Reopened farm shop owner fulfils ‘dream’

Experienced fruit and veg seller David Rhodes and partner Trudie Cole relaunched the Roundstone Farm Shop and Tea Rooms, in Littlehampton Road, Ferring, last Friday.

For Mr Rhodes, who discovered the shop was for sale purely by chance, he said it was a long-standing ambition to run a farm shop.

He said: “I have been in the industry since 1982 and it has always been a dream of mine for years and years to get a little farm shop and I actually stumbled across it by chance one day.

“It has got an excellent reaction so far and as far as we can tell, everybody has been happy it has returned.

“It’s early days and it has been hard work but there is a lot more to come and we are looking for feedback on what people want us to stock and making a list.”

Mr Rhodes said his ethos will be towards providing fresh and local produce at the best value prices.

He also plans to renovate the adjoining yard and courtyard to create a more attractive environment.

The farm shop was closed in February by previous owner of four years, John Hickling. He said the business had struggled over the last 12 months he was in charge and was, therefore, ‘unable to carry on’.