Newly extended Coleman’s supports local artisans

A garden centre and nursery in Templepatrick, Northern Ireland, will be showcasing local produce with its new farm shop.

Coleman’s has undergone a £5million expansion, with the farm shop’s own bakery, butchery counter and fishmongers now hosted in a purpose-built extension to the existing garden centre. It also includes a 200-seat restaurant with an enticing menu of meals and snacks created from locally sourced ingredients.

Coleman’s managing director, Richard Fryers has signed up successful artisan food and drink producers and is keen for the business to shine the spotlight on produce from Northern Ireland. He says, “This is a very significant development for us and one which will offer tremendous opportunities for a very broad range of local producers. Farm shops within garden centres is now an important trend within the industry in Britain. I believe that we are the first to develop such an extensive facility for local food in Northern Ireland. It will support the local industry and help smaller producers in particular to grow sales by introducing them to a much wider base of potential customers.

“We have plenty of space - over 4,000 sq ft,- for a wide variety of the excellent food and drink that’s now readily available here. We want to broadcast the products which
underpin Northern Ireland’s amazing success in gaining the ‘World’s Best Food Destination’ title in last November’s World Travel Trade Awards. We should be shouting this from the rooftops, showing our pride in the products and the people making them with such dedication, talent and commitment to stunning flavours.”