Festive shoppers are flocking to farm shops for their Christmas goodies, research from leading rural insurer NFU Mutual reveals.

Starved of friendly contact after months of pandemic nine out of ten shoppers say friendly service is the main reason they’ll use farm shops and local retailers this Christmas.

Seventy percent of people surveyed believe farm shops offer fresher, better quality produce.   

In the true spirit of Christmas, eight out of 10 people who plan to use farm shops are doing so to support local businesses and the economy.

Environmental concerns are another reason many shoppers plan to buy local farm produce. Two thirds of the people surveyed said they prefer farm shops because they provide food from sustainable sources with lower ‘food miles’.

Rebecca Davidson, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “Christmas is all about spreading good cheer and farm shops provide that in abundance with friendly service, great locally-grown produce and a relaxed atmosphere.

“It’s great to see so many people planning to use farm shops this Christmas after the huge amount of work they put in to stay open and rose to the challenge of massive demand through the pandemic lockdowns.

“Whether farm shops delivered fresh produce to a vulnerable customer, sourced local flour for home bakers, or were there for a friendly chat over the counter at a lonely time – these rural retailers transformed their businesses and came into their own over Coronavirus.”

As part of its ongoing support for farmers NFU Mutual works in partnership with the Farm Retail Association (FRA) sharing advice and supporting events to help those setting up a farm shop enterprise.

Rob Copley Chairman of the Farm Retail Association, said: “It’s terrific to hear there’s a real sense of loyalty from the public for their local farm retailer which will continue through the festive season. 

“Farm retailers are at the heart of the community and they came into their own during Covid, adapting their space quickly to keep their staff and customers safe. People felt safer, they built up a trust and lockdowns lasted for such a long period that it has changed shopping habits that will be here to stay.

“Anecdotally we hear that numbers are up across the board with more customers than ever preferring to shop at their local farm retailer and it’s heartening to hear these statistics confirm this. We look forward to welcoming the public through our doors for their Christmas shopping over what will be our busiest period and we can’t thank them enough for their continued support.”