Feature
Posted by
Ben's Farm Shops
Posted on
23 Sep 2022
On 22 September, Ben’s Farm Shop on Magdalen Road, Exeter, celebrated FIVE years of connecting its customers with farmers and producers from across Devon.
Customers of the Exeter shop joined in the celebrations, sampling chocolate brownies, plum frangipane, and savoury treats such as charcuterie and sausages – all made by hand at the Ben’s Farm Shop Kitchen in South Devon.
Ben’s Farm Shop owner, Ben Watson, commented,
“We wanted to bring the food to the people, so we decided to open a city Farm Shop in Exeter. We’ve always stood for the provenance and quality of locally produced food. It feels so important to connect people with their local farmers and growers. Yes, you might pay a few pence more for your spuds, but you do it knowing that you’re supporting a local farmer and helping maintain a thriving local food economy.”
As no celebration is complete without a glass of bubbles, the nibbles were washed down with a glass of organic Elderflower Fizz made in collaboration with local winemakers, Huxbear, from elderflowers picked by Ben and his son Harry.
Exeter Shop Manager, Helen Bowhay, remarked,
“Magdalen Road is a real hub for foodies. We know many of our customers by name and we really feel like an integral part of our local community.”
Ben Watson comes from a large farming family, who’ve farmed in South Devon since 1952. His brother Guy Watson started Riverford Organic Farmers, famous for their veg boxes and his brother Oliver owns Riverford Organic Dairy.
Main photo: Sarah Luxton (Shop Assistant), Harry Watson (Ben’s Son), Ben Watson (Owner), Helen Bowhay (Exeter Shop Manager).
There are 4 Ben’s Farm Shops in South Devon – Yealmpton, Staverton, Totnes High Street and its most recent shop in Exeter, Magdalen Road.
Next year Ben’s Farm Shops will be celebrating their 40th anniversary. It started life with Ben selling sausages on a stall in Totnes market. They now employ around one hundred local people and are committed to supporting sustainable food and farming.
