Case Study: How The EPOS Bureau has helped shape Farndon Fields' future
- For more than 25 years, The EPOS Bureau has provided technology and software to farm shop and food retail businesses in the UK and Ireland.
- The long-standing relationship with Market Harborough-based Farndon Fields is a prime example of what can be achieved over the long term.
- Farndon Fields credits The EPOS Bureau as being 'instrumental' in the growth of their business – and the farm shop industry.
For 40 years, Farndon Fields in Market Harborough has been supplying the local community and beyond with the finest farm food.
From humble beginnings in 1983, when potatoes were the primary product, the business has evolved and expanded under the watchful guidance of Kevin and Milly Stokes.
Today, Farndon Fields boasts a farm shop, butchery, fresh fish and deli counters, The Farmer's Kitchen restaurant and gift shop.
And they're all supported by technology and software provided by ClearCourse business, The EPOS Bureau, which, for the past 25 years, has provided farm shops and food retailers across the UK and Ireland with the software and hardware solutions they need to run their businesses.
Authenticity and customer connection key for The EPOS Bureau
The EPOS Bureau joined ClearCourse in 2021 but the team has always lived our ethos of Working Better Together by ensuring their clients have the tools they need to address the challenges of modern retailing.
And their relationship with Farndon Fields is a prime example of that.
Since 2006, The EPOS Bureau has provided point-of-sale technology to Farndon Fields. And, as the farm shop business has evolved and grown, so too has The EPOS Bureau's solution.
Today, The EPOS Bureau provides a holistic solution to Farndon Fields that connects all parts of their business and financial visibility, as well as point-of-sale solutions via tills and tablets that enable orders to be taken and directed to the correct department.
"Since those early days, The EPOS Bureau has been instrumental in enabling us to grow our business to what it is today," says Kevin Stokes, Managing Director at Farndon Fields.
"The power of their till system and the efficiencies it brings has been the cornerstone in helping us to grow, while the reporting and analysis we get are invaluable and allow us to manage every aspect of our operation."
A business relationship that's enjoyed such longevity is a testament to the mutual respect the two companies have, as well as The EPOS Bureau's deep industry knowledge.
Nigel Bogle, Founder and Managing Director of The EPOS Bureau, says, "During our relationship, we've worked together to find solutions that have helped Farndon Fields flourish."
"We have a shared purpose in ensuring the business keeps growing, which has been at the heart of everything. It's been a hugely productive relationship – one that's built on mutual respect."
Helping farm shops to keep on growing
It's a relationship that will continue to grow and evolve. As part of its succession planning, Farndon Fields has recently appointed Kevin and Milly's son, Oli, as a Director – and he appreciated the importance of partnering with a business that genuinely understands the sector in which they're working.
He says The EPOS Bureau has been integral to Farndon Fields' success and that of the farm shop industry in the UK, too.
"A lot of the growth we've had, and a lot of the popularity, is down to the technology. I would go as far as crediting The EPOS Bureau with enabling the farm shop industry, because their technology is the backbone of retail. It has allowed farmers to diversify into selling their produce – and doing so efficiently so they can scale."
Here at ClearCourse, we believe technology and software really should enable businesses to achieve much, much more, and The EPOS Bureau certainly sets the standard in both terms of the quality of its relationships – as well as the quality of its solution.
