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The Lunch Discussion at the 2026 Royal Cheshire Show · The Discussion Podcast

0:00
This is the Late Late Lunch Show with Rod Maxwell, supported by
0:05
Happy New Year!
0:07
Child-led learning in nature's playground.
0:11
So it's coming to the end of day two at the Royal Cheshire Show
0:14
and I've managed to meet a man who's very very busy
0:17
and whose family and brand and farm is very central to this.
0:22
It's Ray Brown from Biddley. Ray, how are you?
0:26
Fantastic. We've had a couple of really good days at the show
0:29
and very busy days. In fact the show's been a really busy show.
0:34
There's been lots of visitors which is really good.
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But yes, Biddley have been very busy in a number of different places really
0:44
because we show cattle which we've done for many many years.
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In fact I've shown cattle at the Cheshire Show ever since I was five years old.
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I can distinctly remember a cow when a photograph was taken of it
0:57
jumping over onto my toe.
1:00
So it's not the best memory I've got of starting with Cheshire Show
1:05
but I think I've been there every year the show's been on since then.
1:09
So yeah, no, it has some really happy memories
1:12
and it's amazing how the show's evolved for me
1:16
and for the brand we've got now, Biddley, which is
1:20
it's a brand which we've had for over 100 years really
1:24
because that's our herd prefix.
1:27
And that's evolved tremendously over the last six years really
1:32
because not only do we show cows now
1:35
but we also have various stands such as
1:41
so we make our own ice cream and we process our own milk
1:46
and do our own butter and we do butter making demonstrations
1:50
and cheese, Biddley Blue Cheese is a gold award winner.
1:55
So it's all evolved a lot but we do a lot more on the educational side now
2:02
so encouraging the young ones to come and understand really
2:08
what can be made from these really nutritious products such as milk
2:13
and all the dairy products we can derive from the milk
2:17
which is, it's great, it's rewarding, it's tiring
2:23
as a family we're all very much involved
2:26
we've got 19 family members involved in it
2:29
as well as an awful lot of other helpers
2:33
but it is very rewarding.
2:36
And I'm glad you said about Biddley as a brand
2:40
because I think that's what it is, you know
2:44
the Biddley brand is put to so many things
2:47
like the ice cream, obviously the farm
2:49
also now Biddley gin and vodka I believe.
2:52
Yes, that's another thing we just started this year
2:56
is the gin and vodka and that's going really well actually
3:00
we've just hit on a really good taste for very fondness
3:05
it seems to be going very well
3:07
we're just trying out making some rum now as well.
3:12
For me the story behind that is not just the product
3:15
and the quality of the product
3:16
but the fact that you're sponsoring, you're supporting a young lad of 19
3:20
who is running that business
3:22
and I've just sat with him and talked to him
3:25
and the maturity of him and the knowledge
3:28
shone through and that for me is what you're about
3:32
and what the family's about, the farm is about
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is encouraging young people.
3:36
Yes, that's something we decided quite early on
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that it wasn't possible for us to do everything ourselves
3:45
we have some pretty innovative ideas as a family
3:50
but we need to take people on board to act as partners
3:54
so we start partnerships up
3:56
and that's really working well
3:59
giving young people the opportunity
4:01
to actually be a partner in the business
4:06
and of course it doesn't put any more pressure on the family members
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which is, well to say no more pressure is perhaps an understatement
4:13
but not as much pressure on the family
4:16
so, yes so far that's really going very well
4:20
and things are really like as well
4:22
we've got the dairy, the Biddley dairy at Holmes Chapel there
4:30
and other things that have evolved
4:33
we've got a zoo on site
4:35
which is a place, a destination for children to come to
4:40
we seem to attract quite a lot of younger people
4:45
but also older people as well
4:47
we've got a Bulls pitch
4:52
which started off just a couple of years ago
4:56
with half a dozen people wondering if we could set a tournament up
5:00
and now it's up to about 80 members
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and instead of just being on a Monday morning
5:05
it's every morning and now they're wanting to have games in the afternoon as well
5:11
and these are people that have retired
5:15
and just wanting something to do really
5:18
and they find it's a great game to be able to play
5:23
it's very competitive actually
5:26
and it was raining quite hard the other day
5:31
but everybody still turned up because they wanted a coffee and a chat
5:34
Can I ask you, because I know you've got the Men in Sheds thing that you do as well
5:40
Yes, that's gone very well
5:41
You've got a number of community things that you sponsor and support
5:45
where does that come from?
5:47
Is that in the family?
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Has that always been there?
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And why is that important to you?
5:53
Working with the community has always been there
5:56
as a family we're very involved in the village
5:59
and we're very passionate about our local village fate
6:05
and we're very involved in that
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which is coming up in a couple of weeks time
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and so we've always really been involved in the local community
6:14
and that's what's really quite exciting for us
6:19
is that we're adding to that really
6:22
we've created a destination for those people
6:25
hopefully this year I'm wanting to put a footpath in
6:29
so the people of Gooshree can walk across to the farm
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rather than having to go round by the road
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There is a footpath in at present
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from one side of the village we'd like to put another one in
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on the other side to create a bit of a nice walk
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So yeah there's lots of things cropping up like that
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and of course it enhances the business at the same time
6:53
but it's nice that people are seeing the benefits of it
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and enjoying it along with us as well
7:03
Can I ask you about the farming industry
7:06
because you look around the show
7:08
and what it says to me is it shows innovation
7:12
it shows technology
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it shows advancement in productivity
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and trying to get as much out of a farm as possible
7:21
but it's all costs
7:23
and machinery is expensive
7:25
we're seeing tractors at 150,000 plus
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and lots of expensive machinery
7:30
but the price to the farmer
7:33
the price of the product
7:35
doesn't seem to be representing that
7:37
it seems like it's a real challenge in the industry at the moment
7:41
It's a massive issue actually
7:44
and it's one which is hard to get around
7:49
and no control
7:52
I mean the reason we've done what we've done really
7:55
is that at least we have a little bit more say in the products
7:59
and if we innovate we're not letting it
8:02
let that money go straight to the supermarkets
8:06
and we're innovating
8:10
but you're right in what you say with
8:13
the price of machinery and stuff
8:16
we've got to have those machines
8:19
we can't do the field work without them
8:23
and everything's become more expensive
8:25
to produce that product
8:28
and we produce it to such a high standard in this country
8:32
we have to
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to get the insurances that we've been set to
8:38
what's quite worrying
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especially with the talk of renegotiating
8:46
on the Brexit situation
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is the uncertainty that that puts amongst farmers
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we're just getting used to
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being out of Europe
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and we're just getting used to having our own
9:01
rules and regulations that suit ourselves
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and high standards that suit ourselves
9:06
and then we're talking about watering it down
9:09
and letting products come in from abroad
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that aren't up to our standards
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which is very frustrating really
9:18
when it's competing on the shelves with our products
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but there's no question about it
9:27
I should imagine the borrowing amongst farmers
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has never been higher
9:34
and that in itself is an issue
9:39
making sure that that can be repaid
9:42
but it's also
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that's a massive
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the banks see farming because of the assets
9:51
farms have always been asset rich and cash poor
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but we can't actually release those assets
10:01
you have no farm?
