Lathcoats Farm Shop
A family-run farm shop and fruit-growing business in Galleywood, Essex, known especially for its broad range of locally grown apples.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Lathcoats Farm Shop is a family-run agricultural retailer and fruit-growing business based on Beehive Lane in Galleywood, Essex. Its roots extend back to 1912, when Lawrence Taylor planted the first fruit trees on the 55-hectare Lathcoats Farm. The land and agricultural operation remained within the Taylor family, passing from Lawrence to his only son, Maurice, and subsequently to later generations. The farm shop itself was established by Maurice Taylor in the late 1960s, developing the farm’s direct relationship with local consumers and the wider wholesale market. The business is associated particularly with apples. Lathcoats grows and stocks more than 40 varieties, combining familiar commercial cultivars with older or less common varieties. Examples identified in descriptions of the business include D'Arcy Spice, Queen, Chelmsford Wonder, Adams Pearmain, Cornish Gilliflower, Temptation, Topaz, Meridian, Honeycrisp and Discovery. This range gives the shop a specialist identity within the local food economy and reflects the underlying orchard operation rather than a purely convenience-oriented retail model. The farm also grows other fruit, including raspberries; James Taylor, a grandson in the family business, has worked as the chief fruit grower and has been particularly associated with the raspberry crop. Lathcoats combines farm production, retailing and community-facing activities. It supplies the local community while also serving wholesale customers. Its annual Apple Day provides an occasion for visitors to taste locally grown apples and other fruit and learn about the diversity of orchard produce. The business has reportedly marked Apple Day for almost two decades, with the event associated with the annual date of 21 October. In 2000, Lathcoats introduced a tree-rental scheme, allowing members of the community to rent a fruit tree and harvest its produce without needing orchard space of their own. The Bee Shed coffee shop was established in April 2013 and added a hospitality element to the farm-shop site. It has been managed by Lien Douglas and Clare Redington, supported by other long-serving team members. In the family business, Maurice Taylor’s sons Philip and Stephen and his grandson James have been identified as the people currently running the farm shop and farm operation in the available reference material. Lathcoats therefore presents itself as a local, family-managed enterprise built around orchard cultivation, direct sales, seasonal produce, community events and on-site hospitality. Publicly available information does not establish a separate corporate parent, public listing, international operation or a precisely documented legal incorporation date.
History
Lathcoats Farm Shop is part of a multi-generational Taylor family farming enterprise in Galleywood, Essex. The agricultural history described for the business begins in 1912, when Lawrence Taylor planted the first fruit trees on the 55-hectare farm. That planting established the orchard-based character of the property and laid the foundation for the later farm shop. Lawrence’s only son, Maurice Taylor, subsequently took over the farm. The retail business developed later. Maurice Taylor established Lathcoats Farm Shop in the late 1960s, creating a direct-sales outlet for the farm’s fruit and other agricultural products. The shop’s role grew alongside the orchard operation, serving nearby residents while also supplying the wholesale market. Apples became its defining product category. The business is associated with more than 40 varieties, including both well-known and specialist cultivars such as Discovery, Honeycrisp, Topaz, Meridian, D'Arcy Spice, Chelmsford Wonder and Cornish Gilliflower. The breadth of the range distinguishes Lathcoats from a general grocery retailer and connects the customer experience to seasonal orchard production. The Taylor family’s involvement continued through later generations. The available account identifies Maurice’s sons, Philip and Stephen, and his grandson James as running the business. James is trained as a physiotherapist but took on the role of chief fruit grower, reflecting the way operational responsibilities have been carried through the family rather than being limited to retail management. The farm also produces fruit beyond apples, including raspberries. Lathcoats has developed several activities that extend its role from shop to community venue. In 2000, it introduced a Rent a Tree scheme. The scheme enables members of the public to associate themselves with a fruit tree and pick its produce, offering an orchard experience to people who do not have sufficient garden space to grow fruit themselves. The initiative also reinforces the connection between local customers and the farm’s production cycle. The farm’s Apple Day is another longstanding public-facing activity. Held in connection with the annual Apple Day date of 21 October, the event allows visitors to taste locally grown apples and other fruit. Lathcoats has reportedly celebrated the event for almost 20 years, making it a recurring part of the business’s seasonal calendar and a means of highlighting the variety of apples grown or stocked at the farm. In April 2013, The Bee Shed coffee shop was established on the site. Its managers have been identified as Lien Douglas and Clare Redington, with support from other loyal team members. The coffee shop added hospitality to the farm shop’s agricultural and retail functions, giving visitors another reason to spend time at the site. The documented history presents Lathcoats as an active, privately run rural business whose identity rests on continuity, orchard cultivation, specialist apple knowledge, direct local retailing and community engagement. The source material does not provide a detailed corporate history, audited financial information, formal ownership structure beyond the Taylor family, or evidence of substantial operations outside the United Kingdom.
