The Marshall Family
Marshall Farms and Farm Shop,
Aberdeenshire
Marshall Farms and farm shop is run by Kenneth and Moira Marshall and their three daughters, Christine, Julie and Shona, and is very much a diversified business with family at its core.
The farming enterprise has grown substantially over the years and now extends more than 1,000 hectares running a 500-cow beef herd, a flock of 1,000 ewes, 320ha of barley, of which 70 per cent is processed for malting, plus 12ha of their own potatoes and a mixture of vegetables for retailing in the farm shop. There is also a 100-head Aberdeen-Angus herd to supply beef specifically for the farm shop and restaurant.
This first stage of diversification started back in the 1990s with a self – service trailer, followed by cabins at each side of the A96 dual carriageway near Aberdeen.
This would eventually lead to the farm shop being opened in 2010 and offering a chance for people to come and buy local produce, as well as savouring food in the on-site restaurant.
But with so much going on, the Marshall family’s plans do not end there. The farm shop will grow again by two-thirds this autumn, with a new extension which will allow them to showcase local produce and their offering even more.
Julie says: “We are planning to open a drive-through element for the farm shop in early 2022. We rely heavily on the older consumer at the moment, but we want to push it to a younger audience and bring in that extra spend.”
Contemporary
This continual search for new customers is also reflected in their restaurant menu. With many traditional dishes, there is also the introduction of more contemporary offerings, such as halloumi burgers, something Kenneth shakes his head wryly at, although he acknowledges his daughters have a better eye on the tastes of younger diners than he does.
With so much drive and energy to shape the future of the farm, there is no doubt Marshall Farms and its farm shop will keep innovating.
Keen to wring the commercial opportunities where they can, Kenneth says: “We are also hoping to put in a car charging point so people can buy a coffee as they charge their car.”