Pre-pandemic, Middlewick just outside Glastonbury was home to 13 holiday cottages, and a small farm shop that catered almost exclusively to its guests.

Now, it's become a hub for the local community with a newly opened farm shop and café championing local and seasonal produce, as well as a tranquil spa, in addition to the holiday lets.

The success of Middlewick in the face of the numerous challenges facing hospitality businesses as a result of the pandemic is down to the hard work and vision of owner Jill Barker, who was determined to not only keep her own business going, but also try to find ways of supporting other local businesses too.

Caption: Jill (right) at the opening of the Middlewick farm shop and cafe 

"We had a nice business model," said Jill. "Then Covid hit and we lost all our visitors. We had to adapt, pivot and diversify.

"A farm shop was always here for our guests, so during lockdown we became a farm shop for the local community instead. We had hundreds of people here every day, and we became this trading hub.

"Then we opened a café in one of our cottages, and we opened the spa. We just kept going with what people needed and wanted.

"Then, when things opened up again we had to stop the café because the cottage was needed for accommodation. But local people kept coming to the farm shop, and they kept asking for a café. And that's when we decided to put in the planning application for the bigger farm shop and café."

That was just over six months ago – and last weekend the farm shop and café with its terrace boasting picture-perfect countryside views opened its doors to the waiting public.

It's not just customers that are benefitting from the shop and café though. Almost everything being sold is sourced from local producers, and the new openings have created jobs.

"As far as we can I'm trying to keep it all really local," said Jill. "It's pretty easy really because there's plenty of food being produced around here. For example, our beef comes from the farm next door and we get fresh eggs from Paddington Farm. There are a lot of growers and artisan producers, and if I can help support them and keep them going then that's great.

"Ideally, I would like everything to be organic, but although I know that everyone I use is growing as organically as they possibly can they're just not necessarily certified, and supporting local is more important.

"We're starting out small, but we'll be gradually increasing our ranges."

The same produce sold in the shop is used in the dishes for the café, which currently serves breakfast and lunch as well as drinks and cakes.

"We'll be using wonky veg and things like that in the lunch specials so nothing goes to waste," said Jill. "I'd love to have a menu with everything sourced from within 12 miles. When I recruited it was really important that I found people who were happy to cook with local produce and with the seasons. I'm not going for fancy food, just great, local ingredients.

"We have brilliant young team in the kitchen now. They are designing the menu, and I hope it's exciting for them to be part of something that's growing."

And Jill has even more plans for the farm shop and café, with cocktail and pizza evenings on the cards for next summer, as well as food workshops.

"I want to be able to use the space to teach people about food and the importance of agriculture," said Jill. "But I keep being told that I need to slow down! It will all happen, but for the moment I'm just concentrating on what we've got."

Middlewick Farm Shop and Café is open seven days a week, from 9am-4pm.