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we need to carry on having that land to farm
10:06
so it's a vicious circle
10:08
and the government haven't got that at all
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they don't understand
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and the idea of the inheritance tax that they had
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just shows how naive the government were
10:20
to how farming is working
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we can't farm without land
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and we can't pay those taxes
10:30
if we don't sell the land
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so it's a ridiculous situation
10:34
why they came out with that
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without thinking it through better
10:39
unfortunately it seems to be
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the theme of quite a few things they've come out with
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but we do need to think
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of a longer term situation
10:50
a longer term security
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food security for the country
10:55
I actually think
10:57
that the consumer needs to know more
11:00
of what's going into the price
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of what they're paying
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I almost think that inside of a bottle of milk
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you should see the price the farmer gets
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the price that the manufacturer gets
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and within the price that the farmer gets
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how much is spent on diesel
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how much is spent on farm machinery
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how much is spent on meal
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and actually how much of that £1.30
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whatever it is a litre
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is actually going into their pockets
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and I think people might be a wee bit surprised
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at how low that line is
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shocked, I'm sure they'd be very shocked
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to see how far in the line
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for the amount of effort and work
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and input financially
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to put that bottle on the shelves
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the percentage that the farmer puts into that
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compared to the processor and the retailer
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would shock the general public
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It's just as well farming is a passion
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as much as it is a business, isn't it?
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It is, you know
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we're all very motivated
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I still do over 100 hours a week
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I can well imagine
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I start at quarter to three every morning
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and
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but I love the job
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we've got a family that are all very passionate
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as well
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if I hadn't got
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the next generation coming through
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like a lot of my friends
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then I can well understand
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why they want to sell
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and get out of it
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while they can
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so there will be
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a big shake-up coming
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because a lot of the next generation
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are saying
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OK, we like farming
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but I'm not going to work like you work
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and they back out of it
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so there will be a big shake-up
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there will be a situation where
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there will be a lack of people wanting to do it
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I'm pretty confident
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very confident in fact that whatever the shake-up is
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Biddley will still be there
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I'm hoping so
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It's good to see you sir
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Thank you very much
13:02
You're listening to the Late Late Lunch show
13:04
with Back to the Garden Childcare
13:06
where little explorers
13:08
grow naturally
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Now I'm still here at the
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Royal Cheshire County show
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and I'm with the chairman
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this is John Norbury, good afternoon John
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Hi, you OK?
13:20
Chairman of the AgCentre
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Chairman of the AgCentre?
13:24
Yes, of the Biddley AgCentre
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And what does that mean to everybody else?
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We try and promote
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what happens in our culture in real life
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to the public
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so we do sheep shearing demonstrations
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milking demonstrations
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calf feeding, butter making
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butchery demonstrations
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All in this one big tent?
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All in this one big marquee
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Lots of other things going on as well
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I know that there's
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a gin making as well
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starting?
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Yes, obviously Biddley
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Dairy are the biggest sponsors
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of the marquee
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that's why it's called the Biddley AgCentre
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quite rightly so
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and they have a gin distillery now
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so that's been
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a nice added bonus
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to it
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for the first year
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and they had to go back
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for more supplies yesterday
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The 19 year old lad is running it now?
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Yes, young Sam does a great job
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good promotion
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nice tasting gin
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Oh you had a go?
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Yes, I had it for
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obviously purposes
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Of course, just to satisfy you
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Now how long have you been chairman?
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This is my third year
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And over these three years have you noticed any changes?
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or have you implemented any changes?
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We haven't made too many changes
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because my theory is
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if it's not broke, don't mend it
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but
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the public seem to be getting more
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and more involved
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asking more and more questions
14:58
they want to know where their food comes from
15:00
you know, food miles
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and they're more
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interested
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in just going to the supermarket
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and picking up a shelf
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They're more astute now aren't they?
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Yes, very much so
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I know it's on packages and what have you
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but when you get down to talking to people like yourself
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and real farmers
15:20
it's where the roots are
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Yes, that's right
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On the butchery demonstration
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Maisy comes along
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with a side of beef
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carrying a side of beef over his shoulder
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and
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people would have pulled their noses
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and faces up at that
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but that's the reality of
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where it's coming from
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the beef are grass-reared
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again
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not been far
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Brookhouse Farm
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is butchered on the site
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and so
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it's honest food
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It's all here
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What's the demonstration? She's really good
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She's very good
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and also the explanation at the time
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why she's cutting it, where she's cutting it
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I like to think I know quite a bit
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about farming but I've learnt
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a hell of a lot
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and again
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the sheep shearing
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the sheep are grazed on the
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show ground
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so they're taken off
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while we build the show
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they're fetched back here
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to be shorn
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once we've got rid of all these marquees
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There's a huge fleece
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on that fence over there isn't there?
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So that's not done today
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Putting the show ground together
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is it a year's worth of work here?
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In the show office
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there's people working
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full time
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because they have other events on the show ground
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we try and promote
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the show ground as much as we can
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It's a great venue
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in the middle of the Cheshire countryside
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It's a brilliant venue isn't it?
17:00
So it can be utilised
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for other events
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As far as the show's concerned
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they have a great gang
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of farmers who
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put on the show
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and we go from a bare field
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maybe
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three weeks ago
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to what we've got
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today and yesterday
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which is a massive
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undertaking
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A hell of a lot of volunteers
17:28
It's a lot of work isn't it?
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A lot of work
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I'm quite glad that I only have the little bit
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of the AgCentre to worry about
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You just sign things off do you?
