Lockdown

THE DIVERSIFICATION JOURNEY

Posted on October 27, 2022

THE DIVERSIFICATION JOURNEY

 

FOLLY FARM’S new lodge offering blends seamlessly with the attraction side of the business.

 

Families who holiday in South Wales will typically include a trip to Pembrokeshire’s fabulous Folly Farm Adventure Park. Located just 15 minutes from the popular seaside resort of Tenby, this fun-filled destination, complete with vintage fairground and world-class zoo, is now the largest privately-run, paid for visitor attraction in Wales.

A working dairy farm until the late 1980s, Folly Farm has expanded so much over the last 30 years that it’s now a shining example of what can be achieved with a clear commercial vision and a diversification strategy to match.

 

 

TAKE THE PLUNGE
And it was this never-stand-still spirit that led Managing Director, Chris Ebsworth, to take the plunge and open a holiday park next to the visitor attraction just after the first lockdown. This 43-pitch five-star touring park and campsite - complete with four cool and quirky Showman’s Wagons - has been so popular over the last two years that Chris has now decided to diversify further into the holiday let market with the addition of six fairground-themed luxury lodges with hot tubs.

Chris knew introducing lodge accommodation was something he wanted to do to capitalise on continuing strong demand for UK breaks, but he also knew it would be prudent to call on the advice, guidance and support of a trusted expert partner to help bring his vision to life, his product to market and crucially to ensure the best possible return on his investment.

That’s when he turned to Luke Hansford, Vice President Business Development at Awaze – the parent company of staycation specialist Hoseasons – a decision Chris says has ensured the location’s new lodge offering blends seamlessly with the attraction side of the business as part of an all-round ‘stay and play’ package perfect for families looking for experiential breaks.

 

FOLLY FARM is a shining example of what can be achieved with a clear diversification strategy.

 

“We’ve always been farmers, it’s in our blood, but diversification is what keeps us thriving as a privately owned, family run business,” says Chris, adding: “We could see the lodges were a good idea, but it quickly became apparent as a relatively new accommodation business, that we would need to draw on the expertise, knowledge and professionalism of a brand like Hoseasons that has successfully been delivering family holidays for years.”

“We had many meetings with Luke to run through the options, weighing up the pros and cons of different types of accommodation before making our decision. He also supported us to perfect the presentation of our new lodges – from reflecting the Folly Farm brand in the interiors to making sure the landscaping and planting were right.

“Luke was also instrumental in bringing to our attention the importance of an arrival experience for our guests – something which has resulted in a brand new customer reception, along with plans for an onsite shop selling local produce, which we are hoping to open next year.”

 

FOLLY FARM opened a holiday park next to the visitor attraction just after the first lockdown.

 

PAYING DIVIDENDS
Luke believes the care and attention Folly Farm have put into their new development will pay dividends over the next few years as families see the value of staying somewhere aspirational with fantastic facilities, activities and entertainment on their doorstep.

He says: “It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Chris to bring his vision to market. He really understands the importance of continuing to evolve the offer so that they stay relevant in an ever-changing market. “Pressures on family budgets mean people will be looking to get the most out of their UK breaks over the next few years – something that bodes well for locations like Folly Farm Adventure Park who know they need to invest and innovate to keep pace with guest expectations.

 

CHRIS EBSWORTH worked with Hoseasons to fill his lodges and showman’s wagons.

 

“You only have to look at their high occupancy rates and average 9.6 out of 10 rating on our independent review system Revoo to see their approach is working.” Working with Hoseasons to fill his lodges and showman’s wagons has given Chris the confidence to push on with the next phase of development, including rhino-themed lodges overlooking the black rhino enclosure, lion-themed lodges and giraffe-themed safari tents – all of which are expected to be up and running by Spring next year. All the new lodges and showman’s wagons at Folly Farm Adventure Park are exclusively available to book via Hoseasons.

www.hoseasons.co.uk

PORTABLE SMART CHARGING SOLUTIONS

Posted on October 27, 2022

PORTABLE SMART CHARGING SOLUTIONS

 

THE CTEK CS FREE is the perfect solution for off-grid battery charging.

 

With 72 spacious touring and camping pitches, Cote Ghyll, in the idyllic countryside of the North York Moors National Park, is a picturesque and quiet retreat, and an ideal location for families or groups of friends who enjoy the great outdoors. Cote Ghyll is the perfect stop-off for hikers, walkers or cyclists exploring the 554 square miles of the North York Moors National Park, boasting 26 miles of coastline and an incredible 1,408 miles of footpaths.

Since lockdown, the camping and caravan market has seen a growing trend towards shorter and more frequent breaks with more and more people new to the world of camping and caravanning. Cote Ghyll experienced a massive 137% increase in bookings in the 12 months to March 2022 as holidaymakers rushed to secure pitches. This early booking trend meant that seasonal staff returned to work as early as January to cope with the demand.

This increase in demand, coupled with the inexperience of many new campers, means that there is more often a requirement for the park to provide charging solutions for both flat car batteries after a camping holiday, and for guests returning to the site after a long day of walking or cycling requiring a portable source of power to charge smartphones, cameras and other technology. The CTEK CS FREE is the perfect solution for all of these requirements, a multi-functional portable charger and smart maintainer with ‘Adaptive Boost’ technology.

