0:00:01 > 0:00:04Last year, I followed eight farms across Northern Ireland
0:00:04 > 0:00:06as they diversified in a bid to survive.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09They needed to do something different and profitable
0:00:09 > 0:00:11before they went under.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13It was time for some radical thinking.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17There were some strong ideas and there were some very weak ones.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18There were dreamers...
0:00:18 > 0:00:21You're a dilettante. You dip in and out of things.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22'..deadlines were broken.'
0:00:22 > 0:00:24You're really making a bit of progress on this.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26'There was tough talking...'
0:00:26 > 0:00:28This doesn't say, "Buy me," this says, "Bury me."
0:00:28 > 0:00:30'..and cage rattling.'
0:00:30 > 0:00:33I think money sometimes might be a bit vulgar for you.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35'And now I'm back to catch up with some of them'
0:00:35 > 0:00:38to find out what happened next.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49I'm on my way to Broughgammon Farm near Ballycastle in County Antrim
0:00:49 > 0:00:51to meet Charlie Cole and his family.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55When I first met Charlie, I found him to be a charming young man
0:00:55 > 0:01:00but perhaps a bit of a dilettante, even a flibbertigibbet.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02His initiative to bolster the family finances
0:01:02 > 0:01:05was goat meat and harvesting seaweed.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06Before that, it was bees,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08and even earlier, it was a bull farm.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13And I began to wonder whether it wasn't just a load of old bull.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17We're very close to the north coast here which has a fantastic
0:01:17 > 0:01:21seaweed resource which is under-utilised, probably,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25and the idea would be to pick it, bring it back here and process it.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27How many days a month can you harvest?
0:01:27 > 0:01:29And so that gives you about four days at each low tide
0:01:29 > 0:01:30so it's about eight days in a month.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Lying around for the rest of the time, are you?
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Well, I'm not going on holiday.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35One gap in the market is goats.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37There's a lot of dairy farms with goats
0:01:37 > 0:01:39and all the kids are surplus to that requirement.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41They're sort of... These are the boys?
0:01:41 > 0:01:43They're being disposed of, yes, the boys.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46So the idea is to take them on and fatten them up for two months
0:01:46 > 0:01:49on a milk-fed diet and that way, you get a very tasty meat,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51much like veal, at the end of it.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54No kidding. Exactly!
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Charlie was full of enthusiasm,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58but he hadn't fully researched his market.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01There was a question of the seaweed licence - that took months -
0:02:01 > 0:02:08but the really big issue was he had NO knowledge about rearing goats.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Let's talk about the goats. Give me a two-month cost on feeding.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Two-month cost, I think it works out as £50 a goat.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Who's buying? Who's eating kid? Who's eating goat?
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Well, unfortunately, I haven't narrowed down an exact market.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21I don't have a guaranteed buyer.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Quite a lot of THINKING. Yep.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25"I THINK this," and "I THINK that."
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Would you admit to me, be honest,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29you haven't drilled down deep enough yet on this?
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I've not. I've got a lot of numbers floating around my head.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Don't you DARE think you're in business
0:02:35 > 0:02:39until you've researched every aspect.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40I really wanted Charlie to succeed.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42He had the right ingredients -
0:02:42 > 0:02:44a good idea, in fact, two good ideas -
0:02:44 > 0:02:45but he lacked focus.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I introduced him to some experts and, my word, after that,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52my confidence REALLY soared.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Here we have some pepper dulce.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57This is probably the prime product.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00It only comes in very small batches and it's very difficult to find,
0:03:00 > 0:03:01but it tastes delicious.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04You know, the price we can get for this is far higher.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06It is. Isn't that amazing?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09So really, what we're looking at here is seaweed,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11but to the experienced eye,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14we're looking at lots of different types of seaweed.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Each one with a particular application, perhaps.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21The goat meat was an easier sell.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I gathered together some chefs to give their opinion
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and, after that, I knew we were on to a winner.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31I'm finding the taste quite mild. I think it's delicious.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34I think that it's not just an alternative to lamb.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39I PREFER the texture to it than lamb.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So what do you think of the taste of it?