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Yeah
17:40
I call upon those lads to help me
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erecting pens
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and thinking
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what else can we do this year
17:48
Well there's lots of pens
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we're watching the balls being
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checked out about
17:54
a couple of hours ago now
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followed by the cows in the next pen
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It just goes on and on doesn't it?
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One show after another
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It really works
18:04
It's great
18:06
I'm very biased towards
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the Royal Cheshire show
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I've been involved since it
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got reinvented
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in 1977
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just showing my age
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I've been involved every year
18:20
since and I think it's
18:22
just by the numbers
18:24
that come, it just shows that
18:26
the public are really
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aware and want to know
18:30
about our culture
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How many people are expecting through in the last two days?
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I'd say between 70-80,000
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That's a lot
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It's good numbers
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And there's enough to entertain them here
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You've got a huge funfair for the children
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Yeah, you've got plenty
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going on, you could spend days
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looking round
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The horse section is massive
18:52
The dog section
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We've got the countryside
18:56
The cattle
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showing
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which are some of the best cattle
19:02
in the country
19:04
As I say, we were watching them before
19:06
You've got horse of the year
19:08
qualifiers for the show
19:10
cattle for the shires
19:12
And the young kids
19:14
are riding the horses as well
19:16
The pony games are unbelievable
19:18
They're so fast on those
19:20
Very competitive
19:22
You wouldn't catch me on one
19:24
As I say, lots of
19:26
people to do
19:28
If you missed it this year, it's the second or third week of June
19:30
next year?
19:32
Yep, should be the third
19:34
The chairman of the
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Occult Society, David Leitch
19:38
will go mad because I haven't got the date
19:40
in my head
19:42
but I'm sure after our next committee meeting we will have
19:44
You've done a fantastic
19:46
job putting all this together
19:48
and we've spoken to a few, myself
19:50
and Rob, and we'll put this out
19:52
on Radio Alty next week
19:54
Lovely talking to you John
19:56
Cheers
19:58
So down here at the Royal Cheshire Show
20:00
I've come across a new
20:02
product, a new
20:04
drink, linked with a
20:06
brand that we know well, it's Biddley Distillery
20:08
from the guys at Biddlery
20:10
and they're distilling vodka
20:12
and gin, and I'm down here
20:14
with Sam
20:16
and what's your role in all of this then?
20:18
So I actually do everything
20:20
from making the branding that you see
20:22
on the bottle, to making the recipes
20:24
then to distilling the gin and the vodka
20:26
themselves, to then the back end
20:28
accounting, I do the whole package really
20:30
that's what they get from me
20:32
So who came up with the idea of linking Biddley
20:34
with distilling?
20:36
It was actually quite funny because
20:38
it was my mum, my dad and myself
20:40
we were sat in the lounge at home
20:42
and they drink a lot of gin
20:44
and we thought, you know, we drink so much
20:46
we should actually make our own
20:48
so then, genuinely, we were like, how could we start?
20:50
So we started thinking about it
20:52
we were like, where could we get a business
20:54
that would help us, and then
20:56
we were already friends with Ray
20:58
and Jill, we always helped out at the farm
21:00
and then we just put two and two together
21:02
and then we started
21:04
setting up the distillery, we approached them
21:06
and they said yeah, we'd love to be part of it
21:08
and then we shared a premises
21:10
and just shared the business
21:12
and we've had great success so far, so I hope it continues
21:14
So, what's the
21:16
basis of making
21:18
a good gin? I know there's the botanicals
21:20
there's certain ingredients
21:22
what's the key to Biddley gin
21:24
for example? I would say the key for us
21:26
is being authentic
21:28
by putting just the botanicals that you see
21:30
so our dry gin, for example
21:32
only has six botanicals
21:34
there's no additives, flavourings
21:36
colourings, we basically run it
21:38
on a no-nonsense program
21:40
if it doesn't need to be there, why should it be there?
21:42
we want the products to be just as authentic
21:44
as the people that are involved
21:46
we don't want to be
21:48
putting out things that are
21:50
not designed to be there
21:52
so all of our distills are from real fruits
21:54
real berries, real roots
21:56
and herbs, and we don't want to have
21:58
anything artificial, and I'm going to try
22:00
and stick to that, in fact I will stick to that
22:02
the whole time I've got the distillery
22:04
And what's the actual liquor part
22:06
as a raw ingredient
22:08
what is that in gin?
22:10
what do you use as the liquid, if you like?
22:12
So right now, we use
22:14
a neutral grain spirit
22:16
it's made from British grains such as
22:18
wheat, malted barley
22:20
rye, but in the future
22:22
we are trying to make it out of the whey
22:24
so to do with
22:26
the cheese processing, they skim
22:28
off the whey from the milk which holds a lot of sugar
22:30
so eventually we want to
22:32
take that sugar, be able to ferment it
22:34
turn it into alcohol and use that
22:36
as our base, but because we're so new, we've only been
22:38
distilling for about 6 months
22:40
we've started with a neutral base
22:42
And from the moment you distill gin
22:44
how long is it before
22:46
it's drinkable?
22:48
So our actual distillation
22:50
takes one day from
22:52
turning the still on, we macerate
22:54
24 hours before that, so that's 2 days
22:56
and then over a process of
22:58
about 2 weeks, we bring the ABV
23:00
down
23:02
so it starts at about 80, then we bring it
23:04
down to about 40% ABV
23:06
and then we'll submit for testing
23:08
at various ABVs, and then once
23:10
we're happy with it, that's when we go, about 2
23:12
weeks in total. And I guess it's
23:14
a mixture of science
23:16
a bit of craft, a bit of art
23:18
and obviously a lot of business as well
23:20
Yeah, absolutely, so
23:22
my family's always been a science based family
23:24
my dad is a physicist, and so is
23:26
my brother, my grandad was a chemist
23:28
and I loved chemistry at school, so that's how
23:30
I've been able to just jump straight in
23:32
and be extremely passionate about it
23:34
I've always loved business, so it just tied
23:36
really well together, mum and dad like the gin
23:38
and I've always been around it as a kid, you know
23:40
oh son, will you go and make me a gin and tonic
23:42
or whatever, and that's how it started
23:44
and then instantly I was able to jump in and realise
23:46
I was passionate about it from the get go
23:48
and I still am, and I always will be, I absolutely
23:50
love what I do. Can I say, you look mighty
23:52
young
23:54
for running any business, but
23:56
what age are you?
