With its field to fork ethos, new holiday cottages and a popular bistro, Errichel farm in Perthshire looks towards a busy summer season.
The family-owned farm outside Aberfeldy was crowned Scotland’s top Food Tourism destination at Visit Scotland’s Thistle Awards last month.
Its destination deli, bistro, holiday cottages and new farm tours have pulled in visitors from far and wide.
Winning the award has been phenomenal for the business, says manager Becky Newman.
“It’s the testimony to the changes we’ve put in place and gives us that spark to keep on going in that direction.
“We’ll keep on doing the tastings, the farm tours and encouraging people to come up and explore Highland Perthshire and all the food that’s in it.”
Big changes at Errichel
Since Thyme bistro opened in 2014, Becky and her husband Paul – Thyme’s chef proprietor – have made huge changes around Errichel, especially after Covid hit.
Thyme deli opened in 2020, meaning visitors could stop by to buy local produce. Instead of a fine dining restaurant, the bistro became a daytime destination offering both tea and cake, and hearty meals.
On-site accommodation changed from bed and breakfast to holiday cottages, and there are even two new ones this year. The popular farm tours that launched last year will also return come spring.
“Covid gave us a window of opportunity where we didn’t have customers on site, so we knuckled down. It’s almost like we’ve torn up the rulebook,” says Becky.
“You really get the sense of field to fork when you see how products are produced, from breeding and care of animals, looking after the land, to eating it in the bistro.”
Errichel’s farm tours include meeting and feeding large black pigs, Shetland cattle, rare-breed sheep, chickens and ducks.
In the hour-long session, visitors learn about the farm animals and discuss ethical and sustainable issues around farming.
For younger visitors, there will be a chance to feed and cuddle the lambs instead of walking around.
Becky says: “Last year we found that the farm tours were fully booked regularly, so there’s scope for us to do more.
“I think people enjoy the discussions, and it challenges them to think about what they’re eating and how it’s produced. That’s really important.”
Staycation trend continues
As the farm tours return and accommodation is quickly filling up, the summer season at Errichel is looking positive. The most popular cottages have no free weekends between now and October.
Some of the newer accommodation is still available, which Becky believes is down to not having regulars yet and the cost-of-living crisis.
“I have no reason to think they won’t get busy, but certainly there will be more close lead time booking,” she says.
“I think people won’t be planning too far in advance, and that staycations continue to be strong.
“Instead of spending money on travelling, they stay local and enjoy the experiences on offer within Scotland.”
Despite many feeling the squeeze this year, the manager hopes to see a buoyant year. Because even though consumers are more careful, they are willing to treat themselves in the Thyme bistro and deli.
The deli offers chutneys, jams, preserves and dried meat made on the farm. In the bistro, Becky and Paul host Scottish cheese and charcuterie tasting sessions.
Becky says: “It’s lovely to see more and more people discover us as we’ve become more of a daytime destination and visitor attraction, as opposed to a place to just eat or stay.”
High costs – but higher hopes
Just like businesses and households, farms are feeling the squeeze this year. While producing food is more expensive than before, consumers have less money to spend on shopping and eating out.
Errichel might be a small farm, but Becky believes it can still shine a light on the challenges farmers face. Even with a diversified income stream, the Aberfeldy destination admits its a tough time to run a business.
“Your customers are feeling it in their pockets, so they’ll be choosing carefully how they spend their money,” Becky says.
“Putting the heating on in here costs twice of what it did before, yet you can’t run a business like this without it feeling warm and inviting.
“Our costs go up and the suppliers’ costs go up. On the flip side, we have to increase what we’re paying our team as well to keep everybody in line.”
The manager admits it will be a year of consolidation that will be difficult to navigate.
But she remains positive that it will be a good year for Errichel where visitors get the chance to engage with Scottish food and drink.
Becky says: “We want to encourage more people to discover us, because we are still in our infancy.
“There’s so much to do in our area – local visitor attractions, coffee shops and restaurants – and it’s lovely when people get to enjoy it.
“It will be a challenging year for everyone, don’t get me wrong, but with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work we’ll get through.”
Conversation