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Very nice, yeah. It's actually quite tender too.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46It's really, really hard to get goat's meat.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48I've been getting it from France
0:03:48 > 0:03:51which is incredibly expensive and I would use it every week.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54I've given him my card and everything!
0:03:54 > 0:03:56So, the goat business was up and running.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Now, we turned our attention to the seaweed,
0:03:58 > 0:04:02and I arranged for Charlie to pitch to some potential buyers -
0:04:02 > 0:04:06two ladies from Fortnum and Mason in London.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11And one idea we've come up with is our seaweed soak bath soak. Um...
0:04:11 > 0:04:14So we've got a little bit of salt falling out.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15This is it, and then the bag...
0:04:15 > 0:04:18You put this in the bath and it will then sort of expand.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20It grows by about five times.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I'm concerned that, as we've said, it's a whole luxury market.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28We're asking our customers to sort of sit in the bath
0:04:28 > 0:04:31with quite a large bag of seaweed.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Charlie fared better with Dublin-based Green Angel,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42a company specialising in skincare and seaweed products.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Would you be able to put it into some kind of bag?
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Bagging shouldn't be a problem. We've looked at doing it ourselves.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50We retail to around 500 pharmacies,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53and if we start exporting, which is where we want to go...
0:04:53 > 0:04:55We would be able to provide a competitive package
0:04:55 > 0:04:58in comparison to a lot of the other producers,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00who would literally pick it and look for the immediate sale.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02So what you're saying is that
0:05:02 > 0:05:05you're really going to do this more professionally?
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Obviously, if we were negotiating a contract,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11then we would be more sure of what our overheads are going to be
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and we can then tie it down to a more competitive price.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So do you feel, sort of, once we've tied down our cost,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20would you be happy for us to go forward
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and discuss an actual contract and do business together, or...?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I think we may be one step away from a deal.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Thank you very much.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35When I last met Charlie, he had finished the research
0:05:35 > 0:05:38and was going straight into business on both fronts -
0:05:38 > 0:05:40goat meat and seaweed.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Now, let's see whether he's made any real progress.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Charlie. Lovely to see you again. Great to be back.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Long time no see! Looking forward to hearing a lot!
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Oh, plenty has happened. What's been going on?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00We have been flat out. We've got lots of volunteers.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03So it's been really good? Absolutely manic.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06When I first met you just over a year ago,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09you made a declaration: "I don't want to be a millionaire.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12"I just want something to support the farm and the family."
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Have you achieved that?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16We're flying along. We are well and truly on the road.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18I wouldn't say that we'd made it,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21but we are now up to a 300-strong herd with the goats.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24On the back of that, we're now building a butchery facility.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26We've also established a good market stall,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30and we are now travelling around and being invited to tender for events,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33both doing fresh meat and cooked products.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34That wasn't on the cards last year.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38We worked out that if we can sell straight to the customer - hot food -
0:06:38 > 0:06:40you get a bigger margin.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43And there are lots of us,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and if we all chip in, it works.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48So Broughgammon, up and running at speed.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Come on, let's go and have a look at this herd of yours.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52Is it herd or flock?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I don't know. We are sort of always debating this. 300!
0:06:58 > 0:07:01My word, Charlie! How times have changed!
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I saw a little stable, then I saw a caravan,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05now you've got two polytunnels.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07This is the big one. How many have you got in here?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09There's about 100 in here and they still follow you.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12I can get in there and run from end to end and they will follow me.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13It's not a game any more, is it?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16There is probably three out of every 30 you get really attached to.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18They still see you as Mum.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Don't fall in love with them, cos you've got to slaughter them!
0:07:20 > 0:07:23How many are you slaughtering a week? At the moment, about six.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30So this is the butchery we started there a couple of weeks ago.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31It was two disused hay sheds.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34The plan for in here is this is going to be the butchery workroom,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36then back to about here.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And who is actually going to be doing the cutting, the butchery?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40We will be doing the butchery ourselves.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42So, Mum, the brothers and I.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43Charlie, be careful.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Those big choppers, you could do a lot of damage to yourself.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47Still got ten!
