Family farm attraction celebrates bumper year following expansion

A Warwickshire-based family farm attraction has increased its turnover and is creating two jobs after investing in an all-weather play barn facility thanks to a £250,000 funding package.

Umberslade Farm Park, established in 1988, is a family-owned business that offers children of all ages a range of farm-based activities, from play areas to interacting with the animals at the working farm.

The business recognised the need to improve indoor facilities for children visiting the farm to ensure they have an enjoyable experience that was not weather-dependent.

To meet this, it secured a £250,000 loan to support the purchase of a new, fully-insulated indoor play barn, complete with classrooms on a mezzanine, a modern toilet block and baby changing rooms.

Since the play barn opened to the public in July 2018, the company has seen an uplift in membership and online ticket sales, resulting in a 40% increase in its turnover. As visitor numbers now grow to 80,000 a year, the farm is also planning to recruit two new members of staff to help meet the increasing demand.

The play barn was commissioned by TouchWood Play, a playground equipment supplier that creates natural playgrounds for clients such as National Trust and the Chelsea Flower Show.

Oliver Muntz, director at Umberslade Farm Park, said: “The new indoor play barn is a great addition to the farm and means our indoor facilities are now just as strong as our outdoor offering.  As Umberslade Farm Park is family-owned, it’s vital to continue investing in the farm’s development and growth to ensure the next generation can continue our successful legacy.

“Lloyds Bank’s expertise and strong understanding of our business has been invaluable, and the team were incredibly helpful throughout the funding process. We’re always looking for the next project to take the farm to greater heights and we look forward to continuing to work with Lloyds Bank.”

Noshad Khowaja, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “It’s great to see Umberslade Farm Park taking the right steps to ensure visitors get the most out of their trip, helping to build a loyal following of customers as a result. The farm’s success and continued focus on investment demonstrates its ambition for the future and sets the bar for similar enterprises in the West Midlands.”