Episode 2 Meet the Watkins

Hidden away in west Wales is a family business like no other.

the last count I'm sure it was 18 family members working here. They

are the fruit and veg Mafia. There's me, I'm Roland. There's

Stewart, ruebin, Tom, Davina, Rachel, Cora. Born a scrubber,

always a scrubber. There's Kim, Maria, Maer, her son. Stewart's son

John is working here. Rueb in, his son Luke is working here. His

daughter, Marie Alys is working here. Ashley, Nicki. Who else? I

can't think. I just forget my wife is working there. I'll be in

trouble! I don't know, I can't This time on meet the Watkins, the

farm shop faces its busiest time of the year. And the family waits for

The Watkins have been in business for generations and their latest

venture is a farm shop and restaurant. It's nearly Christmas

and Roland, the brains behind the farm shop, checks that all is well

in one part of the farm that's due to get very, very busy in just a

few days' time. This is where we start. Turkeys come out of the shed.

They're driven round, quietly into the other end of the building. The

building is kept dark, keep them calm. Then they're killed in here.

I'm not going to tell you what happens in here, just that they're

killed. Then they come into this room. They go into there to be

Fathered. When they come out, -- feathered, when they come out they

are hung on these hooks. People then tidy them up, anything missed

with the feathers. There will be quite a crowd in here. I won't be

here myself. I'll be at the shop. It's a lot of work looking after.

That all my other brothers will come down here. That's what we've

done the last few years. It's good working together, when we're quarlg

it's not is good and it does happen -- quarrelling. The farm shop is a

familiar sight for many who travel along the A48 between Swansea and

Carmarthen. The family have owned two farms within this area for over

50 years. The sheep are kept on their doorstep across from the shop,

but the cows are kept five miles away on a farm. Although they buy

in the fruit and veg all the meat in the shop comes from their own

farms. The beef comes from a herd of over 100 pedigree Hereford

cattle. Today is the day that could spell the end of the road for the

herd, as they're about to be tested for TB. There's a lot riding on

this for the Watkins. One negative result could ultimately close the

farm down. Today Rubin, who manages the farm, his son Luke and farm

hand Gareth are ready for the vet to make a start on the test. We've

got to have a TB test yearly, because we're in an area with TB.

We've never had a problem with it. Most farmers are on three-year

tests. If you've got it, it shuts the farm down. It's all hands on

deck and Luke has been taken away from his day job to give a helping

hand. Normally I'm in the butchery. Today I'm on the farm. It makes a

change. I was brought up on the farm, from a young age. I come back

for a change, to come on the farm. We have a TB test now with the

pedigree Herefords. It's a big deal for us. If it stops, so all farmers

stop, if they don't have it, we can't sell them or kill them. If we

didn't have the cattle or the sheep, we'd have to close the shop. Local

vet Neil Williams arrives and prepares each cow for the test.

we're going -- going along we're testing the skin. They're two types

of toxin. We're injecting it and looking for a reaction to the toxin.

What we don't want is obviously too much of a reaction to that toxin

when we come back to read it on again on Thursday. If we get a

reaction that suggests there would be a -- could be a problem there.

We'll find out on Thursday what the results are. With the testing comes

a lot of forms to be filled in. It's changed in the last 20 years,

completely. All the paper work and things you've got to do, all this

testing. We never had to do so much of it. It's part of the job now.

It's part of the routine. Rubin's sore point may be the paper work.

For Luke it's something more basic. Kicked me last time! As soon as I

jumped in there, they still kick you. Plenty of muscle in the back

legs. You don't want one of them to kick you. Hoof like that, bruise

like that. All I did was tap him on the side of of the leg. If they

kick you, you are in serious pain. At the farm they've all got a busy

morning ahead with over 80 cattle left to test. While Rubin has the

worry of the TB testing, family life goes on. Marie, Rubin's wife,

takes care of this side of things. They have four children, Luke,

teenagers, Alys and Adam and nine- year-old Francis who has cerebral

palsy. TB testing is normally nervewracking for him. I get used

to it, because we've been together for 19 years. It's just part of my

life now. Obviously, you always want it to be clear. That's the

main thing is that it does come back clear. Being a farmer's wife

isn't always easy. When we first got together it was a bit stressful

not knowing what time he'd be home, what time he was going to work and,

especially when we first moved down here as well, Luke was only a baby.

