KENYON Hall Farm in Croft has been revealing its new look after a makeover.

A team of eight including manager James Bulmer, his brother Simon and six members of staff spent three days gutting the building, cleaning every surface, repainting the walls and reassembling everything into a new layout.

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James said: "It was like an episode of DIY SOS, or for the older generation Challenge Aneka. After such a busy 2020 we rewarded our staff with an extended Christmas break then over the course of just three days we did the whole refurbishment.

"We replaced some of the existing displays with new furniture and also brought into the shop an antique hand-cart that my dad Tod bought at a farm auction several years ago – it’s now the centre-piece of the shop display to give a feel of the 500-year heritage of our farm.

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"The only external help we had was from Maurice, our electrician, who helped change the lighting to make the shop brighter. Also over the coming weeks our designer Rob is going to install some bespoke signs and artwork on the walls using up-cycled wooden pallets.

"The farm shop was built 10 years ago so we’re marking the anniversary with a bit of TLC for the building, something that we’ve not always managed to do as we open seven days a week, all year round.

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"We’ve taken this opportunity to improve the layout, making it more spacious and to ensure the safety of our customers.

"We’ve tried not to do anything too revolutionary – speaking to our customers they liked what we already do and wouldn’t want us to change too much and become like a supermarket, or a high-end garden centre.

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"They like that we’re a genuine farm and that the farm shop reflects that rustic nature."

The Winwick Lane farm – a very popular spot where visitors can pick their own fruit – has been open throughout the whole pandemic, including the lockdowns and tier-system.

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"We’ve been incredibly fortunate," added James, a dad-of-three.

"As food producers and an essential food shop, we’ve been allowed to stay open to the public every day.

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"Although there were some challenges to overcome in doing this safely, they were nothing compared to those faced by other businesses whose whole industries have been decimated.

"From a management perspective, 2020 was the most exhausting year I’ve ever experienced. I spent my days – and sleepless nights – ensuring everyone – customers and staff – were kept as safe as possible at the farm.

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"This involved closing the café and expanding the farm shop into that space, installing safety equipment, ticketing our seasonal attractions such as fruit picking and pumpkin picking, creating a click and collect service and keeping pace with the ever changing government advice.

"And for a small business there’s no-one else to do this but me and my family. There’s no hiding from it – if you can’t accept the challenge and adapt to it, you can’t open for business, and 40 years of very hard work is under threat."

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Fortunately, the Bulmer family did adapt and footfall to the farm shop increased when the first lockdown hit in March.

James, 38, said: "People seemed to realise that there were alternative options to the crowded supermarkets and their queues. We offered a spacious, peaceful, calm and safe shopping environment which customers, old and new, really appreciated.

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"This was also helped by the surge in interest in supporting local businesses and this support has thankfully continued for the rest of the year."

Seasonal attractions continued – strawberries in summer, maize maze in autumn, pumpkins in October – offering a bit of normality for families but they became ticketed events.

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James added: "This was a huge undertaking – we issued tens of thousands of tickets but demand still far outstripped supply. People were so desperate to get outside and do something ‘normal’ with their family, we’ve never seen demand like it.

"In the strawberry season we would put 500 tickets on sale each day and they would sell out in under 60 seconds – no exaggeration. I felt like I was running Ticketmaster, not a small farm in Warrington.

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"But despite all of these hurdles, we’ve come through the year unscathed, and I feel like we have built a much stronger relationship with our community. There is a real sense that people are re-engaging with Warrington businesses and we’re eternally grateful for the support that has kept us going through this time."

James, whose parents Tod and Barbara own the farm, described that support and 'unprecedented' amount of positive feedback as the silver lining of the Covid era.

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He said: "We've had hundreds of lovely emails explaining that we’ve been a lifeline to them and their family, either through the contact-free click and collect service, or by providing a pleasant environment to visit for some normality, or for just providing a reliable source of quality fresh food.

"Things we’ve always done, but which suddenly people value. It’s been heartwarming to know we’ve made a small difference to people’s lives and genuinely helps keep us going.

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"There’s been more than one occasion that I’ve sat in my office in tears reading something nice that someone has taken the time to write to us – I don’t think people realise how much impact a piece of positive feedback can have on a small business."