Based at Godshill’s Sheepwash Farm since 2000, Sue and Paul Brownrigg have plenty of experience selling their farmed produce to the public.
At Christmas, they sell over 1000 turkeys, as well as geese, ducks and wild game, both from the farm itself, online and at farmer’s markets in Newport and Ryde. So when the site at Godshill Organics became available recently, they leapt at the opportunity to expand and have a dedicated farm shop, only one mile away from their existing farm. Thus, finds Anna Pocock, Brownrigg Farm Shop & Butchery was born!
The new site is located just off the main road between Newport and Godshill, with convenient parking for their customers. Expansion has meant the Brownriggs can keep the working farm separate and fill the farm shop with more of the Island produce they know their customers will love.
As well as poultry, Paul and Sue farm 2000 sheep, a herd of Ruby Red Devon cattle for beef and 34 pigs for pork and bacon. The shop boasts an in-house butchery which is manned by Andy every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so you can buy exactly the amount of meat you need or ask him for a particular cut of meat. Alongside their home-reared meat, the Brownriggs have stocked the shop with other Isle of Wight specialties, such as Briddlesford Farm milk, Rew Valley Dairy butter and cream, Tomato Stall tomatoes, Village Bakery bread and Scarrots Lane Bakery pies and pastries.
Open seven days a week, the new shop also stocks a wide range of fruit and vegetables. Where possible, Sue chooses fresh, Isle of Wight produce, which at this time of year includes potatoes, cauliflower and cabbages. But to ensure customers who are used to supermarket shopping aren’t disappointed, she buys in more exotic fruit and veg so visitors can find everything under one roof. As she points out, “You don’t want to come in and buy your Sunday roast and then have to go elsewhere for the rest of the ingredients. We want to offer a one-stop-shop to our customers – as well as cater to anyone on restricted diets.”
To that end, you’ll find a variety of vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free products in the store. Sue also favours organic ranges so the majority of cereals and wholefoods here are certified organic. She also has lots of exciting plans for future expansion, starting with making full use of the four acres of farm land and 14 polytunnels on site. Her son Richard will use some of the polytunnels to establish a ‘pick-your-own strawberries’ location but Sue has ambitions to grow many more fruit and vegetables on site. Since she is already busy enough with their livestock, she is on the lookout for an energetic entrepreneur to take over the remaining polytunnels. It could be the ideal opportunity for the right person, with the on-site shop already set up to sell any produce that is grown. The small lakes in the grounds also have huge potential to be developed into fishing lakes.
In fact, there seems to be no limit to the ideas and possibilities for development. Over the next year, Sue intends to branch out into supplying home-cooked ready-meals, using Brownrigg’s top quality farmed meat. Until then, customers can visit the new farm shop – or place online orders via their website www.brownriggfarmmeats.co.uk. Purchases are delivered for free to Island addresses on spends over £15 or at a cost of £3 for smaller orders. Plus if you need your Island foodie fix delivered to a mainland address, they can supply that too at a charge of £20.
