Farm-door vending

"In my Dad's day it was all about 'get bigger to get better', but now its about being smarter" - said George Fabi as he showed Members of the Lakes Park Authority the hi-tech beef and milk vending machine at the font of his farm.

The vending machine is housed in a wooden-clad shipping container and sells milk and Wagu beef from the farm. It's hugely popular with tourists heading to Ullswater - one of the busiest lakes in the Park. George also sells freshly made-to-order milkshakes with 'special of the day' flavours being posted on the farm's Instagram channel which has over 1,500 followers. Open 6am - 9pm everyday of the year the vending operation is a great example of farm diversification and was part funding by a grant from the Lake District National Park. George worked closely with staff from the National Park Authority to get the grant and to ensure all the appropriate permissions were in place.