A family-run farm shop and butchery, Red Bank Farm Shop and Butchery, has been delighting customers in Newton-le-Willows for over 15 years. From its humble beginnings to its current success, the shop offers a wide range of fresh produce, meats, and ready meals, making it a one-stop shop for all your grocery needs.
A family-run farm shop and butchery that has been serving customers from Merseyside and beyond for over 15 years is a must-visit destination. Situated on Winwick Road in Newton-le-Willows, Red Bank Farm Shop and Butchery first opened its doors in December 2009 and has continued to thrive ever since.
The journey began in the early 2000s when husband-and-wife duo Gary and Angela Watkinson, along with their children Craig Watkinson, Joanne Mitchell, and Nicola Porter, took over the farm which had lain dormant for decades. \Nicola, now 38, started making and selling her own sausages for friends and family in her late teens. Embracing a chance, she decided to open a farm shop. Today, Red Bank Farm Shop and Butchery boasts its own rustic café, alongside offering national deliveries. On a bustling weekday afternoon, approaching the farm shop, one is greeted by a handful of chickens roaming freely around the cozy outdoor seating area. Inside, the shop is abuzz with customers eagerly queuing to witness the impressive meat counter or carrying large trays of fresh eggs. The café area is fully occupied, with the delicious aroma of food wafting from the kitchen. \Nicola Porter shared her story with the ECHO: 'My family had a smallholding in Golborne, and then my mum and dad bought this place 22 years ago. It was a derelict farm, previously owned by the reform school next door, used as a working farm for lads to learn trades and farming. But when we bought it, it had been derelict for 40, 50 years. I opened the farm shop in December 2009. 'I was just finishing college, contemplating university, but started making sausages and similar items on the side. I put up a sign on the road for every other weekend, and it just took off. So, I thought, let's open a farm shop, let's give it a go. I had no clue what I was doing; I learned butchery from a family friend who was a butcher, and they taught me a few skills, and it went from there. 'My brother, my dad and my mum, they run the farm and the arable side. In the shop, there's myself, my sister works in the café, and then there's a team of 11 of us full-time.' \Nicola explained that the café opened around seven years ago, and to meet the growing demand, they built the porch outside as an additional seating area for customers to enjoy meals al fresco. The butchery section features a meat counter stocked with a wide array of offerings, from different flavored sausages and burgers to steaks, lamb chops, chicken drumsticks, haggis, black pudding, and more. The farm shop's shelves are lined with fresh vegetables, jams, chutneys, sauces, biscuits, and cakes. Customers can savor breakfast dishes at the café, including a full English, an American stack of pancakes, and Mexican breakfast burritos. Lunch options are equally enticing, with the team serving up hog roast baguettes, toad in the hole, flatbread pizzas, Welsh rarebit, and much more. Behind another glass counter, you'll find savory and sweet treats, ranging from huge red onion sausage rolls and steak pies to caramelized cookie pie, pistachio cheesecake, and rocky road brownies. Every Thursday, Dave Clarke of Dave's Fresh Fish and Seafood also graces the site, offering customers a selection of fresh salmon, prawns, monkfish, and more. \Nicola emphasized the farm shop's commitment to quality: 'In the farm shop, we primarily focus on butchery, so the beef and pork originate from our farm, and we specialize in 28-day dry-aged beef. We strive to bring the highest quality to everything we do. We make all our own sausages, burgers, ready meals; we source local vegetables, and we have a local baker. We aim to be a one-stop shop, truly, so everyone can get their full week's worth of shopping. 'The café also utilizes our sausages and bacon. The full English breakfast at the café is a favorite, and our steak pies are incredibly popular. 'We're looking to expand our kitchen and café area to offer an even more extensive menu.' \Over the past 15 years, Nicola revealed that customers have journeyed to the shop from across Merseyside and beyond. She shared: 'We get many people stopping by during their commute. We extended our weekday opening hours to cater to those returning home in the evening. 'People come from all over - Manchester, Liverpool, Wirral - and we now offer online national delivery, sending items to London, Cornwall, Scotland. People who have visited while visiting family also purchase online, which is lovely.' \Red Bank Farm Shop and Butchery's success and popularity haven't gone unnoticed, with the team recently named as a finalist in the Farm Shop and Deli Retailer Awards. A thrilled Nicola shared: 'I was absolutely over the moon. I was so chuffed. 'Some of the other names on that list are big players from down south. They said they conducted a secret shop, and I couldn't believe it. 'I just love it; it's not like work. We adore being here
FARM SHOP BUTCHERY RED BANK FARM SHOP NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS MERSEYSIDE FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS FRESH PRODUCE MEATS READY MEALS CAFE NATIONAL DELIVERY AWARDS FINALIST
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