Farmison & Co recommences phased re-opening

Online butcher, acquired by consortium led by ex-Asda CEO Andy Clarke, receives FSA green light to restart operations

Farmison & Co, the sustainable online butcher acquired last week by a consortium led by ex-Asda CEO Andy Clarke, today confirmed that it would today (8 May) begin a phased re-opening of operations.

A selection of heritage breeds will go on sale online, with more ranges gradually brought back to the website over the weeks ahead. Its Ripon shop and click-and-collect location, ‘Cut by Farmison’, will also re-open later this week.

Since acquiring the business, there’s been significant work to begin bringing the business back to life.

After a certification inspection at its Ripon headquarters, the Food Standards Agency has given Farmison the green light to restart operations.

The business has also re-engaged key leaders in operations, supply and its butchery department – part of a plan to re-recruit over 50 people over the course of the coming months.

It has obtained commitments from its farming partners across the north of England, that they will continue to supply Farmison with the grass-fed, heritage breed meat that is at the heart of Farmison’s customer promise.

The sustainable online meat retailer was acquired last week by a consortium led by well-known Yorkshire retailer Andy Clarke and Chilli Marketing’s Gareth Whittle, Christian Barton and Kieron Barton.

Initial ranges available to customers online include better meat for the BBQ including 32 day dry-aged rib steak, handmade hot dogs and Farmison & Co’s signature cut dry aged sirloin steak alongside pork, chicken and lamb sourced from its network of farms across the north.

New executive chairman Andy Clarke said:

I want to give a massive thank you to the Farmison team who’ve acted with incredible speed to bring the business back to life – and of course to our farmers across Yorkshire and the North, who are determined to support the business get back on its feet.

We’ve been absolutely bowled over by the messages of support from colleagues, customers and suppliers since taking ownership of the business.

It will be some weeks yet before we have our full ranges back online, but we thank each and every one of the customers who’ve sent us those messages of encouragement and support over the past few weeks. It means the world to the whole Farmison team.

We look forward to serving them once more in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Farmison & Co sells online directly to customers across the UK, and through wholesale channels such as Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Michelin star restaurants.

• Andy Clarke & Gareth Whittle: Andy Clarke is the former president and chief executive officer of Asda, and has more than 25 years’ experience of driving performance improvement in multi-channel businesses. In his earlier career, he held roles at Wm Morrison Supermarkets, Matalan and Iceland, as well as working with strategy consultants McKinsey & Partners.
• In recent years, Andy has developed a portfolio career. He is currently chairman of Menzies Distribution, and an adviser to operational performance specialist Newton Europe, independent pharmaceutical company Immodulon Therapeutics, retail technology business Spoon Guru and food supplier Albert Bartlett. He was also chairman at Leeds-Bradford Airport until earlier this year.
• Gareth Whittle is the former Founder and managing director of Chilli Marketing and a board member of Farmison prior to administration. Together with Christian and Kieron Barton, the Chilli team powered the rise of the Rekorderlig cider brand in the UK and ten countries across the world.
• About Farmison & Co: Farmison & Co is a multi-award-winning online butchers for modern times based in Ripon, North Yorkshire. They sell British dry aged, hand-cut and always free-range meat to home cooks and professional chefs throughout Britain and beyond.
• The Farmison & Co butchers work with artisan farmers from the North of England, slow-rearing ancient heritage breeds native to the British Isles on lush pasture lands. The resulting meat is layered with deep and distinctive flavour tones. Farmison’s mission is to empower people to Eat Better Meat.
• Heritage breeds Farmison & Co works with hand-picked farmers of heritage breeds from across the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria including the North York Moors National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Yorkshire Wolds and Nidderdale AONB.