Monday 17th June is Fodder’s fourth birthday. Fodder is the local food shop and cafe, at the Great Yorkshire Showground. Since its inception, Fodder has grown from strength to strength and now sells produce from over 350 local farmers and suppliers.
Managing Director, Heather Parry said:
Fodder is one of the initiatives that the Yorkshire Agricultural Society has launched to help improve farming in our region. Fodder was created to champion and sell the very best food and drink from Yorkshire and make it easily accessible to consumers, at a fair price. Four years on, we have learnt a great deal about retailing and succeeded in supporting hundreds of local farmers and producers and are blessed with wonderfully loyal customers. There is still more to do and we look forward to continuing to work with our suppliers and increase awareness of the benefits and sales of locally produced food.
Over four years, Fodder has won four prestigious national awards, including The Visit England Taste of England Award and employs more than 50 members of staff. Fodder has served 91,597 cups of Yorkshire Tea in the café (never mind what the staff have drunk). Customers have bought enough sausages that laid end to end would stretch from Harrogate to Bolton Abbey. Sales of Ian Taylor’s Free Range Eggs from Burton Leonard have topped 91,250 boxes and 88,943 litres of milk have been sold which has kept the dairy cows in Grassington in a job.
Fodder has won four national awards:-
Meat Trades Journal – Butcher’s Shop of the Year Awards 2010
Observer Food Monthly Awards 2010
Visit England Taste of England Award 2012
Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2013
One of the many suppliers who has flourished since working with Fodder is Charlotte Shaw of Lottie Shaw’s. Charlotte began by supplying her Yorkshire Parkin to Fodder but a gap in the market was identified by the team at Fodder for a number of tray bakes, which could be sourced locally. Charlotte felt that Lottie Shaw’s could fill this and they have worked together on what is now one of the most popular products in Fodder.
Charlotte said:
I was one of the first suppliers into Fodder and I haven’t looked back. Working with the team has helped me to develop my own products and opened some new avenues, as well as fulfil their requirements to sell good quality, affordable Yorkshire produce.
Not one to miss an opportunity for cake, Fodder will be celebrating their birthday by offering free cake to customers on Monday 17 June, but once it’s gone it has gone! Birthday celebrations are the theme of the week and each day there will be a special birthday offer and an opportunity to win prizes.
- Fodder is run by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, a registered charity which organises the Great Yorkshire Show and Countryside Live.
- Fodder is part of the Regional Agricultural Centre which officially opened on 17 June 2009. It is located on the edge of the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate and provides a focus for agriculture in the North of England.
- The Regional Agricultural Centre comprises of offices for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and other not-for-profit rural organisations as well as the Fodder Shop and Café.
- It was part funded by Yorkshire Forward and many sustainable elements have been incorporated into the building.
