Harker’s Farm Shop adds new bakery after £10,000 council grant support

A farm shop in Rushcliffe has introduced a new bakery with support from the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), enabling the business to extend its product line with freshly baked goods and attract new customers.

Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) granted over £10,000 from the REPF towards the project at Harker’s Farm Shop, which was matched with nearly £16,000 by the business to transform part of the shop into a bakery. The new bakery produces homemade pies, sausage rolls, pasties, cooked meats, and more.

The new oven and kitchen area at the Clipston-on-the-Wolds business near Cotgrave will enable the shop to grow by increasing the range of products available to customers and producing high-quality in-house products for consumers to enjoy.

RBC’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Abby Brennan, recently visited the shop to meet the Harker’s Farm team and see how the new in-house kitchen and bakery is supporting the business.

- Advertisement -

Cllr Brennan said:“The new facilities for cooking and baking freshly made products in-house are a fantastic addition to the shop, which will support the business by increasing existing customer spend and attracting new customers.

“The REPF grant funding has also helped to further secure employment with the new bakery in place. They have a wide selection of delicious freshly baked products such as pies and sausage rolls, all made in-house.

“Without this project, the shop could not cook and bake on the premises, and they would not have been able to take this innovative step forward to diversify and grow further.”

Harker’s Farm Shop Manager, Tracy Harker, added:
“We are always looking for ways to improve our farm shop, and an in-house kitchen and bakery has been on the wish list for a while.

“With the support of RBC and the REPF grant, our plans have materialised a lot sooner than we could have hoped for. We are already producing lots of new and exciting products, including our delicious pork pies, sausage rolls, pasties, and lots more for our deli counter.”

•  Pictures: First look inside M&S Food West Bridgford after full refurbishment