The Lake District Back to the Land with Kate Humble


The Lake District

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In Britain's beautiful landscapes,

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traditional farming is battling to survive.

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Making a living here has its challenges,

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but those challenges are being met head-on

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with invention, energy and passion.

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A new breed of trailblazing entrepreneurs are turning

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back to the land to reinvent old trades

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and set up modern rural businesses.

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Latest figures show that as many as 100,000 people

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are leaving our cities and moving to the countryside every year.

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'I've seen firsthand,

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'having started my own rural business in Monmouthshire,

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'the grit and determination needed to take that leap.'

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And joining me is award-wining organic restauranteur

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Geetie Singh-Watson,

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who will bring her knowledge and passion.

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I am really, really impressed.

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We're going to be meeting

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some of the modern-day countryside pioneers...

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Come on, come on!

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..whose love, skill and tenacity

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are at the heart of this rural revolution.

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-Oh-ah!

-This is a passion. I'm doing it cos I believe in the product.

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'Every region and every season present new challenges

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'and tonight, we're in the Lake District,

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'following five innovative businesses

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'through spring, summer and autumn...'

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Hang on there, Simon.

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'..as they make big life changes...'

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-So, you're quitting your job.

-Yeah.

-Does that feel scary?

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'..break new ground...'

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If I told you the recipe, I'd have to kill you.

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'..and do their bit to reinvigorate our great British countryside.'

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Why did I do that?

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Because you're English!

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'The Lake District is remote and wild.

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'Working the land here takes a pioneering spirit,

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'but its steep fells and over 80 lakes and tarns have made it

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'one of our best-loved landscapes.'

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There are many people who come to places like this,

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fall in love with the rural idyll and dream of staying here forever,

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but what does it take to make a living from a land like this?

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It's spring and I'm in the Northern Lakes, heading out past Keswick...

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..to meet a woman who, 12 years ago, left her city job,

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hoping to start a business from her passion for foraging.

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It wasn't long ago that wild food would have been an intrinsic part

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of any meal cooked in a rural kitchen

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and, with over 160 species of edible plant growing in the UK,

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there is plenty to choose from.

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Jane has hooked onto the growing trend for food with provenance

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and makes around 40,000 jars

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of homemade preserves...

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-Jane, good morning.

-Hello, good morning.

-Hello.

-That's Ruby.

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'..selling to delis and restaurants nationwide.'

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Here we are bundled up, as if it was midwinter, but it is spring.

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Are there any real spring specialities that you look for?

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-Well, dog, a dog.

-Yeah. THEY LAUGH

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Well, particularly, I've come down to see

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how the sweet cicely was doing - this one, Myrrhis odorata.

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Cos we've actually got an order for some jam that has it in it.

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Can I have a quick...?

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Yeah, if you munch on it, it's got a lovely anis flavour.

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-Ooh, it has, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

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You cook things like rhubarb and gooseberries with it

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and it's supposed to mean you use less sugar.

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How have you learnt all this stuff,

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because it seems to be a tradition that's been lost in some way?

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My mum was a really good field botanist, so she started me off

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when I was tiny, and I became an agricultural botanist.

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So, I have always foraged.

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When we came to Cumbria, I was looking around at all this fruit

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that was going to waste and I just couldn't bear to see it.

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And that's sort of what got me going.

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-This is heavenly!

-Isn't it gorgeous?

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I can see why you'd never want to go to a supermarket to get your food.

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-Exactly.

-This is so much more beautiful.

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We do an apple-based jelly with wild garlic in it at this time of year,

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and we've got an order for that, so that's what this is for.

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'Jane's background means she knows what plants to pick

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'and which one are poisonous and to be avoided.'

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Do you ever munch on blackthorn flowers?

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I've had sloes - mainly in gin form, I have to confess.

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Well, you're missing a trick.

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-Ooh, that's wonderful.

-Bitter almond.

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Is there a sort of forager's code, when it comes to picking?

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Well, in theory, you can pick for your own use.

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Obviously, if you're picking for sale,

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that's a different thing altogether and you have to have permission

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from the landowner or a licence to pick.

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Do you just offer everybody a bottle of gin and say,

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-"Can I come and forage on your farm?"

-Well, sort of, yes, yes.

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That lovely sort of rural economy of a bit of barter

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-and sharing resources.

-Absolutely, yeah, absolutely.

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'Last year, the Lake District was hit

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'by a record 340mm of rain in 24 hours.

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'For many homes and businesses like Jane's, it was devastating.'

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Come on in.

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'She not only lost a newly-built commercial kitchen,

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'but tens of thousands of pounds in business.'

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We've brought you a basketful of goodies.

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'Now Jane's team of five are having to work from her home

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'and are just about managing to keep up supply.'

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-This is the sweet cicely that you've been picking.

-Yeah.

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-We've got that in a sterilised muslin bag.

-Right.

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-And that's going into the rhubarb, ginger and sweet cicely jam.

-Yeah.

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And then, the wild garlic that we've got in the basket

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is going in the wild garlic jelly.

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Do you guys come up with recipes? Do you come up the recipe? Who...?

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-You, it's you.

-Yeah, we leave it all to Jane.

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-Do you think she's mad or...?

-Yes, she's definitely mad!

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-Jane's the inventor.

-Jane's the inventor.

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'Basing a business on unpredictable wild crops...'

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-Do you want to chop the wild garlic?

-OK.

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'..Jane has had to invent over 150 different recipes.'

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I think the thing that intrigues me about the idea of foraging

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being a business is it's all very well making yourself

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a few jars of wild garlic jelly,

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but if you've suddenly got to make 300 jars,

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how do you physically have the time to pick the ingredients?

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It's very, very labour-intensive.

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We don't have any machinery

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for labelling or potting or anything, so...

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Jane began selling locally, but very quickly,

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her preserves were winning awards and demand was high.

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That is a big transition moment, isn't it?

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When you go from maybe selling to friends or giving stuff to friends

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or selling to the village shop, to a big store, or wherever it might be.

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Can you remember when you first got that kind of phone call?

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Yes, and I was scared stiff.

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And, in fact, I actually turned down a very nice supermarket

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because I was frightened

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that I wouldn't be able to match what they wanted.

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I regret that to this day, I can tell you.

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Because I'm not much of a businessperson,

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I didn't take advantage of it.

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You know, we'd win a three-star Great Taste Award

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and I'd go, "Oh, right, OK, carry on."

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And, you know, why did I do that?

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THEY LAUGH

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-Because you're English!

-Yes.

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Ooh, those look delicious! Um... I mean, I...

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You're sort of frustrating me. I kind of want to shake you.

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You're employing people, you've got a beautiful product that sells.

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-Yes, that's true.

-You've got a viable business.

-Yes.

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-Are you hugely in debt?

-We're not in debt at all, really.

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I'd say that was something to be proud of. And, if I may say so...

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I hope you like that.

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-You make a damn fine pakora.

-Good!

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I'm a little bit confused by Jane's business.

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It's been born out of her undisputed enthusiasm and expertise

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in wild food, but I just get the feeling

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that her passion for foraging isn't matched

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by a passion for the nuts and bolts of running a business.

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But that said, she's clearly worked very hard to get this business

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off the ground and to keep it going. This isn't a hobby.

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She's got staff to pay, she's got orders to fulfil

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and she is entirely dependent on nature's bounty.

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And that's quite scary,

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because nature, this year, has been particularly unkind to Cumbria.

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As the seasons unfold,

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I hope the coming months allow Jane to build her business back up.

