THE Hollies is one of Cheshire’s great success stories.

We speak to the Cowap family about how they have built it from the ground up. 

It started with some vegetables in a wheelbarrow and a touch of honesty from passers-by.

Now – nearly 60 years later – The Hollies is one of Cheshire’s best-known independent shops and welcomes 2,000 customers a day.

“It is incredible to see how far the business has come,” says Phil Cowap, whose grandad started the business in 1959.

“Over the years we’ve created a brand that people have faith in and worked with some of the best local businesses Cheshire has to offer. It has been hard work, but ultimately it has been worth it.”

For anyone who has visited one of the farm shops in Little Budworth or Lower Stretton it is not difficult to see where the hard work has gone.

Each feels warm and welcoming with food and products that seem to say “buy me”.

That’s no accident. With years of experience the Cowaps and their team have advised some of their suppliers on the kind of packaging that entices customers.

This expertise might be the real reason why The Hollies earned the tongue-in-cheek nickname of “The 50 Pound Shop”.

“A lot of people do buy with their eyes,” says Mindy, who is married to Phil. “They come in for something and then spot another item they would really like to buy such as some lovely olives.”

Whatever they are doing they must be doing it right.

Meat sales have increased over the years as fears over food safety increased.

The Hollies’ ability to trace the origins of their meat very much struck a chord with customers.

Throughout the recession business remained strong and continues to do so even though people are continuing to watch what they spend.

Mindy also believes the farm and coffee shops have offered people an affordable luxury at a time when customers have really felt the need to treat themselves.

However, The Hollies’ success is a shared one.

Much of what is on the shelves is locallyproduced, such as Mrs Darlington’s jams and chutneys, and the two businesses have grown together.

It’s all a far cry from the early days when Edward and Rose Cowap first moved to Tarporley and started selling home-grown vegetables in a wheelbarrow by the side of the road.

An honesty box sat next to the produce and customers got a taste for what they were offering.

Eventually they started to sell ancillary items from their home before deciding a shop was the obvious next step.

Today their business employs 145 people in Cheshire and includes a farm shop, gift shops, coffee shops and lodges.

One of the keys to their success, says Mindy, is their team.

“We’re very lucky because we get approached by some fantastic people who want to work with us,” she says.

Edward and Rose’s son Richard is now 85 and can be seen most days working in the glass houses on plants and hanging baskets which will then be sold in the farm shop.

The third generation of the family is now driving the business forward as Phil and Mindy, along with Ed and his partner Sean, and Phil and Ed’s sister, Sue, look for ways to consolidate and diversify.

They have already fully-restored a 16-bedroomed hotel in the Scottish Highlands, but this summer they will be opening 32 – a hotel, restaurant and bar in Tarporley.

“It’s an exciting new venture and one we are looking forward to,” says Mindy.

The Hollies, though, will always remain famous for what it does best.

Good quality food and produce that hasn’t had far to travel, most of it courtesy of more than 50 local suppliers.

This applies as much to their popular coffee shops, the first of which opened in 2007, as the farm shops themselves.

The coffee shops have proven so popular that customers cannot wait to get a taste of what is on the day’s menu.

“Our menus use the very best that the farm shop has to offer; fresh, local, produce prepared by chefs who are passionate about food,” says Mindy.

“Front of house work their hardest to give every customer a great experience.”

Potatoes, carrots, seasonal vegetables, pumpkins, Christmas trees and plants are grown and nurtured by the extended family ready for their valued customers.

A gift shop grew from an old potato store on the site and continues to offer more products as an increasing number of suppliers are found.

They now sell greetings cards, jewellery, accessories, home fragrances, homeware, beauty products, seasonal products and more.

The deli at Little Budworth offers homemade pies, sausage rolls and quiches, fresh pasta, home cooked meats, homemade coleslaw and potato salad, freshly-baked bread, pates, olives, cheese, oils and many other delicious treats.

“Our family’s heritage lies within farming and we have always believed that the best local food should be tasty, high quality and fully traceable,” says Mindy.

There’s no doubt that, in the case of The Hollies, success breeds success.

But it has not been possible without a lot of hard work and commitment as well as an ability to change with the times.

Mindy, who heads up a four-strong marketing team, said the business has fully embraced social media with a reach of 1.1 million across their different platforms.

No doubt it will continue to evolve and that can only be a good thing for the customers, for its local business partners and for the team itself.

For as the company has grown, so have the opportunities it presents.

“It gives team members the opportunity to grow and further their career,” says Mindy.

“What’s also lovely is that we are a family. There’s currently 145 and that is going to grow even further as we move forward.”