At the farm shop...

The law says at least 40% of farm shop produce must be grown on the farm, don't make me laugh, they mostly seem to be full of stuff that comes from other countries, like oranges and satsumas, or a bakery. Look at that list of ingredients, do you reckon they grow their own palm oil and E numbers?
 
Good point Olly. They've got a cherry orchard but I don't know how much other land they have. The huffkins are from the local bakery a mile up the road, lots of other veg from local places too. We only usually shop for veg there, we got the huffkins as Tetters was preparing her special vegeburger suprise for lunch :cool:
 
Although our local farm shop has gone rather ''upmarket'' these days Olly, I have been shopping there for many years, and until quite recently it was just a big shed behind the present building. Clearly, we cannot grow the citrus fruit here, and it probably won't be long now before we'll all find it difficult to source this at all, the way things are heading. They do, however grow acres of fruit, and the honey and mostly all other products are sourced from local growers, bakers, and beekeepers etc. We have a lot of suppliers around here for honey, eggs, bakery, and even a watercress farm just along the road where the river flows through.
This farm also provides much of its own home grown meat. There are also a vast number of vineyards now all over the place in the area, so yet another cottage industry. The prices are higher than the supermarkets, but the quality is superior.
 
To qualify as a farm shop 40% of the produce must actually come from the farm, not just locally produced, otherwise you need planning permission for a shop, which they probably wouldn't get. I don't know about your local shop, but round here a lot of them look like they are breaking the rules, which really isn't fair on local shops who pay for a proper premises, and local taxes.
I don't know if that is 40% by items, volume, value, or how they calculate it, but it certainly looks as though they cheat.
 
Oh well, I don't ask to look at their books, or check what percentage of the fruit etc they produce, and I don't use their floristry department or their restaurant. In fact, as I make all of our bread myself, the bakers department only gives us the occasional huffkin. It serves us well with very fresh veggies when we need them, and local eggs, honey and super fresh watercress.
Why on earth does it bother you so much Olly, I didn't think you were an associate of Tesco :unsure:

Actually, when it comes to area and percentage, I would say our country shop is akin to the size of a supermarket now, and I really think the local council would have noticed it was there as it's in an elevated position on a rather busy road. They would have checked that it had planning permission etc. it is not hidden from view!
 
Last edited:
Dirtmechanic said:
Yeah. Personally glad Doctors don't run downtown with a hammer late on Saturday night but it can get weird.
Click to expand...

Some years back, a local builder had the contract to do emergency repairs on broken shop windows. He was getting a few hundred pounds call out money to board and secure the shops, then more money to fit new plate glass windows during daylight hours.

He got greedy and paid some lads to smash a few more windows.

They got caught, and not wanting to go to prison they grassed up the builder who had paid them so he ended up going to prison instead.
 

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