Lanc Park And Craft Brewer Toast Tourism
By William Coleman
During English Tourism Week we saw activities and celebrations all across the UK. This celebration was formed of two fantastic companies, a holiday park and micro brewery, near Lancaster who wanted to band together to insure they made a celebration to remember.
Moss Wood caravan park, in Cockerham, decided to partner up with another local company to shine light on them during English Tourism Week, as its important to support other local small businesses. They have helped support Farm Yard Ales, also based in the same village, who are the Moss Wood’s main supplier of beers and lagers.
Moss Wood’s very own Henry Wild has said that, according to the local tourist board research, his park in responsible for generating over £1.2m of visitor spending each year. A lot of this figure helps other family run companies in north Lancaster, according to Mr. Wild. A lot of these companies are heavily dependent on tourism for their businesses to survive and flourish each year.
Moss Wood use many local companies for products they use on site. Now Farm Yard Ales has joined a long list of local suppliers that sell to Moss Wood, who buy a wide range of food products from potato crisps to black pudding to toffees, something the park specialises.
The micro-brewery was brainchild of Steven Holmes who works on his family’s long-established
farm just outside Cockerham where Farm Yard Ales is based. It began brewing just eight months ago ago, part-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, and has since won an enthusiastic following in and beyond the county
English Tourism Week is designed to put the spotlight on England’s ever-expanding tourism sector, and the £127 billion annual contribution it makes to the UK economy.
According to Henry, whose father Syd started the business over 40 years ago, small enterprises are among the biggest winners from tourism’s success story: “People coming on holiday are always looking for new experiences, and that includes enjoying local food and drink in pubs and restaurants, as well as buying it in shops such as ours.
“Lancashire has some of the very best producers in Britain, and visitor spending helps them expand, take on new staff, and broaden their distribution throughout the UK.
“Many of our guests are already getting the taste for Farm Yard Ales as well as our other local goods, and often leave with shopping bags full of memories to take back home!” he added.
Moss Wood provides pitches for touring caravans and motorhomes, as well as holiday homes to own – and has received a raft of awards for its high quality standards.
The park has also won accolades for its care of the natural world, and was described as “a wildlife wonderland” by botanist David Bellamy in his annual Conservation Awards last year.
There is more information about Moss Wood Caravan Park at www.mosswood.co.uk
