When tenants shut their MOT workshop at Goran Raven’s forecourt in Abridge in Essex 10 months ago, the Shell dealer had an empty building which needed renovation and a new purpose.
And so he was delighted when his 19-year-old daughter wanted to use the space to launch an animal feed hub, serving hundreds of horses in the area as well as dogs, and other pets.
The 2,153sq ft building, next door to the forecourt’s Budgens store, needed a complete overhaul with a new roof, shelving and layout, to create Raven’s Animal Feed. It is due to open its doors with a grand opening on Saturday, August 9.
Ljiljana Raven, a keen equestrian, will be the fifth generation to work at the forecourt business, enthuses Goran Raven. “She can learn how to run a small business before taking the reins of Raven’s Budgens,” says Raven, who also has an older son, who is not currently interested in pursuing a career with his family.
“The stars aligned. The tenants said they were not making enough money and were retiring. And it means that Ljiljana can learn to run a business on a smaller scale, and so if there any mistakes they will be smaller, and once she has handled that she can move onto the forecourt,” adds Raven.
Raven’s Animal feed is also a natural fit with the petrol filling station, with parking for customers’ vehicles to transport the heavier feed and bedding. “We are surrounded by fields with five big livery yards, with a total of 300 to 400 horses, within five minutes,” he says.
The business has already built a loyalty app, and is constructing a website, and with no other outlet like it within an hour and a half drive, customers, excited by the venture, are already engaging on Facebook.
The stock will be equine and canine centred, with 1.8 kilo buckets of horse pick and mix and feeding trugs, Nutriment and Naked Dog frozen raw food, supplements and shampoo. More unusually there will be food for goats, and lamas, and rabbit salads in an edible coconut leaf basket.
The next step will be to introduce deliveries, which Raven is hoping Booker will allow on the Scoot delivery platform, which he services with a van.
