How it all started
The Mead family have been farming in the Chiltern Hills since before 1860. Originally the Mead’s came out from London to produce hay and straw for the working horses of London. Simon and Chris are the sixth generation to farm the spot they call home. The farm has always had a mixture of enterprises. At present the farm is producing arable crops, beef and a small flock of sheep. Our most successful diversifications to date have been our farm shop & tearoom and the production of our award winning Chiltern Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil, which is grown, pressed and bottled by us at Wilstone Great Farm.
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Over the course of forty years the shop developed. The sixties saw a tea trolley at the side of the road, selling a few home grown seasonal vegetables. Payment was via an honesty box thus attracting two types of customer. The one’s that paid and the one’s that didn’t. The tea trolley became a barrow and then on to a more permanent structure.
The seventies was a time when customers stocked up their deep freezes with our in season vegetables. But then… the supermarkets came to the fore, providing most vegetables all year round. This changed the way people shopped. Bulk buying and freezing in season produce was out of fashion. We needed to move with the times.
1985 saw the development of a permanent fruit & vegetable shop, with new lines being introduced. Including plants, pet and animal feeds, composts and firewood.
By the mid nineties we knew we needed more space. Again we applied for planning permission to convert our beautiful grade 2 listed barn into more retail space. It wasn’t until 2003 that we had the funds to go forward with the development. The extra space allowed us to market our own Home reared beef and lamb alongside many other locally sourced and speciality foods, not forgetting our tea room and gift shop!
As people’s awareness of the origin of their food grew, so did the popularity of the shop. This gave us the confidence to further expand in 2008 and start the production of our award winning Chiltern Cold pressed Rapeseed Oil.
We continue to produce, source and promote local and British produce. We strongly believe that the connection between people and the food they eat is important.
Thank you to all our customers for your continued support over the years.
