A sister and brother team are celebrating the opening of a farm shop stocking shooting, equestrian and countryside goods.

Forelock & Load, based at Barrow, near Bury St Edmunds, opened at the start of the month following a six month restoration project on an ancient 16th century barn at the Johnstons’ family farm.

The shop, which stocks clothing and equipment for shooting, horse riding and country pursuits, is the brainchild of sister and brother Kirstie and Nick Johnston.

“The barn was in rack and ruin and we’ve breathed life back into a glorious 16th Century Suffolk Trafalgar framed threshing barn,” said Kirstie, its equestrian sales manager, who has trialled and tested most of the equestrian range.

She added that they felt “humbled, grateful, and absolutely delighted” by the volume of people who came out to support the opening of the new diversification.

“It was beyond all expectations,” she said.

“The public’s reaction to the building and range the stock was fabulous.”

Nick said they had been “overwhelmed” by the local support.

“We’ve been humbled by the reaction to the shop. It’s been an awesome few weeks and so many great people have got behind us and are supporting our dream,” said Kirstie.

Read all about Nick’s efforts to restore and transform the barn in next Saturday’s Farming Insight supplement inside the East Anglian Daily Times.