A farm famed for its sausages and steaks is cooking up an ambitious plan.

As of next month Coddy’s Farm in Holmbridge will be opening an eight-bedroom hotel and farming education centre in a 170-year-old converted barn.

The hotel, which hopes to score a four-star luxury rating, opens on December 1.

And following a Defra grant, the barn will also serve as an education centre where guests can learn about livestock farming from ‘field to fork’.

This begins with a gammon curing session on December 3 where visitors can watch how the meat is preserved and cure their own gammon in time for Christmas.

The farm, which rears beef cows, sheep, pigs and laying hens, also hopes to offer three-day courses where guests can learn during their stay.

The barn, which was previously used as a sheep shed, has been fitted with energy saving measures such as ground source heating and will be powered by a wind turbine, subject to planning permission.

Lisa Colwill, who manages the 100-acre farm with her husband Andrew, said: “The barn needed repairing so we went for something to go with what we were doing already.

“We want there to be something for our children and we want to grow the business to employ local people.”