Bredon School Business and Enterprise pupils, from Years 10 to 13, have recently launched a brand new farm shop and café called ‘The Shack’. Profits made are being donated to the charity FairShare South West which distributes food to charities, schools and community groups including children’s clubs, homeless hostels and refuges.
Open to pupils, parents and the public, The Shack sells a range of locally sourced and handmade products, as well as offering hot and cold refreshments and home-baked goodies. There are plans to sell more farm and horticultural produce too.
Customers at The Shack's grand opening
From the initial idea to the branding and sourcing of the products and the setup of the shop displays, pupils have driven this initiative. Many of the products for sale have been made by pupils during their Enterprise lessons, upcycling activity sessions and spare time. Examples include concrete bowls, coat hooks, wooden pictures, confetti sachets, lavender bags, butter making kits and Christmas decorations and even an incredibly solid table!
Visitors to The Shack can browse the beautifully presented farm shop, tucked away at the edge of the school campus, before sitting on the veranda overlooking the stunning views over the vast acres of farmland. The Shack is currently open to pupils and parents, with a plan to open the facility to members of the public as soon as possible and in line with current COVID-19 regulations.
Ms Yates, Head of Business and Enterprise at Bredon School commented “The pupils decided the ethos of their business was to upcycle and re-use wherever possible to create quality, saleable products for The Shack. It has been a joy to see the pupils so motivated and enthusiastic. They have been able to apply their business skills in the best possible way to the setting up and running of their own business and have learnt many more skills besides. They have put a huge amount of effort into this and it is wonderful for them to see the finished result as well as the reactions from the parents and staff who have visited.”
One of the beautiful displays at The Shack
Pupil ‘Business Managers’, Suhail and Jude (both in Year 12) were delighted with how the grand opening of The Shack went on Friday 16th October (the last day before half term); “We couldn't have asked for a better opening. This project would not have been possible without the help from our fellow pupils and the staff here at school. We have already raised a good amount of money for charity and we hope that this will continue as we progress even further.”
Products on display at The Shack
The pupils also have several external suppliers, artists and craftspeople.
If you would be interested in selling your products through The Shack on a 20 % commission basis, please get in touch with Jude or Suhail at theshackatthefarm@gmail.com.