23:58
So I am 19 now, I started
24:00
the business when I was 18 years old
24:02
I was studying A levels at the same
24:04
time as
24:06
studying also for this
24:08
and then at the end of last year in October
24:10
just before we launched to the public
24:12
I turned 19
24:14
so yeah, I'm 19 here sat with you today
24:16
You're not 19 forever anyway, and
24:18
you're a businessman, and Biddley Gin
24:20
is now available, where can people get it?
24:22
So they can buy it from our shop
24:24
at the cafe on site at the dairy
24:26
We've got a couple pubs
24:28
where they serve it behind the bar
24:30
and a nice gin and tonic that you can
24:32
enjoy, that's in
24:34
Goosetree, Holmes Chapel and Nutsford
24:36
We sell at Lowe's Farm Shop
24:38
by the Bottle, a place in Nutsford
24:40
called Dexter and Jones by the Bottle
24:42
and that's it so far really
24:44
Well done, that's a great story
24:46
Thank you so much Ron, it was great to chat
24:48
So I came out and I saw
24:50
a lovely lorry, and I
24:52
am very attracted to a lovely lorry
24:54
and then I met some lovely people from Bowdoins
24:56
and I've seen
24:58
their lorries on the road a lot, and I didn't
25:00
know what they did, and I've come and spoken to
25:02
Rosie, and Rosie there's a couple of different
25:04
sides to your business, tell me what you do
25:06
Yeah, so there's
25:08
two sides of the business, so we have
25:10
the animal bedding side, which is what
25:12
we're showcasing today, so we're showcasing
25:14
our, all of our product range
25:16
but mainly the smart
25:18
horse shavings, which are
25:20
our soft wood, kiln
25:22
dried, dust extractor shavings
25:24
Soft wood
25:26
kiln dried, that sounds like a
25:28
continental quilt
25:30
Yeah, well it's
25:32
very technical you know, these shavings, very
25:34
technical, and then
25:36
we've also got the wood recycling side
25:38
of the business, so we
25:40
take in any
25:42
basically any scrap wood, so if you
25:44
throw away your wardrobe
25:46
at the local tip, we would then
25:48
collect that, and
25:50
we are reprocessing it
25:52
into wood chip, which we then sell
25:54
to power stations for burning
25:56
So, traditionally
25:58
people looking
26:00
after horses would have bedded them down
26:02
in straw, I guess
26:04
Why are people moving to
26:06
shavings now?
26:08
I mean, shavings
26:10
have always been a
26:12
good bedding, but
26:14
I mean, everyone's got personal
26:16
preferences, they all like them for different
26:18
reasons, but the wood
26:20
shavings provide a very
26:22
clean bed
26:24
When I say kiln dried
26:26
they're actually
26:28
heated to such a high temperature
26:30
so that it kills any bacteria in there
26:32
Obviously straw is more of a natural
26:34
product, so you tend to get more bacteria
26:36
within your straw bed
26:38
That's one reason, but
26:40
obviously it could be for any other reason
26:42
For example, they like the look of
26:44
a bed with shavings in it, so if it's
26:46
just nice and fluffy and white
26:48
it looks better than a straw bed
26:50
or, you know, different things
26:52
It depends on the horse as well
26:54
You're a Cheshire-based business, are you?
26:56
We're based in Manchester, we have a site in Macclesfield
26:58
as well, so yeah, we're north-west
27:00
And would most of your customers be
27:02
looking after
27:04
horses or
27:06
I know farmers are bedding
27:08
down cattle that are indoors
27:10
in chippings
27:12
as well? Yes
27:14
Well, we sell to everybody
27:16
We're selling to
27:18
we actually do some smaller bales into retailers
27:20
so obviously
27:22
some of the supermarkets will be taking
27:24
smaller bales for pets
27:26
animals
27:28
bigger animals, sorry, like you just said
27:30
cattle, we sell sodas for
27:32
cubicles in the dairy sector
27:34
as well, so we basically cover
27:36
any wood-based animal
27:38
bedding. So from hamsters to horses
27:40
basically? Basically, yes
27:42
And tell me, the show
27:44
you're here most years, are you?
27:46
No, so we
27:48
haven't done the Cheshire show
27:50
we haven't done a trade stand at the
27:52
Cheshire show for many
27:54
many years
27:56
We were actually invited
27:58
here, I believe
28:00
they're trying to grow the show and
28:02
get more trade stands, so we're really
28:04
just supporting them
28:06
Obviously it's good for us to get out there
28:08
and showcase
28:10
let's do a lot more of the
28:12
trade shows
28:14
like the NEC and that kind of thing
28:16
but this is just totally different and we thought we'd give it a go
28:18
Well, you've got a very lovely display
28:20
and it looks very impressive
28:22
so lovely to speak to you
28:24
Yeah, thanks very much
28:26
You're listening to the Late Late Lunch show
28:28
Back to the Garden Childcare
28:30
where little explorers grow naturally
28:32
Back to the Garden!
28:34
Hi, it's Ken and I'm still here
28:36
at the Royal Cheshire County show
28:38
Absolutely brilliant day
28:40
A bit cloudy, but very mild
28:42
and breezy, so great atmosphere
28:44
lots and lots of people here
28:46
I've just spoken to this gentleman and you are called?
28:48
Hi, I'm Robert
28:50
Hi Robert, so this is Robert from, let's have it
28:52
Taylor Contracting
28:54
Well done, right, so we've just been talking
28:56
about what you do, and it's fencing
28:58
and it's not sword
29:00
Not sword fencing, it is
29:02
putting wooden posts in the ground
29:04
and fencing that, we do gardens
29:06
as well, we do a lot of
29:08
agricultural fencing
29:10
for stock, we do post and rail for horses
29:12
and the equine side of it
29:14
We do a lot of
29:16
grant work through
29:18
Bait Rural
29:20
Ah, this is Sam, I just spoke to
29:22
This is Sam, so we do a lot of hedge planting as well
29:24
through the winter
29:26
Yeah, just busy
29:28
It's a busy thing, isn't it?
29:30
What is this fencing business all about?
29:32
We see fields and fields without any fencing
29:34
So how do you come into it?
29:36
Well, farmers will
29:38
ring us up and say we need this field fenced
29:40
and especially now with these grants
29:42
and the
29:44
grant schemes and the SFIs
29:46
that are in from the government to keep
29:48
protecting hedges, so they need a fence
29:50
in front of the hedges, so then the birds
29:52
can have a happy life
29:54
in the nice thick hedge that we are going to protect
29:56
Ah, these are the hedges we all pulled out
29:58
and threw away? Yes, and now we're putting them
30:00
back in
30:02
and then obviously it keeps us livestock
30:04
in a closed
30:06
field, so it's easier for the farmer
30:08
instead of running around acres and acres
30:10
So how long have you been working with them then?
