Speciality-Food-June-2025

L ike many farm shops, Craigie’s Farm in South Queensferry, West of Edinburgh, has humble beginnings. “Farmers are used to spending 18 hours a day outside on their own with just a tractor for company,” John Sinclair, who operates the business with wife Kirsteen, jokes. Initially a small PYO farm, with a supplementary shop run from the ‘back door’, Craigies Farmhas tripled in size in the last two decades, encompassing PYO, a shop, cafe, play barn, butchery, bakery andmore. This year, John says, is one of change andmoving forward, following what he reflects was a tough time during and after the pandemic. “Like most farm shop businesses we were on the up before Covid, but that hit us really badly, both financially, and the teammentally. I would say we’re just moving past that now, five years on.” Moving into the middle of 2025 feels like a fresh start, John continues, adding that introducing new head of operations Iain Fisher, who comes with bags of energy, and years of experience in big hospitality settings in Edinburgh, has already reinvigorated Craigies, just a few weeks in. “I can already see there’s been a massive change in the culture of the team!” is picked by customers or used in their own products, while the remaining 5% is sold in the shop – from strawberries, cherries and blueberries, to apples, plums and vegetables. It’s an offering that’s changed dramatically in the last 30 years, John says. “In the 70s and 80s, people would go out and pick fruit to eat. That was the main driver. Now, pick- your-own is a day’s experience. The fruit is almost a byproduct. The farms that have survived and are going from strength to strength are the ones that have recognised that and charged customers accordingly. So, they can come out and have a really good day, taking some fruit home with them if they want.” Craigies has noticed, John adds, a reduction in the amount of fruit picked, but an increase in visitors. Keeping it local Excess fruit not picked by customers, is transformed into beautiful preserves in Craigies kitchens, sold alongside produce that celebrates local makers – something John thinks is vital for survival. “When I was at FRA council meetings, there was a lot of chat about what we’re going to do about supermarkets taking our business away. The fact of the matter is, we’ve had over a dozen supermarkets in a short radius to deal with, and there’s no way we can compete against them.” Success, for John, is “getting our customers to come to us before their supermarket shopping for a nice bit of cheese or a nice bit of beef for roasting, then going on to the supermarket to get ketchup and toilet roll.” Bestsellers (other than their jams and preserves), include local gins, Stornoway black pudding, local ice cream and (not local) orange juice, freshly squeezed through a press. “That seems to be a big hit!” The deli counter only stocks Scottish cheese, and a range of the kitchen’s pies, sausage rolls, salads andmore, which are also found in the restaurant, where John insists the offering is simple, humble and traditional – the kind of thing you might enjoy at a farmer’s table. Pies were introduced at the beginning of the year, and have become intrinsic to the popularity of the butchery, which was franchised initially, but brought in-house two years ago. “It’s going really well,” John says. “My son’s got his own flock of sheep that he lambs three times a year, so all the lamb on the counter is our own. We also buy pigs in and fatten themup. At the moment, about 50% of the pork is from our own pigs, and we buy in Scottish pork for the rest.” Beef is as local as it can be, with John working alongside their landlord, who’s building up a herd of Highland Cross cattle on the estate. Putting people first The biggest challenge, other than the ebb and flow of seasonal trade, across retail is staffing. Labour costs increased by £150,000 this April, meaning that prices have had to adjust across the business. Despite 2025 being a difficult year for most retailers, John says he feels lucky to do what he does. “Although I used to have more hair!” “Farms have become very lonely places, so to have people on the farm gives me a great sense of satisfaction – seeing them enjoying their time here and buying into our values. That’s something really quite special.” IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FARM SHOP FOCUS specialityfoodmagazine.com 10 People are at the heart of the multi-generational farm on the outskirts of Edinburgh CRAIGIE’S FARM To have people on the farmgives me a great sense of satisfaction A farming family John comes from a long line of farmers. HIs great-grandfather was headhunted by Lord Rosebery of the Dalmeny Estate to work as his farmmanager, with his dad, George, later taking on a farm tenancy here, landing later at Rosebery’s West Craigie Farm. “I joinedmy father when I left college,” John explains. “The farmwas too small, and we needed to diversify, so we went into growing soft fruit.” When his father died, aged just 57, John says he was driven to continue his legacy. “We had a small farm shop at the back of the house, and I became increasingly aware that customers seemed to be more interested in where their food came from. At the same time, the shop was getting busier and busier, so we went to the landlord to see if we could diversify to build a farm shop and a cafe.” The venture was so successful, the cafe was quickly doubled from 50 to 100 covers in 2007. And that was just the beginning of ongoing expansion at Craigies. The power of PYO PYO remains a prime focus at Craigies, where 95% of produce CRAIGIE’S DALMENY BLOSSOMHONEY Creamy, floral honey, produced at hives on the Dalmeny Estate, just five minutes away from the shop. craigies.co.uk CRAIGIE’S FREE-RANGE EGGS Farm fresh, free-range eggs are a regular favourite at the shop for their golden yolks. craigies.co.uk CRAIGIE’S FRESH ORANGE JUICE Customers love watching oranges get squished through the pressing machine in front of their eyes. The taste is incomparable. craigies.co.uk CRAIGIE’S STRAWBERRIES A huge part of the PYO operation at the farm. The cooler Scottish climate slowly ripens the berries, giving them a luxuriously heady taste. In store only BEST SELLERS