Rob and Becky Malcolm founded Orchard Pods in May 2017 on Barfield Farm. Forming the setting for their piece of glamping heaven, Barfield has retained all of its unspoiled rustic charm and beauty. Farmed by the Malcolm family since the 1930s, Barfield Farm continues to produce cherries, apples, pears, currants, raspberries, gooseberries, the odd plum and mulberries. There are also thriving Kent cob trees dotted throughout.
A unique bed and breakfast or short break experience for couples and young families which is also dog friendly. After one season in 2018 demand exceeded their available occupancy. With repeat visitors their reputation continuously grew thanks to word of mouth recommendation and referrals. Now due to this on-going growth, they are investing in two additional pods in 2019.
The Appeal
The pods fit snugly into the rows of cherry trees and offer a unique immersion into the orchards of an old family run working farm. There are some old varieties of fruit no longer sold commercially and little has changed on the farm over the last 70 years including a lot of the tractors! Rob and Becky run it and wanted to share a truly Kent experience and offer a tranquil escape for their guests to recharge and relax.
There are a couple of things that make Orchard Pods so distinctly appealing. Such as, the location which is rich in history and heritage, the opportunity to sleep in comfort amongst the cherry trees and especially the family-ethos-personal-approach to their guests.
The pods themselves are perfectly placed for views and each is a private kingdom with its own fire pit and outside tables and chairs. Each pod is self-contained, offering luxury glamping with en-suite shower rooms, double beds, sofa beds, fully equipped kitchenettes, indoor tables and chairs, a TVs and under floor heating. The pods are packed with all a guest needs to feel like glamping royalty.
Location
The historical village of Offham is a half mile walk from the orchard through the woods and has a traditional country pub serving food and local beers. Activities include the annual May Day Festival and Classic Car day staged on the green in the centre of the village and the green itself is home of the last British quintain used for jousting in Medieval times.
Customer Approach
In order to keep up with trends, Rob and Becky make sure to take customer feedback very seriously. They regularly stay at venues, subscribe to industry publications, attend relevant events and keep an eye on what other glamping sites are doing.
“We offer a personal approach from the very first enquiry, through the booking process and then throughout their stay, adding extras as required,” Becky says, “These have included installing an electric car charging point, ordering personalized birthday cakes, putting out decorations and candles, ensuring the firepit is roaring for those late night arrivals and delivering marshmallows to our younger guests… and older ones too.”
This personalized approach has definitely paid off, as every single review that Orchard Pods have received has been 5 star and that is something to be very proud of.
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 07808 488990
EMAIL: contact@orchardpods.co.uk
WEBSITE: www.orchardpods.co.uk
PRICE/NIGHT: £105 this is per pod per night, based on 2 people sharing and includes continental breakfast box delivered in the morning.