30:12
I've been working with Pete for six years
30:14
on and off
30:16
And Pete's the man that's roaming around the field somewhere
30:18
Yes, he's somewhere
30:20
He's always off on his phone doing
30:22
business
30:24
So he says
30:26
And on a day to day basis
30:28
do you take orders through Catherine?
30:30
Yes
30:32
Catherine sat next to you and she won't come on
30:34
but she runs the place from the office
30:36
She's the office secretary
30:38
so
30:40
between her and Pete she'll tell us where we need to go
30:42
and it's quite easy because most jobs
30:44
are big jobs so we're always there
30:46
You might be there for two weeks on one job
30:48
because there might be a thousand, two thousand
30:50
metres of fencing to do
30:52
in just one place
30:54
And this is all normally in Cheshire and a bit of Leeds?
30:56
No, we go everywhere
30:58
Cheshire, the Wirral
31:02
I've been up in Preston just recently
31:04
Where else?
31:06
Staffordshire, Shropshire
31:08
And at the moment there's two guys doing
31:10
a lot of feather board
31:12
in London for a company we work with as well
31:14
Oh wow, that's something rather big isn't it
31:16
So on a day to day basis you go out on the road
31:18
and say we need a fence here
31:20
Do you get the staff in then?
31:22
Well there's all the staff
31:24
anyway so we just go and crack on and do it
31:26
Right
31:28
It's quite simple, you knock a post in
31:30
and move on and knock another post in
31:32
You're saying knock a post in, there's a huge machine
31:34
I'm looking at here, a big black thing
31:36
and that's not knocking a post in, that's like drilling for oil
31:38
Yeah, no, it's a very handy piece of kit
31:40
Isn't it?
31:42
Yeah, it'll knock
31:44
ten foot, twelve foot
31:46
posts into the ground, all the way in the ground
31:48
if you really wanted it to
31:50
And you probably could get oil
31:52
Yeah, you probably could get oil
31:54
It's a very handy piece of kit
31:56
It's big isn't it, because to me knocking it
31:58
with a hammer and that's it, that's not the way to do it
32:00
No, that's definitely not the way to do it now
32:02
Right, so you drag this into the middle of a field
32:04
and then carry on, is that how you do it?
32:06
Yeah, drive it in, it's on tracks
32:08
obviously you can see there, and you just track it
32:10
to where you want it, put a post in, knock it in
32:12
and off you go
32:14
Very handy piece of equipment isn't it
32:16
It saves you quite a lot of labour
32:18
Yeah, it saves a lot of labour
32:20
So on an average build, is it a week's work
32:22
or a couple of days?
32:24
It just depends on how much fencing we're going to do
32:26
at that one job
32:28
It might be 60 metres, or it might be 600 metres
32:30
you just don't know
32:32
So it's up to Pete to get the business in
32:34
and you to do the donkey work
32:36
And we do the donkey work
32:38
So you're off to where now?
32:40
Where's the next job?
32:42
I don't really know where the next job is
32:44
Finish job in Preston
32:46
Steve will finish in Stafford, Shropshire Way
32:48
wherever he is
32:50
And then I don't really know where we're going next
32:52
we just get told
32:54
You'll have a cold flab and you go again
32:56
You go in this place now and start there
32:58
And it's all types of weather as well I take it
33:00
Yeah, never stop
33:02
Rain or shine, we do it
33:04
Can I say thank you for your time
33:06
No worries
33:08
I know you're all busy, although we're actually having a beer at the moment
33:10
I know, don't tell anyone
33:12
But we're all busy aren't we
33:14
Yes, we're all busy, all busy enjoying it
33:16
Thank you for your time
33:18
So I'm down here at the Royal Cheshire Show
33:20
I've come to a very bright looking set of tents
33:22
And it's Circle Cheshire Clinic
33:24
It's a healthcare company
33:26
I'm speaking with Heidi
33:28
And now Heidi, you are here both working for this company
33:30
but also as your farmer's wife as well
33:32
I am
33:34
So tell me
33:36
what is Circle Cheshire Clinic all about
33:38
So Circle Cheshire Clinic
33:40
is part of Circle Health Group
33:42
We are the largest provider
33:44
of private healthcare
33:46
in the UK
33:48
We have 54 hospitals
33:50
across the country
33:52
We opened Circle Cheshire Clinic
33:54
in January 2025
33:56
but we focus primarily on
33:58
outpatients and diagnostics
34:00
and day case procedures
34:02
focusing on minor procedures
34:04
that can be done under local anaesthetic
34:06
so patients can have their procedure
34:08
and return home on the same day
34:10
As a nation
34:12
we're becoming a lot more health conscious
34:14
and I think we are
34:16
becoming health aware
34:18
to the point where people are trying to prevent illness
34:20
and look to get ahead of it
34:22
if you like
34:24
Is that what you're finding
34:26
or are you also finding that people
34:28
can't be looked after by the NHS
34:30
so you pick up a little bit of that as well
34:32
Yeah so
34:34
I think I agree
34:36
that people are starting to consider
34:38
their health more
34:40
and look at it from a preventative point of view
34:42
so trying to
34:44
find out
34:46
get that reassurance about their health
34:48
before it becomes a bigger problem
34:50
further down the line
34:52
As a company we are trying to educate people
34:54
on the importance of
34:56
preventative health
34:58
and having yearly health assessments
35:00
and the importance of checking in with your health
35:02
so that you know
35:04
the key things
35:06
your BMI, your blood pressure, your weight
35:08
to give you that reassurance
35:10
but also
35:12
to highlight any red flags
35:14
that might need addressing
35:16
I find it interesting that people
35:18
know the health of their car
35:20
more than they know the health of their body
35:22
and I can imagine that a farmer
35:24
knows the health of his herd
35:26
and his tractors
35:28
probably better than he knows the health of himself
35:30
or herself I should say as well
35:32
Now as a woman
35:34
who is married to a farmer
35:36
do you think
35:38
there's a big danger for farmers
35:40
where if they become ill
35:42
not that business goes under
35:44
but it has a big impact on the business doesn't it?
