The hit farm shop is a hotspot for influencers – but now bosses are requesting no photos or videos at peak times.
The Hollies Farm Shop is hugely popular at this time of year with stunning Autumn displays(Image: The Hollies)
It’s Cheshire’s poshest farm shop – whose famous fans include reality star Molly-Mae Hague. But now The Hollies has taken the extraordinary step of requesting shoppers STOP taking photos and videos inside the shop – after a deluge of influencers headed there to capture their own perfect selfies and content for social media.
The farm shop is packed full of local goods, a butcher and deli, while the sprawling site in Little Budworth in Cheshire also features gift barns, a gardening room and is famed for its displays of seasonal produce. But at peak times it has also become packed full of selfie-loving shoppers too.
It’s about to head into its busiest period of the year with Autumn displays now out across the site – and that has meant an increase in influencers heading to capture content. Long-standing shoppers have complained for some time about the “Molly-Mae effect” at the Hollies that has seen it so busy on weekends that one likened the car park to “Alton Towers” due to the queues.
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The internet fame of the shop has seen influencers clamouring for the perfect selfie inside, with some shoppers saying it has just got too much. Now shop bosses have addressed the issue – by setting up posters across the site in the past week, informing all shoppers of a big change.
Entitled “Kind notice”, it includes a red ban sign across cameras, phones and video equipment. It continues: “We respectfully ask that no photography or filming takes place in store between 10am and 4.30pm.
“This is to respect the privacy of our customers and staff during our busiest hours, and to help with the smooth running of the site.”
It adds that “Professional, commercial or organised filming must be agreed with management in advance.” The poster is also set as a wipeout when you click on the Hollies’ own website.
Images of the posters were shared with the MEN this week by a long-time shopper at The Hollies who has welcomed the news. He said: “It can get pretty annoying when you’re just popping in for some bread and bacon to have to wade through the people walking around the shop taking selfies, talking into their phones for videos and generally getting in the way.
“I imagine there’s been complaints from some of the more exclusive clientele to have now put these signs up everywhere.
“I think most loyal customers will back the move – it’s just common sense not to have wannabe film-makers clogging up the shopping aisles.”
We approached The Hollies for further comment about the notices. A spokesman said: “The Hollies has become increasingly busy and we’re also seeing more organised filming and social media content being created during peak trading hours.
“The request is simply there to help us respect the privacy of both customers and staff and to allow our teams to keep the shop running smoothly when it is at its busiest.
“Customers are very welcome to take photographs and videos before 10am or after 4pm, and professional or organised filming can always be arranged with us in advance.”
The Hollies is Cheshire‘s longest-established farm shop, first starting out in the 1950s as an honesty box selling veg at the side of the road. It has grown to become the biggest, and most well-known farm shop in the county, and now has two further sites at Lower Stretton near Warrington and on Tarporley High Street.
Two years ago, amid huge crowds heading to the original Little Budworth store, it was forced to change the operation at its on-site cafe, turning it into a takeaway only at peak times to try and cope with demand.
For those wanting to beat the crowds (and perhaps take a selfie) quieter shopping times are from 8.30am to 10am and from 4.30pm to 7pm daily. On Sundays the shop closes at 5pm.