It was stressful. I was thinking, is he home now or later? What time

shall I do food? I got used to it and normally now it's yeah he's

home OK, it's fine. I wish he was here more often, especially with

Francis. Especially with Fran the way she is, you know, fair play to

him, he gets a lot of time off, we have hospitals or if she has to go

in or whatever, but sometimes, the holidays and she's here 24 hours a

day, it gets quite hard. Back at the farm shop, the turkeys are

about to start their journey from shed to table. As usual Roland is

keen to get things started. Half of these will go today now. We're

going to leave it to Rubin. I won't be here. I'm going back up to the

top. You can't be everywhere, can you? These others can do it.

Mistake we've got, we should have had the door, lift it off and then

you haven't got to go round so far. It's only been like this for nine

years! Maybe we'll learn for next year. Meanwhile, behind closed

doors, the pressure is on an army of Watkins to get a thousand birds

ready for the Christmas table. getting them all to sign what

they've had training in each thing and all that. I signed the wrong

one. Health and safety, yes. Even before the job starts, things get a

little heated. What do you expect me to do? I've got to sort this

out! As tempers flair in the turkey shed things are calmer in the shop.

Roland and son Will reminisce about past Christmass when the Watkins

made money as market traders. first seven -day in the market we

worked. We took 700 boxes of tang reens and 200 boxes of oranges and

sold all of them. We were empty coming home. It was amazing. We

were shocked. There were 17 staff. We had a fork lift down town load

the lot. The big kerosine heater cooking chestnuts. We had a tow van

behind the lorries and with the kitchen and used to make our own

dinner. Maria was six weeks old when we started markets and we've

done them since. Until three years ago, now we don't do them at all.

They were saying yesterday that the little one there won't have the

chance to be out in the market like these had the chance when they were

young. Fun times, we've tried it over the times. A Saturday out in

the van and Sunday on the market. It was good, wasn't it. I enjoyed

it. Good days on the market. Hard work, but it was a good day, yeah,

good fun, people you get to know them, didn't you? Back in the tury

shed and Stewart can't -- Turkey shed and Stewart can't contain his

excitement. Number one! One down and 999 to go.

As the defethering continuing, row lapbld's sister remembers how

things used to be done. People used to sit down and have a sack over

their lap, we're going back many years now. You used to get sore.

There was no machines to get the feathers out. Mum went to the kiosk

to made a phone call, perhaps I shouldn't tell you this, and she

left all her money in the kiosk. She came home without the money.

After all our hard work. She rushed back and it was still there. Yeah.

She rushed back and it was still there.

One year, you closed the new pocket knife on my finger. When something

goes wrong, it's always me. They used to call me clever sticks when

It's the next day, and things are strangely quiet on the farm yard.

There you are, then. That's the end of that. They've had their life now

the people are going to enjoy them. They're all done, job's finished.

They're all sold. There's the chickens. Chickens from six to 13-

pounders. Turkeys from 11 pound to 30-pounders. Friday will be the

busiest day. We know that by a long way. On Friday we'll do a week's

trade in one day. We probably got about 80, 90 spare turkeys and 30

spare chickens and a dozen spare ducks. I think there's about 30

spare geese at the moment. We won't sell every one. We have got to keep

spares. I'd like to have one myself. One year we couldn't have a turkey

ourself, there wasn't enough left. Customers come first. We look well

Away from the shop, nine-year-old Francis is at her weekly dance

class. For Francis' mum Marie it's a welcome distraction from concerns

about the farm, where the results of the TB tests are still to come.

