Willows Farm Village in Hertfordshire continues to build on its success.
Willows Farm Village was set up by tenant farmer, Andrew Wolfe, nearly a decade ago. As part of a 1,500 acre working farm estate, Willows is now a very successful example of farm diversification, attracting 500,000 visitors a year.
The farm is aimed mainly at families with small children and school groups. A farm shop with a master butcher, a number of independent specialist retailers and a day ticket fishery with 35 acres of water are also on site, and Willows hosts a number of corporate events each year.
The business has doubled in size in the last two years since enlisting the help of Henry Sale. In 2007 Henry, of Fisher German, helped Andrew and his co-shareholders set up a joint venture (JV) company. With Andrew as chief executive and Henry as a director, Willows Farm Village has undertaken a major development programme and is now the largest open farm in the UK.
The farm nestles in 500 acres of countryside and has a fantastic location just 18 miles from Marble Arch. Although the estate has five farm units and for much of the last century has been focused on farming, the close proximity to London allowed an obvious opportunity to diversify.
The JV approach between landlord and tenant has enabled the business to invest and expand and now includes indoor and outdoor child and adult friendly attractions.
Willows Farm is currently thriving in a competitive market. However, Andrew is always looking to the future. With this in mind in February, Andrew managed to coincide the birth of 150 lambs with schools’ half term holiday resulting in 21,000 visitors during the week. This just goes to show that far from being bad for business, working with animals and children can be a recipe for success!
For further information, contact Henry Sale on 01858 410200 email henry.sale@fishergerman.co.uk
Visit the Willows Farm Village website at www.willowsfarmvillage.com
