New farm shop at The Engine Yard at Belvoir Castle near Grantham to be opened by Duchess of Rutland and former cricketer Chris Broad

A new farm shop opens next week in a castle retail village.

The Belvoir Castle Farm shop opens on Saturday, June 8, at the Engine Yard, which will be marked with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Duchess of Rutland Emma Manners and former England and Nottinghamshire county cricket player Chris Broad.

A two-day event will take place over the weekend to mark the opening.

The Duchess of Rutland said: “I’m excited to be opening the doors to our newly transformed Belvoir Castle retail village at the Engine Yard.

“The food we eat can have a massive impact not just on our bodies, but on our minds too.

“Our new farm shop will be stocked full of some of the best produce from across the county, and will have everything you need to look after your body from the inside out.”

The farm shop will be managed by Nik Tooley, former co-owner of Nottingham delicatessen Delilah.

As well as selling fruit and vegetables, the shop will also include a bakery, deli, cafe, cheese monger and more.

Previously, the Engine Yard has faced criticism following the closure of several shops including The Idle Mole, B Jewellery, Jorge Artisan Foods, Cocoa Amore, Cherizena and Craft4Kids.

The opening weekend also marks the Engine Yard’s bid to try and expand the current retail offering at the castle, going along with the strapline ‘fuelling your future’.

At 10.30am each day, visitors will be able to take part in wellness walks, cooking demonstrations, live music, and farm and vineyard tours.

There will also be family activities including face painting, craft stations and an animal petting zoo.

A display of farming machinery including tractors and combine harvesters will also give visitors a chance to step back in time into Belvoir’s farming history.

The Duchess added: “Health and wellbeing is something that has always been important to me, and I’m really passionate about championing that across all areas of the newly relaunched Belvoir Castle retail village at the Engine Yard.

“Over the course of the weekend, I’m looking forward to sharing the many experiences and lessons in healthy living that I’ve gathered from travels all over the world.”

Over the two days there will also be an artisan fayre, showcasing and celebrating artisanal excellence in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and beyond.

Artisans will also demonstrate their skills, while guests can also enjoy live music across the days.

Are you excited for the new farm shop to open at the Engine Yard? Let us know in the comments.