Farmer Copley’s creates 19 jobs with the launch of a new ‘Beast’ of a restaurant & café

Pontefract-based Farmer Copley’s is set to construct a new 150 seat café and restaurant after securing development funding from Royal Bank of Scotland.

These new plans will also create 19 new jobs, joining the current workforce of 45 people.

Owners Robert and Heather Copley run Farmer Copley’s across 60 acres of the original family farm acreage, with Robert’s cousin Matthew and a neighbouring farmer operating across the farm’s other 60 acres.

Plans are underway to transform an existing barn outbuilding into a new café/restaurant. By day this will operate as the ‘Moo’ café which is being relocated from the main farm shop and by night as the ‘Beast’ restaurant.

The new building will also feature a business meeting room – the ‘Fresh Thinking Suite’ for 20 people with facilities including drop down screens as well as an upstairs function room with a capacity of 100 people.

The current farm shop and ‘Moo’ café will operate as usual while the construction work commences and is set to open in April 2016.

In addition, the current bakery will relocate to the new building and the florist will also move to the current farmshop building where the ‘Moo’ café was originally located.

Farmer Copley’s, which has become popular for its Pumpkin festival in October, is also establishing a reputation for producing liquorice and Robert Copley hopes to become the only liquorice supplier in the UK.

Robert Copley, owner of Farmer Copley’s said: “I’d worked here straight from school when I was 15 but realised there wasn’t enough work to go around so I told dad I was off to get an education. I returned years later with my wife Heather and on 12 December 2013 we opened the Farmer Copley’s farm shop. Since then we have expanded and by being family orientated and focused on selling our own and local produce we have built up a great reputation.

“The decision to expand came about because we are literally bursting to capacity with visitors to the ‘Moo’ café and farm shop – especially when we have family events such as our renowned Pumpkin Festival and Christmas celebrations. Heather and I are really excited by this next phase of our development and have been very pleased with the backing received from the bank. We can’t wait for the opening in April.”

Lindsay Crooks, senior relationship manager at Royal Bank of Scotland, added: “Farmer Copley’s is a very well known brand in Yorkshire and I am delighted to be working with them to support this exciting development. The new facilities will increase the covers in the café/restaurant substantially and the addition of the ‘Thinking Room’ and function room are fantastic for the local business community. I am sure customers will be impressed with the plans afoot and look forward to seeing it come to fruition and open in April next year.”

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