The resilience and renewal of Britain’s oldest farm shop is chronicled in a special Radio 4’s Farming Today feature to be broadcast on Easter Monday.
Hinchliffe’s”“ which was established 85 years ago ““ will be the focus of the Radio 4 show that broadcasts to more than 1 million listeners, with interviews with octogenarian farmer Charles Hinchliffe, son of founder Allen Hinchliffe, and grandson Simon Hirst, who now runs farm shop along with brother Ben.
In the early morning show, which airs at 5.45am, journalist Caz Graham talks to the family about the history of the shop, established in 1929, and its weathering of successive storms, recessions and a devastating fire. The radio crew visited the shop, butchery and pasture around Hinchliffe’s during the hour-long recording.
Despite the majority of the farm buildings and restaurant being destroyed in the 2010 blaze, the programme shows how the family’s ‘true Yorkshire grit’ helped rebuild the shattered dreams of the four-generation business after the fire and secure planning permission to build a brand new farm shop and restaurant complex on the site this year.
Hinchliffe’s Simon Hirst said: “It was amazing having the Radio 4 team here to talk to us about this place that meant so much to our family for such a long time. It’s been a tough few years but thanks to our new and old customers we’ve come out the other end stronger and even more committed to being the hub of delicious Yorkshire produce for local people.
“It was also lovely to meet the presenter Caz because she comes from a farming background so knows exactly what running a farm day-to-day is like ““ with or without a microphone about!”