THE morning dawned bright and with a light breeze, ensuring favourable conditions for the end-of-season pheasant shoot on the Finzean Estate.
The event, on January 27, also coincided with Farmhouse Breakfast Week, which meant the local farmers and beaters taking part in the shoot were treated to bacon butties at Finzean Farm Shop before heading out for the day.
The shoot is an annu
al event, which has been taking place on the Estate for over 30 years and, as Kate Farquharson explained: "It's a traditional get-together and a real fun day for our tenant farmers, beaters and friends, local Finzean folk really. It's nice to be able to tie it in with Farmhouse Breakfast Week too."
It's almost four years since the Farm Shop opened, in a calculated move by the Estate to diversify its business. It's managed by Kate and her sister-in-law Catriona Farquharson.
Catriona said: "We had no experience when we started and, because we're in a very rural location, it's been great to see how it's grown. We're gobsmacked really. It acts as a hub of the community and is a real meeting place."
The decision to diversify was prompted by the demise of the grouse population in the area. Prior to that, grouse shoots had been very popular and provided valuable income for the estate.
Kate said: "Grouse numbers declined rapidly and it was a massive blow for us at the time, although numbers are coming back slowly."
The Farm Shop operates on an established ethos of only using local, organic food, in a bid to reap the benefits of working with local producers to champion the wealth of top quality produce available in the Deeside area. This ethos extends to the kitchen where everything is home-made.
Kate said: "When we first opened, there weren't too many suppliers in Deeside but that's really changed. We now have Wark Farm, the Devenick Dairy and Cambus O'May cheese, to name a few. More and more people want to know where their food is coming from and they like to see things like Mrs Cumming's eggs from Tarland on the breakfast menu!"
The secret of their success they say, is down to several reasons not least of which is the beautiful location in Feugh valley.
Catriona added: "We've got such great staff, they really take a weight off our shoulders. It's a competitive market and we realise we have to go the extra mile, so we try to offer a more personal service. But the customers make it really, their feedback is so important to us."
National Farmhouse Breakfast week has provided Kate and Catriona with the opportunity to expand their existing menu of lunch and snack choices, and with a forthcoming article in BBC Good Food magazine, no wonder they're looking forward to a bumper year.
Kate said: "The added bonus from today's shoot is that everything they get will end up in the shop!"
