A new farm shop selling exotic meats has confirmed that it will be hiring local people as a priority going forward. 

Berkshire Village Farm Shop opened on Friday, October 18 and owner Andy De Beer is super excited to welcome customers into the store. 

"We will be hiring local people in and around Woodley, Wokingham and Shinfield," Mr De Beer said. 

"There are a couple of people who have been coming to see us over the past week, so yeah we are looking at hiring people from the area."

Mr De Beer described the front of the store as being equipped to sell groceries and the back being dedicated to displaying the different meats on offer.

"We aim to have all of our lamb, chicken, pork, and beef sourced here in Berkshire and then we are also going to be doing lots of exotic things too," he said. 

"Elk, reindeer, zebra, crocodile, and all other funny things that are also sourced in the UK."

He went on to say that their range of biltong and dried horse is made with meat they procure from all over the country, and is all fresh, free-range, and grass-fed. 

He also said that most of the different groceries will be imported from South Africa. Mr De Beer is himself South African so has an affiliation with the country. 

"Our focus is mainly on the biltong, which is air-dried beef, and then our butchery items. That forms the biggest part of the business," Mr De Beer said. 

He went on to say that he does indeed have experience in working at places like this one as this is actually his second store of its kind. 

Mr De Beer also owns a shop in Basingstoke just half an hour down the road, so this will be farm shop number two. 

The middle of the store as well as selling biltong will also sell an assortment of fine wines and other liquors. 

"We have this lovely little cafe next door and then our landlord is also opening up a Morrisons just over from us," Mr De Beer said. 

"There's also going to be a barber shop next to that so a lot of stuff is happening. It's all going to be very different from what you usually see in the town."

Despite not having spoken to the cafe owners himself, Mr De Beer said that their opening will likely be this week, although this has not been confirmed.