March House Farm home page with clear call-to-actions
Project overview
For March House Farm, we created a full e‑commerce website with an integrated booking system so customers could quickly buy tickets farm events online from any device. The site is fully responsive, so it works cleanly on mobiles, tablets and desktops, and uses hosting tuned to cope with traffic surges from Neon Cherry’s summer marketing campaign.
Behind the scenes, we set things up so March House’s temporary summer staff can easily manage orders with QR scan check-in app, without needing complicated. This meant the site could go live on a tight turnaround, support a busy campaign period and then remain straightforward to run afterwards.
Booking system
For the Slip & Slide summer event, March House Farm needed a simple way for families to book their sessions online and get instant confirmation. We set up a dedicated event booking page where visitors could choose a date and time, pay securely, and receive digital tickets straight to their inbox.ardenweb
Each booking generates a unique QR code ticket, so on arrival staff only need to scan the code to check guests in via an app. This keeps queues moving, reduces paperwork, and makes it much easier to spot duplicate or reused tickets.
The booking system is fully mobile‑friendly, so parents can book from their phones while on the go. March House’s summer team can quickly see who is arriving when, manage capacity, and make last‑minute changes without needing technical help.
Family-friendly booking form with simple ticketing options
QR dynamic tickets mean dates and corrections can be made without re-issue
Ongoing support
As March House Farm’s events and marketing plans evolve, we keep the booking and ticket system up to date – adding new ticket types, adjusting capacity and refreshing content so the site always matches what’s happening on the farm.
This ongoing work sits within our website support plans, giving March House a single point of contact for updates, troubleshooting and new ideas as their Slip & Slide event and Farm Shop offering grow.
Thor Foods, a leading BRC AA-accredited supplier of frozen produce and specialist citrus fruit ingredients, partnered with Arden Web to create a modern, performance-optimised website that showcases their extensive product range and industry expertise.
The project leveraged cutting-edge AI-generated imagery combined with strategic WordPress development to deliver a lightweight, fast-loading website that exceeds industry standards for page speed.
The Challenge
Thor Foods needed a website that would:
Effectively showcase their diverse range of B2B food ingredients including IQF fruits, purees, concentrates, and fresh herbs
Communicate their position as a renowned specialist ingredient supplier to food manufacturers
Deliver fast page load times to improve user experience and search engine rankings
Maintain a professional, modern aesthetic that reflects their quality standards
Be easy to update and maintain without requiring extensive technical knowledge
Perform exceptionally well on Google Core Web Vitals metrics
Rather than using a bloated premium theme, we built the Thor Foods website on the WordPress default theme (Twenty Twenty-Four), ensuring a clean, lightweight foundation. This approach provided:
Minimal code bloat for faster load times
Better long-term compatibility with WordPress updates
Enhanced security through fewer third-party dependencies
Simplified maintenance and troubleshooting
Stackable Block Plugin for Flexibility
We implemented the Stackable page builder plugin to create custom layouts while maintaining exceptional performance. Stackable was chosen specifically for its:
Lightweight footprint (~7.8kb total CSS and JS in frontend)
Zero jQuery dependencies and no bloat
Optimisation for Core Web Vitals
Responsive design controls for perfect mobile experiences
Easy-to-use interface for the client team
AI-Generated Imagery
One of the most innovative aspects of this project was our extensive use of AI-generated imagery. This approach delivered multiple benefits:
Cost Efficiency: Professional food photography can be extremely expensive, especially for a diverse product range like Thor Foods offers. AI imagery eliminated the need for costly photoshoots while maintaining visual quality.
Brand Consistency: AI tools allowed us to create a cohesive visual style across all product categories, from citrus fruits to herb ingredients, ensuring brand consistency throughout the site.
Customisation: We generated bespoke images that perfectly matched the content requirements, showing products in ideal settings without the limitations of traditional photography.