- 2020
Raspberry crop highlighted
[1]James Taylor was noted for his particular satisfaction with the farm’s raspberry crop.
- 2013
The Bee Shed opens
[1]The Bee Shed coffee shop was established at the farm in April 2013.
- 2000
Rent a Tree scheme introduced
[1]Lathcoats began allowing community members to rent a fruit tree and harvest its produce.
- 1960
Farm shop established
[1]Maurice Taylor established Lathcoats Farm Shop in the late 1960s. The exact year is not specified in the source material.
- 1912
First fruit trees planted
[1]Lawrence Taylor planted the first fruit trees on the 55-hectare Lathcoats Farm, establishing the orchard tradition associated with the business.
Products and positioning
A local, family-run farm shop combining orchard production, specialist apple retailing, seasonal fruit, wholesale supply and community-oriented visitor experiences.
Fresh fruit
Apples
Apples are Lathcoats Farm Shop’s signature product. The farm grows and stocks more than 40 varieties, supplying local shoppers as well as wholesale customers. The reported range includes traditional, specialist and modern cultivars, giving the business a distinctive orchard-led assortment rather than a narrow selection of standard supermarket apples.
Fresh fruit
Raspberries
Raspberries are among the other fruit crops associated with the farm. The available account specifically highlights James Taylor’s involvement in fruit growing and his pride in the 2020 raspberry crop.
Coffee shop and hospitality · 2013
The Bee Shed
The Bee Shed is Lathcoats’ on-site coffee shop, established in April 2013. It complements the farm shop and orchard by providing a hospitality and visitor-oriented component at the agricultural retail site.
Community orchard scheme · 2000
Rent a Tree
Rent a Tree is a scheme introduced in 2000 that allows people without room to grow fruit at home to rent a tree and pick its produce. It links customers directly with the farm’s orchard and seasonal harvest.
Marketing campaigns
- 2000Rent a Tree
United Kingdom
A community participation scheme allowing customers to rent a fruit tree and harvest its produce.
Outcome. The scheme gives local residents access to an orchard experience without requiring them to own land suitable for growing fruit.
- Apple Day
United Kingdom
An annual event at Lathcoats Farm associated with 21 October and focused on tasting locally grown apples and other fruit. The farm has reportedly celebrated Apple Day for almost 20 years.
Outcome. The event has become a recurring seasonal community activity and a showcase for the farm’s breadth of apple varieties.
Brand decisions
2013
Establishment of The Bee Shed coffee shopProduct launchBackground
Lathcoats expanded beyond farm retail and produce sales with an on-site hospitality offer.
Action taken
The Bee Shed coffee shop opened at the farm in April 2013.
Aftermath
The site gained a coffee-shop and visitor-service component alongside its orchard and farm-shop activities.
2000
Launch of the Rent a Tree schemeStrategyBackground
The farm sought to connect members of the local community with its orchard and fruit-growing activities.
Action taken
Lathcoats introduced a scheme through which participants could rent a tree and pick its fruit.
Aftermath
The initiative became one of the farm’s community-oriented offerings and broadened participation in its seasonal production.
Recent events
- 2013
The Bee Shed coffee shop opens at Lathcoats[1]
Product launch
Lathcoats expanded its on-site offer with the establishment of The Bee Shed coffee shop in April 2013.
Lathcoats continues its specialist apple-growing tradition[1]
Other
The farm shop is described as growing and stocking more than 40 apple varieties for local and wholesale customers.
Lathcoats maintains its annual Apple Day tradition[1]
Campaign
The farm hosts an annual Apple Day centered on tasting locally grown apples and other fruit, traditionally associated with 21 October.
Sources2 sources
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