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Geetie Singh-Watson set up the UK's first organic gastro-pub

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in her 20s, so she knows all too well

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the challenges food producers face making a living off the land.

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Between 2014 and '15, income on farms dropped 29%

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and they often have to sell their goods

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for less than they cost to produce.

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But there's passion and romance about the land

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and there are opportunities to make a sustainable life.

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Geetie's on the edge of the South Lakes, just below Kendal...

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..to meet a traditional farming family

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who are diversifying the business

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for the future of their four children.

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Four years ago, farmers Abi and Paul hit on a modern trend.

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All right, Paul?

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They invested £40,000

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and converted their cattle barn

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into a rustic wedding venue.

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-Hello.

-Hi.

-How you doing?

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-I'm Geetie.

-Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Abi.

-Hi, Abi.

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-How you doing?

-I'm Paul.

-Paul.

-How you doing?

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Great to see you. And this is, like, a proper farm.

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Yeah, but in the winter, this is completely full of sheep.

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So, what's been the most profitable aspect of the business for you?

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Well, the beef and sheep were, in the start,

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and then things dwindled away,

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so we went into pick your own and that was very profitable.

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But then, of late, pick your own struggled because in supermarkets,

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these days, you can buy a strawberry 365 days of the year.

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So, now we've gone into the wedding barn business

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and that is proving quite successful for us, really.

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-Well, I'd love to see...

-Do you want to come and see the wedding barn?

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I'd really like that.

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So, down here, we've got pick your own.

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Some of the cows and calves are up on the hill up there.

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It was Paul's sister who kick-started the new venture

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when she suggested using the old oak barn for her wedding.

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Welcome to the barn.

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Oh, wow! That is amazing!

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-Incredible space. It is utterly fantastic.

-We're very, very lucky.

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It's a 15th-century cruck barn. It was used for grain storage.

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All these trusses and purlins are original, aren't they?

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-Yes, they are. The ceiling sells this venue.

-Yeah, it's beautiful.

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Cos it is so lovely.

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So, this is occupied half of the year at the moment with weddings.

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-May to December.

-Why do you stop there?

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We still need the space because we have over 1,000 sheep to lamb

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from January onwards.

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Do you think that's a selling point for people who are coming?

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-Yeah, very much so.

-Right.

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And I actually think that sort of adds to a bit of the character

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-and the charm of it all.

-Yeah, definitely.

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But there's also a massive lost opportunity,

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-where you could carry on all year round.

-Oh, yeah.

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But balancing traditional farming with the wedding business

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is more than a full-time job for both of them.

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This, believe it or not, turns into the catering area.

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The market is huge.

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The average British wedding costs around £16,000.

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Are you potentially tapping into that market enough?

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-Are you charging enough?

-Probably not.

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I would imagine we are underselling ourselves slightly.

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-We don't want to be greedy with it.

-But you're proving so popular.

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Clearly you're regarded as pretty good value

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-for people to be buying this.

-Yeah.

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And, actually, what you're doing is fundamentally supporting

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a really vital part of the countryside,

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-so I don't think you should feel bad about it at all.

-No.

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And you're providing a fabulous space for people.

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Abi, Paul, his sister and his parents do most of the work

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for the weddings themselves,

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which are booked in every week during spring, summer and autumn.

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We've come to help you, Paul. I'm going to put the optics up.

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-What else is happening on the farm?

-There's clipping.

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There's a pick your own running, and then we go into autumn,

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tupping time with the sheep, the cows start to come in.

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-And we're still milking every day.

-You must be exhausted!

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-Yeah, and now, this year, we're up to 23 bookings.

-Wow!

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-Including our own.

-Including our own, yeah.

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-You're getting married here?

-Yeah, we get married in August.

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-How fantastic!

-Thank you.

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Abi and Paul are passionate about farming

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and they've come up with some brilliant ideas

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on how to use their land but, going forward,

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they need to cash in on them in order to stay where they are

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and really enjoy this farming business.

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With a very hectic season ahead,

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we'll discover how they juggle all the aspects of the business

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and celebrate their own wedding in the process.

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I'm travelling to Heltondale Valley,

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where there's been a sheep farm on this spot for over 200 years.

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It's run by a fifth-generation farmer, Simon,

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and his scientist wife, Jane.

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What they've come up with is a brilliant innovative use

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of the natural resources of the farm.

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Jane and Simon want to keep their way of life going for themselves

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and their daughter, Arabella.

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'So, they took two almost worthless products - bracken and wool -

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'and after eight years' experimenting,

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'invented the world's first wool compost,

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'and they now sell 50,000 bags of it a year.'

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-Hello, Jane.

-Hi.

-I'm Kate. Lovely to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

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-Please come in.

-What a lovely shed! Oh, I do love this time of year.

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LAMB BLEATS

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They have a flock of around 500 traditional Lakeland breeds

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and spring is lambing time.

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Lambing going well this year?

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Not as big a lambing percentage as I would have liked this year

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and I'm putting that down to the weather that we had over the winter.

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There's no security in sheep farming. It is pot luck.

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I love this process.

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Come on, little one. There we go.

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KATE LAUGHS

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I was talking to somebody yesterday, they'd taken their fat lambs

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-a fortnight ago and they'd got £70 a head.

-Right.

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They'd taken them this week and only got £50.

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Oh, good grief.

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Wool's not worth as much as it was,

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and so I was looking at ways that we could diversify

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and we have a lot of bracken on our fells

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and I found a recipe for bracken compost in an old gardening book.

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So, using bracken - the curse of all hill farmers - as a compost?

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Yes, well, the book actually said there's fortune waiting to be made

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-for someone who can harvest bracken.

-Right.

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But actually persuading your husband

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to take his new baler up on the fell and bale it

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-is another matter altogether.

-THEY LAUGH

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Environmental scientist Jane called on her academic background

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to see the potential in bracken as a cash crop.

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What made you think of adding wool into the mix?

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Because it holds on to water. It's naturally hydroscopic.

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-You know what a jumper's like when it gets wet.

-Absolutely.

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And it has a slow-release nitrogen cos it breaks down very slowly.

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So, if I were to take some of the wool from my sheep

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and some of the bracken from our hillside, what's the recipe?

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If I told you the recipe, I'd have to kill you, so...

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There's no way I'm going to share that with you

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and it really is quite difficult to get that wool into the compost.

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There's lots of secrets in that as well.

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-Simon.

-Hello, Kate.

-This looks like the business end of the farm.

-It is.

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-So, this is bracken.

-This is last year's bracken.

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-It's got all the goodness in it.

-OK.

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It's full of potassium and minerals - everything we need.

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Suddenly, for you, this is sort of an untapped source of gold.

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To be honest, it took her five years to persuade me it was a good idea.

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-So, it's...

-Funny that! I think she said something the other way round.

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Well...I think I was more of a traditional hill farmer.

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-Right, show me how this is done. I'm fascinated.

-Absolutely.

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'In addition to using wool from their own sheep...

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-Herdwick wool.

-I was going to say, this wool...

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I mean, brown wool has even less value than white wool, doesn't it?

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Yeah, but for us it's really good.

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'..they now buy in 45 tonnes from local shepherds.'

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-Can you guarantee a price for their wool?

-Yeah, we set a price.

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The price for that's 40p a kilo.

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But we harvest bracken off their land as well.

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So, it's a win-win situation for you and the farmers in this area.

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Yeah, everybody's got to make something out of it.

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There's got to be a gain in every direction, if you like.

0:19:570:20:00

So, what happens now in there?

