Historic East Lothian farm building becomes co-working space

What is your business called?

J&J Thomson, trading as Wheatrig Business Hub.

Where is it based?

In East Lothian, close to the village of Longniddry.

What does it produce, what services does it offer?

My family have lived and farmed at Wheatrig since 1904 and the original business is a purely farming business, growing wheat, barley and oilseed rape. These crops are sold through processors and ultimately end up as whisky, beer, biscuits, bread and more.

This spring we finished creating a new business on the farm, making use of a previously redundant, but historic, farm steading. The building was in disrepair and not suitable for large, modern machinery and so, after a conversation with the local council who told us that office spaces were in short supply, we have lovingly restored it and turned it into what we have christened Wheatrig Business Hub.

The Hub offers co-working spaces for local people who are (most likely!) fed up of working from their spare room or dining table. We offer a rural location, 15 miles from central Edinburgh, where people can enjoy the views, take a lunchtime walk and avoid queues, at the same time offering connectivity and full co-working facilities. We also have a couple of private, long-term let office spaces.

To whom does it sell?

Most people who come to the Hub live within a 10 or 15 mile radius of Longniddry, Haddington and Aberlady in East Lothian.

What is its turnover?

Our first long-term tenant moved in in March but we only officially opened the co-working space in early July so turnover so far is under £5,000.

How many employees?

Two part-time plus local suppliers, for example cleaning services.

When was it formed?

2021.

Why did you take the plunge?

Making a living from farming can be uncertain and is weather-dependent. It feels like you have all your eggs in a fairly precarious basket.

We also wanted to save this old building by giving it a new purpose and so we decided to turn it into something that could serve the local community but also generate some additional income for the family.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I spent most of my time farming but am also involved on the Board of the National Farmers Union Scotland. I am the Chairman of the Crops Committee, representing arable farmers.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

We have had a huge amount of support from the great team at HSBC Agriculture, we’ve put some money of our own into the project and we were fortunate to also receive some grant funding from the LEADER programme.

What was your biggest break?

Whilst the application process was somewhat bureaucratic, we were successful in applying for some LEADER funding. This was a (now empty due to Brexit!) pot of European money designed to deliver support, and encourage innovation and collaboration within communities for rural development. The funding we received, because we were able to demonstrate the benefits that Wheatrig Business Hub will deliver for the local area and local community, paid for about a fifth of our whole project. Without this money the whole thing probably wouldn’t have been viable.

What was your worst moment?

We were due to start construction of the Hub a week after the original Covid lockdown and so when the announcement came, that first spade never went into the ground. With the whole country banned from office spaces, we started to seriously worry that nobody would ever want to work in an office again and that we had just committed a huge amount of money to create something that wouldn’t be needed.

Fortunately for us, co-working space is now something that many people are craving so that they can escape their spare room or dining room table to work somewhere quiet, peaceful and inspiring. As a result, we are really starting to find our niche and welcome people through the door.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

Farming can be a very solo career and so having the Hub on the farm is a great chance to meet new people and I love to see the productivity and socialisation already happening here. It’s also great to see how the various business owners who come here can start to ‘cross-fertilise’ and work together or collaborate in a working environment.

What do you least enjoy?

My wife nagging me to make sure that the weeds are strimmed and the grass is cut so that the place stays neat and tidy!

What are your ambitions for the firm?

We hope to grow over coming weeks and months to reach capacity and then, who knows, maybe we can build another Hub nearby!

What are your five top priorities?

To generate an extra income for my family.

To make sure that those who come along to the Hub find it an inspiring place to work.

To do what we can to run the building in an environmentally conscious way. Solar panels are next on the list.

To ensure the survival of an old building.

To provide something that the local community can use.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

Both pre and post Covid, both Westminster and Holyrood Governments need to work harder to emphasize that business does not need to take place in city centre locations. Sustainable rural development can, and does, bring great benefits to all in society. We are accessible and yet peaceful and, as one visitor, remarked, “If I’m forced to work every day, I’d rather work somewhere inspiring.”

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

That if you have a good idea, you just need to jump in with both feet and do it. If you spend too long thinking about things, you’ll never do them.

How do you relax? I love a game of golf or watching some rugby on television. I love family time but with two young daughters it is rarely relaxing!