Knitsley Farm Shop in County Durham, a farm shop and café praised for serving the 'best breakfast in the North East', has reached its 18th birthday, prompting another wave of congratulations. The business, known for its wide range of products including a unique line in pies, has shared its pride in reaching the milestone after years of hard work and challenges.
From 'Mad Idea' to Multi-Award-Winning Business
Owner Rachael Jewson, who runs the farm shop and its on-site Granary Cafe with her husband Edward, described in a video clip shared on Facebook how the business started out as a "mad idea". Over the years, during which the family has grown and one child has now joined the Knitsley team, it has developed into a significant success story.
The shop and café on the farm at Knitsley, near Consett, counts many regulars among its customers, while first-timers also soon join the ranks after being impressed by its sweets and savouries, with the latter recently including a cheeseburger pie and a breakfast pie. Its full breakfasts also keep customers satisfied, with Google and Trip Advisor reviews praising the "great breakfast and an even better farm shop" and the "best breakfast in the North East and the farm shop is excellent".
Celebrating 18 Years of Growth and Community Support
The site, currently decorated with 18th birthday balloons, also has a bakery making bread and cakes. In the Facebook video, Rachael recounted how she and Edward, building on the sixth generation family history on the farm, launched the business on November 4, 2008. She said: "21 years ago we had this mad idea to create a farm shop and café in some redundant buildings that we had on the farm. The buildings were completely unused." They transformed the space over two-and-a-half years before opening their shop and café.
Rachael added: "Fast forward 18 years and the business has grown from four members of staff - plus Edward and myself and some family help - to around 36 full-time and part-time staff". Currently among them is "the seventh generation" of the family, she added. Some of those staff, like the customers, have been there from the start, and Rachael expressed gratitude to them and said she is "hugely proud" of what has been achieved. The business supports other local ones, all part of a supportive community.
Overcoming Challenges and Looking to the Future
In a post accompanying the video, Rachael thanked everyone and wrote that they could not have reached their current position without "you guys showing up each and every day", adding: "We think 18 years is a pretty big milestone - and hopefully this video explains why". She said: "What started as a small but brave idea has transformed into something so special, and it’s not stopping there! It’s not been the easiest of 18 years: a global pandemic where we thought that was the end of Knitsley, family health issues, building challenges, the daily dilemmas that every business faces and of course huge rising costs. But throughout it all, we’ve kept our heads down and worked hard to keep everything going."
She described growing up around the business, calling it "incredible" but "tough at times", and being "so proud to serve the quality and our own home-reared produce". Highlighting "that little original dream that’s pushed on to make Knitsley the multi-award-winning farm shop and café that it is today", she rounded off the post saying: "Here’s to whatever the future may bring."
Her post prompted memories from many followers who remembered the early days as well as the years of hard work and challenges. Among the responses were: "18 years wow. Many congratulations and here’s wishing you many more successful years of trading" and "fabulous achievement!". One called the milestone a "massive achievement in this day and age"; another described Knitsley as "a marvellous cafe and shop" and one added: "Huge congratulations! I wish I was closer, best farm shop I’ve ever been in." Other comments included "it’s an amazing place, quality is second to none" and "congratulations on all those years of hard work!".
Another included "just moved into the area four months ago and it’s my regular already; it’s a wonderful farm shop and café." There was praise for everything from the shop and café staff to its Christmas dinner. One person wrote: "Fantastic! Just love everything about the place. Wonderful staff" and one comment said "the café staff make you welcome and get you seated as quickly as they can, then never try to rush you, these are things that customers appreciate". The same writer claimed to be healthier having "changed from supermarket shopping to now buying all my fresh products from Knitsley" and then added: "It's a 54 mile round trip for me on a Saturday morning and it is the best drive of the week."