0:20:020:20:04

-Right, it's going to start mixing it.

-OK.

0:20:040:20:08

-Yeah.

-Thank you, Gordon.

-I've got to try and get the recipe out of you.

0:20:080:20:12

-You've got two barrels of bracken.

-Yes.

-One scoop of sheep wool.

0:20:120:20:15

-Yeah, it's like making a cake.

-THEY LAUGH

0:20:150:20:19

'Their unique compost not only taps into

0:20:190:20:23

'a growing environmental need for a peat-free alternative,

0:20:230:20:26

'they're also working to restore our depleting peatlands.'

0:20:260:20:31

-Gordon, can you take us down?

-Thanks, Gordon.

0:20:310:20:34

Is this business the result of that collaboration

0:20:350:20:40

between scientist and farmer?

0:20:400:20:43

We wouldn't be doing this without each other.

0:20:430:20:45

-No, no.

-So...

-So, you need to be particularly nice to your wife.

0:20:450:20:49

I generally am, yes.

0:20:490:20:51

But I do know that she's got the brains and I scratch my head a lot

0:20:510:20:54

trying to work out how to do things

0:20:540:20:56

but, you know, that's life, isn't it?

0:20:560:20:58

After grinding the mixture, it's left for up to six months.

0:21:020:21:06

The bacteria thrives and it breaks it down to make the end product.

0:21:080:21:13

How's it looking, Jane?

0:21:200:21:21

Ooh, it's nice and warm here, look. Have a feel of that.

0:21:210:21:25

KATE GASPS My goodness!

0:21:250:21:27

Ooh, I bet you come in here on a cold day, don't you,

0:21:270:21:29

-and bury your feet?

-Warm your hands.

0:21:290:21:31

An old gardener once said that you should be able to squeeze it

0:21:310:21:34

-and hold its form and it should break up.

-And it does that.

-Yeah.

0:21:340:21:38

And what would be the ultimate stamp of approval?

0:21:380:21:41

I think you can't get better than a gold medal at Chelsea.

0:21:410:21:44

-Is that what you're going for this year?

-I think...

0:21:440:21:46

Er, well, we've got growers that grow in this just by adding water

0:21:460:21:51

and if you can get a gold medal, you can't get much better than that.

0:21:510:21:54

Jane and Simon haven't just thrown out the traditions of this farm.

0:21:590:22:06

They've held onto those, but they have created a new, modern,

0:22:060:22:12

brilliant business from their heritage

0:22:120:22:16

and there's something very exciting about that.

0:22:160:22:18

And later, we'll discover

0:22:220:22:24

if this is their year for that gold medal at Chelsea.

0:22:240:22:27

Summer and sunshine have come to the Lakes.

0:22:530:22:55

This is a busy, bustling time of year,

0:22:550:22:58

when visitors come from all over the world

0:22:580:23:00

to savour the beauty of the countryside.

0:23:000:23:03

And with the visitors comes much-valued custom and income

0:23:030:23:07

for the local businesses.

0:23:070:23:09

I'm heading out to the west of Lake Windermere

0:23:120:23:15

to meet a woman who's tapping into this thriving tourist trade,

0:23:150:23:18

selling her products in local boutiques and specialist fairs.

0:23:180:23:23

It was to this very rural, very traditional Cumbrian landscape

0:23:270:23:32

that Mandy Marshall and her husband came to live,

0:23:320:23:35

having uprooted themselves from big city life in Manchester.

0:23:350:23:38

Two years ago, Mandy took her 20 years of retail experience

0:23:440:23:48

and dreamt she could start a business

0:23:480:23:51

producing handmade luxury bags from Herdwick tweed.

0:23:510:23:54

She's invested over £30,000

0:23:560:23:58

and now buys 750kg

0:23:580:24:01

of local wool a year,

0:24:010:24:03

paying the farmers double what they can get elsewhere.

0:24:030:24:06

Oh, Mandy, it seems like I've come at exactly the right time.

0:24:080:24:11

-Do you need a hand?

-Perfect, Kate.

0:24:110:24:13

-Crikey, it's quite heavy, isn't it?

-Yeah, they are. Seriously heavy.

0:24:130:24:15

-Where do you want them?

-Just there is great, thanks, Kate.

0:24:150:24:18

All right.

0:24:180:24:20

I hate to say it, but you're a girl from Manchester.

0:24:200:24:22

-I am a girl from Manchester, yes.

-Had you even heard of a Herdwick

0:24:220:24:25

-before you came and lived in the Lakes?

-No.

0:24:250:24:28

My daughters were going to university, I was coming up to 50.

0:24:280:24:32

It was, like, "What am I going to do with this next phase of my life?"

0:24:320:24:35

-And you've moved from big, vibrant, modern city...

-Yes.

0:24:350:24:40

..to live in a National Trust property.

0:24:400:24:42

Yes, and I was scared of the dark.

0:24:420:24:44

And they do dark well here in Cumbria.

0:24:440:24:46

They do dark very well, yes.

0:24:460:24:48

Mandy has thrown herself wholeheartedly into Lakeland life.

0:24:500:24:54

She lives in Beatrix Potter's marital home

0:24:540:24:56

and she's also determined the core ethos of her business

0:24:560:25:00

is firmly rooted in the story of this region.

0:25:000:25:04

The Herdwick sheep just epitomise the fells of Cumbria

0:25:040:25:08

and people love provenance now, don't they?

0:25:080:25:10

-I saw some Herdwick tweed.

-Right.

-It was about 60 metres.

-OK.

0:25:100:25:16

It was stacked up in a shop doing nothing,

0:25:160:25:18

so I basically said to them, "Can I buy that tweed?"

0:25:180:25:21

-Can I ask you how much?

-It was a few thousand pounds.

0:25:210:25:23

-So, it was quite a big punt.

-Oh, yes.

0:25:230:25:26

You've then got another big investment when you make the bags.

0:25:260:25:29

-I need to see one of these bags.

-I'll go and get you one.

0:25:290:25:32

She's brilliant. You know that a lot of people get to that stage.

0:25:360:25:40

The kids have left home, they're not quite sure what they're going to do

0:25:400:25:44

and do they just descend into a life of polyester slacks and a caravan

0:25:440:25:48

or do they do something a little bit braver and a little bit different?

0:25:480:25:51

And she has put together her Manchester kind of nous,

0:25:510:25:56

her retail experience,

0:25:560:25:58

and identified something that's really special about this area -

0:25:580:26:02

the Herdwick sheep - and turned it into a business.

0:26:020:26:07

So, those are of the original cloth.

0:26:070:26:10

OK. It is very, very beautiful.

0:26:100:26:14

'Mandy's investment paid off,

0:26:140:26:16

'selling out of the first batch of 40 bags in just three months.'

0:26:160:26:21

I knew I was going to run out of fabric

0:26:210:26:23

and what I wanted was to be able to buy fleece

0:26:230:26:27

from certain farms and turn it into tweed.

0:26:270:26:29

Some of the wool Mandy uses comes from farms

0:26:290:26:33

Beatrix Potter once owned.

0:26:330:26:35

It's spun and locally woven into bespoke tweed,

0:26:350:26:38

then hand-crafted at a Cumbrian factory.

0:26:380:26:41

I'm doing it cos I believe in the product.

0:26:420:26:45

I mean, it's experimental, it's a little bit pioneering.

0:26:450:26:48

-It's a little mad.

-It's definitely mad.

0:26:480:26:51

I have to be honest, I was scared to death of going meeting real farmers.

