Morrisons is trialing a ‘British farm bus tour’ which will offer customers an opportunity to visit and meet with the supermarket’s food producers.
The first tour took place this week and was hosted by Cumbrian farmer, Paul Coates, who owns Barrack End Farm, which has been supplying Morrisons for over a decade.
The 420ac mixed cattle, sheep and farm is located atop Barrack Fell in the North Pennines at Armathwaite, near Carlisle and is run by Paul and his father, Peter.
The family partnership have over 1,000 grazing sheep, from which they produce lambs from and manage a 250 strong herd of Beef Shorthorn cattle, which are known for their high quality beef and hardy, feed efficient natures.
The duo also grow arable crops to aid in self-sufficiency.
Technical and sustainability director at Myton Food Group for Morrisons, Sophie Throup said: “The Morrisons Farm Bus Tours will set off from stores to take the mystery out of where and how Morrisons food is produced.
“We’re proud of our amazing farmers and want to show our customers the care that goes into producing the high-quality, fresh produce, dairy, and meat products that stock the shelves of Morrisons stores across the country.
“We are looking forward to hearing the feedback from our first bus trippers.”
The farm tours will enable consumers to gain first-hand insight into the daily operations of farms and the processes involved in cultivating food for supermarket shelves.
The first bus tour coincides with British Food Fortnight, which Morrisons is the exclusive retail partner of, occurring from September 20 to October 6.
The event will be celebrated online and in Morrison stores across the UK, highlighting the best of autumn’s produce, meat and fish.
One customer in attendance on the fledgling trip was Rosie Fielder, who said: “Getting to see where Morrisons produce comes from, as well as the different animals and how they are kept was a great learning experience.
“It was clear to see that the cattle have a good, happy life, and I would recommend more customers to visit their local farms to get a better understanding of the journey of food from farm to plate. It’s a great family day out.”
Morrisons
Morrisons has pledged to become the first supermarket to be entirely supplied by ‘zero emission’ British farms by 2030 – five years ahead of the industry, and is working directly with it’s farmers to make this an affordable transition.
Its partnership with The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) and Defra also supports its farmers on the journey to net zero by helping bridge the skills gaps in agriculture.
