Plans submitted for farm shop at The Great Shefford
The pub must ‘diversify to survive’ says landlord
THE owner of a much-loved village pub is pushing ahead with plans to build a farm shop on its grounds.
Joshua Khan, the licensee of The Great Shefford pub since June last year, has submitted plans to West Berkshire Council to build the shop in the car park.
It is hoped that it will allow the pub to diversify, while providing an outlet for local farmers and artisans to sell their produce.
The farm shop will be a single-storey building set well away from the pub itself, with a brick plinth, timber clad above and a pitched slate roof.
The shop would likely be open six days a week, however planning permission is sought for the farm shop to open seven days a week to allow for flexibility.
It is estimated the enterprise would create around 13 jobs for the local community. There will be no cooking within the shop itself.
The application is the second this year for an additional food facility adjacent to the pub, following an application in May for a food service kiosk in the garden and a standalone timber kiosk in the car park for a breakfast kitchen.
This scheme was refused, with council planners deciding that the proposals didn’t reflect the traditional nature of the Grade II-listed public house.
Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News in September, Mr Khan said: “It would be a very exclusive range.
“Our local farmers have to beg the big supermarkets to buy from them and get pennies in return. Farmers around here work very hard and deserve better.
“There would be locally-sourced meats, breads, flour, greens and so on.
“We would never seek to harm another local business, but there are no farm shops for miles around.
“My team and I, with the ongoing support from the village, have built a premium country pub of which we can all be proud.
“We have taken the site and transformed it and we’ve re-established it as a centre for the community, but these are difficult times for the trade.
“I’ve invested a lot of money and if there’s another lockdown I could lose my investment. I must diversify to survive.”
The plans will now go to Great Shefford Parish Council for comment, before a final decision is made by West Berkshire Council.
To view the application, visit the West Berkshire Council planning website and enter the reference 20/02245/FUL.
