It’s a family affair at Blairmains

Welcome to our new feature which will visit farm shops throughout Scotland, speaking to the owners, talking about their motivation behind opening their shops, where they source their produce and the customers they are attracting.

And, it won’t do any harm to try out the menu if there is an attached coffee shop – purely in the interests of journalistic integrity, you understand. First up, is the family affair at Blairmains Farm Shop and Coffee Bothy in Blairlogie, Stirling.

By Karen Carruth

Photos: Rob Haining

When you’ve been in the farm and coffee shop business as long as the Logan family, you learn who your customers are and what they expect. And by reacting to those needs, you can maintain a long and successful business and keep your customers coming back week in, week out.

It was back in 2001 that they opened their doors to the public after a long and distinguished career in the dairy industry breeding the Manor Powis herd, but as John Logan, head of the family says, the farm wasn’t big enough to sustain itself, and the time came to make a life changing decision to convert into a farm shop and coffee shop.

John’s wife Elma, and her sister Meg, recall the day they opened. Elma was worried no one would turn up, and Meg was worried that they wouldn’t be able to cope with the demand. It turned out that people turned up in numbers, and they haven’t stopped coming.

Blairmains is blessed with a terrific location, being on the outskirts of Stirling, within striking distance of Dollar, Alloa, and the surrounding villages. John tells us there is 160,000 people within 10 miles of his place.

The farm shop is the majority of the premises (taking up the old parlour space), a mini supermarket of premium items, as many local and Scottish products as possible, but always the best value as well as the best quality.

Of course, there is no one growing bananas in the Carse of Stirling, so not everything can be Scottish, but Graeme Logan, John’s son, shows us a map of Scotland which is on their wall, which has more than 60 pointers on it, showing where the items in the farm shop come from.

What’s the secret of their success? There’s no doubt around the table, it’s the family working together. John, the patriarch, has the gift of the gab, the customers know him; and even though he is having a laugh when he says that customers come in and look for ‘the farmer’ (“that’s me,” he laughs) there is a truth in that comment. The relationship the family have together, they are all involved in the business, and the staff that they speak very highly of, provide an experience for their customers that leave them wanting to come back again and again.

The shop has a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables, a tremendous display of premium frozen food, a deli counter with mince rounds, sausage rolls and quiches that are all made in house.

The meat that is stocked is all local to the Carse where possible. There is a large cake selection which is hand made in the kitchens at Blairmains. There’s a large selection of cheeses, dry goods, the list could go on, but it is a comprehensive, well stocked shop, and an important point if you are looking for daytime customers, there are no stairs at all.

Wheelchairs, buggies, people with mobility problems have no issues getting around here. There is also a gift section, and a little more unusual is that they have a furniture showroom as well.

The furniture started as something of a ‘try it and see’, and John says it has worked out well for them, they had the space to display the solid oak range of furniture and it gives customers an added attraction to bring them to the shop.

The Coffee Bothy is a huge attraction to customers, and it became so successful that people were willing to queue. What started at seven tables, is now 24. They serve traditional home cooked tasty food, light lunches and filling soups, each dish is created from the farm shop’s fresh produce.

Graeme came up with the idea of extending and installing a Coffee Bothy Express, which was aimed at customers who were short of time.

The worry was that the Bothy Express would take custom away from the original Coffee Bothy, but what has happened is that custom has increased as customers know that it is worth the journey as they know that if there is a queue for the original Coffee Bothy, there is always the option of the Coffee Bothy Express, which offers a varied and well-priced take away option from soup and sandwiches, toasties to tea.

There is also a small seating area with comfy couches for those that want to sit in. And when the weather is good, there is an outside seating area too.

As with all businesses, you can’t sit back when it’s going well and hope for the best. The Logans make a point of visiting other farm shops, check out if they are doing things differently, and decide whether they could use some of those ideas to improve their own service.

Is it harder work than farming? “Work ethic!” says John. “Farmers have a tremendous work ethic, and that’s what it has taken to make Blairmains a success. We put the hours in here, just like we did when we were dairying.”

John talks about the day that the last of his cows left to head to their new home in Devon, just before they opened the farm shop.

“It was a gradual process, the cows went first, then the heifers, and finally the calves…” he pauses, obviously emotional at the memory, even after all these years.

Sister in law Meg continues on his behalf: “He makes light of it, but it was a very difficult decision for John to make.”

Does he miss it? “No, not at all, I’ve no regrets. I don’t know anyone who has put their dairy off that regrets it.”

Back to the farm shop and Elma is wandering around with a basket in her hand picking up items from the shelves to fulfil the hamper orders that customers select.

They are flexible with their hampers, a bespoke service whether it is for individuals, or businesses. They can finish them with ribbons, cards etc depending on what the customer wants.

I watch customers walk in the door, the staff are attentive, friendly. A genuine warmth toward the customer is evident.

There’s lots of first name conversations, these are the regulars who see the farm shop as part of the community, their ‘usual’ orders waiting for them in the café and in the shop.

“We couldn’t do it without the amazing staff we have here,” says Graeme. “We are confident enough now that the whole family can go on holiday and we know that our staff will run the place exactly as we would, as they are as invested in its success as we are.”

Now that they have a successful formula, they have replicated it at Deanston Distillery Visitor Centre near Doune, with The Coffee Bothy at Deanston, which is run by Graeme’s wife, Lauren. Again, keeping it in the family, Lauren’s sister Catherine manages the Coffee Bothy at Blairmains, and Craig, the other Logan son, is an accomplished joiner, responsible for the constant upgrading and recent build of a shop extension and office.

The family work together, they holiday together and they laugh together (I’m sure they argue as well), but they are providing a valuable agri-tourism template, which sticks to good old fashioned principles of not ripping customers off, giving them good service and with that, the necessary repeat custom is certain. We head off as the car park fills up, even on a snowy day in January the customers are turning up for their ‘usual’.

www.blairmains.com