Tag Archive for: progress

Ayrshire Shop Sign

The Doors are Now Open

Last week we opened our farm shop doors to the public for the very first time!

We are so pleased to say that we have been very busy serving a lot of happy customers. The feedback we have received has been incredibly positive. We are also grateful for customers’ suggestions of other products.

It has been great to find out what our customers really love. Our gorgeous fresh strawberries have been flying out the door, and we have had to make some emergency calls to restock our cheeses!

What’s really promising is the amount of return customers that we’ve seen. There really is no better compliment than a customer who looks forward to coming back to see us. This has just stressed the importance of talking to customers. It has helped us understand what they are looking for, and how shopping with us fits into their day.

Another thing that has proved important (as we knew it would), is the connection between a new venture and the communities round about it. We have had customers from Kilmarnock, Ayr, Galston, Darvel, Hurlford, Mauchline, Cumnock, and everywhere in between.

Hearing good things coming from each of these communities has been hugely encouraging, and it has let us know we are reaching the people that we are trying to reach. We want to serve these communities and become a part of their weekly (if not daily) lives.

Farm shop

The farm shop has allowed us to focus our ideas in relation to the café. We will start serving breakfast rolls from the farm shop, along with tea and coffee, for those customers who are on the move or wanting to pick something simple up before work.

Following this, we will get the café open in around a month’s time. This is when our incredibly talented chef will be able to show off our local ingredients in the most delicious and imaginative ways possible. From hearty dishes like steak pie or fish and chips, to other, equally satisfying bites like our chef’s-cut burger.

The café will serve up Rocket Monkey coffee, created in a small, artisan roastery in South Ayrshire. Deep, rich and delicious – the coffee is just one of the products that we are championing at the Hub. And thankfully, we have so many other products to be proud of here in Ayrshire.

Stocked shop shelves

Not Long Now…

The shelves of the farm shop are being stacked right this minute, the outside space is getting a good working over, the kitchen is ready to get up and running, the coffee machine is being put through its paces by the staff. It’s fair to say we’re on the home straight!

Although we had planned a grand opening where we would be able to have a real celebration, the current situation has put paid to that idea. We look forward to the days where we can see you all in person in a thriving yet relaxed setting. Our cosy café or sun-drenched outside space will provide the perfect setting for just that.

Opening the Farm Shop

In the meantime, we are very excited about our community-run farm shop opening this Wednesday (28th). There you can buy all sorts of amazing local produce. Kitchen staples and indulgent treats will all be available. Fruit and veg, jams and chutneys, cereals, chocolates, cheeses, biscuits, and everything in between.

The Team is Growing

We have also taken on new staff, which feels like a big step in the progress of the Hub. After all, they will be a huge part of the project. Some will be waiting tables and serving customers in the shop, others will be out and about in the community continuing our work within the local area.

With our team growing, we will be able to achieve a lot more. This growing team and the Hub building will provide a local amenity that simply wasn’t there before. Opportunities for more people within the community has gone along with the promotion of social integration within that same community.

By paying us a visit, you will see, not just how much our project has developed, but how much the Ayrshire food scene has developed.

We can’t wait to get open and start serving the community like we had always planned.

The office provides a space for creativity to flourish…

We may be closer to moving into our new office space at the Hub, but we are anything but stationary.

One of the great things about our new Hub is that it houses our office space as well the café, farm shop and kitchens. This means we are working closer to one another (although still socially distanced!) and are better able to share ideas, communicate, and work together to complete our objectives.

The Role of the Office

From early on in the plans with Hadden Group – the company responsible for the construction of the Hub – we knew the office was going to play an important role.

Whether we’re planning and producing schedules, designing our menus, working with partners, creating campaigns or just bouncing ideas around, the office provides a space for creativity to flourish.

Over the past year, we have adapted in many ways due to the restrictions in place. This has meant rethinking our plans for the café, the farm shop and the development kitchen. Not only that, but our deliveries, meal preparation and food education classes have had to change too.

This has brought home just important and powerful a tool an online presence can be. That being said, we have all missed being able to chat with one another and really work together. Our office space will now allow us to do that.

This time last year it would have been hard to believe that people would be missing their offices. Whether it’s peace and quiet, a professional setup or a collaborative team, the office is the place where your skills and acumen come into their own.

When we talk about the buzz of the office, we don’t just mean the noise that the dodgy printer is making. We mean the good work that is going on around us. We might not have noticed it until it wasn’t there, but the hard work, creativity and collaboration of an office inspires us every working day.

Progress Continues at the Crossroads Hub

Ayrshire Food Hub

With the construction of the building complete, we’re working hard to create a warm, welcoming space inside, and planning our growing garden outside. We are also excited to launch our takeaway service!

The Build Continues

As you would expect, measures to combat Covid have been at the forefront of our mind. We’re happy to say that we already have our contactless doors installed and sanitiser dispensers in place at the Hub.

We are readying our office to take our staff safely, allowing us to deliver the best quality service in our community work as well as our exciting, upcoming retail projects.

The farm shop is being kitted out, ready to stock a huge range of gorgeous local produce. Pantry staples and plenty of farm-fresh favourites will be on offer alongside some freshly baked goodies and indulgent treats. Plus, our Morton’s Milk vending machine in place so that you can refill your milk bottles with the freshest, tastiest milk available!

As you can imagine, trying to get a café up and running safely whilst things are so changeable presents plenty of challenges. We have been planning and adapting from the word go, and we know we can offer something special to the people of Ayrshire and further afield.

Obviously, we don’t want people to travel unnecessarily. And as much as we all miss the sociable, bustling atmosphere that a café can provide, that’s just got to be something we look forward to in the (hopefully not-too-distant) future.

The Hub Takeaway

Instead, we will be offering a takeaway service! We’ll take the philosophy at the heart of the Hub and package it in an easy, convenient takeaway style. That means fresh, local ingredients, family favourites and familiar takeaway dishes all made right here at the Hub.

This gives us a chance to get in our gleaming new kitchen! And it means that we can start serving you sooner than expected! It might not have been in our original plans, but we are incredibly excited to get our takeaway service started. We can’t wait to open up our café and farm shop and welcome you all in. Keep an eye out on our social media to stay up-to-date with our takeaway menu!

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Crossroads, Hurlford
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
KA1 5JQ

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We have been successful in being awarded a grant from the Ayrshire Rural & Islands Ambition Fund (ARIA) for maintenance. Our plan of action as to how we will spend the maintenance fund, is needed repairs to small areas of the timber floor in the Café to prevent trip hazards and repair damaged areas to the walls of the Café caused by chair backs and hangings on the walls to freshen up the appearance of the Café and the environment for our customers to enjoy even more.