It was one of the most remarkable local business stories of the year.
Farmison & Co, which employed about 100 people in Ripon, went into administration on April 6, sparking a desperate battle for survival.
The loss of the firm, whose ‘eat better meat’ ethos had attracted clients including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, would have been a major blow not only for those losing their jobs but also for Ripon as a whole.
But after two weeks of fraught negotiations, a consortium led by former Asda chief executive Andy Clarke and Chilli Marketing founder Gareth Whittle struck a deal with the administrator to bring Farmison back to life.
In a year that has seen the collapse of other prominent local businesses with the loss of hundreds of jobs, including Flaxby housebuilder Ilke Homes and Harrogate telemarketing firm Amvoc, Farmison survived.
Farmison’s Ripon headquarters.
But what has happened since to ensure it wasn’t a short-term stay of execution?
One of the consortium’s first acts was to hire Weeton-based Andy Adcock as chief executive.
Mr Adcock’s 30-year retail career includes stints at Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and — alongside Mr Clarke — at Asda.
Farmison, he says, operated a sound business model but was operating beyond its means and the first priority was to bring down costs.
It now employs 60 staff, many of them rehires from its former life, which is just over half of its previous allocation. But after nine months, the focus is beginning to change from consolidation to growth.
Mr Adcock says:
“We have had to get leaner. We are now operating at the level we need and it’s all about growth.
“I wouldn’t have joined if I didn’t think the business had huge potential. It’s about tapping into that potential. The idea was always good but managing the cost base had become challenging.
“We are now doing it in a sensible manner and investing in growth rather than putting ourselves in a position where we put ourselves under pressure.”
Andy Adcock with some of the Farmison cuts.
Traditionally known as an online butchers, 92% of Farmison products are sold directly to customers online.
It relaunched its Cut by Farmison butchers shop at its Ripon headquarters on Bondgate Green this month and also announced plans to open more shops in a bit to diversify.
Mr Adcock says:
“We have this fabulous factory in Ripon, which is at the front end of a huge craft butchery operation. We’ve not been maximising the retail capability and the potential of this shop for local people.
“We also want to develop other channels to develop the offline business by supplying premium retailers like Harrods and Michelin-star chefs.”
Grantley Hall near Ripon is among the local hotels buying its premium meat.
Farmison has also announced a new deal with Harrods, an expansion of its home delivery service and an entry into the fish market through a partnership with online seafood business Fish for Thought.
Mr Adcock says the ambition is to increase annual turnover to £20 million.
This month’s relaunch of Cut by Farmison.
His friendly and informal style seems well suited to the business. When we arrived at Bondgate Green he was wearing a Christmas jumper and talked enthusiastically about mucking in over the festive period by packing boxes.
After three decades at national retailers, how is he finding the transition to a smaller company?
He says:
“It’s very different to a big corporate environment but that comes with a level of complexity and slowness of decision-making that we don’t need with a business like this.”
Read more:
- Revived Farmison fully reopens Ripon shop
- Ripon firm Farmison to trade again after buyout completed
- Ripon City Council withdraws support for cathedral development
But retail and meat run through his career like streaky bacon and he talks enthusiastically about Farmison’s approach, which involves selling British dry aged, free range meat reared from heritage breeds by artisan farmers in northern England. In his opinion, Galloway cattle, produce the best quality beef.
People don’t go to Farmisons for cheap meat. The company appeals to customers who are prepared to pay for premium cuts and are supportive of the company’s mission. He talks about exporting to expats in Singapore and Hong Kong who want quality heritage British breeds.
Mr Adcock says:
“I love meat, I love retail and Farmisons is such a nice business with so many people wanting to make it a success.”
He’s far from alone in his love of meat. Farmisons’ job is about getting enough of them to buy into its model.
But after its Easter resurrection, plenty of people in Ripon and beyond will be tucking into Farmisons meat over the festive period. And that’s a local miracle worth celebrating this Christmas.
