Today’s interview is with Peninnis Farm Luxury Camping

Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

Jon & Jill May(both 54) took on the tenancy of Peninnis Farm in 1982 which is a Duchy of Cornwall leased farm, as are all the farms on Scilly. The farm grew to specialise in flowers and bulbs, exporting hundreds of tonnes of bulbs to countries all over the world including America, Israel and Holland as well as the UK.

Alongside the bulb exports we also produced new potatoes, for the UK market and seed and main crop potatoes for the local market. However both crops became uneconomic and so our dependency on the one remaining crop, flowers, became essential.

The flower industry is today facing many challenges to produce a crop fit for today’s discerning customer and the essentials include a reasonable acreage of land that is both very good and very sheltered, Peninnis Farm is not that place, although we do still produce a small tonnage of bulbs.

And so Peninnis Farm has now diversified into livestock alongside our new glamping venture which opened in March 2013.

On the Farm we have chickens, Ruby Red Devon cattle, Oxford Sandy and Black pigs and a Shire horse. At certain times of the year we will have piglets & calves. We are also looking to start producing fruit and vegetable crops, and have started to look into options for Greenhouse Construction that would enable us to produce throughout the year, regardless of the weather outside. We know that there also is a lot of research that has to go into this to make sure what we are growing is viable to pick and eat. We’ve been recommended to look at companies like Pro-Tect Plastics to see how they can assist with this as well as various plants/seeds that can work for different seasons.

Our eldest son Dan lives on the farm with his girlfriend Zenna (both 25) and works the farm with Jon. Jill runs the Sandpiper shop in Hugh Town as well as four luxury apartments. Our daughter Abby (23) works within the tourism industry and splits her time between Scilly and Australia. Our youngest Patrick (19) is on the mainland promoting his personal training career and was very involved in the early stages of the project, building the tents and the associated infrastructure.

Have you always wanted to run a glamping site? How did you get interested in it?

The business opened in March 2013 and we looked into it as a farm diversification project as Scilly is very popular with tourists and we believed that there has been a gap in Scilly’s tourism market to provide unique luxury outdoor accommodation that will boast a comfortable and unforgettable stay for families and couples alike.

What made you pick the location for your glamping site?

The camping site is located on the farm in a sheltered field. This location had to be agreed with the local planning authority as we live in a conservation area and area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

Do you get a wide range of different people from different walks of life or are there certain types of guests who come to stay at your site?

The majority of our guests are families. Although, as we have 7 tents we can cater for larger groups and have had a few wedding and birthday parties stay. We do offer a couples discount and so try to attract couples out of school holidays and we have had a few honeymooning couples.

When guests stay, do they usually cook on site or do you find a lot like to go exploring and eat out at local places?

There are a lot of restaurants on the islands so lots do eat out but we do provide a BBQ and the tents do have fully fitted kitchens (oven with hob, microwave, fridge etc.) so guests can easily eat in if they wish.

If there was one activity to participate in, landmark, or place of interest that you would recommend guests visit while staying at your site, what would it be and why?

There are lots of activities on Scilly and we would recommend a snorkelling trip with the seals, horse riding on the beach, hiring a golf buggy or bikes for the day and definitely some boating to the other islands. All the young children we have had to stay enjoy the morning animal round with Farmer Dan!

What do you think sets your glamping site apart from others?

Our location is rather unique and we are the only glamping site on the Isles of Scilly. Also we have a one off cost, we don’t charge extra for other facilities that other glamping sites do (e.g. for bedding, towels, Wi-Fi, electricity, kitchen packs etc.).

What has been the most memorable moment that has happened on your glamping site?

Most guests are taken aback by the size of the tents and how well equipped they are. It is more like self-catering than camping.

Do you provide any services/entertainment/activities onsite or elsewhere for your guests?

Children are welcome to join in on the morning animal feeding with Farmer Dan!

What plans (if any) do you have for your glamping site in the future?

To try and maintain and improve on standards we have set ourselves.