0:26:510:26:55

I just thought, "They're going to think I'm a complete idiot townie."

0:26:550:26:59

When I actually went for the first time to talk to a farmer,

0:26:590:27:02

I said, "How many sheep do you have?"

0:27:020:27:04

MANDY INHALES SHARPLY

0:27:040:27:05

It's like asking how much have you got in the bank!

0:27:050:27:08

But they were so enthusiastic and wanted to help.

0:27:080:27:12

This is a passion. These farmers, they love this area.

0:27:120:27:16

This is their life and you can't let them down,

0:27:160:27:19

so you've got to make this work.

0:27:190:27:22

You don't need to say anything else. You've just made me cry!

0:27:220:27:24

THEY LAUGH

0:27:240:27:26

You're amazing!

0:27:260:27:28

'What Mandy is doing carries many risks.

0:27:310:27:34

'She is responsible for every part of the process,

0:27:340:27:36

'from buying the wool to designing the tweed and the bags themselves.'

0:27:360:27:41

-You've put a lot of passion - not least money - into this.

-Yeah.

0:27:410:27:47

What's your sort of, your next stage? What's the crunch point?

0:27:470:27:50

When will you know whether this is a success or a failure?

0:27:500:27:53

It's all well and good believing that you've got a great product,

0:27:530:27:56

but it's whether somebody's actually going to part

0:27:560:27:58

with their hard-earned cash.

0:27:580:28:00

I need to try and do this and, if I lose it, then actually, I lose it.

0:28:000:28:05

But nothing ventured, nothing gained,

0:28:050:28:07

so I think we just have to see where it goes, really.

0:28:070:28:11

The coming few months will be crucial

0:28:130:28:16

and I'm looking forward to hearing how things work out

0:28:160:28:18

in the next stage of Mandy's story.

0:28:180:28:20

In summer, the Lakeland hills are dotted

0:28:370:28:39

with the indigenous Herdwick sheep.

0:28:390:28:42

FARMER WHISTLES AND SHOUTS

0:28:420:28:45

Will Benson's family have been farming

0:28:450:28:47

in this traditional way for centuries.

0:28:470:28:49

-HE WHISTLES

-Move back! Move back!

0:28:490:28:53

But in recent years, this wiry wool costs more to sheer

0:28:530:28:56

than what it's worth on the commercial market.

0:28:560:28:59

The whole area was a massive wool-producing area.

0:28:590:29:02

Even when my dad started farming, his wool would have paid his rent.

0:29:020:29:05

Will's business now has a future,

0:29:070:29:10

thanks to the wealth of new, innovative entrepreneurs

0:29:100:29:13

using the wool and meat in very modern ways.

0:29:130:29:17

At the minute, we're selling lambs to a restaurant in Grasmere,

0:29:170:29:20

some of our worser wool for compost,

0:29:200:29:23

and the better-quality wool goes off to a lady who makes handbags.

0:29:230:29:27

With consumers now paying a premium for products

0:29:290:29:32

like Mandy's bags, and Jane and Simon's compost,

0:29:320:29:35

this iconic Lakeland sheep, once again, has a value.

0:29:350:29:40

When we sell meat or wool direct, it gives provenance.

0:29:400:29:44

It's going direct from farm to plate.

0:29:440:29:47

They can have the peace of mind

0:29:470:29:50

that they know where that lamb's come from,

0:29:500:29:52

what sort of life it's had and how it's lived

0:29:520:29:54

because you're never going to get a meat

0:29:540:29:57

that's gone and lived more free-range

0:29:570:30:00

than on the Lakeland fells.

0:30:000:30:02

You're good dogs. Yeah, you are.

0:30:020:30:04

Geetie is just over the border, towards Carlisle,

0:30:150:30:19

where two young entrepreneurs are about to leave well-paid jobs,

0:30:190:30:23

head back to their home turf in the Lakes

0:30:230:30:25

and set up a brand-new venture.

0:30:250:30:28

It's incredibly hard for businesses to go from start-up to success.

0:30:280:30:33

And, in fact, 80% of businesses fail in their first year,

0:30:330:30:37

due to lack of planning and poor cash flow.

0:30:370:30:40

Old school friends Tim and Luke have spent the last year

0:30:460:30:50

perfecting their own blend of handmade muesli

0:30:500:30:53

and currently bake 60kg a week,

0:30:530:30:56

selling online and at local markets.

0:30:560:30:58

-Hello. Hi, I'm Geetie.

-Good to meet you.

-Luke. Very nice to meet you.

0:31:010:31:06

-Hi, both of you too.

-Welcome to the kitchen.

-Fantastic.

0:31:060:31:09

-And this is a community kitchen.

-It is indeed, yeah.

-And why?

0:31:090:31:13

Why muesli? How did you get into this?

0:31:130:31:16

We've always had little projects and enterprises since we were kids.

0:31:160:31:20

We have a Swedish friend who's a bit of a mad professor

0:31:200:31:23

in the kitchen and he used to make it the whole time,

0:31:230:31:25

worked out optimum proteins, fats, carbohydrates in the muesli.

0:31:250:31:28

And then I guess you took it on from there.

0:31:280:31:31

And then we realised it was just a phenomenal product.

0:31:310:31:33

It sounds like you've really got the entrepreneurial spirit.

0:31:330:31:37

We're going to put in 2kg of organic oats, Geetie.

0:31:390:31:43

Now, we want 810g of almonds.

0:31:430:31:46

Over the past year,

0:31:470:31:49

I've been able to commit far more time than Luke

0:31:490:31:51

cos I've been self-employed in the log trade

0:31:510:31:53

and I've also been living up in Cumbria.

0:31:530:31:55

I've got a job out of London,

0:31:550:31:56

consulting for a large company down there

0:31:560:31:59

so, you know, the odd weekend I've been able to come up and help.

0:31:590:32:02

My thinking is, in seven weeks' time,

0:32:020:32:04

my notice goes in and we'll start at the start of September full-time.

0:32:040:32:08

-So, you're quitting your job.

-Yeah.

0:32:080:32:09

And at the moment, this business is turning over...?

0:32:090:32:13

-Probably 11K over the last year.

-Does that feel scary?

0:32:130:32:16

Yeah, it'll definitely mean a hit to the salary

0:32:160:32:18

-for the first few months.

-For the first...

-Few months.

0:32:180:32:20

-Few months.

-You sound sceptical.

-THEY LAUGH

0:32:200:32:24

But the potential is out there.

0:32:240:32:26

We Brits are the second biggest eaters

0:32:260:32:29

of Breakfast cereal in the world. Only the Irish eat more.

0:32:290:32:33

I know that the breakfast market is absolutely worth a fortune.

0:32:330:32:38

I think there's a big gap in the market, as well,

0:32:380:32:40

for premium high-quality muesli.

0:32:400:32:43

That's kind of where we're aiming for.

0:32:430:32:45

Mm, really good.

0:32:470:32:49

-Here it comes.

-Mm, oh, that smells great!

0:32:510:32:55

The business, so far, has been built on enthusiasm and not a lot else.

0:32:550:32:59

All ready and off we go.

0:32:590:33:02

To keep investment low, they've been baking at this community kitchen

0:33:020:33:06

for just £10 an hour.

0:33:060:33:08

And they do the rest in a tiny room at Tim's parents'.

0:33:090:33:13

We package between 80 to 100 bags here in peak season per week.

0:33:130:33:18

I think that's brilliant.

0:33:180:33:19

It's a perfect way to start up on a shoestring.

