A NEW farm shop on the scenic Dumfries and Galloway coast aims to make the most of its stunning location.
The 1 Little Farm Shop is the latest venture from Murray and Amy McConchie who farm at Mossyard near Gatehouse of Fleet.
The couple launched the farm shop in July to maximise on potential trade from holiday-makers staying at the nearby caravan park, day trippers visiting Mossyard beach, and local people looking for quality, locally-sourced food and drink.
The business complements their existing tourism business which includes self-catering holiday cottages and shepherd’s huts with sea views, and also provides a retail outlet for the meat from their 1,300-acre farming enterprise.
The shelves of the farm shop are stocked with meat from its Aberdeen Angus cattle, pure breed Cheviots and cross ewes, and Saddleback pigs. The shop also has a wide range of products from local suppliers, as well as homemade cakes baked by Amy.
Murray said: “Our aim is to create a real field to plate story for our customers. The idea for the farm shop came after we kept being asked by visitors staying at the caravan park if they could buy the produce from the cattle and sheep they saw in the fields around the farm.
“It makes sense to sell directly to our customers, reducing the carbon footprint of the meat and ensuring the best possible value for a quality product for both ourselves and the customer.”
Murray and Amy used their experience as part of the Scottish Rural Leadership Programme to help them identify ways to create additional revenue streams to supplement their income from the farm enterprise.
“It helped us recognise that it’s important to make the most of your assets, which in our case is our coastal location and the proximity of the Mossyard caravan park.
“It was a big investment to open the shop but we feel it’s a positive move for the future of both the farming and the tourism aspects of the business. Our ultimate aim is to create a secure, forward looking business for years to come and the farm shop is part of that long-term plan.”
The farm shop builds on the success of Murray and Amy’s self-catering holiday business, 3 Little Huts and Coastal Cottages, which was established in 2014. The seaside location and quality accommodation of the three cottages and three shepherd’s hut have proved popular with visitors looking for a coastal retreat.
Murray is the fourth generation to farm at Mossyard and follows in the footsteps of his parents, Kerr and Caroline. His older brother, John and wife Joanna, run the nearby Mossyard caravan and camping park which is a four-star VisitScotland site, and also offers self-catering cottages and luxury lodges with views over Fleet Bay. Younger brother Duncan and his wife Vicki run Laggan, an events and hospitality business at Gatehouse of Fleet which includes GG’s Yard wedding venue, the Gather bistro, and accommodation at the Sea View Snugs, The Murray Arms, as well as holiday cottages.
“Generations of visitors come back every year to Mossyard because they love the area so much,” said Murray. “It really is a special place and we’re lucky to have been brought up here and have the beach just a stone’s throw from the farm.
“Running a farming enterprise today demands that you look at all potential revenue streams so it made sense for us as a family to make the most of the opportunities on our doorstep.”
Meat is sold in the shop under the Mossyard Farm own brand, with stock travelling to the nearest abattoir in North Lanarkshire and then to the Damn Delicious butchery at Biggar, which makes pies as well as sausages, burgers and roasts. Eventually Murray and Amy aim to have their own onsite butchery to further reduce food miles.
Local produce sold in the farm shop includes Galloway Lodge preserves; local Kirkcudbright honey; bread and sausage rolls from Paul Jones Bakery in Kirkcudbright; Scottish cheeses; Rowan Glen yogurt; and fresh milk from Balnab Dairy on the Isle of Whithorn.
“It’s been brilliant partnering with other local businesses to stock their products and we’re now being approached to see if we’re interested in other brands and products. We want the farm shop to be somewhere people can discover the excellent food and drink which is produced in Dumfries and Galloway.”
After a successful summer season, Murray and Amy are now looking ahead to the next 12 months and planning for the future.
“While some tourism businesses in this area tend to shut during the winter months, our intention is to stay open all year round. We get a lot of local trade from people popping in for coffee and cake on their way to the beach which isn’t restricted to the summer months.
“We’re always looking for ways we can diversify and add value to the business so we’ll be working on more plans for the future.”
1 Little Farm, Mossyard Farm, Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway DG7 2ET
Facebook 1littlefarm and website www.3littlehuts.co.uk
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