UP Close with Diana Bryce from Birch Farm who talks to Hadleigh Nub News' Fraser Clements about what she believes will be a local business booster. Diana is preparing to open Woodlands Farm Shop and we find out why she and her husband Richard decided to go for it.

If there were ever such a momentous shift in the need for local suppliers, now during COVID and the many lock downs we have faced, growing and producing locally seems to be the way forward.

Diana has bottled this idea and created Woodlands Farm Shop. Alongside her other businesses at Birch Farm she wishes to give a platform to products and businesses that don't normally get one.

Birch farm has been around since 1991 Diana told Nub News: "We actually started business in 1991 with the daycare nursery, we opened it up back then which was really early days for a daycare nursery. It was very successful and we got it to 102 children a day.

"Then we opened the indoor swimming pool and the sports centre followed."

All that time Diana and Richard have worked together on their projects, she said: "Richard does all the building and I do the business side. That works vey well, has done all the way through, we are a very good combination so far as a team goes."

A local ethos

Nestled at Silver Hill at Hintlesham just off the B1070, the farm shop is surrounded by recently planted trees and shrubs, hence the hence the name.

Woodlands Farm Shop is set to be a local hub for produce, products and businesses from around the area: "I've sourced nearly all of what I need now locally to cover right across the food sector. We're about fresh food and eating," said Diana. "Our whole ethos is local."

Diana aims to get consumers involved in the products and added: "What we're doing is that each supplier has their own area in the shop and then their going to do a story board and a picture so that the customer can relate exactly where the product comes from.

"We are going to have a map that has cotton wool to show where all our supplies come from. I think customers will appreciate that."

The shop is still currently under construction and is set to open fully within months, Diana said: "We are trying to open at the end of September the latest date will be the middle of October"

A background in produce

Diana has seen how large chain supermarkets focus on quantity over quality and wants to be different to that. "Most of the supermarket vegetables are so chilled there's no flavour left," she said "When I went to Tesco's I asked what season it was and they couldn't tell me through their vegetable section.

"You go to France and when its strawberry season the central vegetable section is just full so that people can make jams or things related to strawberries. We want to sell seasonally, I've got Home Farm at Shotley who are going to bring fresh vegetables throughout the year. So you'll know what seasons it is whether it's: cabbages, Brussels sprout, carrots, new potatoes etc.

"Local is better because its fresher, instead of travelling four or five days it's less than or five hours."

Woodlands also plans to working differently

"I've had my eyes opened up so much with the talent we have around here. The website's being done by a chap in Hintlesham, we've got a flower supplier that does the most amazing arrangements. I've got a little fudge company who are down in Hadleigh industrial estate. I've got the cakes coming from Sproughton and I've got what I think is going to be five or six vineyards, including Shotley Vineyard, all within 40 miles. And the list goes on and on and on."

An ethical approach

Ethics in both business and with our environment are also at the forefront of Diana's ethos she said: "I am absolutely humbled by how hard local businesses work, their ethics and that most of them are organic. It's all about your eco footmark and they are all very aware of that."

Diana is also charity driven adding: "We are supporting the Sue Ryder charity because that's local to us here."

Finding the right people to fit in is next on the list for Woodlands and recruiting is starting now.

Diana said: "We are starting to look for key staff. I need a good manager for the shop and then for the coffee shop too."

Woodlands is also looking forward to providing hampers that have a selection of the products that will be available when the shop opens she said "I'm hoping to advertise the hampers in August for ordering in September."

Diana is excited about the project saying "Ive always loved having a bond with families and I have that bond with the suppliers too. It's all very exciting."

You can contact Diana to find out more on Woodlands Farm Shop at: [email protected] or though her website and Facebook page.