35:46
It absolutely does
35:48
because farmers either they work
35:50
solely on their own or in a very
35:52
small team
35:54
it's so important for farmers
35:56
to look after their health
35:58
if they don't and they suffer
36:00
a serious health problem
36:02
or condition
36:04
it can stop them from working
36:06
obviously there are long waits
36:08
on the NHS which is why accessing
36:10
private healthcare can be of benefit
36:12
so that they can
36:14
get the treatment that they need quickly
36:16
and get back to work quickly
36:18
Do you think that
36:20
they're getting more conscious
36:22
about that
36:26
possibly not
36:28
but maybe the nation doesn't either
36:30
No I think there's a huge piece
36:32
around education
36:34
not just farmers but everybody
36:36
becoming more aware
36:38
of their health and the importance
36:40
of being tuned in
36:42
to their health
36:44
so that
36:46
they can act
36:48
quickly rather than
36:50
before it dare I say it becomes
36:52
too late
36:54
Let's just talk about the Cheshire show because it's a rather
36:56
splendid show isn't it
36:58
and it's lovely when the country comes to the country
37:00
the time comes to the country
37:02
I guess it's a great way for Circle
37:04
Cheshire Clinic to get in front of
37:06
people and make them aware of what you do
37:08
Yeah no absolutely
37:10
and that's what we're here to do
37:12
is raise awareness not only of the services
37:14
that we provide but again
37:16
of that education around preventative
37:18
health and we offer health assessments
37:20
a range of different health assessments
37:22
that are accessible
37:24
at our clinic but
37:26
a large majority of our hospitals across the country
37:28
and it's about
37:30
informing people
37:32
of how
37:34
they can access us and
37:36
the benefit
37:38
of booking that yearly
37:40
health assessment
37:42
It really is isn't it and it gives you reassurance
37:44
Absolutely yeah it gives you that
37:46
reassurance that you're fine
37:48
or that might be something that I need
37:50
to see my GP about
37:52
and private healthcare can
37:54
complement your NHS pathway
37:56
you can be on an NHS pathway
37:58
and still access private healthcare
38:00
We do it for our cars
38:02
we do it for our pets but it's time
38:04
we did it for ourselves isn't it
38:06
Absolutely we need to look after ourselves
38:08
and take the time to invest
38:10
in our care
38:12
Lovely to speak to you
38:14
Hi this is Ken and would you believe I'm out in the countryside
38:16
today I'm at the Royal Cheshire
38:18
County Show meeting
38:20
various characters and watching various prizes
38:22
being given out to heifers and bulls
38:24
and god knows what's out here
38:26
I'm learning a lot but I've actually met
38:28
a guy called Sam from Bait Royal
38:30
Good afternoon Sam
38:32
Now then tell me who you are and what you're selling
38:34
So obviously I'm
38:36
Sam Bates I'm an independent
38:38
consultant who
38:40
works for farmers
38:42
I advise on various different
38:44
sort of schemes predominantly on
38:46
improving environmental practices on farm
38:48
whether that's reducing
38:50
the reliance on manufactured fertilisers
38:52
reducing areas
38:54
where pollution could occur
38:56
or looking at planting hedgerows
38:58
to sort of sequester carbon
39:00
that's what I tend to do
39:02
So you're organic then?
39:04
Not organic
39:06
it's a kind of hybrid
39:08
the buzzword at the minute in farming is called regenerative
39:10
so it's
39:12
not certified organic
39:14
but it's improving commercial farming
39:16
which is the majority of farming that is undertaken
39:18
in the UK
39:20
it's sort of adopting some form of organic principles
39:22
to that but not fully
39:24
enforcing it so reducing use of pesticides
39:26
and harmful chemicals
39:28
and improving
39:30
pastures with nitrogen
39:32
fixing crops rather than relying
39:34
on manufactured imported
39:36
fertiliser which obviously comes at a cost
39:38
and also both financially
39:40
and environmentally
39:42
So this is fairly new is it?
39:44
It's been around for quite a while
39:46
the government
39:48
have reduced subsidies that farmers
39:50
can obtain
39:52
which is historically
39:54
when we were in Europe it was based on
39:56
a payment to increase productivity
39:58
which wasn't necessarily
40:00
focused towards the environment
40:02
so with the new schemes that are out now
40:04
there's a lot more money available for farmers
40:06
they just have to work a little bit harder to get that money
40:08
and adopt certain
40:10
environmental practices
40:12
to get the reward out of the government
40:14
So you're getting them out of the old habits
40:16
into new habits is that what it is?
40:18
It's a bit hard to do but farmers being farmers
40:20
they can be stubborn and it does take a bit of work
40:22
but we're getting there slowly
40:24
They're in a world of their own I believe
40:26
They really are
40:28
Luckily I was born on a dairy farm not too far away
40:30
so I've been around farmers all my life
40:32
so I like to think I know how to navigate my way around them
40:34
You've got the brain power
40:36
I try to
40:38
So how long have you been going?
40:40
We've been trading for about
40:42
what will it be now
40:44
it'll be coming up to
40:46
two and a half years something like that
40:48
I've actually been in this job role for around 10 years
40:50
so following
40:52
after I graduated from university
40:54
I went working for a company and then
40:56
parted ways with them and set up my own company
40:58
until the start of 2022
41:00
So you picked up their habits and added your own bad habits
41:02
and then...
41:04
Something like that
41:06
So you're actually going ahead then are you?
41:08
It's growing?
41:10
It's growing yeah
41:12
It's been really good
41:14
I do quite a bit of work for but I do also go further afield
41:16
so I do quite a bit of work in Lancashire
41:18
and getting up into areas of Cumbria
41:20
I think the most far north ones
41:22
Appleby
41:24
so yeah mainly north west focused
41:26
I've got about maybe 400 different
41:28
sort of farmers and land managers
41:30
that I work for
41:32
and that's probably about me maxed out
41:34
so I'm quite happy sticking at that number
41:36
for the time being
41:38
How do I find you? I'm a farmer
41:40
If you wanted to find me
41:42
the best way is to go on my website
41:44
which is just type into Google
41:46
bait rural
41:48
we should come up on the top list there
41:50
it's got all my contact details
41:52
and then obviously I do the circuit of the agricultural shows
41:54
so we're at the Royal Cheshire County show today
41:56
and then we're hopefully
41:58
going to have a stand at the Nantwick show
42:00
in a couple of weeks time
42:02
Ok so I'm this farmer who's been throwing chemicals
42:04
all over the fields for years
42:06
How do you persuade me not to do that?
