Partner Spotlight: Appetite Me Brings the New Farm Shop Experience to Farm Business Innovation

For those who may not know Appetite Me, can you tell us a little about the business and how you help farm shops and food producers grow?

Appetite Me is a specialist in commercial rural diversification. We work with estates, farmers, landowners and rural businesses to find, test and deliver new income streams. That could be a farm shop or café, a food hall, a retail village, a visitor attraction, or a move into food and drink manufacturing.

Over the last 20 years we've delivered more than 100 diversification projects across the UK, for clients including Elveden Estate, Burghley House, the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association and Blue Diamond Garden Centre Group. Our focus is simple: increase income, increase asset value and build long-term resilience.

What makes us different is that we don't just write a report and walk away. We start with an honest look at the asset and whether the numbers stack up. Sometimes that means telling a client an idea isn't viable, which can save them a great deal of money. Where it does make sense, we stay involved through concept, design, branding, procurement and opening, and then help the business keep growing once it's trading.

What excited you most about partnering with Farm Business Innovation to launch the new Farm Shop feature?

Farm Business Innovation is where people come when they're seriously thinking about what's next for their land and their business. That's exactly the moment we love to be part of.

For a lot of farmers and landowners, diversification feels like a big, uncertain leap. Being able to show them something real, rather than a presentation slide, is a brilliant way to make it feel achievable. The Farm Shop lets people walk into the kind of space they might be imagining, talk to the suppliers who could help them build it, and hear from people who've already done it. We feel that type of experience can be invaluable to someone thinking of taking the next step on their farm or estate. 

The Farm Shop is designed to recreate a real retail environment on the show floor. What can visitors expect to experience, and what makes this feature different?

Visitors will step into a realistic farm shop, designed to show how a well-planned layout guides shoppers and showcases local produce. Alongside it, the Farm Shop Talks will combine first-hand experience from owners and producers who've diversified successfully with insight from professional advisors, covering what works, what to avoid and how to plan with confidence.

What opportunities do you think the Farm Shop and Farm Shop Talks will create for suppliers looking to connect with farmers and landowners exploring diversification?

It's a rare chance for suppliers to meet people right at the start of their journey, when they're forming plans and looking for partners they can trust. Rather than standing behind a stand, suppliers will be showing their products in context, which makes it much easier for visitors to picture them in their own business.

It's also about more than retail. Many of the producers in the space have diversified from farming into food and drink manufacturing themselves, so they're living proof of a different route. For a visitor with a great raw product, whether that's milk, meat, fruit or grain, seeing what others have built can spark a whole new idea. Those conversations often lead to stocking agreements, collaborations and long-term relationships that go well beyond the show.

What's your favourite part of working with farm shops?
Seeing an idea become a place people love. There's nothing quite like opening day, when a team that once wondered whether diversification was right for them watches customers come through the door. It's proof that with the right plan, rural businesses can grow, create jobs and build something that lasts for the next generation.

Looking ahead to the show, what are you most looking forward to, and what would you say to anyone thinking about visiting or exhibiting in the Farm Shop?

Honestly, it's the conversations. Every year we meet people who arrive with a spark of an idea and a lot of questions, and leave with a much clearer sense of what's possible. Watching that confidence build is the best part.

To visitors: you don't need a finished plan to come along. Bring your ideas, your doubts and your questions. Diversification isn't one-size-fits-all, and the right opportunity for your land might not be the one you first expected. Come and explore, talk to people who've done it, and start thinking about what yours could look like.

To suppliers and producers: this is a room full of people actively looking for partners, products and inspiration. If you want to be part of the next wave of farm shops, cafés and rural food businesses, this is the place to be.

We look forward to seeing you on 4–5 November.

Meet the Appetite Me team in the Farm Shop and on the Farm Talks stage at FBI 2026. 

Register for your free ticket to join them here