Asda Express to open in Knaresborough tomorrow
A new Asda Express will open its doors in Knaresborough tomorrow.
It will replace the former Co-op on Boroughbridge Road following Asda’s plan to expand into the convenience market and become the UK’s second largest supermarket, behind Tesco.
As part of the plan, the supermarket chain announced last year it had acquired 132 Co-op stores on petrol forecourts in a £438m deal.
Andy Perry, managing director of convenience at Asda, said:
“This conversion programme is an incredibly exciting moment for our business and accelerates our presence in the fast-growing convenience market.
“We look forward to bringing Asda’s great value in fuel and groceries to many more communities across the UK and to welcoming over 2,000 former Co-op colleagues to the Asda family in the coming months.”
Asda opened its first express store in Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, and London last year. The Knaresborough store is one of 14 to open this week.
It plans to open 300 sites by 2026.
The express store will offer hot and cold takeaway food from brands including Leon and household essentials, and the petrol station will remain in operation.
Asda Express will open its doors tomorrow Friday, November 3.
Read more:
Asda Express preparing to open in Knaresborough
Asda is preparing to open its first express store in Knaresborough.
The supermarket announced last year it had bought 132 Co-op stores located on petrol forecourts for its new convenience store venture.
The Co-op on Wetherby Road in Knaresborough was among those acquired.
Adverts have now appeared for staff at the site. They say successful applicants will initially be employed by Co-op before transferring to Asda on the same terms under TUPE rules.
Asda opened its first express stores in Sutton Coldfield and London last year and plans to have 300 sites operating by the end of 2026.
An Asda image of how its express stores will look.
The express stores sell hot and cold takeaway food from brands including Leon, plus £10 meal deals for two people.
Asda hopes its expansion into the convenience store market will help it achieve its goal of overtaking Sainsbury the UK’s second biggest supermarket behind Tesco.
The Stray Ferret asked Asda for further details of the Knaresborough store, including the opening date.
A spokesperson said it would be in touch as soon as it had more information to share.
Read more:
Revived Farmison fully reopens Ripon shop
Online premium meat retailer Farmison & Co held an event in Ripon on Saturday to mark its shop fully re-opening.
Cut by Farmison & Co is now serving customers from 9am to 2pm every Saturday at Bondgate Green, as well as from 9am to 5pm on Wednesday to Friday. It also provides a click and collect service Monday to Saturday.
In-house butcher Jeff Baker held a barbecue and special offers were available to celebrate the firm’s rapid revival.
Farmison ceased trading in April when the firm collapsed into administration.
A consortium led by ex-Asda chief executive Andy Clarke and Chilli Marketing owner Gareth Whittle acquired the business and began a phased reopening last month.
Mr Whittle and chief operating officer Michelle Kennedy were at the Ripon site on Saturday to celebrate the comeback.
Gareth Whittle and Michelle Kennedy outside Cut on Saturday
Mr Whittle said the first aim was to stabilise then focus on increasing revenue from e-commerce as well as wholesale and retail channels. He added:
“Michelle and the team have moved mountains to get us back open.
“We are working with pretty much all the key suppliers, who have been incredibly supportive.”
Mr Whittle said the company’s mission to provide better meat sourced sustainably in the UK persuaded him to get involved, adding:
“I honestly believe in what we are doing and am excited about our plans.”
Staff recruitment
Ms Kennedy, who has been with Farmison since it was founded in 2011, said the company had started trading online within eight days of being rescued and had been building up the business since.
It now has 42 staff, many of whom worked for the firm pre-administration, and expected to be up to 59 this year.
Ms Kennedy said Mr Clarke and Mr Whittle brought fresh strategic thinking and strong business connections to Farmison. She added:
“It’s amazing to have them resurrecting the business. Gareth is a marketeer and has huge expertise in that area and Andy is a retailer with a wealth of business he can provide to the business.”
