Welsh Farm Shop of the Year
Forage Farm Shop & Kitchen is located on Penllyn Estate, which has been farmed by the Homfray family since 1846 when our story began.
Today, the Estate is home to a diverse range of businesses, but agriculture remains at its core. Feed wheat, oil seed rape, maize and vegetables form the bulk of the crops grown, while the livestock operation focuses on the rearing of cattle, sheep and pigs. There is also a large brood of free-range chickens that supplies the shop and kitchen with eggs.
We are also proud to embrace sustainable farming practices where possible, and the Estate has planted more than 50,000 trees since 1990 leading to approximately 10% of the farm being woodland.
Here at Forage, we believe that understanding the journey that our food takes to our plates is a key part of appreciating and enjoying what we eat and drink.
Much of our produce originates from Penllyn Estate Farm, with the remainder sourced locally where possible.
Community is close to our hearts, and supporting the local economy is a key part of that. We are proud of our roots and strive to meet the highest standards from farming through to the food that we sell and serve.
Realising the Dream
Having a high quality shop and restaurant onsite to provide a direct outlet for the animals reared on the farm has long been an ambition.
As far back at the late 1980s, the Estate sought planning consent for such an enterprise, however, various hurdles including poor access, prevented the dream from becoming a reality. That changed in 2018, when permission was granted for a new access and road to the Estate. In 2020, after 18 months of design and construction, we were finally able to open Forage and our story began a new chapter.
Quality, Community & Sustainability
All of the products sold in our shop, and the food served in our restaurant, are of the highest quality. Fresh produce is locally-sourced and seasonal. The beef, lamb and pork on our butcher’s counter comes from Penllyn Estate, as do the eggs and the rapeseed oils. While we will not compromise on quality, we strive to stock as much Welsh produce as possible, with over 70% of the goods sold in our shop originating in Wales.
Forage serves as a welcoming and versatile hub in the community supporting local businesses, Welsh produce and providing events for all to enjoy throughout the year. We would like to thank each and every person for their continued support, involvement, custom, encouragement and constructive feedback that makes Forage the award-winning, community driven business it is today.
From using best farming practices to limiting food miles, we strive to reduce our carbon footprint. With the installation of a 120kwh solar array, we are self-sufficient in terms of electricity. Meat for The Butchery is reared on the farm with eggs from the adjacent free range hen facility. Coffee grindings are spread on our vegetable batch; our whole farming system is geared towards environmental regeneration.