New dairy products on offer at Thorabella are just two of the exciting things happening at the buffalo farm at Dallas, and the addition heralds their plans to expand the shop with even more choice next year.
Owners Ollie and Nikki Lake end the year with the announcement that they now have milk and ice cream made from their Jersey herd, and available from their shop at the foot of their drive.
Nikki said: “We are super proud to announce that our beautiful Jersey cows are now going to provide their creamy milk from a vending machine available in our shop.
“Simpson’s of Buckie are making delicious Jersey milk ice cream that is coming in flavours including raspberry ripple, biscoff and Scottish tablet as well as many more!”
Straw bale cabins
Nikki added that it’s been a busy year down on the farm. The straw bale cabins have been welcoming people from New Delhi to Canada and everywhere in between including nearby customers from Nairn and Cromarty!
“Over the last 12 months we have been concentrating on the holiday let cabins and had an extremely busy summer but it has given us time to come up with a new project hopefully opening this spring.
“This will see us expanding our shop to allow us to sell other local products as well as our own. On top of that we are constructing a path so people can walk around our field and view the animals.”
Events
Seasonal events such as lambing, Easter bunny, farmers’ markets, Halloween and Christmas are all in the pipeline for next year.
The farm was recently featured on the BBC program ‘This Farming Life’ which gave viewers a real insight into the running of the farm. Ollie said they also share the ups and downs of life at Thorabella online and with their visitors.
“I think we are perceived as a genuine, hardworking, positive family and we enjoy sharing our self-sufficiency journey with our customers whether on social media platforms or in person. We have some fantastic local customers that come to the farm to buy produce and we honestly couldn’t thank them enough for all the support they give us.
“Our honest approach to the realities of the ups and downs of farming life keep our customers connected to the turbulent and fragile nature of the farming industry. Sharing our lifestyle with our customers and followers on social media has given us the confidence to diversify and expand our business to include the holiday lets, farm tours and our new venture opening this spring.
“Since This Farming Life we have welcomed emus on the farm bred by our friends over at Little Rowater and of course we now have our Jersey cows from Forest Farm.
New and repeat customers
The shop continues to draw in locals who have the freedom to come to the farm to buy produce at their leisure and the new products of ice cream and milk has generated repeat customers as well as attracting new ones.
And look out for Thorabella products in local eateries.
“We supply meat to Station Hotel in Rothes who love local products for their restaurant; Kenny’s Coffee and Grill in Forres – a great excuse when we drop off an order to have one of his glorious milkshakes; and we’ve recently struck up a great relationship with the MacAllan Restaurant and have enjoyed showing the chefs around the farm.”
Thorabella Farm provide meat produced on the farm and they sell buffalo, Highland beef and pork meat directly to the customer They also have apple juice, honey from their own bees, and now of course, milk and ice cream.
To get to Thorabella from Forres, take St Leonard’s Road out of town. After about four miles, fork right at the signpost for Knockando and Dallas. Follow the road for two miles. Turn right (not signposted) between a telegraph pole and a tree. Follow the road for a mile and Thorabella is on the right. You’ll see the shack in the drive as you pull in.
The what3words address is warned.coughed.tabloid
Open 9am to 7pm daily. Payment by cash, PayPal or bank transfer.
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