A BENFLEET farm shop is urging residents to support independent businesses an “absolute priority” as major UK supermarkets run low on fruit and vegetable produce.

The Green Barn Farm Shop, in North Benfleet Hall Fishery, is boasting full shelves of fruit and vegetables as supermarkets begin limiting the amount shoppers can buy. 

Big chain supermarkets are being hit by supply challenges due to adverse weather conditions abroad. 

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However, independent shops are facing no issues as they use locally produced fruit and vegetables. 

The Green Barn Farm Shop has full shelves and is urging shoppers to remember smaller traders before flocking to supermarkets.

Manager Julie Keeling said: “Shopping with your local farm shop and greengrocer should be an absolute priority.

“It will be fresher, will last longer, and you will be supporting your local community and economy.”

She added: “We don’t have any shortages here. 

“We source as much as possible locally and within the UK. It does depend on the time of year and quality of what is available at market.

“Our potatoes are always local and in the summertime we have a local grower for things such as courgettes, runner beans, tomatoes, and marrows.

“We only ever stock local asparagus as it is the best.”

The Green Barn has been a working family farm for more than three generations and also offers a unique farm shop and cafe.

The farm most recently opened at a cafe at the site back in July, and the shop has been open for around seven years. 

However, the owners, brothers John and Robert Lyon, have had family farming on the site for more than 100 years. 

Julie, who has managed the farm shop for five years, did agree that supermarket are right to limit products in order to prevent public buying.

She said: “Supermarkets are right to limit products.

“We have seen before, during the pandemic, that panic buying only makes situations like this worse.

“Our cost prices on certain times have risen slightly due to the time of year and availability but we haven’t had to pass this small increase onto our customers as we believe the prices should level out again.”