Lynn News report of the increasing number of outlets in West Acre

29 September 2020 – Sarah Juggins

In a small West Norfolk village a revolution is taking place.

These range from a shop/workshop that creates mosaics and teaches mosaic-making courses, to a full-on beer experience, including tasting, touring and becoming immersed in the craft beer world.

There is also a gallery that has a wide range of work by local artists, a woodwork studio and shop and a soon to open coffee shop and roastery.

The outlets are all within the grounds of the Abbey and have been sensitively set-up to not detract from the ancient buildings. The atmosphere is one of calm, safety and quiet absorption in the day-to-day creation of the products on sale.

On a Saturday, people visit the brewery, which is called Duration Beer. It is the brainchild of Miranda and Bates Hudson and visitors can tap into this couples’ extraordinary knowledge and passion for the range of beers they are creating by tasting the beer and touring the brewery.

If this all sounds like an advertorial for the vendors at Abbey Farm, I apologise but it is an enterprise that, for me, symbolises the wealth of experience that can be found in unexpected places.

West Acre is a quiet sleepy village that sometimes seems stuck in its 13th century glory years but here it is leading the field in a new way of shopping. Here is ‘socially distanced’, ‘short supply chain’, ‘meet the producer’ shopping at its best.

We are a county with a growing number of people setting out to produce and sell things that they love and are passionate about for us all to enjoy.

If this is to be the new ‘normal for Norfolk’, then I’m a fan.

Read the full article here.