42:08
I would have a look at what's happening
42:10
to your soil
42:12
so how good of a condition is it
42:14
what are the residuals that are holding on to the food you're selling
42:16
if there's residual pesticides in there
42:18
that's not good
42:20
the supermarkets won't like that
42:22
a lot of the contracts nowadays
42:24
require farmers to be more environmentally focused
42:26
and driven
42:28
so actually they don't take a lot of convincing
42:30
the consumer is driving that
42:32
quite rightly
42:34
so that's how a lot of people
42:36
are getting on board with it
42:38
The supermarkets do dictate don't they?
42:40
They do to an extent
42:42
but again they've got the general public's interest in
42:44
which of course
42:46
as farmers we need to
42:48
the general public there
42:50
who put food on our table
42:52
even though we might put it on theirs
42:54
but at the end of the day they pay us
42:56
so we've got to keep them happy
42:58
I think you've got the right order there don't you?
43:00
Hopefully, something like that
43:02
So I've rung you, what do you do? Do you come out and see the farm?
43:04
So I come out initially
43:06
sit around the table, usually have a brew
43:08
gossip for half an hour
43:10
and maybe discuss business for ten minutes
43:12
and then we'll have a bit of a walk around the fields
43:14
get an idea of what you're doing
43:16
with your land
43:18
and then we build a scheme around what you're already doing
43:20
maybe tweaking it and then over the years
43:22
hopefully get you out of the old habits
43:24
and into the new way of thinking
43:26
How much does that cost me?
43:28
It depends, it really depends
43:30
for the initial consultation
43:32
I don't charge from that because
43:34
if you turn up on the farm, the farmer might not like me
43:36
or I might not like them
43:38
no one wins if I send them a bill
43:40
so the initial consultation is free of charge
43:42
That's brilliant, now how do we contact you?
43:44
You can contact me
43:46
at sam at baitrural.co.uk
43:48
or you can give us a quick bell on my mobile
43:50
which is 07398
43:52
470652
43:54
You know, off by heart
43:56
I try to
43:58
And you're Sam Bates?
44:00
Sam Bates, not Bates, a lot of people put an S on the end of my name
44:02
Sam, lovely talking to you and I hope it all goes well
44:04
Thank you very much
44:06
Hi, so I'm now with a gentleman called Jack Jones
44:08
and I've heard him all afternoon over the Talloway
44:10
Jack, what do you do here?
44:12
Hi, my name's Jack, I help out at the AgriCentre
44:14
the Biddley AgriCentre where we look to try
44:16
and encourage people
44:18
from non-farming backgrounds
44:20
to come and see what happens in agriculture
44:22
try and give them the full works
44:24
and provide as many live demonstrations as possible
44:26
everything from sheep shearing, milking demonstrations
44:28
feeding young calves
44:30
to making and butchery as well
44:32
We've heard all this, you were at the butchery in the first part
44:34
then you were at milking in the second part
44:36
so what do you get out of this?
44:38
Do you actually make sure that people get information?
44:40
Yeah, for me as a farmer's son
44:42
and from a dairy farm, I just think it's so important
44:44
that everyone, the general public
44:46
understands exactly where their food comes from
44:48
how it's produced, the love and care
44:50
that farmers put into it
44:52
and something like this at the AgriCentre really really
44:54
shows how many volunteers
44:56
are here to help out
44:58
with calves, cows, milking people as well
45:00
it's just fantastic to see
45:02
So do you follow this through to the supermarket shelf?
45:04
We try our best
45:06
to show people exactly where it goes
45:08
and that's how the butchery falls into it
45:10
the butter making as well
45:12
so we see the actual milk itself coming from the cow
45:14
we see the spare milk being fed to the young calves
45:16
and then we take the milk and turn it into butter
45:18
and we've also got some young beef calves
45:20
as well and we show them
45:22
where the butchery then comes from, the skill and the craftsmanship
45:24
in the butchery and what it will look like on the shelf
45:26
So how do you get this down to the children
45:28
the children in cities who think it all comes off
45:30
a plastic bag from the supermarket?
45:32
I think it's all questions
45:34
it always amazes me, we always ask for questions
45:36
at the end of each demonstration, the best questions come from
45:38
the youngest children
45:40
and it's fabulous to see
45:42
and I think that's the best way of doing it, letting them engage
45:44
we've had young children turning sausages today
45:46
trying to make them into
45:48
the classic butchers hang, so that's been really good to see
45:50
So you get something out of it yourself then
45:52
when you see it?
45:54
Like I said, as a farmer's son, to see people do things like that
45:56
it's really good
45:58
How long have you been doing this then?
46:00
This is my third year doing this at the
46:02
Royal Cheshire Show and I suspect I'll be doing it for a little bit longer
46:04
Do you hire yourself out to other shows?
46:06
No, no
46:08
There's a lot of other great shows
46:10
out there as well
46:12
and county shows and I would recommend anyone to go
46:14
and see their shows but
46:16
this is mainly something we do at the Royal Cheshire Show
46:18
So are you still on the farm yourself?
46:20
I am but I'm also a
46:22
Chartered Surveyor and Agricultural Valuer
46:24
so I provide professional advice to farmers and landowners
46:26
So you do it from basics to right the way through then?
46:28
Correct
46:30
So is your dad still a farmer?
46:32
Yes, we've got a dairy farm at home
46:34
Give us a plug
46:36
Big shout out then to my dad, Richard Jones at Lee Farm
46:38
Lee Mall Holsteins
46:40
we milk just over 100 cows twice a day
46:42
we provide milk to Arla
46:44
so that goes into your lure packs
46:46
Arla yoghurts, ski yoghurts and things like that
46:48
so a big shout out for that
46:50
Do you have anyone to help you dad?
46:52
Of course, weekends, mornings, whenever required
46:54
if the phone rings, you've got to go
46:56
I say thank you because I know you're rushing from one to another
46:58
thanks for your time
47:00
No worries, thank you very much
47:02
So down at the show I'm now
47:04
with the Cheshire Constabulary
47:06
who've got a very big stand here
47:08
talking about all sorts of crime actually
47:10
cybercrime and other crime
47:12
and prevention and I'm here talking to
47:14
Constable John
47:16
Now can I ask you
47:18
is the rural sector seeing
47:20
more issues with crime
47:22
these days?
