Popular Kent farm shop on market for £495,000

Ashley Goodhew has run the farm shop business for 38 years
Ashley Goodhew has run the farm shop business for 38 years

A popular Kent farm shop run by its owner for 38 years is now on the market for £495,000 following his retirement.

Sandhurst Farm Shop on the outskirts of Sandhurst Village in the High Weald of Kent is now on the market, and it is anticipated there will be a lot of interest.

The property includes a detached trading farm shop in a highly accessible location with a good turnover.

It includes agricultural land extending to approximately five acres and an agricultural barn with planning potential.

The shop is up for sale due to the retirement of the current owner Ashley Goodhew who has run the business for 38 years.

Prior to buying the shop in 1981, Ashley farmed the apple orchards on the land to the rear and ran a soft fruit business locally employing many pickers.

He said: “Hopefully someone will carry on running the shop as it would be nice to see it continue, but the site also has a number of other possibilities.

“There is quite a bit of passing trade and we sell as much local produce as possible which all helps to reduce food miles and to support local farms.”

The shop also sells cut flowers, plants, juices, cakes and in the autumn local hop bines which are grown in the village.

Located on the A268, the farm shop is busy with passing trade as well as regular local customers from nearby villages.

The shop measures 890ft² includes a covered veranda and display area, main shop and display area, farm office, stockrooms and covered storage areas.

The agricultural barn is set well back from the road and is of timber portal frame construction clad in timber weatherboarding and extends to 742ft².

This sits entirely in its own site and has potential for conversion for a number of uses subject to the necessary planning consents.

Surrounding the barn is the agricultural land that is currently all laid to grass and cut for silage by a local farmer.

The Grade III north facing land consists of the Cranbrook and Curtisden soil series comprising predominantly silty soils over Wealden clays.

The parcel was previously an orchard and is entirely free draining with its northerly aspect. The whole site extends to approximately 5.67 acres and has been recently submitted in the Tunbridge Wells Call For Sites submissions.

BTF Partnership is offering the sale, calling it a 'fantastic opportunity' and one that doesn’t come up for sale on the open market very often.

“This is a successful business and is situated in a great location in the High Weald of Kent near Cranbrook. There is significant potential with this site, and we anticipate there will be a lot of interest.”