Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, more famously known as The Black Farmer, has returned to Chippenham to provide jobs and open a farm shop.

It is almost 12 years since Mr Emmanuel-Jones stood in the 2010 election as the Conservative Party candidate for Chippenham. Although he lost, he’s now back.

 Wilfred, who founded The Black Farmer brand in 2004, has pledged to bring "substantial employment" to Chippenham, and the wider Wiltshire region, over the coming years.

The first step in his mission has been realised with the opening of his The Black Farmer fulfilment centre, which opened in March 2021 at Bumpers Farm.

A spokesman for Mr Emmanuel Jones said:“The fulfilment centre, which is at the heart of Wilfred’s thriving food, drink and lifestyle business, has been deliberately located to enable distribution anywhere in the country but, more importantly, to benefit the local community.

“The location has been specifically chosen by Wilfred to supply the local community with direct access to The Black Farmer produce, including the introduction of a Deliveroo service which delivers frozen goods to Chippenham residents, and to provide jobs in the area.

“The fulfilment centre’s establishment within the town has already begun to provide local employment, including work placement through the government’s Kickstarter scheme. The opportunities are due to increase as expansion plans for the centre get underway.”

Mr Emmanuel-Jones added: “Over the years, due in part to the Covid crisis, there has been huge growth in direct-to-consumer businesses. Chippenham is perfectly situated for distribution to anywhere in the country and setting up my fulfilment centre here means that I am able to work with local food suppliers who produce some of the finest produce in the country.”

Mr Emmanuel-Jones is now planning an online Black Farmer shop to “become the people of Wiltshire’s choice for great tasting quality foods.”

His spokesman said: “Wilfred hopes that by basing his first ever farm shop in Chippenham he will once again be embraced into the Wiltshire community, this time bringing his The Black Farmer experience and a host of employment opportunities with him.”

Mr Emmanuel-Jones added: “My farm shop will be like no other. It will be a destination where urban meets rural - a bridge for urban Britain, to give a better understanding of the rural way of life.

“Although I didn’t make it in politics, my hope is that, by basing my fulfilment centre here in Chippenham, and my future plans for growth in the county, I will contribute to the greater good for the people in Wiltshire.”