Whitby views at the farm that majors on staycations

He could be the fourth generation to farm up here or in nearby Sneatonthorpe, he may go into the family ice cream business that was started up back in 1988, work on the campsite or with the holiday cottages or of course none of these at all, it’s far too early to say.

What’s certain is that he will have plenty of options thanks to his grandfather Mike, Zoe and their sons Chris (Oliver’s father) and Matt’s commitment to the family cause.

If you’ve visited Whitby and Robin’s Hood Bay in the past 26 years the likelihood is that you’ve either tasted their ice cream or at very least seen the signs for Beacon Farm. They sell over 20 flavours either direct from their parlour or wholesale to cafés, restaurants and shops. At one time they used their own milk, but came out of dairy farming in the early part of the new millennium. Today their farming operation has scaled down vastly from the days when Mike, his father Paul and Mike’s brothers Philip and Alan had 600 acres and were also agricultural contractors.

Mike is matter-of-fact about where he and his boys are now heading.

“I’m the only one left of the original partners. We moved away from being an arable, dairy and beef farm some years ago. We now have 115 acres of corn at Sneatonthorpe when it’s all in. We have 85 acres of wheat this year, growing the variety Revelation and 20 acres of barley.

“I still classify myself as a farmer but like many I’ve become very sceptical. You look at the return on investment compared to the ice cream, the campsite and the holiday cottages and you do question what we are doing still farming.

“When I was in partnership with my brothers and dad I was always the one more involved on the ice cream and arable side than the dairy cows. I didn’t dislike them it was just that the other sides of the business needed more time and have ended up benefitting us more.

“We have that much work on here now that it seems a bit stupid chasing around for something that doesn’t provide sufficient return.

“I still handle most of the arable side such as drilling and ploughing. We were growing continuous wheat and that was working well for us because we could harvest it at the end of the school holidays, which is our busiest time, but the three-crop ruling and ‘greening’ put a spanner in our works.”

Location is everything and at the same time as the ice cream parlour and wholesale business was being set up the Shardlows ventured into the campsite world utilising 17 acres at Beacon Farm.

Matt is mainly responsible for its day-to-day management.

“When the school summer holidays hit the site goes manic. It seems like camping has gone crazy in the last few years and become really popular. Whitby is such an attraction and the views we have of Whitby harbour are just great.”

The holiday cottages at Longstone Farm up the road in Sneatonthorpe are the latest additions and they are run as a separate business with Chris mainly responsible for them.

“We converted existing redundant farm buildings and have five all together. Bookings have taken off better than we had ever imagined.

“When you invest the amount we had in the beginning you always wonder what will happen, but they are doing really well. We are so lucky with our location.”

Neither Chris nor Matt had any intention of farming even though they all muck in together with Mike when jobs need to be done.

“Matt and I have come back after both having been at university,” says Chris. “I was only away three months because I realised I’d made a mistake in going. I’m loving it with what we do.”

Beacon Farm Dairy Ice Cream is still made from local milk even if it’s no longer their own.

“The tanker collects from a farm a mile away and brings it here. It’s all still very much North Yorkshire ice cream made from North Yorkshire dairy cows.”