Farm Stay UK celebrates 25 years of waking up to the country
As Farm Stay UK celebrates its 25th anniversary, members of the organisation have estimated that they have served up over one million farmhouse breakfasts each year to guests waking up in the country! Converted pigsties, stables, cart sheds, brew-houses, crofter"e;s cottages and even a shepherd"e;s hut are included in the 2008/9 list of over 1,200 different places to stay with Farm Stay UK members.
"Visitors to our members"e; accommodation literally wake up in the heart of the countryside and in some cases, for instance the shepherd"e;s hut they wake up in the middle of a field! Staying on a farm can mean muddy boots, milking parlours and collecting eggs for a real working farm experience, but we also have members who offer incredible five star accommodation in beautifully converted, traditional farm buildings; these are sought after by business people who are fed up with staying in huge impersonal hotels by the motorway. We have farms throughout the UK in stunning coastal settings with magnificent views as well as hidden-away rural locations, but we also have farms which are only ten minutes from major routes too," explained Andy Woodward, Chief Executive of Farm Stay UK.
Farmhouse cooking has long been a major part of Farm Stay UK"e;s individuality, with regional food and traditional recipes on offer from many members. As the seasons change, so do the menus, which offer local specialities such as salmon, oysters, game or asparagus, and visitors are certain to be offered Welsh Barra brith, real Scottish porridge, farm-smoked bacon and kippers, home-made sausages, freshly gathered eggs, home baked bread, floury scones and farmhouse cheeses!
Ruth Tuer, a member of Farm Stay UK in Cumbria explains; "I can remember the day my mother, who offered farmhouse B & B, started using nylon sheets and all the ladies from the village came to admire them – they could be whipped off the beds, washed and hung out to dry and be back on the beds in under three hours! That was then and this is now! We have just finished converting the village brew house, which has stood unused for over 50 years beside the former village pub. It"e;s beautiful now; we have furnished it with green oak and steel, crisp cotton bed linen and gorgeous soft furnishings, a perfect bolt-hole for two people with a baby or a dog! It has just been graded a five star property so we are thrilled."
All Farm Stay UK accommodation is inspected and Quality Assessed under national grading schemes operated by Britain"e;s national tourist boards and the AA.