Read more:
- Ripon firm Farmison begins phased re-opening today
- Hot Seat: Bringing Ripon firm Farmison back to life
- Fears for rural transport as Masham and Ripon minibus service is scrapped
Business Breakfast: Masham brewery agrees beer listing deal with Asda
It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is after-work drinks at Manahatta, on May 25th at 5:30.
Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
A Masham brewery has secured listings at 240 Asda stores for one of its popular beers.
T&R Theakston confirmed the deal with the supermarket giant to sell cans of its Old Peculiar pale ale.
The agreement will also see 140 Asda stores nationwide sell cans of Theakston Best Bitter.
The news comes as the brewery says it has seen a rise in demand for its beers.
Simon Theakston, joint managing director of T&R Theakston, said:
“These two new listings are evidence of the continued strength of our portfolio. Theakston Old Peculier has continued to capture the attention of the country’s discerning drinkers, and we’re delighted that it is becoming more widely available as a result this growing partnership with Asda.
“Additionally, to see the increased off-trade success of Theakston Best Bitter speaks to a consumer preference for high-quality, handcrafted beers such as our own.”
Harrogate mobile company targets improved performance
A Harrogate telecommunications company is targeting improved performance amid a drop in revenue last year.
Mobile Tornado, which is based at Cardale Park, saw its reported turnover drop 12% from £2.59m in 2021 to £2.28 for the year ended December 31, 2022.
According to the company’s annual report, which was published in April, the loss of a customer in Canada accounted for 20% of total revenue and 10% of recurring revenues in the prior year comparative figures.
However, the firm said it now intends to improve its performance.
The company recently signed a deal with Leeds Bradford Airport, which will see it provide push-to-talk over cellular equipment for the airport’s workforce.
Jeremy Fenn, chairman of Mobile Tornado, said:
“The board is fully committed to maintaining the technical advantages that have been established, at the same time driving a much deeper and wider business development operation.
“The outreach campaign that has been running since the start of the year has already generated a good flow of new partner and customer opportunities, many of them in new geographic markets. We believe that this momentum can be accelerated significantly if we can successfully deploy our solution into a public safety organisation.
“Our teams worked hard on multiple trials during the last 15 months and we are hopeful that we will very shortly see a successful conclusion with full platform deployment. This would represent a significant commercial breakthrough, and we are confident will lead to a material uplift in financial performance as we push towards profitability in 2023.”
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Second knife amnesty bin installed in Harrogate
A second knife amnesty bins is being installed in Harrogate this week as part of a national police action week.
The town already has a permanent knife bin between Asda car park and Dragon Road car park to encourage people to safely get rid of potentially lethal weapons.
But a second amnesty bin is being put at Harrogate Police Station on Beckwith Head Road this week.
Bins are being installed in police stations in Harrogate, York, Scarborough, Malton, Northallerton and Skipton as part of the ‘save a life – bin a knife’ national police campaign running from today until Sunday.
Police will also be educating young people this week about the dangers of knife crime as well as carrying out high-visibility patrols, stop and searches and other enforcement activity in areas linked to possible knife crime.
A North Yorkshire Police press release today said:
“Simply wrap an unwanted knife in thick paper or cardboard as a safety precaution, and bring it directly to one of the locations.
“You do not have to give your name or any other details – just drop it in the clearly-marked bin.
“The aim of the bins is not only to reduce knife crime, but also give reassurance to people who simply want to dispose of unwanted knives and sharp objects – such as old kitchen knives, or unused work tools – safely and securely.”
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- Harrogate hails returning hero Rachel Daly
Detective Superintendent Andrea Kell, of North Yorkshire Police, said:
Hot Seat: Bringing Ripon firm Farmison back to life“Every knife placed in an amnesty bin is one less knife that could be used as a lethal weapon on the streets. That’s why I’m urging everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to dispose of them this week.”
Shortly before Christmas, Andy Clarke heard rumours all was not well at Ripon firm Farmison & Co.