I bring her dancing because it gets her out of the house, one thing and

the other thing is, she gets to be integrated with other children,

other than the children that she's in school with. She does like music.

She likes singing and dancing. She's always singing in the house.

I think it's nice to bring her here because then she's with other

children. She does enjoy coming, so that's the main thing for her. She

loves it and they love her, so as With Christmas only a few days away,

butchery manager Will and head butcher Justin are bracing

themselves for the Christmas rush. Still coming in, flying at the

moment now. 2400 so far. Last year we had funnily enough, Christmas

eve last year my next door neighbour come in, we were locking

the door, 4.30pm, and he come in, "Have you got a goose left?" That

was our last customer last year, still looking for a goose. We sold

him the biggest one. Yeah! This Christmas itself is a big challenge

itself. First Christmas when we opened was a massive challenge

because it was brand new. But I think this one is the third one

where we get busier. A lot of customers come from further afield

all the time. You're getting more and more continuously. We're

looking at about 5,000 plus customers that's going to come

through that door within two days before Christmas. That's why nobody

is allowed a day off before Christmas. We were lucky to have

one week. I'm sure last year we didn't have one this week. It's

busy in the shop and it's only going to get busier as Christmas

Day gets nearer. For one of the clan it's going to be a --

especially taxing. Up till now Nicki has been on the fruit and veg

vans, supplying remote communities arnica Margeenshire. This year he's

shop manager and it's his first kitchen. My brother is looking

after them well. We've had a few customers in here and they said

he's looking after them. It is strange, but I'm not going to enjoy

it in here when the snow comes. I won't be out in the vans then. It

will be lovely and warm inside. Yes. The Christmas period is pretty

chaotic and will be a baptism of fire for Nicki. It's all new. So

I'm learning what to do and trying to guess what is needed and all

that. It's quite difficult. I like a challenge, anything like this,

something new, yes really enjoy it. By what I can gather my role will

be keeping an eye on the shop, keeping an eye on the tills and

just checking everything is right. I'm looking forward to it now.

We've been waiting long enough now, It's early morning, and a day that

could spell doom for the Watkins family business. Today is TB test

result day and its outcome could put the whole empire in jeopardy.

Nervous, yeah. It's different today, results today. You do worry a bit

because we need it for the shop as well. If you don't have it, the

shop doesn't make money. We have to close down. We won't have a job. We

do worry, yes. As Neil Williams checks the results, all anybody

else can do is wait. But it's not an easy time for Neil either.

hate the day when you have to give a farmer bad news. I mean obviously

it affects their livelihood and can affect the life of the cattle as

well. Yes, it's never an enjoyable day. You always hope for a clean

test. Basically what we're looking for is a reaction to the injections

that we gave the cattle on Monday. Predominantly we're looking for any

sign of lumps or thickening in the skin, which suggests there's been a

Everybody is eager to discover the results of the test and with it the

fate of the farm. Yeah, grand. All good so far. We've got a few

more to test at the other premises. All clean so far, so good news.

Good, over the moon. Passed, so we've got a few left on the other

farm, about eight, fingers crossed. It's good news for the herd, but

there are another eight cows left to be tested at home farm. Roland

is eager for the news. finished? Yes. Are they all all

right? We passed. We're all right for another year then are we?

Hopefully, yes. We've never had it yet, thank goodness. It's a huge

relief for Rubin and Roland. But Neil's discovered another problem

with one of the cows. You don't feel much like an abscess. Equally

I can't feel any organs in there. It doesn't seem to want to shrink

Is it possible she's in calf? see. She's in calf. She's got to be

a good five or six months, possibly a bit more.

We'll just see how she goes then. The only thing is if it is a hernia

it might get worse as she's heavier. Actually she's heavier than that.

