August always feels like a milestone month for us here at Hartley. On 20th August 2008, we opened the doors to our Farm Shop for the very first time. This summer marked 17 years since that day – a moment that always makes me pause and reflect on how far we’ve come.
It still makes me chuckle when I think back to those early days. Before that, under Dad’s stewardship, our world revolved around pigs and farming life – and the last thing you wanted was the public wandering about the yard! Fast forward 17 years and our whole focus has turned 180°. Now everything we do is about bringing people onto the farm, welcoming them in and sharing our food and our story.
Back then, we were just a small, crack team who mucked in with absolutely everything. I remember doing the books, making sandwiches, cutting meat for the butchery, and pulling espressos on our brand-new two-group coffee machine – all in the same day. That was just day one! If someone had told me then how challenging it would be nearly two decades later to run a business like this, I’m not sure I would have believed them.
But that’s the nature of entrepreneurship – especially in farming and hospitality. Every generation faces its own challenges. This week’s headlines reported that hospitality has lost nearly 90,000 jobs since April, and food inflation remains the biggest pressure on our economy. I met with our MP earlier in the week, and our conversation ranged from the impact of local road closures on small businesses like ours right up to the national picture.
What struck me is how difficult it is for any government to take a long-term view. To win and keep office, the focus so often falls on one or two issues at the top of the agenda – the things that might sway voters in four years’ time – rather than the bigger generational questions, like where our food will come from, how we protect our environment, and the state of our nation’s health.
It’s a frustration I feel both as a business owner and as part of a wider community. On the micro level, road closures and local disruptions can put real pressure on us day-to-day. On the macro level, inflation, labour challenges and uncertainty can feel relentless. And yet, very little ever seems to get fully resolved. That’s why I believe running a small business has to be about more than financial reward – it needs vision, purpose, and something that keeps pulling you forward when the bigger picture feels so uncertain.
This summer has tested that resilience more than most. The heatwaves dried up grass for the cows, equipment broke at the worst possible moments, and our wonderful team kept pushing through – all while the road closure cut us off from so many of you. It’s been tough, but I like to think of myself as an optimist. September brings the comfort of routines returning: kids back to school, the summer holidays behind us, and hopefully, fingers crossed, a reopened road. We can’t wait to welcome back our friends and customers from the other side of the bridge.
And there’s plenty to look forward to. In just a couple of weeks we’ll begin the first stage of our Farm Shop refurbishment, giving our butchery and deli counters a much-needed spruce-up. Harvest at the Farm is just around the corner, followed by pumpkin picking in October and, before we know it, Christmas trees arriving in November. (Yes, I’ve said it – Christmas is coming!)
To celebrate our 17th anniversary and the road reopening, we’ve got a special offer running through September: spend £30 in the Farm Shop or Kitchen and receive £5 off your next visit across the business.
Thank you, as ever, for your incredible support. Here’s to the next chapter – I can’t wait to see you in the Farm Shop and Kitchen soon.
All the best,
