A magnificent two storey food hall has put an award-winning farm shop into a whole new league.

The Granary at Mainsgill has created 11,000 sq ft of extra space and - thanks to highly skilled, mostly local craftsmen and suppliers - oozes quality throughout.

The central 28 metre refrigerated deli counter is direct from Venice and is the only one of its kind in the North of England - it is the pride and joy of Maria Henshaw, who visited the production facility with husband, Andrew.

"I love it," she said," All the other refrigeration units are from the same suppliers and the Italian engineers came to see that they were installed correctly."

Mr and Mrs Henshaw designed the extension themselves and are thrilled with the outcome. "We haven't slept for months, we designed it in our minds and you can't switch off when you do that," said Maria.

"We are so tired, but very proud of what has been achieved, it is exactly what we pictured. When I think this all started with us knocking on doors selling sausages so we did not lose the farm . . . it is amazing to have this."

The Henshaw's moved to the then 57 acre farm from Lancashire in 1995 to fatten pigs and rear beef and dairy replacements. But BSE hit the dairy sector and Blue Ear the pig sector. To earn some income, they began making sausages and literally knocked on doors asking people to try them.

They and the beef proved so successful that the couple decided to open a farm shop which has grown into today's impressive business which includes its own team of butchers and bakers and around 50 staff on site. The farm has also grown extensively and provides all the meat for the shop and tea rooms.

The 3,000 plus customers a week can still enjoy the extensive cafe facilities but now have a spacious, airy, food hall to shop in which continues to feature food from many local producers as well as clothing, textiles, bags and china.

The extension opened on time on Saturday, November 1 - exactly six months after work began. " It surprised quite a few people," said Mrs Henshaw, "including those working on it - but when we set a deadline we meet it!"

They are full of praise for the companies and craftsmen involved. Much of the stone and brickwork has been reclaimed along with the huge timbers.

The stone floor is made from paving stones which were Stockton High Street, the bricks are from a 300 year-old derelict farm building near Carlisle, a total of 557ft of stone and coping stones came from a reservoir wall and huge timbers from a saw mill at Appleby.

There is much detailed work on the stone, wood work and custom built furniture and great care has gone into the large glazed areas - one of which looks across green fields to Kirkby Hill Church which stands in the centre of the window.

The building and the rest of the farm is now fuelled by a biomass boiler installed by Duncan Renewables which uses woodchip from Ed Milbank's Pennine Biomass operations at nearby Barningham.

Companies involved in The Granary included Grove Reed Joinery, Bishop Auckland; Aztec Stone and Reclamations, Coundon; Prices Paving, Snape; Phoenix Building Maintenance, Reeth; Fall Timber, Bedale; S&A Fabrications, Barnard Castle; CW Watson Windows, Barnard Castle; Usher Refrigeration Services, Darlington; Imoon Lighting, Manchester; Duncan Renwables, Tockwith; and Thomas Watson Auctioneers, Darlington.

"They have all been so good," said Mr Henshaw, " This has put us into a totally different league, it is a food exhibition hall - an experience."