0:33:190:33:23

And long-term, the goal is to establish

0:33:230:33:25

the business where they want to live.

0:33:250:33:27

I think we're pretty passionate about this area.

0:33:270:33:30

Even it's not local produce itself, it's buying into the local economy.

0:33:300:33:33

Just seeing this area thrive, I think.

0:33:330:33:36

It's a really interesting subject,

0:33:360:33:38

the ethics that you're trying to attract,

0:33:380:33:40

buy into the business, that are important to you, personally,

0:33:400:33:42

and then how that becomes part of your story.

0:33:420:33:44

We'll be back at their summer festival launch,

0:33:450:33:48

when Luke will be bravely packing up his London life and job

0:33:480:33:51

to make muesli full-time.

0:33:510:33:54

It's mid-August and for farmers

0:34:010:34:03

and wedding venue entrepreneurs Abi and Paul,

0:34:030:34:06

it's their busiest time of year.

0:34:060:34:08

COW MOOS

0:34:080:34:10

It is really stressful because we've still got viewings going on

0:34:100:34:14

for the wedding barn and the farm and the kids.

0:34:140:34:16

Yeah, it's really stressful.

0:34:160:34:18

With a wedding booked in every weekend

0:34:180:34:21

and livestock still to tend to...

0:34:210:34:23

Feeding the cows is a job that's done every day.

0:34:230:34:26

Takes about an hour every morning.

0:34:260:34:28

..they're working over 80 hours a week.

0:34:280:34:31

I'm waiting for the vet to turn up

0:34:310:34:33

because our billy goat's not very well.

0:34:330:34:35

Then I can shoot off and get my nails done.

0:34:350:34:38

And this weekend, they're hosting their own wedding.

0:34:420:34:45

Yeah, I'm happy with that.

0:34:460:34:47

I'll just have a few things to do in the morning

0:34:470:34:50

and then, once we're married, that'll be us for three days,

0:34:500:34:54

so we can chill out without the children and everything.

0:34:540:34:57

It'll be great.

0:34:570:34:59

CHURCH WEDDING BELLS RING OUT

0:34:590:35:02

Wow! This looks so cool. Look at it!

0:35:140:35:18

It's great, it's wonderful.

0:35:180:35:20

It's lovely to have the experience, I think,

0:35:200:35:23

after watching so many other couples get married.

0:35:230:35:25

-It's a bit weird, really.

-It's a bit surreal, to be honest,

0:35:250:35:28

-but, yeah, it's lush.

-Looks great.

0:35:280:35:31

Love it, love it.

0:35:310:35:33

On average, each wedding pulls in around £4,000

0:35:360:35:39

but by adding home-grown extras to the menus...

0:35:390:35:43

-This is OUR beef, by the way.

-Yeah.

0:35:430:35:46

This is our beef, home bred.

0:35:460:35:48

..it's bumping up profits for the farm side of the business too.

0:35:480:35:53

With just three days' honeymoon,

0:35:540:35:56

Abi and Paul will be straight back to business,

0:35:560:35:59

setting up next weekend's wedding.

0:35:590:36:01

When I met peat-free compost producers Jane and Simon,

0:36:120:36:16

back in the spring, their groundbreaking product

0:36:160:36:19

was being used to grow lilies at London's Chelsea Flower Show.

0:36:190:36:23

People that you meet down here are real gardeners.

0:36:230:36:26

-Feels like very good quality compost.

-Yeah.

0:36:260:36:30

It's a joy to talk to them, really. We get plenty of new customers.

0:36:300:36:33

-Yeah.

-Thank you.

-Thank you. Bye now.

0:36:330:36:35

What they were really hoping for was to win a gold medal.

0:36:350:36:38

I'm back to see how they got on.

0:36:410:36:43

Hey, lambkins, what are you all doing out?

0:36:440:36:47

-Hi, Kate.

-How are you?

-Very well, how are you?

-Lovely to see.

0:36:510:36:54

-I've got you on a busy day.

-You have. You come to help?

0:36:540:36:57

Well, I'm not shearing, for sure!

0:36:570:36:59

These guys look like they know what they're doing.

0:36:590:37:01

Now, the big question - how did Chelsea go?

0:37:020:37:06

-They got a gold medal.

-Yay, that's brilliant!

0:37:060:37:09

-That is absolutely brilliant.

-It was brilliant.

0:37:090:37:12

And have you already seen a noticeable impact from that?

0:37:120:37:17

-Yeah, it had a spike in the sales.

-Brilliant.

0:37:170:37:20

It does tail off in towards the summer when people aren't planting,

0:37:200:37:23

-but it works.

-How many are you shearing today?

0:37:230:37:27

We're only shearing about 120 today.

0:37:270:37:30

-Right, OK, but in total?

-500 sheep.

-500.

0:37:300:37:34

Are you having to think, "We're just going to up our production

0:37:340:37:37

-"by 10%, 20%", whatever it is?

-Oh, it'll be at least 50%.

-50%?

-Yeah.

0:37:370:37:42

We know how the trend is going.

0:37:420:37:44

-We know the push towards peat-free is coming.

-Yeah.

0:37:440:37:47

And the more gold medals we get, the more we'll sell next year.

0:37:470:37:50

That's fantastic. Right, well, we'd better clear up every bit of this.

0:37:500:37:53

Yes, please. It all goes into the compost. There's no waste.

0:37:530:37:56

'As well as using their own wool,

0:37:590:38:01

'they're buying in more from local shepherds this year.'

0:38:010:38:05

So, now that you've got this key ingredient, what about the bracken?

0:38:050:38:08

When does that get harvested?

0:38:080:38:10

-Well, actually, Simon's out there today.

-Oh, is he?

-He's made a start.

0:38:100:38:14

Which direction do I head in?

0:38:140:38:15

-Go out into the yard and up onto the fell.

-Brilliant.

0:38:150:38:18

Even though it's July, it still rains, on average,

0:38:220:38:25

every other day in the Lakes.

0:38:250:38:27

Luckily, bracken can be harvested in any weather.

0:38:270:38:30

-Hi, Simon. Lovely to see you again.

-Good to see you again.

0:38:300:38:35

It's kind of all speed ahead at the moment, isn't it?

0:38:350:38:38

I'm surprised that you're not cutting it later in the year

0:38:380:38:41

-when it's higher.

-Right, well, it's not going to get much higher.

0:38:410:38:44

-Really?

-No.

0:38:440:38:46

But at home, in Wales, you know, by sort of August time,

0:38:460:38:51

-bracken's up here.

-Yeah.

-You can't see a thing.

0:38:510:38:54

No, no, but we're controlling the plant.

0:38:540:38:56

So, each time we cut, it reduces its height.

0:38:560:38:59

We've turned it into a crop

0:38:590:39:01

-and we're letting the plant sustain itself.

-Yeah.

0:39:010:39:04

It's a really good atmospheric feeder.

0:39:040:39:07

-It draws a lot of energy in from the sun.

-Yeah.

0:39:070:39:09

And then, when we prune the plant off,

0:39:090:39:11

we've got all that energy and we turn it into compost.

0:39:110:39:14

Right, and that's the energy that you're harvesting,

0:39:140:39:16

-literally, for your compost.

-Yeah.

0:39:160:39:18

'Their plans to increase compost production

0:39:190:39:22

'means they'll need more bracken from this summer's crop

0:39:220:39:25

'and they're aiming to make over 2,000 bales in the next few weeks.'

0:39:250:39:30

Are you going to have tractors all over the fells, cutting like fury?

