It may be a newcomer to the farm shop world, but the burgeoning Brook House Farm shop and cafe certainly knows how to cause a buzz. The family-run farm opened its new barn shop with tearooms in September in the village of Mottram St Andrew in Cheshire, after outgrowing their original farm shop building which was opened during the pandemic.
They've continued to develop the site, and this week opened up a new outdoor play area for children, with a seated terrace right next to it for parents and carers to enjoy a coffee while keeping an eye on the youngsters.
And the farm shop has been causing a stir on social media at weekends, as on Sundays the popular Baked by Bean home-made cookie van opens up and has seen hungry punters queue right down the lane to get their hands on the baked treats.
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Young couple Ella and Jack Sidebottom decided to open their farm shop business when lockdown began in 2020 in a small barn on their family farm to showcase their own farm meats as well as locally-grown produce. But it was such a hit that they were able to expand to the new large barn which opened in September 2022.
The farm is nestled in an idyllic setting with views across the Cheshire countryside in the village near Alderley Edge and Wilmslow.
The farm shop now sells a whole host of local produce from vegetables to cakes, fresh baked breads and locally-produced milks, yoghurts and ice cream.
The cafe at the back of the farm shop offers a full menu from cooked breakfasts in the morning, to a range of cooked treats from lunchtime onwards, with home-baked cakes lining the counter.
The business has been a real family affair, with Ella's brother helping out with building the farm shop and the new play area, while Ella's mum is a florist who has just started selling bouquets at weekends in the shop too.
Ella says: "The new shop has been going really well and we're incredibly grateful for all the support from the local community.
"We are keeping a keen eye on our pricing as we feel strongly about supporting our local community with sustainable and traceable food choices with minimal environmental impact.
"We want to be our customers' everyday food shop rather than a special occasion treat, although we hope we are still a treat too!"
The children's play area had been the logical next step for the expansion, particularly as Jack and Ella are parents to their own toddlers Albie and Zach, so they know what a relief it can be for families to have a spot for the kids to have a play on a day out. It features swings, slides, climbing frames and a large sandpit with diggers.
Meanwhile, after the Sidebottoms moved the farm shop to the larger barn on their site, it left the original shop unit empty. And now that has been filled by local baker and entrepreneur Becky Bean who is behind the Baked by Bean cookie phenomenon.
Becky only started baking during lockdown, after her cleaning business was brought to a virtual standstill by the lockdown restrictions. She posted a photo on Instagram of a tray of brownies she'd baked for her brother, and that got so many requests from people begging her to make them some that she started to bake to sell.
It proved such a success that she bought a retro van that she painted up to be the base for the Baked by Bean wares. She sells her range of giant cookies, brownies, blondies, tray brakes and traditional cakes every Sunday outside of Brook House Farm, with plans to increase the days available in the summer months.
She has also just opened her first permanent base inside the Picturedrome food hall in Macclesfield too. She now bakes through the week at the farm unit, while the cookie van currently opens on Sundays from 9.30am "til sell out" which is usually by early afternoon.
Becky said: "I started baking 3 weeks into lockdown after quickly realising my cleaning business at the time that I had been running for 7 years was very quickly being swept away from me. I lost 90% of my staff, and 90% of my contracts due to covid. It was a disaster.
"Baked By Bean actually began by me posting a video of a tray of biscoff brownies I had baked for my brother for his birthday and the majority of my 300 followers at my the time went crazy for them!
"A week later I created an open profile so local people could order on there and I did local deliveries, and the rest is history. Our Instagram has just hit 50,000 followers this month.
"I don’t have a ‘baking background’ as such, but I have always had a passion for food. From being 16 I always worked in the food industry and had a passion for cooking (and eating) good food.
"I love the community we have created at the baked van and honestly it’s the wonderful people who come each week that inspire me. They give me new ideas, feedback, and constant reassurance that they love everything we do.
"We have a wide range of loyal customers who come back religiously every Sunday and it’s so inspiring to me. In the past six months the Baked by Bean business has grown in every direction and we are so excited for where it will go in the next six.
"We are now offering wholesale options where businesses can purchase our goodies and sell them in their own cafes/farm shops/restaurants, this is something we are very passionate about and looking forward to."
How to get there
Brook House Farm is on Wilmslow Road, Mottram St Andrew, Macclesfield, SK10 4QY. It's near to Wilmslow and Alderley Edge where the nearest train stations can be found, and it's around a 30 minute drive from Manchester city centre.
The farm shop and play area is open daily from 8am to 5.30pm, Saturdays from 9am to 4.30pm and Sundays from 10am to 4.30pm. Baked By Bean is open on Sundays from 9.30am to sell out.
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