Outdoor adaptation as farm reopens to visitors
A new seating area at a popular Staffordshire farm is set to offer more space for visitors to enjoy.
Canalside Farm in Great Haywood. near Stafford. has opened a new outdoor seating area, which is a paved area with picnic tables, planters, a marquee and a decking area overlooking the canal.
It means the farm’s café can seat more than 100 people outside, with co-owner Anna Barton saying it was a great boost to everyone to be able to open the new area.
She said: "We know how desperate people are to meet up with their family and friends again, after what seems such a long time in lockdown.
"We therefore didn’t want to make them wait until the 17th May, when people can eat indoors, so decided to take the bull by the horns and have a new outdoor area built.
"We are lucky enough to be located right next to the Trent and Mersey Canal, so we hope it will be a great place for people to meet or to simply relax and unwind."
Visitors to the farm will be able to enjoy the fresh produce and home-cooked food available on site, as well as take a range of walks along the canal network, from a one-mile to five-mile walk.
The family-run farm opened the new café in 2014, with the aim of serving fresh local produce from the surrounding area, plus home-grown fruit and vegetables straight from their farm.
It serves a wide range of hot and cold meals, including sausages and burgers made in their butchery, as well as delicious home-made cakes and afternoon teas, made in their in-store bakery.
Mrs Barton said: "We are hoping that when the next stage of lockdown is lifted on the 17th May, we will be able to open the café fully again and allow people to sit indoors.
"In the interim, we wanted to make sure our customers had somewhere nice to sit, especially if it rains."
