southowram, also in Calderdale, and Gill Mellor was at the launch to promote beers from her family business (woldtopbrewery.co.uk).
Jonathan Curtoys makes sloe gin and jams at Barton-le-Willows, near York, with his brother Julian, using wild fruit (sloemotion.co.uk).
Some of the businesses represented have had help from a YAS subsidiary called Growing Routes, which offers advice on marketing and guidance to sources of grants and loans to new farming-related businesses.
It is also based in the new building, and its director George Hamilton can be contacted on 01423 546200.
Inquiries about office space can be made to YAS chief executive Nigel Pulling on 01423 546207. Inquiries about supplying products to Fodder can be directed to Heather Parry at 01423 546253 or heatherp@yas. co.uk/
The minimum-energy building was constructed by Harrogate-based Houseman & Falshaw
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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