What to expect in 2022

2021 in a nutshell

2021 was a bizarre year for everyone; it seemed that we were all riding different waves and not exactly sure of the destination we would end up in. The pandemic has ebbed and flowed throughout the last year and Falconhurst, like us all, has had to adjust to the ever-changing social rhythm that Covid-19 has presented us.

There have been some challenging times but also some brilliant times. The challenges came in the various lockdowns when we were all forced to live in a way that we were not accustomed to and for many that was uncomfortable. However, when looking back it seems better to focus on the good times that were only possible because of the pandemic; families were brought together, there was time for reflection and opportunity to look to the future. The best part of all of it came when we were allowed to operate on a more normal level again and the sight of people dancing away at one of our jazz nights, eating with friends at a Supper Club or guests gathering for a wedding will live long in the memory – people really went for it!

We now find ourselves back in a period of uncertainty but as before, extremely excited to see what happens when we get out the other side.

What to expect at Falconhurst in 2022

The Shop

After a crazy couple of years since opening, the shop has realised that it is in need of a bit more space. Dan and Charlie and busy making plans for an extension that will go out of the back of the shop. The idea is for the extension to house all the veg, bread and maybe some plants – we keep on tinkering with the plans so just watch this space, it will make a big impact when it is introduced.

One of the other targets for the shop this year is to introduce more estate produce onto the shelves. We have recently invested more into our market garden setup and the idea is for there to be a much greater amount and a higher quality of fruit and veg coming through the shop.

Aside from the extension and the increase of estate goods we will continue to provide the very best of what the local area and artisan producers in the country have to offer.

Pop up Café

Of all the feedback we get in the shop, the thing we hear the most is, ‘When are you guys going to open up a café?’. For various reasons we are unable to open up a full-time café at the shop but this year we have decided, and we are extremely happy to announce, that we will be opening up a pop-up café out of The Barn next to the shop. We plan to run the café on a Wednesday and Thursday between April and October when the garden will also be open. We are still in the early stages of planning the café, but it should be a great addition to the goings on at Falconhurst and we very much look forward to welcoming you in

Woodland trail

We are conscious that kids are always on the look out for entertainment, especially when the parents take them shopping. The pigs and goats seem to provide a good amount of distraction, but we want to offer more on this front.

With this is mind, we plan to open a small woodland walk around the pond behind the farm shop, with various features in the woods that should appeal to the kids. Early stages with this plan but looking forward to rolling this out soon.

The Barn

2021 was a momentous year for our events space. Having hoped to open it to the public in 2020 we were very disappointed when the pandemic decided to get involved and delay these plans. It was worth the wait however as last year provided some unforgettable memories for us and hopefully our guests as well.

The plan for 2022 is to deliver greater events and more of them. There will be a core offering of Supper Clubs happening every month and hosted by some exciting chefs from near and far. To break up the Supper Clubs we will be hosting lots of other events; expect to see jazz nights, markets, wine tasting events and much more. It’s going to be a fun year at The Barn – keep your eyes peeled for details on dates and tickets

In addition to the evening events at The Barn we will also be hosting daytime workshops throughout the year, more information on these to come soon.

Garden

2021 was a strange year in the garden, especially in the summer as the wet, and not particularly warm weather, produced a real glut of life; the grass was as green as we can remember it and the borders were overflowing.

There are lots of plans for the garden this year as we look to improve various aspects. The compost system, ornamental veg garden and cutting garden are all been given some serious attention over the winter. We very much look forward to welcoming you in to see the garden in April when we begin our season of opening the garden to the public. The garden will be open on a Wednesday and Thursday from April through till the end of September  

In Spring we hope you will join us in enjoying the bluebell woods that lie beneath the Falconhurst garden, it’s always a special time of year for us and we look forward to sharing it with you.

We also plan to introduce some events into the garden this year. We are planning on hosting some garden lectures and workshops throughout the summer as well some larger events. Keep an eye out for developments on this.

The Stables

Some of you may have noticed a small derelict stable building behind the farm shop. We are on a mission to increase the amount of holiday accommodation on the estate and The Stables is going to be out next big project which will be completed this year. It will be a 2-bedroom dwelling and will as much as possible, resemble the agricultural building that you see today. Together with Hole Cottage, our little house in the woods, we hope to encourage more folk from further afield to come and enjoy the estate and surrounding area. For more details on these properties have a look at the ‘Stay’ section of the website.

Horseshoe Green Farm

The farming landscape is dramatically changing, and it is no different for us at our organic farm, Horseshoe Green. We are busy making plans for how our farm is going to head into a brighter future. The goal is to run a sustainable farm and the details of how we are going to achieve this will be released over the coming months. Some really challenging but equally exciting times lie ahead, and we look forward to facing these times head on.