0:39:310:39:35

Yeah, we've got farmers who'll come out

0:39:350:39:37

-and they'll cut their own bracken, in some circumstances.

-Right.

0:39:370:39:39

-And we'll pay them to do that.

-Yeah.

0:39:390:39:41

And the beauty about that is they know their own bit of ground.

0:39:410:39:44

-Yes, of course.

-They know where the rocks are, nine times out of ten.

0:39:440:39:48

I'm feeling a little bit idle here and I love a tractor.

0:39:490:39:52

-OK, let's go and do some baling.

-Can we go and have a bit of a go?

0:39:520:39:56

I tell you what, the last time I did baling,

0:39:560:39:58

it wasn't in anything as swanky as this, I can assure you.

0:39:580:40:01

-Right.

-I love tractors!

0:40:010:40:03

-This is going to make you go forwards.

-Right.

0:40:030:40:06

-Let's have some revs on with the red lever there.

-That one there, yeah.

0:40:060:40:09

And then all we've got to do is watch out for rocks.

0:40:090:40:11

-I'm hanging on, don't worry!

-Hang on, hang on there, Simon!

0:40:110:40:14

-So, I just need to head down the middle of the row.

-Yes.

0:40:150:40:18

-It's, er...

-It's wrapping up, yeah.

-It's winding the wrap.

-Yeah.

0:40:200:40:24

-Hee-hee!

-Do you want a job?

-I'd love one!

0:40:240:40:28

I'd be the world's slowest baler.

0:40:280:40:30

-Look at that, Simon!

-There we go. That's a fantastic bale.

0:40:310:40:35

You never know, this might be growing a plant

0:40:350:40:37

-at Chelsea to win a gold medal.

-That would be good.

0:40:370:40:39

That would be very, very good.

0:40:390:40:41

Jane and Simon's enterprising spirit is what's made this business thrive.

0:40:450:40:50

By harnessing an environmentally sound idea,

0:40:500:40:52

they've secured a future, not just for their farm,

0:40:520:40:55

but other local farms too.

0:40:550:40:57

For preserve maker, Jane Maggs, autumn is peak foraging season.

0:41:080:41:13

These are my foraging raspberries here. I just leave them to it.

0:41:130:41:17

Her business had been slowly recovering

0:41:180:41:21

since the terrible Cumbrian floods

0:41:210:41:23

but, in the past month, it's taken another big knock.

0:41:230:41:27

So, we lost a big London order of about 5,000 jars,

0:41:290:41:33

which did mean a lot to us.

0:41:330:41:37

We had to gather ourselves together a bit.

0:41:370:41:39

I mean, it was all a bit disheartening.

0:41:390:41:42

The decisions to stock, or not, made by the big retailers

0:41:420:41:46

can mean the fortunes of small businesses

0:41:460:41:48

like Jane's change very quickly.

0:41:480:41:50

'So, then we were approached

0:41:500:41:53

'by another big independent in the south

0:41:530:41:55

'about whether we could make own-label products for them,

0:41:550:41:59

'but using hyper-local, old orchard, foraged Cumbrian fruit.'

0:41:590:42:04

So, it's this business of one door shutting and another door opening.

0:42:040:42:07

These are absolutely perfect.

0:42:070:42:09

Another few days and they might be a bit too soft.

0:42:090:42:11

'It'll be big and it'll be bigger, possibly, than the previous order.

0:42:110:42:16

'But unlike businesses'

0:42:160:42:18

who can just go and buy in,

0:42:180:42:20

I've got to pick it, so I'm running around madly

0:42:200:42:24

all over the county at the moment, gathering damsons.

0:42:240:42:27

Muesli entrepreneur Luke is heading back to the Lakes for good,

0:42:330:42:37

leaving his city salary and security behind.

0:42:370:42:41

I left London a couple of hours ago, left my job today for the last time.

0:42:410:42:44

Walking out the office was a good feeling though.

0:42:440:42:47

In the past year, the number of people leaving the capital

0:42:470:42:50

more than doubled - the highest spike for just over half a century.

0:42:500:42:54

I'm on my way back up to paradise, or the Lake District,

0:42:540:42:57

depending how you want to call it. Looking forward to getting home.

0:42:570:43:01

Um, yeah, it's exciting times, a new chapter.

0:43:010:43:05

With plans to treble production from 60 to 180kg a week,

0:43:070:43:12

they've bravely taken on office space.

0:43:120:43:15

We need to start bringing in orders as soon as possible.

0:43:150:43:17

We've both now quit our jobs,

0:43:170:43:19

so there's not any money really trickling our way.

0:43:190:43:22

-I think this month, basically, we need to be getting orders.

-Yeah.

0:43:220:43:25

-Let's go, man.

-Made it.

0:43:280:43:30

And today, they have a meeting set up with Cranstons,

0:43:300:43:33

a local food hall chain.

0:43:330:43:35

No, keep going, straight ahead.

0:43:350:43:36

Brokering a deal with them could provide the kick-start

0:43:360:43:39

the business needs.

0:43:390:43:41

I don't think I'm nervous. Are you nervous?

0:43:410:43:43

No, I think I'm kind of looking forward to getting on

0:43:430:43:46

and seeing what she says. It's more like

0:43:460:43:48

-you don't want to be disappointed at the end of the day.

-Exactly.

0:43:480:43:51

The retailer currently stocks three brands of muesli,

0:43:510:43:54

selling, on average, at around £3 a bag.

0:43:540:43:57

We sell at £6 a unit or two for £10.

0:43:580:44:00

-We know people pay that amount.

-Yeah.

0:44:000:44:03

We have a client mix right across the board,

0:44:030:44:06

so we're going to need a retail price

0:44:060:44:09

-just a little bit sharper, really.

-OK.

0:44:090:44:11

Our next step is, with all local start-ups,

0:44:110:44:15

we try and support them and offer a trial.

0:44:150:44:18

So, we have discussed a three-month trial.

0:44:180:44:21

But their enthusiasm and passion is encouraging.

0:44:210:44:25

It makes you more likely to stock them than not.

0:44:250:44:30

-Aiming completely in the dark...

-But enthusiastic.

0:44:300:44:33

Yeah, and came out with a few good lessons

0:44:330:44:36

-and certainly not a rejection.

-No, definitely.

0:44:360:44:39

With such positive feedback and a chance to trial the product...

0:44:420:44:46

-Do you want to try some, madam?

-Honey-toasted muesli.

0:44:460:44:50

..Luke and Tim push forward with a big launch

0:44:500:44:52

at the Taste Cumbria food festival.

0:44:520:44:55

-Hello.

-Geetie, welcome, welcome.

-It looks fantastic.

0:44:580:45:01

-You've set it up beautifully.

-Amazing, thank you, yeah.

0:45:010:45:04

-Are you selling lots?

-Yeah, it's been busy.

0:45:040:45:06

So, have you actually managed to meet up with any of the shops yet

0:45:060:45:09

that you're trying to sell to?

0:45:090:45:11

Last week was our first meeting with Cranstons.

0:45:110:45:13

We basically have a trial in their flagship store

0:45:130:45:16

and then from there, if it goes well,

0:45:160:45:18

then they would put Lakeland Mues in all of their stores.

0:45:180:45:21

It's £6 a bag, two for £10.

0:45:210:45:24

Would anyone like to try some muesli?

0:45:240:45:26

The bags go for £6 each or two for a tenner on the market stall,

0:45:260:45:30

but the code of practice

0:45:300:45:32

to sell at bigger retail outlets is quite different.

