We have been shortlisted for The Farm Shop & Deli Awards!

We are delighted to announce that we are finalists for the Farm Shop & Deli Awards! We would like to say a massive THANK YOU to all over customers for your ongoing support, we could not do it without you!

The winner will be announced on 5^th July. We will keep you posted on our social media.

Take a look at our entry below!

Tell us how you supported your customers, staff, suppliers, local supply chain and local community from March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic
 
Customers
 
Customers are at the heart of what we do at Blacker Hall, so when the pandemic first arrived, we
had to quickly adapt our services to meet the needs of our customers.
 
This started with local deliveries and Click & Collect food collections. For weeks, the phones rang
like mad, day in day out, with customers wanting to place orders. We had a small team dedicated
to organising these and employed a local taxi driver to take deliveries to our local, vulnerable
customers - many of whom we still speak to and deliver to weekly!
 
Next came The Drive Thru, allowing customers to order their shopping from the comfort of their
own car. We’ve had some amazing feedback - ‘Drive Thru was so easy! Thanks to you all for
keeping going and being so innovative during these crazy times’ (Emma Bird).
 
During summer months we were able to open ‘The Courtyard Cafe’, allowing customers to socialise
in a socially distanced and safe outdoor environment (where rules allowed) while enjoying delicious
food and drink from us.
We knew our Christmas collections would be much different than previous years but our team
worked really hard planning and actioning our Christmas Collection Drive Thru – we were so happy
with the outcome and so were our customers! ‘Your flexibility has been fabulous and the
organisation for Christmas was truly amazing. You're blessed to have such wonderful staff’.
 
Staff

When The Barn Kitchen was forced to close in March we were able to provide staff with work in
different areas of the business, where they were supported in developing new skills. Some of our
staff are still in these different roles, for example Dan who was originally a Pot Wash but now
works alongside our accounts team! We even have a Director of People, Kathryn, who is dedicated
to staff development and has taken care of us all through this time.
 
We felt it was important to boost staff morale during this time so provided cooked meals, care
packages treat boxes and daily Coffees, Cookies & Fresh Orange Juice to keep staff healthy.
Of course, we provided the correct PPE for our staff and ensured they felt comfortable and safe
within their roles.
 
Suppliers
 
Much of our produce comes from our own family farm, if we can’t rear, grow, or make something
ourselves we nurture relationships with the best local producers who work to the same high
standards as us.
 
The amazing relationships and communication we have with local suppliers were only made
stronger during this period. We did not need to take on any new suppliers, instead staying loyal to
the ones we already had. These relationships meant we were able to deal with changing demands.
Community
 
Our chosen charity is Wakefield Hospice, and we were able to donate a percentage from each
Christmas order – we do this each year but felt it was more important than ever this year
 
We provided ‘Cream Scones for heroes’ as a treat for well- deserving NHS staff.
 
Tell us what else makes you a worthy winner? (Not COVID-19 specific)
 
Suppliers
 
At Blacker Hall we have great relationships with our supplier, many of whom are other great
Yorkshire farms and small producers who share our vision. We visit then regularly to share ideas.
Staff development
 
Dedicated to staff development and giving staff the opportunity to develop their skills and explore
new aspects of the business.
 
Innovation
 
We pride ourselves on being innovative and able to adapt quickly to changing situations.
 
For example, at the start of COVID we were unable to deal with the sheer demand of phone calls
we were receiving for our Click & Collect and Local Delivery service. From this we decided to
launch our website so that we could provide for more customers and provide better customer
service.
 
Using scanners to pack orders – means orders are more accurate so we can provide a better
customer service.
 
Our Drive Thru has now become a permanent feature of Blacker Hall.
 
Customer Experience
 
Our customers are the reason we are able to do what we do. This is why we will always try to go
above and beyond for customers when we are able to do so, such as staff members who have
personally taken local deliveries to customers in need.
We have a rewards scheme dedicated to our customers and making sure they get rewarded for
shopping with us. Providing Great Yorkshire Fresh Food that customers can rely on each and every
time.
 
We recognise the importance of customer feedback to allow us to make their experience even better.