ONE of the secrets of success in business is the ability to move with the times and one Dales retailer has proved particularly fleet of foot.

For just as food fads come and go, so Country Harvest has kept one step ahead of changing trends and it is continuing to go from strength to strength after 10 years of trading.

Based on the A65 at Ingleton, Country Harvest was the brainchild of dairy farmers Richard Halhead and Mike and Liz Barker, who were seeking to diversity well before it became trendy to do so.

The idea was to supply local and passing customers with the very best of locally produced farm fresh food, from a wide variety of cheeses, bacon and sausages to a huge selection of pickles and jams.

Situated on the busy trans-Pennine route, at a former filling station just outside Ingleton, the business soon established a reputation for its vast array of fine foods, winning the Independent Cheese Retailer of the Year award in 1999.

But as supermarkets switched from a policy of piling it high and selling it cheap' to cater for more demanding tastes, so Country Harvest adapted by extending its craft, giftware and country clothing ranges. Non-food items now account for around half of everything that it stocks.

"With the arrival of supermarkets on either side of us in Kirkby Lonsdale and Settle, the swing away from more or less total dependence on food sales has proved fortuitous," said director Richard Halhead.

"The fact that we adapted and changed and played to our strengths and dropped our weaknesses ensured the survival of a fledgling business. That was the secret behind our success."

The business continues to source products, both food and non-food, locally wherever possible and is always on the look-out for fresh ideas at trade fairs.

It's proved a recipe for success that others are keen to repeat elsewhere, with Country Harvest receiving inquiries from people interested in running franchise operations in Oxfordshire and the North East.

The partners spent two years at the planning stage before starting the business, and the idea of forming similar ventures elsewhere appeals to them. "We have the knowledge and the suppliers. We could just repeat the formula in another place," said Mr Halhead.

Two years ago, the partners extended the premises to create more retail space and an enlarged coffee shop.

So why do customers keep returning to Country Harvest, which employs a dozen full and part-time staff? "The feel-good factor brings people back again," he said. "We have very friendly staff, they enjoy coming here and it's a pleasurable experience."