A DAIRY farmer who was faced with a tough decision when he was diagnosed with illness diversified to create a glamping site on his land.

And now Rackery Retreat, set up on the farm in Burton, Rossett, has seen Andrew Jones and his wife Jenny shortlisted for an innovation award.

The site, which has three luxury tents complete with log fires, roll-top baths and hot tubs, is shortlisted in the Diversification Innovator of the Year (Small to medium) category in the 2020 British Farming Awards.

Chester and District Standard:

Andrew and Jenny Jones, Rackery Retreat, Wrexham

And it all began because Andrew wanted to make his life easier.

The idea for the new business began when Andrew, now 60, was diagnosed with Parkinson's and he felt he could no longer handle the day to day work of a dairy farmer, which saw him milking the heard 14 times a week.

He said: "I was a diary farmer for 30 years and then I got diagnosed with a health condition, with Parkinson's, so I sold the dairy cows and set up a glamping business.

"It's been fantastic, we started at the beginning of August 2018 and we've had 350 families in so far."

Andrew, who celebrated his 35th wedding anniversary with Jenny during lockdown, added: "We are very pleased with how its gone.

"It's easy to sit there and be negative and think the world's caving in, but I took the view that it wasn't going to kill me, there's a lot worse stories than mine, so I decided to mould my life to something I could manage physically."

Chester and District Standard:

One of the hot tubs

Andrew added: "We still run the farm, we grow and sell crops now, which is a lot less intensive than milking cows 14 times a week. Having said that, we haven't got an available two night window until October 7, so it keeps us busy. We could've filled another two or even three tents in July and August, but I have to keep sight of why I did this, and I did this to make my life easier."

"We have three safari tents. People generally stay only two nights, so we've had a good turnover of guests.

Andrew says Burton is the perfect location for glampers, and he feels the business has helped the local economy.

He added: "We take it for granted really, but we have a nice view down over Doddleston and Chester city. Some people want to go to Chester while others want to go to the Snowdonia zipwire, Llangollen, Chirk Castle, Erddig Hall, and Alyn Waters Country Park. They feed money into the economy, there are a lot of pubs locally and people who come to stay want to go out for the evening, so I like to think that we there's a benefit for the community as well."

He added: "The hot tubs are very popular, and they do spend a lot of time in the tents or on the decking. One of the attractions when I started, when the weather isn't good, is the log burners."

Chester and District Standard:

Rackery Retreat in Burton

The British Farming Awards 2020 has welcomed a record number of registrations this year, a testament to the incredible work being done on farms throughout Britain.

Andrew and Jenny join fifty-five other entrants who will now battle it out for the 14 categories up for grabs which highlight the innovation and diversity of UK agriculture.

Alongside the core sectors of agriculture including dairy, beef, sheep, arable and contracting, the awards also celebrate new entrants coming into the industry, the wealth of diversification businesses and family farms and recognition to the evolving presence of technology within agriculture.

As households around the nation have relied on farmers and local producers to serve the nation during the coronavirus pandemic, the industry has welcomed a new appreciation from the public and this year’s event is more poignant than ever.

Chester and District Standard:

The roll top bath in one of the safari tents

Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture, Fisheries and Sustainable Sourcing at Morrisons, said the awards was a welcome reminder of the dedication and hard work demonstrated by UK farmers all year round.

She said: "In these unprecedented times, we would like to thank and celebrate the work of British farmers and growers who are helping to feed the nation.

“At Morrisons, we have always valued British farming and being able to buy products directly from farms for our stores and the many food banks who rely on us is now more important than ever.

“The awards provides us with a timely reminder to pause and acknowledge the effort, innovation and skills which go into providing food farmed to high standards that we all enjoy."