47:24
Yes I think so, I think crime has developed more
47:26
to target more of the rural communities because
47:28
it seems very much more vulnerable
47:30
so you've got a farm where it's got
47:32
multiple entrances
47:34
onto it and they've got some
47:36
really expensive machinery
47:38
on there, so you've got tractors
47:40
which are thousands and thousands of pounds
47:42
and quite often these tractors
47:44
you can access them using one key
47:46
so these things
47:48
are very very vulnerable and farmers
47:50
are quite isolated so yeah I think
47:52
we are seeing it more
47:54
So back in the day there would have been a bit of cattle hustling
47:56
or sheep hustling, I'm sure that probably still goes on
47:58
Yeah, sheep
48:00
hustling does happen, we do have seen
48:02
more and more sheep being
48:04
stolen, we've had
48:06
a couple of incidents where cows have been stolen
48:08
as well, down to bees
48:10
bee farms have been stolen as well
48:12
so it's really really varied
48:14
And even tanks
48:16
of diesel, because they store a lot
48:18
of diesel and stuff on farms as well
48:20
Yes they do, so you can, obviously when
48:22
the fuel prices went up
48:24
fuel tanks started to get targeted
48:26
as well and the oil tanks, so it's very
48:28
important people protect them
48:30
So your message here really is some of the things you can do
48:32
to prevent that
48:34
and also cybercrime, which again
48:36
I can imagine can be
48:38
an issue with your reputation
48:40
for example as well
48:42
Exactly, so simple steps for people to
48:44
protect their things is just make sure
48:46
things are locked, because obviously historically
48:48
they don't lock
48:50
but locks are there for a reason
48:52
it's used them
48:54
in terms of the GPS domes
48:56
that are on top of tractors, remove them at the end
48:58
of the day because they get stolen
49:00
quite often as well
49:02
alarms, trackers
49:04
CCTV, it's really important
49:06
that those type of things are invested in
49:08
I know they cost money, but they are very
49:10
important
49:12
And if you're talking about the likes of chainsaws and other handheld tools
49:14
does asset tagging help?
49:16
Yeah it does, so forensic targeting
49:18
we use here
49:20
in the police, but we're seeing a lot more people
49:22
using the new
49:24
tags that are used, so you can get
49:26
Apple Air tags or Android tags
49:28
people are placing them inside and they're really
49:30
useful for us as the police
49:32
It's a great show isn't it?
49:34
Oh it's brilliant, yeah it's great
49:36
I love coming to agricultural shows because we get to speak
49:38
to the rural communities and just show
49:40
that we're here and we understand
49:42
the problems they're facing and we're here
49:44
to try and help. And you have a big patch
49:46
in Cheshire, Constable, don't you?
49:48
We do, yeah, so we cover
49:50
all the way north of Warrington
49:52
all the way down to Malpas
49:54
and then over from Neston all the way towards
49:56
Macclesfield, so it's a huge area
49:58
So I'm standing
50:00
next to a very nice
50:02
presentation of a very lovely
50:04
venue in the Welsh area
50:06
that I've been told is Landryfflo
50:08
Landryfflo, yes
50:10
I'm speaking to Andy, who is the
50:12
owner of River Catcher
50:14
Now this is, you're basically
50:16
a holiday destination
50:18
Yes, I've got nine self-catering cottages
50:20
in Landryfflo, ranging
50:22
from one sleep to two
50:24
up to ten
50:26
People are, people
50:28
I guess since lockdown, maybe even just before
50:30
have always valued some time
50:32
away, but they also seem to be valuing
50:34
time away in the UK
50:36
now, just as well as heading
50:38
away. There's a big demand now
50:40
for being out in the country
50:42
Yes, there is, we're quite rural, but we're on the banks
50:44
of River Dee, and we're very much a luxury
50:46
sort of destination
50:48
so we've all got luxury
50:50
hot tubs and things like that, and we're dog
50:52
friendly as well, and it all includes gardens
50:54
and it's basically home from home
50:56
but a bit of a luxury comfort at the same time
50:58
And coming to the likes of the Cheshire Show, I mean
51:00
is this, I guess, your ideal
51:02
customer base? People who are interested
51:04
in the country, but want to be able to get away occasionally?
51:06
Yeah, it is, I mean, most
51:08
of my business is from the
51:10
North West itself, mainly around the Manchester, Cheshire
51:12
itself
51:14
It's just a new way of me to
51:16
advertise in my business
51:18
I don't go anywhere
51:20
on major platforms like Booker.com
51:22
and things like that, I do everything
51:24
myself, so it's just another way
51:26
of me trying to promote my business
51:28
to the public, which
51:30
Cheshire Show is that sort of public
51:32
for me
51:34
As a business owner
51:36
how does it feel
51:38
in the UK at the moment, from an economic
51:40
point of view?
51:42
Do you think there's a lot of prosperity
51:44
or hope, or even
51:46
excitement, or are you thinking
51:48
people are being very careful with their money?
51:50
People are being careful with money
51:52
and I'm one of them myself
51:54
as a business owner, I mean
51:56
the cost of running a business is going up all
51:58
the time, with
52:00
electricity and things like that
52:02
but yeah, it's been steady
52:04
the last couple of years, I'm hoping
52:06
that people now
52:08
are coming back to the holiday
52:10
in the UK itself, especially in North Wales
52:12
I mean, I have
52:14
got awarded the best self-catering cottage
52:16
at Dog Freddy in North Wales
52:18
recently, so I'm hoping that's
52:20
going to influence more and more people coming to
52:22
my business. People do want to get together
52:24
don't they? They want to bring their families
52:26
together, and you know
52:28
the type of accommodation you're offering, self-catering
52:30
with a little bit of pizzazz
52:32
the little saunas, the jacuzzi
52:34
whatever, that's just that little bit of extra
52:36
that they're looking for. It is, yeah, I mean
52:38
we get a lot of parties, come to me
52:40
to hire up to three or four cottages at my place
52:42
they like to bring
52:44
whole families together, I've seen that
52:46
more and more now over the last couple of years
52:48
especially since Covid
52:50
and I also do weddings at my place as well
52:52
so I get a lot more people come
52:54
rural and hire the whole complex
52:56
the weekend, and they get it as a whole weekend
52:58
complex, which is good. So if you're interested
53:00
in a rural weekend away in
53:02
Wales, just down the road really
53:04
rivercatcher.co.uk is where
53:06
you need to go. Andy, thanks very much. Thank you very much.