She's got to be seven, eight months. It would be cruel to kill her with

that. If the calf is getting bigger it could be why she's herniating a

bit more. If it all goes wrong, we'll have to put her down, that's

all you can do. It's been a good result with the TB, that's a big

relief. One cow with a lump on her side, hopefully if she's that close

to calving, we'll get the calf and see how she goes from there. If

she's all right we'll try to get the calf, but we won't put her back

to the bull. All in all a good day. But will it put a smile on Roland's

face? I'm always happy, I think. Ask the staff - they won't tell you

One of the busiest days in the shop's calendar is finally here.

Roland has already been up for hours preparing for the final

Christmas rush. I've been awake since 1.30. I couldn't sleep.

Another stressful day for Roland and nobody knows better than Gina,

his wife of 35 years. Things going to go what he says is going to go.

He likes to plan everything ahead, so everybody knows what they're

doing. It would frighten you the wage bill for today. It's a quarter

of a million for today now. only is the shop expecting a bumper

day, but the kitchen are preparing themselves for hungry customers.

Fresh from plucking duties in the turkey shed, there's a new job in

the kitchen. Bit hectic. Makes you think how quiet the turkey shed was,

being back in the kitchen. Heeps and heeps of stuffing. We've done

six or eight of these plastic tubs a day. We were 13 children so we

got used to big quantities like, not quite this big, mind! We did

have big April tights. We used to work out on the fields with dad a

lot, in the cold, you're hungry then whu come in. -- when you come

In the butcherery, the orders are still coming in thick and fast.

file kilo and a smaller one, what chickens? Cheers. Ta. Tom, can you

grab me a five kilo chicken and a three kilo chicken for Ashley.

Today? Now. Hopefully we've got the orders right so nobody complains.

One woman yesterday ordered a goose and she come in and said she wanted

a turkey and brought it back. She came back for the goose. It happens.

You can fit a couple more of these in. Any more of these? There's a

full box up there. For new shop manager Nicki, today, he must

really prove his worthment Who's on till there's? Euan on till one.

He'll help out. You have Linda and Tammy here and John -- Jan there.

There's a mini crisis in the yard. The fruit and veg are getting

drenched outside. As usual Roland's taking charge. Rain before seven,

supposed to finish at 11. Pass them over. They started getting wet.

Keep it dry. Stack them there and we'll put

these on the outside. Get the fork lift to bring the rubbish bins

facing in, and that will stop the rain coming in. Chuck that outside.

Terrible, isn't it? Bring them all in here, food and buy food to go

home. That's what we want today. Meanwhile, novice manager Nicki is

oblivious to the rain and concentrates on customer service.

What do you want them for, just for roasting? Yes. I'd go for the

chipping potatoes. Put them straight in the oven to roast them.

They make lovely roasties, that one So far so good. Everything's going

to Clockwork. We've about three It is very busy because we've got

to do all the prep for the day, for the shop, everything comes from the

kitchen. So it's a case of we've got to do all. That but I think

cooking wise, the most busiest day of the year for food going out into

the cafe is Mother's Day. Cooking As one of the busiest days of the

year draws to a close, the staff seem quite pleased about how things

have gone. It's my first year in the shop as manager, it's been good,

tiring, enjoyable, different. Yes, very happy, yeah. We've come to the

end of the day. Everybody's having their turkeys hopefully. This is

what's left to supply us through to the new year. We've worked as a

good team this year. We've got a good team in. We need to keep that

going now. Next year will be easier, hopefully and busier. Hopefully

everybody will come back and want more. It's the end of the day and

Coral has been given another role. Born a scrubber, always a scrubber.

After weeks of preparation, it looks as though all their hard work

has paid off. And that the Watkins empire has had a good Christmas.

Music to Roland's ears. It's nice to see all the people coming in,

after all the work we done. Could be nobody come. But nice toe see

the car park's jam packed. Should be like it every day, shouldn't it?