Dairy farm and tourist attraction hit by Pret A Manger store closures plans for re-opening
A family-run dairy farm and tourist attraction which was hit by the lockdown and the news of a raft of Pret A Manger store closures says it is “cautiously optimistic” around plans to welcome visitors back and enjoy a profitable summer.
Home Farm Attingham in Shrewsbury has secured a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan (BBL) from Barclays which has been used to cover expenditure in preparation for winter operations and keep the enterprise running over the lockdown period.
Set within National Trust grounds in Atcham, Home Farm is a small family-run dairy farm that diversified into tourism in the 1980s.
Since then, its primary income stream is from day visitors who can meet the animals and visit the tearooms on site.
The nationwide closure of the hospitality industry and hardship in the dairy sector created tough trading conditions for the farm, whose milk buyer supplies Pret A Manger which announced earlier this month it is to permanently close 30 branches and could cut at least 1,000 jobs after suffering “significant operating losses” as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Ben Dixon, owner of Home Farm Attingham, said: “We’re a dairy farm, but 33 years ago mum and dad diversified and opened the farm up into tourism.
“Tourism is the biggest source of income for our business in the spring and summer, and it’s been massively affected by the pandemic. April, May and June are traditionally our busiest months of the year, and closure has cost us about 75% of our annual tourism income.
“We’re lucky in a sense to have a separate source of income with the milk, but that’s been hit too. One of the big customers our milk buyer supplies is Pret A Manger and that market disappeared overnight, and the value of the rest of our milk dropped due to demand, so it’s been a nightmare.”
Dixon said the loan will help the business prepare for winter.
“We’re also hoping to benefit from more people holidaying in the UK this summer – there’s definitely interest in the countryside and how to run a farm so we’d encourage everyone to research what’s out there and support rural businesses.”
George Sigley, relationship director, Barclays Business Banking, said: “Home Farm Attingham is a family-run business, a traditional Shropshire farm that offers day experiences for families looking to feed the animals and learn about life in the countryside.
“Farms are some of the most resilient businesses in the UK, and Home Farm Attingham is a prime example of this. The business has weathered a crisis in the dairy and tourism sector, and will recover when it’s deemed safe for people to visit and socially distance. “
