Rebecca & Liam: The Foodie Entrepreneurs

How did you teach yourselves how to run a business/produce pigs?

My degree really helped when it came to actually running a business and managing its accounts wise.

Farming wise, we had to learn a lot on the job and use our own hands-on experience day in day out to learn and grow as we both have no history in farming/have a farming background.

I think we were both so passionate about growing the business and learning that we wanted to get stuck in.

We have also spent a lot of time reading and watching YouTube, documentaries and other forms of material to help consolidate our knowledge.

What has surprised you about running your own business so far?

How loyal the customer base is and how far we have grown just by word of mouth and Facebook really.

We have hardly ever advertised and our shop days have become a community hub.

We have a strong following in the local area and it’s really heartwarming.

Can you describe what personality profile is needed to running your own pig farming business?

You need to be able to adapt to situations quickly and use what knowledge and skills you do have and apply it to the situation at the time.

You cannot really plan things, as things arise as and when and you need to be able to manage your workload around the pigs.

You also have to be prepared to get mucky, wet and cold.

Biggest achievement?

I think our biggest achievement has to be the fact that we have both committed to the business full time and have our own on site butchery.

Bringing the butchery in house is something we are really proud of as again, it has taken a lot of hard work to be able to get to the point where we can both just have the business and not other jobs too.

Without any farming background, we have managed to sustain ourselves and the pigs when recent economic times have been turbulent for a lot of other pig farmers who have had to sell up because they don’t have an outlet to sustain their herd.

Proudest achievement?

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing any animal thrive in its environment because of the work of you do every day to look after them.

What do you think are the secrets behind getting to where you’ve go to?

There’s no secret to it. It’s hard work, being honest, having a passion for what you do and having a strong message behind the brand.

Also, that you are always looking to improve and build upon what you have done because you’re keen for more job satisfaction.

The general public now are more keen than ever to support sustainable businesses, farming and a lifestyle in general.

I think we are starting to see a subtle shift in peoples habits and thought processes when it comes to this and always keeping in mind the environment when it comes to business is becoming more and more important.

What are your future plans?

We want to continue growth in the butchery and extend the breeding herd, whilst also maintaining our loyal following

Click here to visit Rebecca and Liam’s website

Follow Rebecca and Liam

• Twitter
• Facebook