 

CTEK PROVIDES a portable source of power to charge smartphones, cameras and other technology.

 

Along with the solar panel kit, it is easy to operate and easy to understand, and it will get users on the move from a flat battery within 15 minutes, meaning that visitors aren’t stranded on their pitch unable to start your vehicle at the end of a younger campers holiday. Jon Hill, Owner of Cote Ghyll said; “Since the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 we have seen an increase in younger and less experienced campers who have a new-found love for being out on the trail. We are right are on the doorstep of so many amazing walks and cycle rides, there is no better way to experience the North York Moors than under your own steam.

“When it comes to packing the right equipment, it is not always easy to think of everything, and now that we, as a fair and intelligent society, have realised that smartphone batteries last a day at most, it’s more essential than ever to pack a bit of extra power when camping or touring in the great outdoors.“

www.ctek.com

Holiday Snaps – ft Graham Hodgson

Posted on January 26, 2021

Holiday Snaps - featuring Graham Hodgson

Founder and Chief Executive of Verdant Leisure Limited and runs a group of 10 parks in North East England and Southern Scotland. Born in Morecambe, Lancashire, Graham is married to Louise and they have two sons, Martin and James.

WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH INTO THE INDUSTRY?

As an HSBC Bank Manager I had several caravan park operators as customers, one of whom was John Morphet and his business, South Lakeland Caravans. In 2001, John tempted me away from the bank to join him as Chief Executive and so started my second career in the caravan industry. We quickly set about improving and professionalising the business before selling it towards the end of 2007, just before the financial crash, at a handsome profit. This enabled me, alongside Bev Dixon, who was then Operations Director, to set up Verdant Leisure in 2010, with a new Finance Director, Andrew Wall.

HOW HAS THE MARKET CHANGED?

The quality of both the parks and the accommodation that we offer in this industry has improved on all levels. Fundamentally, our customers still want the same thing, a place of their own to relax and get away with family and friends and our strap line ‘Relax, Explore, Experience’ remains as relevant now as it was when I started.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY HAS RESPONDED TO COVID 19?

I think our industry has reacted fantastically to the pandemic to date. There was a lot of work going on collaboratively between the larger park operators including ourselves, and our trade bodies including the BH&HPA, NCC and UK Hospitality. I think that this coordinated approach was instrumental in enabling parks to re-open quite quickly following Lockdown.

BEST PIECE OF INDUSTRY ADVICE?

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” While I think that this applies to life in general, it is equally appropriate to anybody in business. Too many people are focused on an end goal but that is just one moment in time. Whilst I certainly have a plan, I try to enjoy each experience as it comes, and, with hard work, success has followed.

HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR OUT OFWORK TIME?

I have always enjoyed lots of sports although playing has been replaced by watching over recent years! I spent 22 years as a Director of Morecambe Football Club, and this remains a big passion of mine

IF WE COULD GIVE YOU THREE GUESTS? WHO WOULD LIKE MOST LIKE TO SIT DOWN TO DINNER WITH AND WHY?

Winston Churchill – A flawed leader who achieved the most amazing things; Peter Kay – Always hilarious and would lighten the mood if the conversation became too intense; Mohammad Ali – One of the greatest sports personalities ever – and much more besides

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO BE LISTENING TO IN THE CAR?

Often ridiculed! I enjoy the classic groups from years ago – Dire Straits; Fleetwood Mac; Queen and the like. The music I grew up with has never really left me – some would say I should move on

ANY CLAIMS TO FAME?

I can juggle!

WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO TAKE YOUR HOLIDAYS?

Barbados is my ‘go-to’ destination. I love it and hope to be able to return there soon.

ADAPTING TO COVID-19 IMPACT

Posted on September 8, 2020

ADAPTING TO COVID-19 IMPACT

Woodberry is a leading supplier of outdoor furniture to the UK hospitality industry, with over 100 years combined experience in the family team. As a family run company, Woodberry was fortunate that it didn’t have to shut during lockdown but the company has certainly diversified. With all customers closed, Woodberry quickly diversified their workshop to manufacture temporary hospital doors for the NHS Nightingale Hospitals.

During March and April, the seven-strong family team produced 200 doors per week. In May, it started to supply Covid-19 secure products, such as perspex screens, hand sanitisers and outdoor serveries, to help prepare hospitality customers for reopening. Woodberry also started to run webinars cohosted by industry experts to help prepare customers and interpret the guidelines issued by the government. Speed of delivery for customers was crucial in June as we all finally got confirmation of a reopening date.

Woodberry has good levels of stock and was and is able to delivery within 1-2 weeks of order (or quicker given the need). “We have been incredibly fortunate to be able to remain open and support our customers during lockdown,” says Tim Barr, General Manager at Woodberry. “As a small company we can respond quickly to change. By constantly talking to our customers we have been able to understand their needs and to help their businesses get back up and running quickly, easily and most cost effectively.”