Farming in Protected Landscapes Case Study:
Establishing a local food outlet to unlock value in the landscape
For Year 4 of the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, £27,342 was granted to Sotterley Investments Ltd to establish a local food outlet.
The funding went towards a total cost of £40,278 with the aim of developing a route to market for food products which make regenerative and sustainable land management practices on protected landscapes economically viable.
Overview
Next to Sotterley estate in the north of Suffolk, a building known as “The Depot” is located. Its on the A145 between Beccles (4 miles) and Southwold (6 miles).
The site currently houses food businesses that share common goals of producing food and having a positive impact on the landscapes on which it is produced such as Hodmedods and Beck Cottage Bakery.
The long term aim is to develop the site into a green food hub, incubating similar businesses and creating a reciprocal ecosystem of environmentally impactful food businesses and a ‘destination’ to draw people to visit the area.
To unlock this development, the Farming in Protected Landscapes project was to purchase and convert a containerised self-service shop to be installed into the Depot. This will primarily focus on produce sourced from within the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape area, such as venison. The converted container shop is installed within existing farm buildings.
What is the demand for this outlet?
There was no route for farmers to market the products identified locally to local people and shops. For example, Sotterley Estates recruited several deer stalkers who work in the National Landscape who will utilise this resource to fund an increase in their activities as it will make deer culling viable and ensure deer numbers are sustainably managed.
The shop will stock a range of fresh, frozen and dry produce from local suppliers, including bread, Cheese, Dairy, Meat products and those sourced from artisan producers.
