Higher Oak Farm in Lymm launches self service shepherd's hut

But most visitors to Higher Oak Farm would go further than that and probably call it unique or one of Warrington’s best kept secrets.

The Lymm farm not only offers free range eggs from seven breeds of chicken that are on the Rare Breed Survival Trust List from its charming shepherd’s hut.

Higher Oak Farm

The family team have also started baking sweet treats with the farm’s eggs and honey – such as Oreo brownies and raspberry and white chocolate blondies – and how you buy things is an experience in itself.

Visitors choose what they want from a self service vending machine that was made to the family’s specifications in Italy.

Amelia Robertson, Higher Oak Farm, said: “We have 55 cabinets in the hut. People absolutely love it, kids tend to play a game and guess which cabinets going to open, which is adorable. We’ve had really good feedback from everyone we’ve spoken to which is lovely.”

Higher Oak Farm

The lockdown success story of the shepherd’s hut is the latest chapter for the Higher Lane farm. Amelia’s dad Kirk Robertson, a former director at a school wear company in Runcorn, bought the land eight years ago as he always wanted to create a small poultry farm.

She added: “He’d always had an interest in and kept chickens, especially rare breeds, for as long as I can remember, so he wanted to expand what he had kept at the house into a specialist farm.

“Initially we were starting out just doing the rare breeds, to concentrate on preserving their genetics, and keeping the breeds from becoming extinct.

The shepherd’s hut

“But as we had quite a few birds in the early days, we were giving our surplus eggs to friends and family and found that people were really enjoying them, and that they could taste the difference between our eggs and shop bought ones.”

The farm’s main business at that point was selling hatching eggs and rare breed birds.

But now Amelia collects around 300 eggs a day from the pasture raised hens.

Using the vending machine

The former Lymm High student said: “Hearing people’s feedback really spurred us on to pursue the eating egg production so now we have two main laying houses with around 350 hens in total.

“As we have a variety of breeds we have quite a lot of different colours/shades and sizes of eggs. What is laid that day goes into the hut – you can’t get any fresher.”

The shepherd’s hut opened in November 2020 with the idea being that the vending machine would free up the family’s time for other daily tasks.

You will find fresh eggs and sweet treats every day

Amelia added: “We’d had discussions with another farmer who was vending milk up in Scotland, so we thought that would be a great way for us to sell our produce – and something that’s a little different from your normal farm shop.

"It took us a while to find a vending machine that didn’t drop the products, as this is not ideal for eggs!

“Eventually we found one and it took about six months to get the machine made and to the farm, because of lockdown in Italy where the machine is manufactured.

Higher Oak Farm

“During the first lockdown, we spent weeks building it, and we actually found ourselves having a waiting list for our eggs despite our increased flock size, so we were concerned we wouldn’t have enough stock to fill the new shop.”

That is how Higher Oak Bakery came about.

Amelia said: “It allowed us to sell baked sweet treats from the hut using our own eggs. We definitely didn’t anticipate how well this would do. We were working the bakery as a ‘pop-up’ which always sold out.

You can choose from 55 cabinets of farm products

"We couldn’t keep up with demand, so we knew that this would work as part of the offer at the hut.”

Amelia reckons there is plenty of scope for adding to Higher Oak’s offer too.

The 26-year-old added: “It’s so great to hear the positive feedback of customers and to educate people about what we do on the farm, and we’re now adding more local produce such as homemade jams and apple juice which is grown and bottled in Dunham Massey.

Higher Oak Farm

“We’re so excited to be harvesting our honey at the beginning of summer too. We have 10 beehives directly next to our wildflower meadow.”

Amelia also said it felt strange for something so positive to have come out of the Covid era.

She said: “We know so many people who have really struggled through lockdown, so I always feel a bit guilty when people ask how we’re doing, but there’s always got to be some good that comes of these things, and freshly baked brownies and fresh eggs are definitely one of them.

Higher Oak Farm

"I’ve never worked so hard in my life, delivering to people who are shielding and baking every day, but it makes it all worth while when you get such lovely, positive feedback. I think that the shepherd’s hut has brought some fun and smiles to people in such a trying time in our lives, and perfectly suited the Covid lifestyle.”