Quick Iterations: Design revisions that would have required expensive re-shoots were completed in minutes, accelerating the design timeline.
Performance Optimisation Strategy
CDN Integration with Arden Web Hosting
The Thor Foods website is hosted on Arden Web’s premium WordPress hosting platform, which includes:
Built-in CDN: Content delivery network ensures fast load times globally by serving static assets from servers closest to each visitor
Automatic Image Optimisation: Images are automatically compressed and served in next-gen formats (WebP)
Server-level Caching: Advanced caching mechanisms reduce server load and improve response times
UK-based Infrastructure: Fast performance for Thor Foods’ primary UK market
Managed WordPress Updates: Ensuring security and performance improvements are automatically applied
Our development team implemented numerous technical optimisations:
Minified CSS and JavaScript files
Lazy loading for images and videos
Eliminated render-blocking resources
Optimised database queries
Implemented browser caching policies
Reduced HTTP requests through file concatenation
Preloading critical resources
Key Features Delivered
Product Showcase Pages
Dedicated sections for each product category:
IQF Fruits
Fruit Concentrates & Purees
Citrus Produce
Sauces and Curds
Fresh Herbs
Each category features AI-generated hero images and detailed product information optimised for search engines.
Search Functionality
Custom produce search allowing B2B customers to quickly find specific ingredients from Thor Foods’ extensive catalogue.
Technical Support Section
Dedicated area showcasing Thor Foods’ technical expertise and BRC AA accreditation, building trust with potential clients.
Blog Platform
WordPress blog functionality allowing Thor Foods to share industry insights, recipes, and product applications – supporting their content marketing strategy.
Results & Performance Metrics
Page Speed Excellence
The combination of WordPress default theme, Stackable blocks, optimised AI imagery, and Arden Web CDN hosting delivered outstanding results:
Desktop PageSpeed Score: 95+/100
Mobile PageSpeed Score: 85+/100
Time to First Byte: < 0.5 seconds
Largest Contentful Paint: < 2.5 seconds
Cumulative Layout Shift: < 0.1
These metrics place Thor Foods in the top tier of websites for performance, directly benefiting their search engine rankings and user experience.
User Experience Improvements
Clean, modern design that reflects Thor Foods’ professional standing
Intuitive navigation making it easy for B2B buyers to find products
Mobile-responsive design ensuring perfect display on all devices
Fast load times reducing bounce rates
Maintainability Benefits
The Thor Foods team can now:
Easily update product information using Stackable’s intuitive interface
Add new blog posts without technical knowledge
Modify page layouts with drag-and-drop functionality
Rest assured the site will remain compatible with WordPress updates
Why This Approach Works for B2B Websites
Speed Matters for B2B Conversions
Research from Google shows that 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load. For B2B websites like Thor Foods, where buyers are researching suppliers and comparing options, fast load times are essential for:
Keeping potential customers engaged
Improving search engine rankings
Demonstrating professionalism and technical competence
Supporting mobile buyers who may be researching on-the-go
AI Imagery Reduces Costs Without Sacrificing Quality
For ingredient suppliers and food businesses, the cost of professional photography can be prohibitive. AI-generated imagery provides:
Professional-quality visuals at a fraction of the cost
Complete creative control
Rapid iteration and revision capabilities
No ongoing licensing fees or usage restrictions
Lightweight Architecture Ensures Longevity
By building on WordPress core functionality rather than heavy premium themes, the Thor Foods website is:
Less likely to break with WordPress updates
Easier to maintain and troubleshoot
More secure with fewer third-party dependencies
Future-proof and scalable
Learning from This Project
The Thor Foods redesign demonstrates several key principles for modern web development:
Performance First: Prioritising speed from the foundation rather than trying to optimise a slow site later
If you’re looking for a website that combines stunning design, cutting-edge AI technology, and blasing-fast performance, Arden Web can help. We specialise in creating lightweight, high-performance WordPress websites that deliver real business results.
