Family Business: Graham and Kayleigh of Westlands Farm

Graham Collett, 40, and Kayleigh Collett, 33 run Westlands Farm which has been passed on through two generations. They say, “Our family has many years experience with rearing cattle and growing home-grown fresh produce.”

Graham’s parents, Steve and Ollie, started selling produce at farmers’ markets in the late 1990s and the Farm Shop opened in 2001. Kayleigh says, “We became involved with Westlands Farm Shop after graduating from agricultural college and since then have become a hub for a myriad of local producers and a champion of their produce. 

“We live in the Meon Valley in Hampshire, just down the road from Westlands Farm Shop and we have two children under 10. Our family is passionate about sustainability and looking after the environment in as many ways as possible.”

The farm shop is situated on the outskirts of Wickham and is dedicated to ethical and sustainable farming. Graham says, “We offer a huge range of products including home-grown fruit and vegetables, eggs, cheese, bread, alcohol, sweet treats, freezer staples and preserves. We also have a butchery counter with a great selection of free range birds, pork, beef, lamb and traditional cuts too. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do so we have a variety of self-service refill stations where customers can pick up dried goods and household cleaning products. To protect the environment and to conserve our local wildlife we farm with the highest welfare standards and rear Hereford and Aberdeen Angus cattle which are native to the British Isles. Supporting our community is also very important and we are really proud that over 70% of our suppliers are local to us, with many producers being within a 40 mile radius.”

Westlands Farm Shop was launched in 2001 and has since undergone three refurbishments as it has grown over the years. 

The couple’s favourite thing about running the business is being able to influence the direction of the business and making links with the local community by hosting farm visits. They say, “We love that we are able to make it along to our children’s school performances.” On the downside, Kayleigh adds, “Stresses can sometimes spill over into family life, and stop me being as present as I want to be.”

The Farm shop works well fitting in with family life. Kayleigh says, “I really value being only a short drive away from school so I am able to do the school run and not have a big commute. Because I work within school hours I am there to cook an evening meal, read and do homework with my children. The children also are able to get involved in tasks on the farm such as checking round the fruit crops and the livestock. It’s such a great environment growing up on the farm, with so many freedoms and opportunities to inspire them. I don’t think I would ever not want to be involved with food and farming.”

In five years time the couple are hoping for a full night’s sleep as their children grow! Kayleigh adds, “We keep learning and growing as a business. I want to focus on becoming even more sustainable in every sense of the word, to achieve a sustainable work life balance – in how we farm and manage our business.”


Find out more and explore at https://www.westlandsfarmshop.co.uk

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