Croots Farm Shop creates hanging Christmas tree forest in Derbyshire

Steve Croot at Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire

Derbyshire farm shop Croots has come up with a novel way to display its Christmas trees – a hanging forest in one of the farm’s barns.

The set-up means that customers can walk amongst the firs, as they hang from the ceiling of the barn, and see exactly how the tree will look when it finds its place in the home.

“Everyone has their own idea of what makes the perfect tree for their home,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop off Wirksworth Road, Duffield, with wife Kay. 

“For some it’s all about the height, while for others it’s more about the shape. The branches on the firs that are being suspended in a barn at Croots have had time to naturally spread out to show exactly what the trees will look like when they stand in that special place in the home.

“Aside from that, everyone seems to be enjoying walking through our hanging forest.”

The award-winning farm shop is also raising money for its adopted charity, Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, by running a social media competition on Twitter and Facebook to find the best decorated Croots Christmas tree.

For a charity donation of 50p, customers are being invited to post photos of their dressed tree, with the hashtag #CrootsChristmasTree, to be in with a chance to win £50 worth of Croots vouchers.

Croots, which is based at Farnah House Farm, is selling non-drop Nordmann fir trees ranging in size from 4ft to 6.5ft, with prices from £30. The glossy green Nordmann fir has big needles which are relatively soft, making it suitable for those with young children.

Video of the hanging forest can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdMqgLSFzkg

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-shop-127012538821/ 

Press release issued by Nottingham based pr company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk 

Croots Farm Shop welcomes Santa and raises money for charity

Staff at Croots Farm Shop will be raising money for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre during the festive season by raffling off a large chocolate snowman.

The farm shop near Duffield has supported the charity, which helps disadvantaged youngsters, for a number of years.

As part of the Christmas festivities at Croots, Santa is due to visit the shop on Saturday 13th December between 9am and 1pm and again on Saturday 20th December between 10am and 2pm. On both occasions he will be walking around the farm shop and will be available for photographs, free of charge.

“Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre was established in 1891 to provide disadvantaged Derbyshire children with holidays in Skegness, and our customers have been very generous in the past with their support,” said Steve Croot, owner of the farm shop, which is based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road.

Croots Farm Shop is open daily from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm). Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk or follow Croots Farm Shop on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop.

Press release issued by Nottingham Based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk. 

Fresh fish and seafood introduced at Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire

Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire is to introduce a weekly fresh fish special event as part of its expansion plans.

The farm shop near Duffield is launching Croots Fresh Fish Thursdays, with all sorts of fish and seafood on sale – direct from Grimsby Fish Docks.

Starting from Thursday May 8th and running each Thursday between 10am and 4pm, the new service coincides with Croots opening seven days a week and extending its Sunday opening hours as a result of customer demand.

“We asked our customers if they’d be interested in fresh fish and seafood, and the answer was a resounding ‘yes’ so we’re very pleased to be teaming up with Shaun’s Fish Lincolnshire to offer his range of fish and seafood – direct from Grimsby Fish Dock - once a week on a Thursday,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road.

The range will include fresh salmon, large haddock fillets, large cod fillets, plaice fillets, seabass fillets, rainbow trout fillets, skate wings, red bream, natural and yellow smoked haddock fillets, smoked kippers, smoked mackerel, fresh mackerel, smoked salmon slices, smoked salmon pate, smoked crab pate, crab claws, dressed crabs, tuna, mussels, cockles and other sorts.

Croots Farm Shop recently announced it was expanding to open seven days a week after previously being closed on Mondays since the farm shop launched in 2008.

The farm shop sells products from more than 40 producers from within a 50-mile radius, as well as items from further afield. It is renowned for its high quality sausages and meat products which are made in house.

It has won a number of Great Taste Awards, which are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the fine food industry, and was a runner-up in the Best UK Independent Food Retailer 2010 category of the Observer Food Monthly Awards and named in The Independent’s top 50 best food shops the year before.

Earlier this year, owner Steve Croot was given the accolade of Derbyshire Local Food Hero 2014 at the Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards.

From May 5th, Croots Farm Shop will be open every day from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm). Croots Fresh Fish Thursdays will take place between 10am and 4pm on Thursdays.


For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Loyal customers and charity supporters officially open Croots Farm Shop's new Shires Eatery in Derbyshire

Derbyshire farm shop Croots has officially opened its new café and restaurant, Shires Eatery.

The honours at the farm shop near Duffield were performed by long-standing loyal customers and local charity supporters John and Jean Griffiths.

The retired couple, who live in Draycott, have been shopping and eating at Croots Farm Shop regularly since it opened in 2008, and regarded their visits as ‘therapy’ after a period of ill-health, said Jean.