Having spent a career in retail, including six years as chief executive of Asda, Mr Clarke was aware of the company’s mission to ‘eat better meat’ and innovative business model, which had attracted clients including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason.
He was approached about getting involved but was busy at the time. He adds:
“The phone went quiet for a while and then there was a bit more noise about the company being in a challenging position. When it went into administration, I decided to look in more detail.”
Farmison entered administration on April 6 — Maundy Thursday. The ensuing Easter drama ended, appropriately, with a resurrection when a consortium spearheaded by Mr Clarke acquired the business from the administrators just over two weeks later.
It prompted a collective sigh of relief in Ripon, where Farmison was one of the city’s largest and most feted employers, with almost 100 staff and numerous awards.
Farmison will stay at Bondgate Green
Some former staff, who lost their jobs when administration happened, are being rehired and new ones are being sought as Farmison prepares to recommence trading within weeks.
What possessed Mr Clarke to get involved as executive chairman? He says:
“I’ve lived in Yorkshire most of my life and I’ve always been keen to support Yorkshire businesses. I’ve a strong affection for local and Yorkshire. I was chair of Leeds Bradford Airport for nearly five years.
“When I saw what I believed to be a great brand at risk of disappearing I felt I had to have a look to see if I could help. At that point I didn’t know what help was. It soon became clear I had to find a partner and invest in it.”
From then, events moved rapidly.
“It became a race to see who was going to rescue the business. In the final throw of the dice, we were given approval by the administrators who felt our bid to take forward the business and protect jobs was the strongest.”
Read more:
- Ripon firm Farmison to trade again after buyout completed
- Ripon firm Farmison begins hiring staff as it prepares for comeback
The four-strong consortium also includes Gareth Whittle, the founder and former managing director of Chilli Marketing. But not Farmison co-founder John Pallagi, who was heavily involved in the race to save the company until the last minute. Mr Clarke says:
“We discussed with John what role he might play. We are still talking to John – there could be a role for him in future. He developed a great brand and his vision to ‘eat better meat’ is what attracted me.”
Mr Clarke says the immediate challenges are to refocus, manage the cost base and stabilise the business to bring it back to growth. No drastic changes to its business model are planned. He says:
“It’s fundamentally a good business that ran out of petrol because the cost base was too high.
“We are primarily a B to C supplier. That’s the primary purpose of the business and I would suggest that will be retained.”
Mr Clarke, who lives in East Yorkshire, says he’s had “brilliant support” from suppliers even though Farmison’s administration left some being owed money. He says:
“It’s sad that these businesses have lost out because of the previous company and the previous management team. We will develop a stronger business together.”
He reaffirmed Farmison’s commitment to its Bondgate Green site in Ripon by saying the consortium has assured the landlord it intends to stay. He says:
“It’s a great site. We are at the heart of the community.”
‘Eat better meat’ is Farmison’s strapline
Mr Clarke, who is also chair of Menzies Distribution and holds other senior roles, will divide his time at Farmison with his other business ventures.
Chief operating officer Michelle Kennedy is in charge of day-to-day operations, supported by commercial director Andy Cavanna and finance manager Liam Duggan.
“I add value through my experience but when it comes down to it it’s about the capability of the team to work together and get this business back to where it’s meant to be.”
Even with his long experience in retail, however, he says the Farmison acquisition has been “quite a journey”.
“I’ve driven the Ripon Road on more occasions than ever before. It’s been great. I’ve loved it. It’s a very exciting business to be involved in and we hope we can make it successful again for Ripon.”
North Yorkshire’s first ‘knife drop’ bin installed in Harrogate
The first “knife drop bin” to be installed in North Yorkshire has been set up in Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council worked together to install the orange bin between Asda car park and Dragon Road car park near to the recycling bins.
The facility is designed for people to dispose safely of knives, blades or sharp tools in a safe, anonymous way.
