A Fife foodie has launched her first farm shop showcasing the kingdom’s food and drink producers following the success of her online shopping business.
Launching during last year’s lockdown Ceresly Good was set up by Ceres resident Emma Shanks, who wanted to help Fife’s food and drink producers reach local customers following the closure of shops and markets.
Fast forward to October 2021 and her online farm shop and delivery service has expanded to include a farm shop called The Wee Coorie Larder, based at Stewart’s Resort in Cameron, around four miles south of St Andrews in Fife.
Continuing to showcase Fife’s finest fare and ware, Emma is delighted to finally have a bricks and mortar store that customers can visit.
She says: “Ceresly Good began in lockdown to support local businesses who were struggling to sell due to the closure of shops and markets.
“It grew massively in lockdown with our local deliveries, but I was looking for something more for it.
“One day I happened to pop in to see one of our suppliers, Mike Miller of Miller Coffee, and he said ‘Emma, how would you like a shop?’
“So I went to see the space at the Stewart Resort and immediately knew I could make it work as a farm shop. I was given free rein and a lot of support from the Resort to turn it into The Wee Coorie Larder, and it opened within three weeks of agreeing to take it on.
“It was an opportunity I couldn’t decline!”
Different names
Though Ceresly Good is still operating alongside the shop, Emma decided to use a different name for the new business but maintains that the two are still connected.
She adds: “It’s called The Wee Coorie Larder because Ceresly works very well with locals who know of Ceres, but for those further afield, the name is somewhat lost! So I went with something a little easier to pronounce.
“At The Wee Coorie Larder we are a real champion of the amazing businesses right on our doorstep, and the long family history which precedes them in many cases. And I wanted to pull that together into a kind of local ‘supermarket’.
“Making shopping locally as easy as possible for people was also high in my priorities, because I often heard (and felt myself) that people wanted to shop local, but it was hard to do in keeping with their busy lives. Covid also made this harder for people too.”
Supporting local
Focusing heavily on supporting local producers and suppliers, The Wee Coorie Larder is more than just a farm shop, according to Emma.
“We sell a wide range of produce and have big plans to expand in the coming months,” she continues.
“The majority of our suppliers are Fife-based businesses, as is the case with Ceresly Good, so we’re not just your regular farm shop!
“We sell fresh fruit and veg (a lot of which is produced locally), fresh bakery, deli items, dry goods and kitchen staples in our eco larder, a wide range of organic and environmentally friendly items. And a cracking pick and mix! We also sell your daily staples such as newspapers and milk too.
“We opened in mid October and it’s been going well. We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback on our shop and stock, which has been so lovely. We’ve had a lot of locals coming in too, as well as visitors to the Resort. We are very much here for everyone!”
The Wee Coorie Larder’s opening hours until March 31 2022 are: Monday 9am-4pm, Tuesday to Friday 9am to noon, Saturday and Sunday 10.30am to 3pm. For more information visit cereslygood.online/weecoorielarder