She said they were astounded to be asked to cut the ribbon to mark the official opening.

“We were absolutely taken aback,” said Jean. “I thought it would be at least the lady mayoress. It’s a lovely thought.”

Croots Farm Shop owner Steve Croot said: “We are delighted to open our new, expanded Shires Eatery. Our coffee shop was popular from day one and I’m so pleased that we can now welcome and serve more than twice as many people. Hopefully we’ll enjoy a sunny summer this year and we’ll be able to open up our decking area too.

“John and Jean have been loyal customers at Croots and we felt it was very fitting that they should help us celebrate the opening by performing the honours. They do such good work in the community.”

Croots has been working since earlier this year to expand its popular coffee shop to create the 60-seat Shires Eatery, which overlooks fields of Shire horses at Farnah House Farm in Wirksworth Road, as well as having a wider view of the Ecclesbourne Valley.

The new restaurant is serving a more varied menu, including a roast meal every day. New chef Kate Griffin is working alongside the existing hospitality team at Croots, and two new part-time assistants have been hired. Croots is also planning to take on an apprentice chef to help in the kitchen.

The expansion project marks a significant investment for the farm shop which was a runner-up in the Best UK Independent Food Retailer 2010 category of the Observer Food Monthly Awards and named in The Independent’s top 50 best food shops the year before.

Croots sells a range of food and drink produced locally, regionally and from further afield. It stocks products from up to 40 producers from within a 50-mile radius of the shop.

It also produces its own range of products, including sausages, pies and ready meals. Since establishing in 2008, it has built up a strong reputation for its butchers’ fresh meat counter - winning dozens of awards for home-made sausages, home-smoked bacon and other meat products.

John and Jean Griffiths cut a ribbon to mark the official opening of Shires Eatery.

John is patron at Treetops Hospice in Risley and Jean was a volunteer there for 20 years and remains a supporter of the charity.

They began visiting Croots not long after it opened and enjoy regular visits – both to shop and to eat.

“I became ill in 2009 and the staff there were so kind. They sent a card and some lovely flowers. We got quite fond of them all. We used to call Croots our therapy,” added Jean. “We have remained loyal ever since. We find the staff so friendly and so helpful. We have always thoroughly enjoyed the food in the café.”

Croots Farm Shop is open Sundays from 10am to 4pm (Shires Eatery until 3.45pm), and from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm). It is closed on Mondays.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

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Expansion plans for Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire

Derbyshire farm shop Croots plans to expand its popular coffee shop to cater for demand from customers.

Work is due to begin shortly on a side extension to the café which will allow the farm shop in Wirksworth Road, Duffield, to serve more than twice as many customers.

Plans are also in the pipeline for phase 2 of the expansion work, which could see a further extension at the front of the café to build a conservatory over the existing decking area – to create a space that can be used all year round.

This would allow Croots to serve up to four times more customers than it does currently.

The move is expected to create an extra four or five jobs to add to the 20-strong team currently employed at Croots Farm Shop, which opened in June 2008.

“Our coffee shop has been very popular since day one, and we’ve been thinking of expanding it for quite some time,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop at Farnah House Farm.

“Initially we plan to extend out from the side, which will give us space for around 30 more seats. We’re hoping that work will start during February and that the new extended coffee shop will be open in May.

“We also have planning permission to extend over the decking area and create a conservatory, which we may do in the future.”

Amber Valley Borough Council approved plans for a single storey side extension and a conservatory to the front of the farm shop in December.

The expansion project marks a significant investment for the farm shop which was a runner-up in the Best UK Independent Food Retailer 2010 category of the Observer Food Monthly Awards and named in The Independent’s top 50 best food shops the year before, said Steve Croot.

The extension will match the existing brickwork and roofing.

The farm shop sells a range of food and drink produced locally, regionally and from further afield. It stocks products from up to 40 producers from within a 50-mile radius of the shop.

It also produces its own range of products, including sausages, pies and ready meals. Since establishing in 2008, it has built up a strong reputation for its butchers’ fresh meat counter - winning dozens of awards for home-made sausages, home-smoked bacon and other meat products.

In 2010 Croots opened a play area.

“We’re really looking forward to the next phase in the development of Croots Farm Shop,” said Steve Croot, who was shortlisted in the Food Hero category of the Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards this year. “We’ve had great support from our customers, and we hope they will like and enjoy our new expanded coffee shop when it opens.”

Croots Farm Shop and Kitchen is open Sundays from 10am to 4pm (café until 3.45pm), and from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (café until 4.30pm). It is closed on Mondays.

Visit www.croots.co.uk for more information.

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk