Speciality-Food-Magazine-September-2024

T he Goat Shed founder Sam Steggles had no idea what lay ahead as he boarded a plane in 2020, setting off to Australia on the first leg of an enviable global tour as part of a Nuffield Farming Scholarship. With nothing but a fresh haircut and a dent in his bank balance to show for his (very) whistlestop visit, he was soon called back to the family farm in Norfolk as Covid began to dig its roots in around the world. For some businesses, the shock of the pandemic was toomuch to bear. But others thrived. And so begins this tale of growth. But let’s wind back a little first. The Goat Shed’s life really starts 15 years ago, with Fielding Cottage, and goats’ cheese. “Our cheese is 15 years old this year,” says Sam. “It’s all goats’ cheese. Norfolk Mardler is our morematured cheese, andWensumWhite is our take on a goats’ milk Brie. That one’s won several World Cheese Awards!” Customers back then often asked Sam if they could pop by the farm to buy a piece of cheese. Of course they @specialityfood could. And upwent a 6ft x 4ft garden shed with a fridge and an honesty box – the humble beginnings of many a farmshop. “People would ask us for a bit more, so we put some honey in, or some potatoes – various bits and pieces. And we named it The Goat Shed.” Still, customers wantedmore. So there was an upgrade to a 16ft x 8ft shed. Business thenwas slow. There were regulars, but some days no one would showup. Until Covid. “Our cheese business was doing really well at the time,” Sam reflects. “And then I managed to securemy Nuffield Farming Scholarshipwhich was titled, The Journey toMaturity Navigating Sustainable Food Business Growth. I wished to look at how businesses grew sustainably and substantially in tricky political and economic times, with an emphasis on recruiting and retaining great people.” Samsays he jumped on the plane to Oz full of enthusiasm, with a sweeping itinerary including New Zealand, South Africa and China on the cards. “I left on Sunday lunchtime, and byWednesday the phone started ringing. I was told a lot of our cheese contracts were being pulled because people were shutting shops, pubs and restaurants. I was in Brisbane at this point. And the next day we worked out we’d lost a significant volume of business, so I went back to the airport to jump on a plane home.” When Samarrived, bag and passport in-hand, the airport was, he says, a ghost town. “I was told all the planes were grounded because of a thing called Covid. So I had to go to Trailfinders to buy new tickets, and I literally went around the world to get home the following Sunday.” The irony that his scholarship thesis was formulated around trading in difficult times isn’t lost on Sam. But, likemany of farming stock, he wasn’t prepared to throw in the towel when things got tough. “My wife toldme people couldn’t get toilet roll, pasta or bread when I got home. We had our little goat shed and people kept turning up to see what they could get. I’d speak to themand find out what they were looking for and source it – frompeople we’d usually stand next to at farmers’ markets, who we knew were supplying various other farm shops or delis.” The fledgling shop evolved. A table and gazebo were put out front as it got busier. Samstarted to record videos, letting would-be and regular shoppers knowwhat was available, and where exactly The Goat Shed was. With building plans for an expanded cheesemaking facility on hold due to Covid restrictions, soon The Goat Shed wouldmove.... from the shed, into the back of what was essentially a swept-out barn. “It was a kind of pop-up shop,” says Sam. “We DARINGTODIVERSIFY: ‘WE’RE ACCIDENTAL SHOPKEEPERS’ As part of our series shining a light on interesting farm shops, delis, garden centres and food halls, we’re in Norfolk at The Goat Shed, which has expanded from a 6ft x 4ft garden shed, to an almost 16,000sqft attraction