I urge you to pick up the phone and dial Farmer Copleys - wait a moment, then have a listen to the phone operator message. It may sound strange but if you want to get a feel for the energy of this place then this is the best place to start. The booming Yorkshire voice you hear is full of cheer and energy, which really sets the tone for what Farmer Copleys is all about.
Founder of Farmer Copleys Farm Shop ~ Robert
Situated just south of Leeds, Farmer Copleys has been called the Fortnum’s of farm shops by the Sunday Times. This is a place that has all the buzz of a fully operational beehive… and in fact - it really does! Inside the shop there is the most magnificent observational hive I have ever seen where I watched the bee traffic buzzing in and out for hours.
Unsurprisingly, Farmer Copleys is run by bee enthusiast and self-proclaimed Queen Bee, Heather and her husband Robert (who happens to be the man with booming Yorkshire voice on the phone operator). When they first came across Beeble honey whisky they knew it was a must-have in the store, for sake of the bees if nothing else!
Heather's energy radiates throughout the store and even onto the social media airwaves where her fiery ginger hair burns nearly as brightly as her charismatic personality. Recently, you may have seen her dressed head-to-toe in a witch outfit as she lead the charge for pumpkin picking season. It is so often that small businesses take on the personality of their owners as they build the culture in their image - and in this case that is a truly wonderful thing to see. As I explained in the first part of our farm shop series, what separates the very good farm shops from the great farm shops is the shopping experience and this is where Farmer Copleys will not let you down.
There is a real family atmosphere that fills the air in this hum-dinger of a farm shop, which is all the more impressive seeing as they employee over 65 staff. Not solely a shop, there is also the superb MOO Cafe & Tea room on site where I enjoy a delicious slice of carrot cake with a flat-white every time I am passing through.
Farmer Copleys has been a shining light in the local community since its inception in 2003 and shows no signs of slowing down. Despite the pandemic, they moved quickly to provide all their products through their online shop - no doubt that click & collect will once again be in full flow heading into the winter months. If you’re missing a bit of that family feel this Christmas then you can do worse than getting yourself down to Farmer Copleys for a metaphorical family embrace and a full basket of shopping!
Written by Matt
