Making Way for Something New

Since the redevelopment in 2021, our Farm Shop at Occombe has proudly championed locally sourced produce and offered a range of high-quality products from regional farmers, producers, and artisans. Despite our efforts to diversify and adapt our offering over the years, the shop has faced financial difficulties since opening. With increasing costs, economic challenges and changes in visitor spending habits, the trading environment has been tough. The rise in National Living Wage and National Insurance Contributions has exacerbated its already weak position and so we are planning to close the Farm Shop.

To ensure that Occombe’s activities run as efficiently as possible, we must make sustainable business decisions. The income we generate helps support our parent conservation charity Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust who cares for nearly 80% of all Torbay’s green spaces. This includes places we all love to visit like Berry Head National Nature Reserve and Cockington Country Park as well as local meadows, woodlands, coast paths and bridle ways. 

Regrettably, this decision affects a small number of our valued team members, and we are working closely with those impacted during this transition. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding at this time.

While this chapter is coming to an end, we are excited to explore options for repurposing the space and we look forward to sharing updates on new developments with you. We also want to reassure our visitors that Occombe Farm Café and Occombe Farm Park & Play remain open as normal.

To mark the Farm Shop’s closure, we will be holding a stock sale starting on Wednesday 30th April. This is a great opportunity for our loyal customers to grab some fantastic deals while supporting Occombe.

We want to thank our customers for their continued support as we move forward with new plans for the future.