A farm shop near Boroughbridge has added a children’s play barn to its attractions for families.

Yolk Farm, which offers a restaurant and shop as well as opportunities to meet and feed its animals, opened the new Yard@Yolk facility this week.

Emma Mosey, who has run the business near Minskip with husband Ben for the last six years, said she hoped it would add another reason for local families to visit.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“It all stems back from our mission and vision here which is educating kids and young families about farming, and being reconnected with food.

“A lot of the places that already exist are amazing, and can cost quite a lot to get in, particularly for a family with more than one child.

“Our aim is to make this a place people can come regularly and spend some time with their kids.”

Milkshakes will be among the treats on offer at the new facility

Interest in the project has been high since it was first announced on social media last month.

The building where the play space is housed has been completely transformed from its original use.

Emma said:

“It was originally the hen barn. Late last year, we were told if we were to get avian flu within the hens in that location, we would have to shut the whole site, including the restaurant.

“It was a huge risk, so when the flock came to an end, we decided to move the new flock into a field a bit further away.

“It meant we had this big barn, in the middle of the car park, which was vacant.”

The barn now offers role play areas and ride-on toys, all connected to the theme of farming and food.

Visitors can buy hot and cold drinks, as well as snacks, milkshakes and ice creams, drawing on the menu from the adjacent restaurant.

Yard@Yolk is open daily from 10am to 3pm and entry is £2.50 per child.

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The owners of Ainsty Farm Shop have said if a new Prime Minister had been appointed sooner it could have saved their business.

This morning, the government announced a huge package of support for businesses that will see energy bills cut in half for the next six months.

Despite the energy crisis growing all summer, the measures were only announced after the two-month Conservative Party leadership battle between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

For the farm shop off the A59, which closed last week, it’s come too late.

The Stray Ferret reported in August how farmers Lily and Stuart Beaton had run the popular store for 22 years but planned to close due to spiralling bills.

They had been given an energy quote of £90,000 — a massive increase from the £20,000 a year they had previously been paying.

Ms Beaton said:

“In all honesty, if they’d got on with choosing the Prime Minister quicker, and made the announcement [on energy bills] sooner, we might have sat down and worked out the figures and looked if we’d be able to go on. gone on.

“I think we would have had a go at putting our prices up and seeing what the reaction was from people.”

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The package of support will last for six months, which Ms Beaton described as a “stay of execution”.

She is worried that next winter, businesses could again be placed in a perilous position with no guarantee of another government bailout.

She added:

“I think there are a lot of businesses that will benefit but I feel it’s moving the problem on. In six months time we won’t have all the renewable power in place, that’s the way we need to go.”

The couple are now busy removing the fridges, tills and shelving from the store as they prepare to simplify their business.

They will continue to sell meat and produce from their farm via an online mailing list and through their online shop.

Ainsty Farm Shop is to close next month after its owners were told their annual energy bill was set to jump from £20,000 to £90,000 a year.

Farmers Lily and Stuart Beaton have run the popular store for 22 years and have been in their current premises off the A59 near Kirk Hammerton since 2005. The shop sells meat from their farm as well as other produce grown locally.

The couple’s annual energy bill is due to renew next month and they received a new quote last week that was so shocking they didn’t think it was real.

Ms Beaton said:

“I said they’ve sent the wrong quote, this can’t be right. Are you sure they sent the right quote?”

Massive price hike

They contacted an energy broker, who managed to get the quote down to £76,000, but it was still far more than they are able to afford.

It led to the heartbreaking decision to close the farm shop, which has turned their lives “upside down”.

Ms Beaton added:

“We just don’t have that extra £50,000, it’s not the type of money that sits spare.

“If we were to try and put an increase on prices and charge customers more, that wouldn’t be fair, it would exclude a lot of customers. We’d just price ourselves out of the market.”

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The cost of living crisis is now being felt by just about everyone, with wholesale energy prices soaring due to the war in Ukraine as well as high demand post-covid.

But for owners of small businesses like Ainsty Farm Shop, it can sting seeing oil companies like Shell and BP post record profits whilst they are forced to close their doors.

Ms Beaton said:

“It’s just phenomenal the record profits they are announcing for these businesses, yet everybody else underneath them is going out of business because they can’t sustain the rises. That’s where the problem lies, that’s what needs sorting out.”

‘Tip of the iceberg’

She believes the closure of their business is the “tip of the iceberg” and fears for how the food and retail landscape could eventually look.

