Selling Crafts at Agricultural Shows
With warmer, sunnier days and long, light evenings ahead of us, the season of outdoor gatherings has finally arrived here in the U.K. For crafting businesses, this brings with it a plethora of opportunities to exhibit, demonstrate or sell your crafts. Events range from local village fetes and school fairs, through larger Craft Fairs and Farmers’ Markets, to vibrant, bustling regional events held at county showgrounds across the UK.
Of these, agricultural shows are probably the best known and have been going the longest. If you’ve never been to one or considered selling crafts at agricultural shows, now might be the time to do so! Usually held over a few days, they showcase the best of farming, livestock and regional produce and display a wide range of agricultural machinery, from vintage tractors to the immense machines used today. However, this is not all. They are unapologetic celebrations of the countryside and all that has been a part of the fabric of rural life over the centuries as well as advocates for a thriving twenty-first-century countryside.
The first ever agricultural show is thought to have taken place in County Durham, in 1763. Initially, these were informal gatherings but, as time went by and they spread across the U.K., they became a central part of the rural calendar, attracting country dwellers for a day of fun and frivolity, an opportunity to meet up with friends, partake of local food and drink and enjoy a day off from the hard manual labour needed to toil the land or work at all the other jobs and tasks required to keep a small community functioning. At the heart of these shows were the farmers, and for them it offered a day to meet up with their fellows, share ideas, do business and show off some of their best livestock.
In the second half of the twentieth century, these informal festivals took on a new significance in the agricultural calendar as county showgrounds were bought and they moved to permanent sites. Today, some of the largest shows are the Great Yorkshire Show, the Royal Welsh Show and the Royal Highland Show. Each show has a distinct local flavour, both literally and metaphorically, as they display the best of regional produce, crafts and country pursuits as well as the finest livestock of the area.
Originally attended by country folk, they are now great days out for all, with young and old alike pouring out of towns and cities to enjoy a day of rural entertainment. In times when we have lost our connection with where our food comes from, County Shows offer a great opportunity for reconnection and education. Wandering through the animal sheds and coming up close to huge bulls with rippling muscles and sleek coats or seeing the astonishing array of heritage pig breeds or the fabulous variety of sheep, gives rise to respect for both animal and farmer. Watching man and beast walk the ring, handlers dressed in white coats and their show livestock shampooed and shining, gives us a tangible link to the past; and when those handlers include children walking proudly alongside their parents, we get a glimpse into the future of food production for our island.
It’s not all about livestock though. Agricultural shows provide a great family day out for everyone. Food features prominently, with the best of local produce to sample alongside innovative street food businesses. Entertainment is the top priority with live music and often some fairground rides. You’ll see every kind of business activity that flourishes in the countryside represented with tents acting as temporary homes to bountiful floral displays (with accompanying show gardens outdoors), local beekeeping societies with honey sales, prize candlemaking displays and observation hives, and a cider or beer tent offering the best of local brews. Around the ground, you may be treated to demonstrations of traditional rural crafts such as thatching, bodging or spinning. Horses feature highly and you can marvel at their incredible agility and strength with show jumping and heavy horse parades in the main arena. You’ll see working dogs giving a taste of the essential role they play on many farms. Watch in awe as master and dog work together in sheepdog trials or even take part in some companion dog events with your own family hound.
Amidst all this there is more…rows and rows of craft stalls, offering visitors everything from bath and beauty products to wooden and leather goods, from children’s toys and puzzles through to jewellery and cosy knitwear. Although reserving yourself a spot at a County Show will most likely be pricey, the footfall is good and as people travel from a distance, it is a great way to promote your brand further afield.
Selling Crafts at Agricultural Shows
If you do decide to join the throngs who are selling crafts at agricultural shows, you will need to ensure you are watertight with insurance. These are large-scale events, so public liability insurance will certainly be requested. Public liability insurance covers you for any claims made that you, or a member of staff or a volunteer, have caused harm or injury to a member of the public or their property. The example we usually give is a slip or a trip hazard, resulting in a sprained ankle. Even if this is not your fault, the insurance will cover you for compensation or any legal fees. The other two insurances you might consider when selling crafts at agricultural shows are product liability insurance and business items insurance. Take a look at our website, but, respectively, they cover you for any claim made that a product of yours has caused harm or injury, and for loss damage or theft of stock and other business items like card readers, for example.
So, whether you’re selling crafts at agricultural shows or simply enjoying a day out with the family, we hope you have a wonderful time connecting with artisans and producers alike at these historical events!