Apley playbarn and store create work for 30

As villages and towns across Shropshire are losing their stores, post offices and pubs, one community is bucking the trend and has opened a farm shop, cafe and play barn creating 30 jobs.

The £750,000 Apley Farm Shop and Playbarn at Norton, near Bridgnorth also includes a deli and a butchers, with specialist produce sourced from across the county.

The play barn has been set up to keep children entertained and comes complete with a climbing frame and slide.

The shop features a delicatessen, a butcher selling birds directly from the estate, a pantry with preserves, pickles and sauces, groceries, and a dairy.

General manager Frances Brown said customers were waiting for their doors to open for the first time yesterday.

She added Lord Hamilton of Dalzell, who has developed the farm shop and play barn, wanted to create local employment on the Apley Estate and bring estate-grown and locally sourced produce to shoppers.

"The first day has gone really well," said Miss Brown. "It has been really good and people were waiting at the door for us to open in the morning.

"A lot of it was down to Lord Hamilton. He saw the estate was producing a lot of food. He is also a real family man and that is where the play barn came in.

"There is something for people of all ages from grandparents to grandchildren.

"It also helps to employ local staff because they can tell people about the area, as well as creating employment.

"Everyone has done a wonderful job and worked very hard to get it all open."

Estate manager Graeme Manton added: "We are committed to making Apley Estate as environmentally sound as possible and our approach to sustainable power and heating technology echoes our ethos."

By Jason Lavan