Around midday, parking spaces in front of the Hoffreunde’s wood-panelled shop are rather rare.

But not everyone comes because of the daily changing lunch menu, as a glance at the shopping baskets reveals.

Many visitors come to the Butzbach farm shop to stock up on meat and sausages, fruit and vegetables, soups in jars, dressed salads and fresh bread.

Some people even don't shy away from the route from Frankfurt.

The shop is conveniently located on the A5 motorway.

The goods are arranged around a counter: fruit and vegetables that the Hoffreunde, three young farmers from Butzbach, grow themselves, as well as articles that are made from them.

Products from the region complete the range, such as chocolate from Butzbach, coffee from Wetzlar and fresh eggs from Niddatal.

The wood with which the sales room is lined has also come a short way.

This is larch wood from the Sauerland, from trees that the bark beetle has attacked, as it says on the Internet.

The wood would have had to be felled anyway.

The customer pays more for something special

The three Hoffreunde are Stefan Zimmer, Jan Winter and Maximilian Reuhl.

They teamed up not long ago to jointly market everything that grows on their fields and what they produce in direct sales.

The Lindenhof contributes meaty things, such as pepper biters or crackers.

Packed Kassler or marinated carriage steak from straw pigs are in the refrigerator.

Rolled roasts, with cream cheese and dates or housewife style, are also available pre-packaged.

Frozen fruit, raspberries or strawberries are supplied by the Wetterauer Früchtchen company, which is known in the region for its strawberry and asparagus fields.

His range also includes fruit secco, juices and mulled wine.

Potatoes come from the Seefeldhof as the third provider.

The range has now been expanded in many directions, such as fresh potato gnocchi and bread dumplings or the "Kassenschlager", the homemade herb quark.

In addition, the Seefeldhof stocks a small refrigerated counter in which colorful salads, potato salad and other small items are offered daily as ready-made lunches.

Fruit and vegetables are priced at supermarket level.

But the customer also pays more for something special.

The farm butter with mountain flowers (180 grams), for example, costs 4 euros, the same amount of the popular herb quark in a glass 3.25 euros.

The changing lunch menus are priced at canteen level.

You pay 7.90 euros for a large portion of Asian potato soup with bread, which fills you up.

It starts at 6.30 in the morning, then breakfast is served, such as homemade sandwiches, muesli, yoghurt and fruit.

However, consumption is only possible outside, either at a covered standing counter or in a small wooden house.

In winter temperatures, both options are not very tempting.

But, who knows, maybe there are already plans to change and expand this.

Frankfurt customers would also be happy to accept a warm room.

Hoffreunde, farm shop, Am Seefeld 1, Butzbach;

Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.;

www.hoffreunde.com