Goat Shed farm shop in Norfolk expands with new butchery

The award-winning Goat Shed Farm Shop and Kitchen in Honingham, between Norwich and Dereham, started life in a tiny wooden shack in the car park of a fledgling cheesemaking business.

But rocketing demand for locally-sourced food during the Covid pandemic led to the construction of a £250,000 new building in 2021.

The business has continued to grow, adding a busy restaurant, and now owner Sam Steggles is planning another expansion to double the size of the farm shop, including a new butchery and bakery counter, and an enlarged deli counter.

But one more new addition has become a source of much family pride.

Sam Steggles with one of his winning Simmental cattle at the 2023 Royal Norfolk Show (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Steggles has brought cattle back to the farm to revive a tradition forged by his grandfather Russell Steggles, who was among the pioneering breeders who imported the Simmental beef breed into the UK in the 1970s.

His original Wacton Simmentals herd was sold in the mid-1980s. But Mr Steggles has restored it after his wife Caroline bought him a cow for his birthday in 2022 - the start of what is now a 30-strong herd.

A new cattle shed welcomed its first calves in January, and animals which don't "make the grade" for the pedigree market will be slaughtered locally and sold via the new butchery counter - just 60m away.

"It’s really exciting for us to be able to share the full 'farm to fork' journey with our customers," said Mr Steggles.

"In general, our mission is about creating smiles through food, farming and family. By having the cows and goats on site, making our own cheese, and now to be able to put our own beef through our own butcher's shop - it is a dream come true.

"We can help guide and educate our customers on food and farming, we can tell them where there food is coming from, and they can see the cows just a few metres away.

"But the real joy is that when my grandmother Rosemary comes to see what we are doing, she says how proud she is of everything we have achieved here and how granddad would be proud of the cows and what we have done. That is the icing on the cake." 

Sam Steggles at the Goat Shed farm shop in Honingham (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Steggles said the total investment in the shop expansion and cattle shed will be around £750,000-£1m.

He expects the business will employ an extra 15-20 people by the time building work is completed in summer, taking the total workforce to around 60.

And he is already taking enquiries from other producers of beef, lamb and venison keen to supply the new butchery.

The Goat Shed Farm Shop and Kitchen in Honingham (Image: The Goat Shed)