Farrington’s Farm ShopAndy Jeffery

Background

Background

Why Should Customers Buy Local?

1. Taste, freshness

2. Involvement with local business – “my shop”

3. Sustainability – “wet wednesday” strawbs

4. Food Security – enough

5. Food Security – safety

6. Unfair competition

7. LM3

Our Buying PolicyOur policy is to source good wholesome food from local suppliers wherever possible. So, in addition to our own home-grown and home-made produce, we try to buy as much as we can from other farmers and food producers who are close by. And this policy doesn’t simply apply to fresh products. Take a look at the labels and you’ll discover that most of the products which we stock, such as jams and preserves, crisps and nibbles, tea and coffee – even olives – come from local companies, just a few miles away. If the supplier isn’t locally based, then you can be assured that our decision to buy outside the area was made after very careful consideration. Either there was no local supplier – or the quality/reliability of the local product just did not meet our high standards. Of course, there are some food items that we simply can’t source locally – bananas are a typical example. When the fruit or vegetables can’t be grown in this country, or where local stocks are no longer available, we will buy food from other countries, normally through local suppliers.Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to buy in much Fairtrade fruit, as there is no adequate distribution system in place to supply smaller quantities to shops like ours.However, as farmers we do try to ensure that all our imported fresh produce comes only from countries where the farming regimes are not exploitative and farmers are paid a fair price for their food. You can therefore be assured that Farrington’s aim to source as many fresh, locally produced goods as possible to ensure all your meals can be prepared from ‘Food less Travelled’.

Our Secret Buying Policy

1. Never haggle

2. Try not to send product back after delivery

3. Feedback problems and positives

4. Pay straight away

5. Be honest – e.g. mistakes

Local Issues

1. Transport/quantities

2. Quality – Marshfield

3. Seasonality

4. Suppliers get bigger

What’s not gone well?

1. Decision making – the “Andy effect”

2. Being a tenant.