A Yorkshire farmer has converted a potato warehouse into an indoor court for the world’s fastest growing sport after low returns prompt diversification
A Yorkshire potato grower has converted a warehouse into a court for the fast-growing racket sport Padel after not receiving enough returns on crops.
Callum Stark, who farms 3,000 acres at Fridlington Farms in North Yorkshire, told the BBC that “we weren’t getting paid enough for the potatoes”.
Naming his new venture Padel Farm York, Stark said courts are already fully booked. According to the website, the site also offers outdoor seating, a coffee bar and Padel coaching, with furniture made from pallets retaining a rustic farm atmosphere.
Padel, a combination of tennis and squash, is the world’s fastest growing sport. But its popularity has seen prices of court hire in cities and larger towns rise sharply, as demand outpaces supply of facilities.
“It was just ‘what can I do with the space’ and padel was the fastest growing sport and we’re very lucky as we’re the first indoor courts in the York area,” Stark told the BBC.
