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PEOPLE “WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN COMING BACK TO US FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS THAT STAYED IN THE BELL TENT AND ARE NOW WANTING TO COME BACK AND TRY THE SAFARI TENTS. THEY’RE REALLY EXCITED BY ALL THE CHANGES” time when they come here. Our USP is definitely the little petting farm; it really helps us to sell the place, especially to young families.” Macdonald’s Farm has been attracting families back every year for 20 years, and Lisa and Nick wanted to recreate the magic that kept visitors returning for so long. “John and Karen, who built the site, are still very much loved and respected in the community,” explains Lisa. “They managed to capture all the things that make for memorable childhood holidays, like the ones we used to have. So we wanted to do the same but in our own way. We've had people that have been coming back to us for the last four years that stayed in the bell tent and are now wanting to come back and try the safari tents. They’re really excited by all the changes. We love the enthusiasm from many of our repeat customers for the continual improvements we’re making; they’re genuinely recognising the effort we’re putting in.” The focus on family is a big part of the inspiration at the site. “We’ve got a three-year-old and nearly two-year-old, so we looked at our garden, and we looked at our campsite and asked ourselves, as a family, what would we want? Clean and child-friendly facilities, a garden where parents can relax and have a drink, and not worry as it’s totally safe. I certainly need that when I go out with my kids, so we really have designed this with parents in mind.” The drive to attract families, although hugely successful, has caused the couple to question whether they are potentially losing out on visitors looking for a quieter place to stay. “One thing we’ve realised we need to do is to review our marketing strategy in order to reach people who may not know that we do have quiet periods, school term time, for example,” says Nick. “But long term, we do have plans to offer retreats of various kinds, and that will certainly raise our profile among that demographic.” And how has it been making the switch from their previous roles to becoming hospitality entrepreneurs? “Horrific!” laughs Nick. “There have certainly been times when I’ve asked myself why I did it. Especially having come from a property development background where I was used to working with professionals who knew what was expected and required minimal management. If there were ever problems, you could have a discussion, resolve them, and move forward. Unfortunately, before we had the team we do now, there have been occasions that left me somewhat bewildered – like the time someone just walked out and drove off without even attempting to discuss why they were unhappy!” The business now employs 20 staff working a mix of full-time and part-time roles. “We really do have a solid team now, though,” adds Lisa. “We’ve learnt a lot and know what to look for in people. There was a time when, post-Covid, many people were looking for a career and lifestyle change and had very unrealistic expectations about what a park warden’s working life was like. Some of them honestly thought they would just potter around the grounds during the day and then head off to the beach every evening!” As with any new business venture, there has been a steep learning curve, and the pair are still finding their way. The café, for example, is a separate business in itself and requires careful management. As Nick explains: “If you were to set up a café tomorrow, you’d have at least three people working there, cooking, serving, cleaning up and so on. And you can’t predict demand very reliably; some days, the place is constantly buzzing with customers, but then you get the odd day where you cook just one lunch. It’s something we’re monitoring closely to try and get the balance right.” It’s Lisa who works on-site day-to-day and is, therefore, best positioned to describe the reality of living the dream. “Even with a goal of spending more time with your family, if you own and live on a campsite you’re never actually fully out of the business – even if you can find someone to manage it for you! If you want the site to work, you need to be customer-facing. The site is marketed as a family concern, and visitors really appreciate seeing you there as part of their stay. I would also say that having put so much blood, sweat, and tears 14 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
PEOPLE into Macdonald’s Farm; I’m not sure we could ever step away completely. I think this is the case for pretty much all business owners during this early stage. “It’s hard work, has taken a lot of money, and there’s a lot of risk, but it’s such a lovely place to be that I don’t regret it. When I think how far we’ve come, from being completely green at the start, to having an in-depth understanding of what it takes to run the site, I’m proud of where we’ve got to. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Nick was running around in flipflops trying to catch goats while I was staring at the booking system on the computer, not having a clue what I was doing! There’s still a lot to learn, though, and we still consider ourselves newbies to all this.” There is also the challenge of managing two children as well as the business. “When we bought the place, we had just the one, but when our second child came along, it was a total game changer,” says Nick. “Don’t believe the nonsense about two children not being much harder than having two!” On a happy note, the family have just had their first break since the children were born. So what did they choose to do? Go camping! “Yes, it’s true, we’ve become campers,” laughs Lisa. “We bought a camper van and drove up the coast to a site in a really beautiful location and had the most amazing time.” DETAILS McDonald’s Farm, Porthcothan Bay Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8LT www.macdonaldsfarm.co.uk Deckerdence UNIQUE MOBILE VENUE A one of a kind venue perfect for weddings, parties, events & corporate hospitality enquiries@deckerdence.com | 01675 463555 www.deckerdence.com WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 15
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