FARM AND RETAIL CENTRE ON THE EDGE OF DALSTON

The last 8 months have been intensely busy for Claire Scott and Richard Martin. In June 2004 they opened the first stage of an ambitious farm diversification at Orton Grange, just a mile or so from Dalston in Cumbria. For the growing number of regular customers, the Farm Shop is proving to be a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of goods for presents and essentials for the house and kitchen.

The Farm Shop can be found on the A595 4 miles west of Carlisle and opposite the Dalston turnoff. The ample car park and excellent disabled access makes a visit easy and extremely pleasant. Coming from Carlisle you just turn right at the Orton Grange crossroads and then first right into the car park.

It doesn’t matter whether your needs are for beautiful greeting cards, pictures, decorative household items, soft toys, clothing, locally produced food or flowers, you will find something to please at Orton Grange. The range of goods is huge and browsing is a pleasure.

Flowers and flower arranging is just one of Claire’s many talents (another being the eye catching display of items for sale around the 4 roomed shop). If you are looking for a bunch of flowers on your way home from work, then a quick visit will provide you with just what you want. Claire is also very busy providing flowers for weddings and funerals. The quality of her blooms is fantastic and, if well looked after, will last beyond the normal life expectancy of supermarket sourced bouquets. She will even advise reticent husbands on how to do a presentable arrangement when they get them home!

The range of items suitable for gifts is too large to list, but if you are looking for something for a special occasion, and you live close to Orton Grange, then you are sure to find something to suit. You might even be tempted to buy a picture from one of the featured local artists.

The food department is well stocked and a tribute to local producers. While I was there Joy Hall from Curthwaite was re-stocking the shelves with speciality cakes, preserves and quiches from her Joyful Foods range. Joy also makes pâtés, as well as bread and other bakery products (for more information email Joyful Foods). When you buy a Joyful Foods cake you might find that it is packed on a lovely china plate, which may just turn out to be a candidate for a future edition of the Antiques Roadshow.

Local people are now going to Orton Grange for fruit and vegetables, all of which are grown nearby. There is also an ample opportunity to stock up the fridge from the chiller with meat, sausage, smoked salmon and other produce. The food hall is just brimming with unexpected treats.

If you find the walk around the beautifully appointed barn conversion too much for your feet, you can take a break in an easy chair in the gallery coffee shop. Soon you will be able to visit Orton Grange for a more substantial meal in a proposed purpose built café-conservatory overlooking pens of cattle and calves from the Orton Grange herd of pedigree Holsteins. No doubt children will want to come and see the calves being fed while the parents browse the shelves.

Richard and Claire have lots of plans for future development on this roadside site. While the present customer base is mainly from a radius of 4 miles around the shop, improved signage and advertising on holiday publications will see a big increase in visitors from further a field.

Orton Grange Farm Shop is a very good example of farm diversification in traditional farm buildings. Great care has been taken with the presentation of everything. It is a great facility for Dalston providing quality products, food and refreshment within a few miles of the village. You can pop down for a coffee and do your shopping at the same time, all under one roof. Listening to Richard and Claire’s plans for the future there is no doubt in my mind that Orton Grange will become a major attraction for lots of different activities in the future.

You can contact Claire Scott at Orton Grange Farm Shop