Popular Fleet Hargate café and farm shop up for sale

A popular café and farm shop has gone up for sale after opening more than 50 years ago.

The Farm Cafe on the A17 at Fleet has been put on the market with a guide price of £1.25million - and is set to close at the end of the year.

After what started as a stall by the roadside selling fruit and vegetables, owner Bill Payne expanded the site and business into a café, farm shop and truck stop.

In the past there was also a bar with live music at the busy roadside site.

It is understood that the businesses will close in December, with Norfolk based estate agent Cruso & Wilkin asking prospective buyers not to speak to staff about the sale.

In a covering letter available to buyers, it states: “We would respectfully ask that if visiting the café or farm shop that you do not approach any of the existing staff.

“Members of staff are fully aware of the proposals to sell the property either as a going concern or as a potential redevelopment site subject to formal planning consent.”

The covering letter adds: “This is a relatively unique opportunity to acquire a potential development site or acquire the business as a going concern and with the benefit of its existing established access rights onto the A17 highway.”

In addition to the café and farm shop on the 3.95 acres, the agent says there is a separate building historically used by the owners as a museum, which would be suitable to alternative business uses (subject to planning).

Last November, Mr Payne, who is in his eighties, put his large vintage tractor collection up for sale at an auction after pulling the plug on creating a museum.

Speaking to the Spalding Guardian at the time, he said: “We put on exhibitions and displays in an existing building – and discovered that hardly anybody wanted to pay admission!”