THE first farm shop in Ripon has undergone a £5,000 expansion after only four months in business.

Owners David Dale and his fiance, Juliet Hall, who opened Fresh Fields Farm Shop, next to the auction mart in North Road, in November, took the decision to enlarge it after trade exceeded predictions by 25pc.

"It's going very well - much better than we forecast in November," said Miss Hall. "We have regular customers coming back and we have been trying out new things as well."

Mr Dale, who is vice-chairman of Ripon mart, lives at Nunwick Farm, Nunwick, near Ripon and owns, rents or manages 780 acres on four farms.

When the former garage came up for sale he snapped it up and opened the farm shop in just four weeks.

The couple were convinced there was a demand for local produce, and that belief has proved well-founded.

The shop stocks a wide range of produce and products, including meat from Mallard Grange near Fountains Abbey; Just Puds from Masham; Raydale Preserves from Hawes; smoked products, Wensleydale Cheese and potatoes, vegetables, sausages and eggs from farms around Ripon.

They were proud to be appointed agents for hampers from Lewis & Cooper and the enlarged sales area includes that company's 20 best sellers - from muesli and dried fruits, sweets and coffee to tinned pumpkin.

Other new items include a range of Jersey farm-made ice-cream and sorbets from Birchfield Ice Cream at Summerbridge.

Miss Hall said they had enjoyed meeting and chatting to customers and finding additional suppliers.

"We even have people who grow beetroot in their garden and bring it to us to sell," she said.

"I believe we have regenerated local produce in Ripon and our success is because we can offer quality, traceability and a personal service."

The expansion has been funded by a grant from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society's Growing Routes programme, which has also covered the cost of a new air conditioning system.

The programme is funded by Yorkshire Forward and administered by YAS.

It helps people aged 18 to 45 in rural areas to start up in business, to diversify, or to improve and develop business skills.

It also provides a business mentor to guide the new business; gives grants and loans, and helps in drawing up business plans.

One of the beauties of the scheme is its flexibility and speed in dealing with applications.

James Cooper who farms at Dacre, near Harrogate, is a member of the YAS executive committee and sits on the management committee of Growing Routes, which meets every month to go through the latest applications and, in its first year, has helped about 25 projects.

"That is very good when you consider that, for the first six months, we were starting up and getting ourselves known," said Mr Cooper.

"I think the whole concept is super because it is not strictly regulated, it is not a case of ticking boxes, every application is judged on its value and worth.

"It has good flexibility because different businesses need different things.