0:45:320:45:35

-So, this is the tropical and then this is the classic.

-That's amazing.

0:45:350:45:41

You have to have a set price that everyone's buying at, obviously.

0:45:430:45:47

You could sell it higher here but not cheaper.

0:45:470:45:49

You must never undercut your suppliers.

0:45:490:45:51

We need to work that through with Cranstons

0:45:510:45:53

and we said, "We want to invest in that relationship with you."

0:45:530:45:55

Yeah. Is there any point that you would sell to somebody

0:45:550:45:58

at a small loss in order to be able to be stocked?

0:45:580:46:01

My concern would be it sets a bad precedent.

0:46:010:46:03

-Getting your brand out there is the most vital thing right now.

-Yeah.

0:46:030:46:06

-Ladies, would you like to try some homemade muesli?

-Two of these then?

0:46:060:46:10

That's £10, please, madam. I'll just get your change.

0:46:100:46:13

£6 half a kilo or we're doing two for £10.

0:46:130:46:16

-Feels like we've basically flown by the seat of our pants so far.

-Yes.

0:46:160:46:19

-So, now it's the time where we kind of, yeah...

-Structure, planning...

0:46:190:46:23

-Structure, all those kind of things that we hate doing.

-Yeah.

-Exactly.

0:46:230:46:26

Look, if you're no good at it and you really do hate doing it,

0:46:260:46:29

-you need to find someone to do it for you.

-Yeah.

0:46:290:46:31

That's really important. And then you'll fly.

0:46:310:46:33

I have genuinely enjoyed meeting Tim and Luke.

0:46:340:46:37

They are great salespeople and, with a bit of planning and structure,

0:46:370:46:41

I'm quite confident they'll get their business

0:46:410:46:43

to where they want to be.

0:46:430:46:45

Back in spring, I met forager and preserve maker Jane Maggs.

0:46:560:47:01

Hello, everyone. These are the samples.

0:47:010:47:04

It's been a tough year, rebuilding her business which was hit hard

0:47:040:47:07

ten months ago by the Cumbrian floods.

0:47:070:47:10

She's managed to move back into the commercial kitchen

0:47:100:47:13

and she's now in the throes of pitching to a new supplier.

0:47:130:47:17

At nine o'clock tomorrow morning,

0:47:170:47:20

seven different samples have got to be winging their way south.

0:47:200:47:24

We've made four and I've got three to do.

0:47:240:47:28

It's going to be a late night, I think.

0:47:280:47:30

SHE LAUGHS

0:47:300:47:33

After a summer of setbacks,

0:47:330:47:34

this 1,500 jar order could be what keeps the business going.

0:47:340:47:38

-Are you getting any ginger?

-No.

-No.

0:47:380:47:41

Jane?

0:47:480:47:50

-Hello.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-Er, a bit frantic and...

0:47:520:47:57

Hello, it's lovely to see you. What are up to at the moment?

0:47:570:48:01

If you could stone some damsons first, that would be really helpful.

0:48:010:48:04

OK, I can do damsons.

0:48:040:48:06

Right, how's that? Am I looking OK?

0:48:060:48:08

That's the most flattering hat, I'm afraid.

0:48:080:48:11

There's no such thing as a flattering hat

0:48:110:48:13

in this industry, is there? Right, I'm in. There we go.

0:48:130:48:16

Now, this stoning we're doing today is for a new order

0:48:160:48:21

-which could be very big.

-Oh, right.

-It's for Gloucester Services.

0:48:210:48:27

-Jane, that's terrific.

-I know, it is.

0:48:270:48:29

-So, that must have been very, very timely for you.

-It was, yeah.

0:48:290:48:33

It sounds sort of - perhaps over-dramatic -

0:48:330:48:36

-but do you think it saved the business?

-Well, I hope it will.

0:48:360:48:39

I can't think of anywhere better who appreciates what we do.

0:48:390:48:43

In amongst the nerves, is it also exciting?

0:48:450:48:49

Is this why you do this business really?

0:48:490:48:52

Um, I do it cos I like...picking fruit.

0:48:520:48:56

THEY LAUGH

0:48:560:48:58

I mean, I started the business all those years ago,

0:48:580:49:01

to show you could have a business

0:49:010:49:03

that was sustainable, using local fruit.

0:49:030:49:07

-Yeah.

-The margins are small.

0:49:070:49:09

'Jane's commitment to promote local produce

0:49:130:49:16

'and the belief that we can make use of what nature provides

0:49:160:49:20

'is what will continue to drive her business forward,

0:49:200:49:23

'despite the ups and downs.'

0:49:230:49:25

-Thorny issue of money.

-Yes.

0:49:270:49:30

Have you made any this year?

0:49:300:49:32

Er, as of last month, we were just making a loss of minus 200 quid,

0:49:320:49:38

-I think, which is astonishing to all of us.

-Wow!

0:49:380:49:41

I mean, everyone's pulled really hard so, you know,

0:49:410:49:43

we might end up with a little profit, which is totally amazing.

0:49:430:49:47

So, this new client might be, not just the saviour of your business,

0:49:470:49:54

but also, actually, the thing that might get your message

0:49:540:49:59

out wider than anything you've done before.

0:49:590:50:02

I'm so lucky that they've offered me this, I really am.

0:50:020:50:06

It's just the right platform.

0:50:060:50:08

Coming to this month, I'm feeling better about everything.

0:50:080:50:11

-Do you know why you're feeling better about everything?

-No.

0:50:110:50:13

It's the smell of blackberries cooking on your stove.

0:50:130:50:16

-That always makes everyone feel better.

-That's true.

0:50:160:50:19

-Jane, it's been a real pleasure meeting you.

-And you.

0:50:190:50:22

In Cumbria, you either give up or you battle on.

0:50:300:50:34

She's a battler, her gang are battlers,

0:50:340:50:37

and that makes me feel

0:50:370:50:40

that Wild & Fruitful will remain Wild & Fruitful

0:50:400:50:46

for many years to come.

0:50:460:50:48

For farmers Abi and Paul,

0:51:080:51:09

their wedding barn business season is coming to a close.

0:51:090:51:13

It's been a busy year of change for the newlyweds.

0:51:130:51:16

We've got more exciting news from the farm as well.

0:51:170:51:20

It's going to get really busy during lambing time next year.

0:51:200:51:24

We're due another one, another baby ourselves.

0:51:240:51:27

-Congratulations!

-Thank you.

-That's wonderful.

0:51:270:51:29

We were due the twins in the middle of lambing time and, yeah,

0:51:290:51:33

-we've timed it really well again.

-That must be utterly exhausting!

0:51:330:51:38

Having hosted a record 23 nuptials over the summer season,

0:51:390:51:43

the barn will be turned back to housing the cattle.

0:51:430:51:46

There's about three months off

0:51:460:51:48

before this is going to be full of cows right here.

0:51:480:51:52

Yes, they're going to be eating out of this trough here.

0:51:520:51:54

No festoon lighting any more.

0:51:540:51:56

I'm afraid they don't get the pretty lights.

0:51:560:51:59

Like many struggling farmers, their pick your own,

0:51:590:52:03

milk and meat have yielded poor returns,

0:52:030:52:05

but the wedding side of the business could now be what keeps them afloat.

0:52:050:52:10

How is it looking for next year?

0:52:100:52:12

We have one date left in June

0:52:120:52:15

-and then there's one date left in September.

-That's amazing.

