Which came first... the chicken or the (chocolate) egg? At Higher Oak in Lymm, the answer is firmly with the chickens.
Dad Kirk Robertson, originally from Ghana, always wanted to teach daughters, Charlotte Robertson, Emma Connelly and Amelia Strong, how to care for animals. From initially raising rare breed poultry in their garden at home to how the business has developed today, the common denominator has been chickens.
When fields near their Lymm farm came up for auction in 2013, Kirk and his wife Lindsay decided to put in a bid. Over a crackling phone line from a holiday in Turkey, a friend did the proxy bidding and the deal was done. The farm quickly developed with drainage dug, pathways introduced and coops with runs set out for the birds.
The rare breeds are now managed by Amelia and Kirk and sold to poultry farmers and enthusiasts from all over the country.
Lockdown brought a twist to the family table. With sisters Emma and Charlotte furloughed, a love of baking was incorporated into the business. Using home-laid eggs, the girls produced brownies, blondies, cookies and other bakery goods they could sell through their newly erected shepherd’s hut at the entrance to the farm. It had a fully automated card scan locker system that still operates today and also stocks the farm's eggs and home-produced honey.
‘The hut was an instant success and at certain times has to be restocked as fast as it is filled,’ says Charlotte.
Bee hives were introduced to the farm when beekeeper Julian Dickinson agreed to show Emma’s husband Matthew how to produce honey. This is for sale in specially designed jars.
As the business grew, so did the product range, with Amelia completing a course in chocolate goods with Slattery’s in Manchester. With specialist chocolate tempering equipment, Amelia is creating fantastic chocolates, some on the poultry-based theme of the farm including chocolate chickens and eggs, sold in the same style presentation boxes as the fresh ones. Even the chocolate is set in honeycomb-shaped blocks with chocolate bees as an example of their cross-product creative thinking.
Looking for something special this Easter? All the produce can be bought online through the online shop (recommended for guaranteed availability) or if you’re passing, pop into The Shepherd’s Hut and have a look for yourself.
Oaks Artisan, Higher Oak Farm, Higher Lane, Lymm WA13 0RG
01925 754603 | info@oaksartisan.co.uk | oaksartisan.co.uk
