For farmers and landowners looking to explore the potential of farm retail, direct-to-consumer sales or food and drink production, Farm Business Innovation 2026 is introducing a new way to experience diversification.

Created in partnership with Appetite Me, the commercial rural diversification specialists behind farm shop and destination projects, The Farm Shop is an interactive, immersive feature designed to bring the farm retail journey to life on the show floor. Rather than simply showcasing individual products and services, the feature will recreate a genuine farm shop environment, giving visitors the opportunity to see how different elements of a successful retail operation can work together.

From locally produced food and drink to retail equipment, packaging, branding, interiors, point-of-sale solutions and customer experience services, The Farm Shop will bring together businesses from across the farm retail supply chain. For farmers considering converting an existing building into a retail space, landowners looking to develop a new enterprise, or established farm shops seeking to grow, the feature will provide practical inspiration and direct access to suppliers with expertise across the sector.

Managing Director of Appetite Me, which is supporting the feature as Design Partner, Rob Tate said: "We're thrilled to be partnering with Farm Business Innovation as Design Partner for The Farm Shop. It's a brilliant opportunity to bring our experience in farm retail and diversification to life on the show floor, and to help connect suppliers and landowners exploring new ways to grow".

From idea to customer

Farm shops and rural retail businesses can offer farmers the opportunity to take greater control of their route to market, create additional revenue streams and build stronger relationships with consumers.

However, launching a successful retail operation involves much more than putting products on a shelf. Commercial feasibility, business planning, customer access, parking, staffing, food hygiene, merchandising, branding and the overall customer experience all need to be considered. Appetite Me's experience is that the most important step comes first: testing whether there is enough demand, footfall and margin to make the business viable before money is committed.

The Farm Shop has been designed to help visitors explore these different elements in context, making it easier to understand what goes into developing a profitable farm retail business.

Visitors will be able to meet a diverse selection of exhibitors, including Cotswold Fayre, a specialist fine food wholesaler supplying independent retailers; Cocoba, a premium chocolate brand; Rosemullion Distillery, an artisan Cornish spirits producer; The Original Baker, an artisan bakery with strong roots in the farming and farm shop sector; and a range of businesses providing retail, technology and customer experience solutions.

Hear directly from those who have done it

Alongside the immersive retail environment, The Farm Shop will also host Farm Talks, a programme curated with Appetite Me, providing a relaxed theatre-style setting where farmers, producers and industry experts can share their own experiences of diversification. The sessions will cover topics including launching a farm shop, developing branded products, improving customer experience, marketing rural businesses and identifying emerging opportunities within the farm retail sector.

One of the speakers will be Paul Hargreaves, CEO of Cotswold Fayre and founder of Flourish foodhall and restaurant, who will deliver How to be Great in Speciality Food. Drawing on his experience across wholesale, retail and hospitality, Paul will explore what it takes to succeed in speciality food, from creating outstanding products to developing retail experiences that keep customers coming back.

The Farm Talks are designed to encourage conversation rather than simply deliver presentations. Visitors will have the opportunity to continue discussions with speakers and suppliers after sessions, ask questions and make connections relevant to their own diversification plans. For anyone considering a farm shop, café, food or drink enterprise, The Farm Shop offers the chance to see the opportunity, meet the people behind it and understand what it takes to make it work.

Discover The Farm Shop at Farm Business Innovation, 4-5 November 2026, NEC Birmingham, and explore how direct-to-consumer sales could become the next step in your farm diversification journey.