Craigies Farming, Deli, Café and Farm Park

What Craigies Farming, Deli, Café and Farm Park does

Craigies Farming, Deli, Café and Farm Park is a privately held, family-operated farm destination located at West Craigie Farm on the Rosebery Estate in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1966 and managed by John and Kirsteen Sinclair since 1995, the business operates six integrated revenue streams from a single site: a farm shop and deli, a farm-to-fork café, seasonal Pick Your Own (PYO) fruit and vegetable fields, the Little Farmers adventure playbarn, an in-house artisan butcher counter, and a programme of seasonal festivals including the Scottish Tulip Festival, Pumpkin Festival, and the inaugural Apple Fest launched in 2026. Additional services include farm experiences (Highland cow safaris, sheep walking, tractor driving), afternoon tea, venue hire, birthday parties, gift vouchers, and annual playbarn memberships, plus a wholesale channel supplying fruit and handmade jams to other food businesses and an online shop with home delivery across Edinburgh EH postcodes and UK mainland courier service.

The business is supported by an 80-strong team and welcomes approximately 260,000 visitors per year. Core inputs are produced on-site or sourced from the Sinclair family's own livestock (Dorset Cross Suffolk lambs, Landrace Cross Large White pigs, Aberdeen Angus herd) and from the neighbouring Dalmeny Estate's Highland cattle, with the butchery employing a minimum 21-day traditional dry-aging process. The technology footprint is intentionally low: operations rely on standard e-commerce infrastructure, a third-party ticketing platform (Digitickets), and traditional farming and food production methods, with no proprietary platforms, AI/ML systems, or software products disclosed.

The go-to-market model is direct-to-consumer across both physical and digital channels, anchored by seasonal event programming that drives footfall into the farm shop, café, and PYO fields. Revenue is generated on a transactional pay-as-you-go basis through unit pricing across all offerings, supplemented by recurring-revenue instruments (annual playbarn memberships, gift vouchers) and modest B2B wholesale supply. Customer segments span Edinburgh-area families and general visitors, schools and nurseries (via a Royal Highland Education Trust partnership), event-hire customers, and a small wholesale trade base. The business carries no disclosed external funding, parent company, or M&A activity.

Name

Craigies Farming, Deli, Café and Farm Park

Legal name

Craigies Farming Ltd

Website

https://craigies.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Craigies Farming, Deli, Café and Farm Park operates a multi-revenue farm destination near Edinburgh, combining a farm shop, deli, café, pick-your-own fields, and the Little Farmers playbarn, serving approximately 260,000 annual visitors through on-site, online, and seasonal festival channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agritourism and Farm Retail

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Retail Bakeries (311811), Meat Retailers (445240)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Artisan & Specialty Bakeries (Sourdough, Heritage Grains) (THAFAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Butcher Shops & Meat Markets (CRAHAHAB), Specialty Food Gift Shops & Hampers (CRAHAGAN)

Keywords

• Farm shop retail
• Pick your own produce
• Farm visitor attractions
• Artisan deli butchery
• Agritourism and events

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Farm Shop Retail: On-site and online retail of fresh produce, meats, dairy, bakery, deli items, jams, chutneys, cheeses, drinks, and specialty foods. Products sourced from the farm and local Scottish suppliers.
2. Café and Restaurant: On-site dining at Craigies Café offering breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and beverages. Farm-to-fork philosophy with seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. Also available for venue hire (The Snug) for private events up to 30 guests.
3. Pick Your Own and Events: Ticketed admission to pick-your-own fruit and vegetables (June-October), seasonal festivals (Tulip Festival, Pumpkin Festival, Apple Fest), and farm activities (Little Farmers playbarn, animal experiences, tractor driving). Tickets sold online via Digitickets platform.
4. Wholesale Fruit and Jams: Bulk fruit orders and handmade small-batch jams supplied to retailers, cafés, farm shops, and food businesses. Minimum 3kg order for wholesale fruit. 48 hours notice required.
5. Venue Hire and Private Events: Private venue hire of The Snug space for meetings, conferences, and family gatherings. Half-day and full-day rates available. Also includes birthday party packages at Little Farmers with add-ons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Craigies operates a farm shop and deli selling its own-reared meats, soft fruits, and homemade jams alongside products from local Scottish artisan suppliers, and runs an on-site café serving breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. It also operates pick-your-own fruit fields, the Little Farmers playbarn, an online shop with UK delivery, and seasonal festivals and venue hire, all from a single farm site near Edinburgh.

Product overview

Craigies Farming operates a multi-faceted farm destination business comprising a farm shop and deli, an on-site cafe, pick-your-own fruit and vegetable operations, and Little Farmers adventure playbarn. The business offers artisan butchery using livestock from the farm and neighbouring estate, an on-site bakery producing daily fresh bread and baked goods, and seasonal festivals including Tulip Festival, Pumpkin Festival, and Apple Fest. Additional revenue streams include farm experiences (Clydesdale encounters, Highland cow safaris, sheep walking), venue hire for private events, birthday party packages, afternoon tea service, and wholesale fruit and jam supply to food businesses. An online shop with home delivery and click & collect extends the retail operation digitally, while gift vouchers and annual playbarn memberships provide recurring revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Farmers: Adventure play park and children's farm experience featuring indoor and outdoor play areas, animal interactions, and birthday party venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 260,000 visitors welcomed annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RHET (Royal Highland Education Trust)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCraigies works with RHET to provide educational farm visits for schools and nurseries. The partnership brings the National Curriculum for Excellence to life with hands-on farm experiences including fruit picking, seed sowing, guided tours, and jam-making activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cannon Hall Farm: South Yorkshire farm attraction combining a farm shop, butchery, café, and large-scale farm park experience with seasonal events. Closest UK direct comparable to Craigies' multi-unit farm destination model.
• Cotswold Farm Park: Adam Henson's Gloucestershire farm park with farm shop, café, animal experiences and seasonal events. Comparable to Craigies on farm-park + retail + events mix, though at larger scale.
• Daylesford Organic: Premium Cotswolds-based farm shop, deli, bakery and café with national online delivery. Overlaps Craigies on farm shop, deli, artisan bakery, and click-and-collect-style online retail — but at a higher price point and broader geography.
• Odds Farm Park: Buckinghamshire farm park with farm shop, butchery and seasonal family events. Closely mirrors Craigies' shop + animal experiences + seasonal entertainment model in the south of England.
• Welbeck Farm Shop: Nottinghamshire estate farm shop with artisan bakery, deli, butchery and café. Comparable to Craigies on estate-heritage farm shop with in-house artisan production.
• The Pink Pig: Lincolnshire farm shop, café and children's farm/play experience. Comparable mid-sized UK farm destination with combined food retail and family entertainment focus.
• Folly Farm: Large Pembrokeshire farm attraction combining farm park, food outlets, and seasonal events. Relevant scale comparable for the events-driven half of Craigies' mix.

Broad incumbents

• Riverford Organic Farmers: Devon-based organic farm with national veg-box delivery and farm shop presence. Comparable on farm-direct fresh produce and online delivery model, though not a destination farm park.

Regional players

• East Links Family Park: East Lothian farm park offering animal experiences, play areas, and seasonal events. Closest geographic peer in Scotland, comparable on family farm-park and events model though without Craigies' farm shop depth.
• Galloway Activity Centre: South-west Scotland rural destination combining on-site food, activities, and family experiences. Thematically comparable rural multi-experience destination within Scotland, though centred on activities rather than farm retail.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/craigiesfarm
• Instagraminstagram.com/craigies_farm_shop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Craigies Farming, Deli, Café and Farm Park