Passers-by travelling north on the main ‘Grande Route de St Jean’ road between Mont-à-l’Abbé and Sion, near the Union pub, will have long been aware of ‘The Potato Shack’ – the small farm shop and honesty ‘hedge-veg’ selection of produce, mainly Jersey Royals from Woodlands Farm.
This has now been transformed into a larger retail area and a café-restaurant specialising in the farm’s own produce.
The transformation has been delayed because of the irruption of the coronavirus emergency, but now as lockdown measures are being eased, the new ‘Shack’ shop and café are opening up.
‘Things are still very new, said the Shack’s manager, Bryony Le Boutillier. ‘We are still waiting for some essential equipment, but we have now opened for business from 9.30am to 2.30pm for breakfast and lunchmeals and look forward to welcoming our friends and customers. ’
The chef is Claire Allenet, who has achieved a reputation for the ‘private dining’ dinners she has created for her customers in their own homes.
The Woodlands Farm business and its components: dairy and beef cattle, Jersey Royal potatoes, other produce, butcher’s shop, ‘La Cremière’ and now the Shack, will be featured in the next issue of RURAL magazine.