People wishing to deposit a knife are advised to wrap the blade in either thick paper or cardboard and secure with tape as a safety precaution. Once secure, take the knife directly to the bin location and deposit it safely by dropping it through the hatch.
Nicola Colboure, North Yorkshire Police inspector in Harrogate, said:
“While knife crime in North Yorkshire is very low compared to many surrounding areas, we do see the awful injuries knives and other bladed items can inflict if they fall into the wrong hands.
“This is an excellent way to ensure they’re permanently taken out of circulation, which in turn helps us ensure North Yorkshire remains officially England’s safest county.”
The force said the purpose of the bin is to give reassurance to the public that knives are disposed of, but also to reduce knife crime and violence.
A police press release said those who use the knife bin for its intended purpose of disposing of weapons will be granted amnesty to do so and will therefore not face prosecution for disposing of their knives.
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It added:
Asda Harrogate introduces new parking system“Discarding knives by handing them directly into police stations can be a daunting prospect, which is why introducing this simple and discrete method of disposal will hopefully encourage people to utilise the knife drop bin, particularly when coming across old surplus kitchen knives or sharp work tools such as Stanley knives.
“Under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 it is now also illegal to possess certain weapons in private places. Items that could have previously been considered as decorative, collectable or antique pieces are now unlawful to own and you will face prosecution if weapons such as samurai swords, shurikens and flick knives are found in your home.
“Many of these weapons are held in innocence or lack of knowledge of their illegality. We therefore want to urge those in possession of such items to take advantage of the knife drop bin.”
Asda is to introduce a new parking system at its supermarket in the centre of Harrogate.
Cameras are being introduced to check number plates when vehicles arrive and leave the large car park.
Visitors will receive two hours for free but face a fine if they overstay.
Under the old system, motorists bought a ticket from a machine entitling them to park for up to two hours for £1.
The £1 was refundable at the checkout providing at least £2 was spent in-store.
Parking was monitored by enforcement officers rather than by cameras and people could return throughout the day.
There have been concerns raised on social media that anyone wanting to return to the store later in the day under the new system could be fined £70 because the maximum stay is two hours in 24 hours.
The old machines are being replaced by camera technology.
The new system has not yet been activated.
The Stray Ferret asked Asda when the new system would go live and to respond to concerns that motorists could be fined for parking on site twice in one day.
However, the company declined to comment.
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Are petrol prices being pumped up for Ripon motorists?
Ripon motorists are paying up to 11.2 pence more per litre for unleaded petrol than their Harrogate counterparts, while those driving diesel cars, vans and lorries are paying on average 8 pence a litre more at the pump.
This morning, at the Morrisons Esso station on Harrogate Road a litre of unleaded was being sold at 179.9 pence.
But 12 miles away in Harrogate, Asda’s price for a litre of unleaded had reduced to 168.7 pence.
It means a motorist adding 40 litres of unleaded fuel to their vehicle would pay an extra £4.48.
On Saturday the Morrisons petrol station in Harrogate was selling the cheapest unleaded in town at 170.4 pence per litre, but by contrast, the petrol station at its Ripon store site was charging 178.9.
Morrisons’ Esso petrol station on Harrogate Road, Ripon, where a litre of unleaded was 11.2 pence more than Asda and 9.5 pence more than at its Harrogate store.
Ripon resident Stewart Readman, who contacted the Stray Ferret to point out the difference in prices, said:
“I have an app that gives details of petrol and diesel costs in the area and further afield and would have thought that at a time when some people are struggling to get by, that the petrol station operators would be a bit more even-handed when they are in a position to reduce prices.”
When asked how it justifies the price difference between its petrol stations in Harrogate and Ripon, a spokesman for supermarket giant Morrisons, said:
“In the UK petrol prices vary from town to town and even neighbourhood to neighbourhood and we will always strive to be competitive in each local area.
“Occasionally this can mean price differences between different areas open up. We continually review our prices and will look to reduce this difference as soon as we can.”
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