Novel farm shop provides outlet for local produce

摘要

There is always something new at Saughland Farm, near Pathhead, where Farmers Weekly's 2020 Farm Manager of the Year, Peter Eccles, has recently turned retailer.This is a shop with a difference - the Lothian Larder is open from 8am to 8pm every day, but there are neither till nor staff. Customers use a code to access lockers in a vending machine containing mainly local produce, including beef and lamb from Native & Wild, a brand produced and run by Peter and his wife, Filidh.The shop is a joint venture between Peter and Saughland Farm's owner, Richard Callander, with both investment and profits shared 50:50 after a first call on profit share to cover Filidh's work. This reflects the time she spends running the Larder, stocking it three times a day and managing purchasing and administration.