The couple hope their plight acts as a warning to show that small businesses need more help if they are going to weather the current crisis and come out the other side. Ms Beaton said:

“It will be a very sad day when there are only supermarkets and no independents. It’s what will happen unless something is done now, but it’s been too late for our shop”.

Since announcing their closure over the weekend they have been heartened by the messages of support and goodwill from customers.

After September, they will continue to sell meat and produce from their farm via their online shop.

“Some of the customers came through the doors when we opened our first shop. They are very loyal, lovely customers. It’s heartbreaking to think these people you see weekly you won’t see them again.

“Its been a long time, our kids have been born since we’ve had the shop, they’ve worked here too during school holidays. It’s just all going to end which feels very strange.”

To sign up to the Ainsty Farm Shop mailing list for updates on how to still buy meat from them after they close, email sales@ainstyfarmshop.co.uk or call 01423 331897

A bohemian Harrogate cafe, antiques and garden centre has closed after more than two years of business.

53 Bo Grove, on Grove Road, just off Kings Road, caught the eye of passers-by with its front yard filled with antiques and salvaged items.

The business became a vital hub for residents during the early coronavirus lockdowns by remaining open to sell food at a time when many supermarkets were struggling for stock.

Over the last year, the Stray Ferret has reported owner Kyrensa Bentley’s attempts to improve business by opening a pancake shack and a farm shop on site.

Bo Grove at Oxford Street.

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Ms Bentley, who opened the business in September 2019, told the Stray Ferret she made the decision to close after struggling on a number of fronts:

“I am sad to have to close but it was a difficult location.

“I struggled with Harrogate Borough Council, coronavirus has also had an impact and we were short on staff in the kitchen.

“However, I now have a business on Oxford Street, which I can completely focus on. I have also had the chance to go back to my roots more and get some great antique finds for that shop.”

Ms Bentley opened Bo Grove at Oxford Street in November 2020. It currently sells an eclectic mix of interiors, antiques and furniture and she plans to open a cafe on the site soon.

An award-winning Harrogate farm shop is set to reopen its popular café on Monday.

Fodder, at the Great Yorkshire Showground, says it is ready to “bounce back” from disruption caused by coronavirus. The café will be open seven days a week, 9am to 4.30pm, with safety measures in place.

A new covered walkway has been created to allow for a one-way system from the shop to the café. Customers will be asked to give track and trace details on arrival and, as before, bookings will not be taken.

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Fodder’s manager Vanessa Pitt said:

“We are so excited to reopen Fodder café and welcome our customers back after such a long pause. Rest assured, we are taking every possible precaution to offer the very best experience in a relaxing environment.

“Our best-loved dishes will be available on a reduced menu to start with, including all our delicious cakes and treats, Sunday roasts and Yorkshire’s finest produce.”

An award-winning Harrogate farm shop is set to reopen its popular café on Monday.

Fodder farm shop is open Monday to Sunday 9am to 5pm and has remained open throughout lockdown. Fodder is not taking part in the government’s “Eat out to Help Out” scheme.

The owners of a bohemian-style cafe in Harrogate will open a farm shop today after the demand for groceries soared in the coronavirus lockdown.

Kyrensa Bentley set up 53 Bo’Grove Cafe, based on Grove Road, just under a year ago and it has been growing ever since.

The grand opening is tomorrow.

Following in the footsteps of the antique shop, the refill shop and the garden centre, the new rustic farm shop also has an environmentally-friendly focus.

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53 Bo’Grove Farm Shop will officially open its doors today at 10.30am with a selection of fruit and vegetables as well as oils, chutneys, jams, bread, cakes, and more.

The farm shop is based at 53 Bo’Grove.

The shop will have a mix of Yorkshire-based suppliers as well as some continental offerings. Ashley Johnson is taking up the reins as manager and said:

“We’ve got balloons, we’ve got banners and we’re giving away some big fruits and cheese hampers. It will be a great day to celebrate, we are still in the coronavirus lockdown but we can enjoy something a bit closer to normal.”

It will sell fresh fruit and vegetables.

The cafe had set up a cart out front to sell fruit and vegetables and it went so well they decided to set up a more permanent offering in the farm shop.

Kyrensa Bentley, the owner of 53 Bo’Grove also told The Stray Ferret:

“We started planning for a little farm shop about halfway through lockdown. This project didn’t start out with a lot of money, we have just saved up as it has grown. It has grown quite organically.”