Meet our local makers at Forest Holidays

A celebration of all things local

Playing an active part in the life of the villages and towns surrounding our locations is so important to us. Our unpackaged holiday experience that we offer means that we are rooted in our local area and, for most of our guests, exploring the area is a valued part of their holiday.

We buy and contract locally, keeping as much of our own spend in the area as we can. For our guests, discovering and sampling regional specialities is part of their holiday experience, and we buy food, drink, crafts and other items from local suppliers.

Meet our local suppliers

Here, we’ll be meeting just some of our local suppliers to gain an insight into their world – and the impact that supplying Forest Holidays has.

Meet Alison 

Alison at Heavenly Cakes and Desserts took her love for baking and developed it into a business after being made redundant. She supplies our cakes at Delamere Forest Holidays. Thanks Alison.

"I have been running my business for 11 years turning my love for baking into a business after taking redundancy. My biggest achievements are moving from baking in my home kitchen to a commercial premises in my second year of being in business. I now have a well-established brand supplying Forest Holidays, as well as other cafes and farm shops in the local area. I use 45 dozen local free range eggs every week!"

 

Here’s just a few comments from her customers:

“They are the best brownies I have ever had”

“Best coffee and walnut cake I have tasted, please can you supply to London!”

Meet Weetwood

Weetwood are an Independent, family owned and family run, award winning Brewery and Distillery set in the rural Cheshire countryside. You'll find their award-winning family-run distillery just a couple of miles from Delamare Forest on the outskirts of the village of Kelsall.

'We're delighted to work closely with Forest Holidays, knowing that people are enjoying our products whilst having a great time. This is something that is really rewarding for the team at Weetwood.

We really admire the focus on sustainability that runs through the Forest Holiday experience. We continue to increase own commitment to tread as carefully in our local environment as we can. You may see us at work locally foraging botanicals, be it elderflowers in early summer or sloe berries in late autumn. We continue to harness our local surroundings to help make the best drinks that we can'.

Thanks Weetwood. We love being able to share your local ales and spirits with our guests.

Meet Ian at Arcadian Sports

Whether you’re seeking wild adventures or indulgent experiences, we work with a number of local suppliers to help you get that #ForestFeeling.

Eyes peeled, arrows drawn! Arcadian Sports was born out of a lifelong passion for outdoor sports, established in 2019. They offer Forest Holidays guests sessions in both archery and rifles, with varying challenges along the way. There’s something for the whole family to enjoy. Arcadian Sports is a family run business with over 50 years’ experience in both archery and air rifle shooting, so you can expect more than just a standard coaching session.

Here’s what one of our guests had to say:

"The archery and shooting activities were wonderful and made the holiday special. The couple running them (Ian & Millie) were very professional and extremely kind."

We love working with Forest Holidays for many reasons. At the end of the day, we can’t call this work. We get to have fun with guests enjoying their holidays in this special place. The staff at Blackwood Forest have become our friends.

The aim at Arcadian Sports is to put smiles on faces and create memories. Thanks Ian and the team.

Meet the Den Kit Co

The aim of their business is to bring children closer to nature. Obviously, that sits at the heart of Forest Holidays too so working with them comes naturally.

We stock their range of Den Kits in our Retreats so that we can encourage their ethos to inspire wonder and intrigue in the next generation through creative, fun and unprescribed outdoor play.

Here's what Founders Kay and Jo, say about working with us: We’ve worked with Forest Holidays for many years now and it has been an absolute pleasure to work together to bring families back into nature. It fills us with joy to think of our kits being used by happy holiday goers across the UK!

Thanks Team Den Kit co. We love being part of your journey to get young people closer to nature.