0:52:150:52:18

And when we finish wedding season,

0:52:180:52:19

we've a 50th birthday party and a lovely big wedding fair.

0:52:190:52:23

We're looking at bringing in different packages,

0:52:230:52:25

whether it be they just have a basic DIY barn,

0:52:250:52:28

where they do everything themselves,

0:52:280:52:30

or whether we then add in a photographer, catering,

0:52:300:52:33

that kind of thing, or whether they want the whole nine yards -

0:52:330:52:35

they just turn up, get married and everything's done for them.

0:52:350:52:38

So, if you do want to revisit your pricing -

0:52:380:52:40

cos we were talking about that before -

0:52:400:52:42

-that would be the opportunity for you to do it.

-Definitely.

0:52:420:52:45

For four months of the year,

0:52:470:52:48

Abi and Paul are missing out on lucrative bookings,

0:52:480:52:51

unless they can find somewhere else to house the animals over winter.

0:52:510:52:55

But to enable us to do that,

0:52:550:52:57

-the business would have to take another financial leap.

-Mm.

0:52:570:53:00

Because we would have to put up another building on the farm

0:53:000:53:03

to enable us to farm in that

0:53:030:53:05

and not have to do any farming in these buildings at all.

0:53:050:53:08

So, why do you even continue with the farming

0:53:080:53:11

when you've got this business that could make you plenty of money?

0:53:110:53:14

Our heart's in farming, isn't it?

0:53:140:53:16

-There wouldn't be anything to get up for, would there?

-We both love it.

0:53:160:53:19

I mean, farming isn't a job. It's a way of life we love.

0:53:190:53:22

It would be lovely for us to be able to take a step back

0:53:220:53:25

and managers to step in and for us to get on with farming

0:53:250:53:28

-and the wedding barn to be running itself, in effect.

-Mm.

0:53:280:53:31

And I think it's crucial now that we actually sit down

0:53:310:53:33

-and business plan it out and, if needs be, get some help in...

-Yes.

0:53:330:53:37

..externally, on how to take both businesses forward.

0:53:370:53:40

Sounds like a really sensible plan to me.

0:53:400:53:43

Don't get us wrong - we do enjoy it but the farm is where our heart is.

0:53:430:53:47

Yeah.

0:53:470:53:48

Abi and Paul, with their growing family,

0:53:480:53:51

have hit on a savvy way

0:53:510:53:53

of continuing with the traditional farming they love

0:53:530:53:56

but, through sheer graft and belief, they've built a new business

0:53:560:54:00

to be proud of and the farm has a more secure future.

0:54:000:54:04

-You're welcome back any time.

-Thank you.

0:54:040:54:07

-See you. Bye.

-Thank you, bye.

0:54:070:54:09

Mandy's dream to produce hand-crafted tweed bags

0:54:210:54:24

from local wool was brave and ambitious.

0:54:240:54:27

-Hey, Giles, how you doing?

-Hi, how are you?

-Good, thank you.

0:54:270:54:31

Come for your bags, have you?

0:54:310:54:32

Bags manufactured at a lower cost abroad dominate the UK market,

0:54:320:54:37

but it's people like Mandy,

0:54:370:54:39

that are supporting this traditional British trade.

0:54:390:54:42

That looks terrific!

0:54:420:54:43

Wow!

0:54:440:54:46

Every part of the process has genuine provenance -

0:54:480:54:51

taking wool from the Herdwick sheep,

0:54:510:54:54

weaving the tweed at a local mill

0:54:540:54:56

and, finally, making the bags at this local factory.

0:54:560:54:59

When Philip's cutting it, what's the most effective usage?

0:54:590:55:04

If you're doing a big thing,

0:55:040:55:05

-you need to do a small thing to fill in the gaps.

-Right.

0:55:050:55:08

But Philip will use it and we don't throw it away. All this stuff is...

0:55:080:55:10

No, no, no, I just was trying to make it ultra-efficient.

0:55:100:55:14

We know how expensive it is.

0:55:140:55:15

We do know how expensive it is, thank you.

0:55:150:55:18

-It looks lovely.

-Thanks for reminding me!

0:55:180:55:19

-I'm making the patterns from your picture.

-OK.

0:55:190:55:22

With the help of their expertise and skill,

0:55:220:55:25

Mandy's developed six high-end designs.

0:55:250:55:27

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-That looks amazing!

-Really nice.

0:55:270:55:30

-See you next time.

-Good luck.

0:55:300:55:32

-Thanks, Giles.

-All right.

-See you soon.

-Bye.

0:55:320:55:35

It's all gone really, really well.

0:55:350:55:36

It's sort of interesting to see it all actually coming together

0:55:360:55:40

and then, now I've just got to market them and sell them.

0:55:400:55:44

'To push the business forward,

0:55:510:55:52

'Mandy will need not only to sell her existing stock

0:55:520:55:55

'but, crucially, produce enough new cloth for next season's products.'

0:55:550:56:00

It looks like you're really, really forging ahead - new bag designs...

0:56:000:56:06

THEY LAUGH

0:56:060:56:08

Is this a sign that you are feeling really optimistic

0:56:080:56:12

that you've hit on a good thing here?

0:56:120:56:15

-I think I would have said so until about two days ago.

-Right.

0:56:150:56:19

We've sent off all the second lot of yarn

0:56:190:56:22

and it's been spun and it's been at the weaver's,

0:56:220:56:25

and then I've had a call to say

0:56:250:56:27

-that there's breakages on the loom.

-Right.

0:56:270:56:32

And so they don't know whether it can be made to work, basically.

0:56:320:56:37

They are going to try, on a different loom,

0:56:380:56:42

to see if, on that basis, it's working better.

0:56:420:56:47

So, if this absolutely doesn't work,

0:56:470:56:51

and if, basically, we've lost that chunk of money...

0:56:510:56:54

How much is a chunk?

0:56:540:56:56

Probably nearly £10,000.

0:56:580:57:00

So, I'm a bit nervous, really.

0:57:020:57:04

But there are two words that I would attach to you immediately -

0:57:040:57:08

proud and stubborn.

0:57:080:57:10

THEY LAUGH

0:57:100:57:12

-You can hit me if you like.

-No, it's fine.

0:57:120:57:14

But I don't see you as somebody

0:57:140:57:16

-who's going to want to give up easily.

-No.

0:57:160:57:18

-But, clearly, you do have a business brain as well.

-Yes.

0:57:180:57:21

People who are more expert in this are saying,

0:57:210:57:23

"Mandy, there is going to be a solution to this

0:57:230:57:26

"cos you know it can work."

0:57:260:57:28

So, you've just got to hold your nerve.

0:57:280:57:31

You have created something pretty magnificent

0:57:310:57:35

that is absolutely part and parcel of your adopted home.

0:57:350:57:41

Yes, oh, yeah, absolutely. And I'm really proud of that.

0:57:410:57:45

-You should be.

-And I have to just...

0:57:450:57:48

I have to hold onto that to keep going forward,

0:57:480:57:51

just move the obstacles.

0:57:510:57:53

-Yeah. You can move anything.

-Thank you.

0:57:530:57:57

'It's people like Mandy who keep these regions alive.'

0:58:000:58:04

But making a living here is no holiday.

0:58:060:58:09

The weather and the geography conspire

0:58:090:58:12

to making running a rural business a very tough challenge indeed.

0:58:120:58:18

But, for those with imagination,

0:58:180:58:20

for those with grit and guts and vision,

0:58:200:58:23

the Lake District can and does provide.

0:58:230:58:27

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