0:07:50 > 0:07:53So this is the seaweed-drying polytunnel.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55We built this literally just as you left last year.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58We are using the solar thermal energy to dry out the seaweed.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Every two weeks, you're looking at a low tide
0:08:00 > 0:08:02and you would be out picking the seaweed.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Between the tides, 14 days, we've got a down period
0:08:05 > 0:08:07where this isn't being utilised.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10So we found another income stream in the form of wheatgrass,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and it contains all the goodness in them,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and it's very popular at the minute in the smoothies market,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17so it works very well alongside the seaweed.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Charlie, if I cast my mind back,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25the original idea was get those kids for nothing,
0:08:25 > 0:08:30fatten them up, slaughter them, and sell the produce to restaurants,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and now, I'm standing in YOUR restaurant.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Basically, we had a slight issue with our route to market.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36When we first started up,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39people weren't open-minded enough about the product,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and we had to go out and we had to prove there was a market ourselves
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and give them an entrance-level product like burgers and meatballs.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Something which everyone could cook at home.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Off the back of that, now the butchers and the restaurants
0:08:50 > 0:08:51are suddenly interested in the product.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Well, listen, I suppose the proof is in the eating. I'll have one.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57What would you like in it? I'll leave it to you.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01That looks wonderful. This tastes really good.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Really good. I'm not paying you for it. Cheeky!
0:09:05 > 0:09:08So Charlie HAS secured the future of the family farm.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10He started out as a dilettante,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14but now with the family all around him, he's found his niche,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16particularly in the goat meat market,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and I wish him and Broughgammon just the best of good fortune.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I'm off to see Phillip Brown of Phil's Farm in County Armagh.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30He inherited his parents' 17-acre farm,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34but needed to turn his hobby into a money-making venture.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37His hobby - a small collection of animals.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40His idea - to create a mobile petting farm.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45And how many bookings could you do in a day?
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I wouldn't want to do any more than two, to be honest.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49You're not turning bookings down, are you?
0:09:49 > 0:09:51At the minute, I have had to.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55And pricing, what's the average sort of take, per visit?
0:09:55 > 0:09:59It would be, like, from £150 till maybe £300-400.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05My concern was that Phil would not be prepared to go all out
0:10:05 > 0:10:08to fulfil his business potential.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10I want to ask you a very simple question.
0:10:10 > 0:10:17Is your Phil's Farm just for you, just to put bread on the table,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20or are you a bit more ambitious? Do you want to spread your wings?
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Do you want to really grow a business?
0:10:22 > 0:10:24No, I want to get a business out of it.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28It's not...at the minute, it's just ticking over.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Shall I tell you what my plan is?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34What I'd like you to do is to rent a barn on a farm somewhere.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37To open a branch office, one in Donegal, or in Dundalk,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39or, I don't know, Sligo,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42with you providing the livestock,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and suddenly, before you know where you are,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49you've got five or six and you're running a real business.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53My idea was to get Phil to rebrand.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54Something more generic,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58something that would lend itself to a franchising operation.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01So I introduced him to graphic designer Mark Thompson,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03in a bid to make Phil understand
0:11:03 > 0:11:07just how broad those marketing opportunities are.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10There's great creativity, certainly there is,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12but we're still...Phil's still there.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Just think ahead ten years, when you might want, sort of to exit,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18and I just want to make it easier to exit, you know?
0:11:18 > 0:11:21There is another way which could solve the problem.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23The brand name, Farmtastic.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26There is the potential with a name like that
0:11:26 > 0:11:29where you could start in the initial number of years
0:11:29 > 0:11:30as Phil's Farmtastic,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34but then as it grows, you simply just drop off "Phil's"
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and it becomes Farmtastic alone.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I simply could not get Phil to move fast on anything,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and I suddenly realised it wasn't a resistance to change.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49It was because he was up to here running the business,
0:11:49 > 0:11:50operational matters,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and it was time for him to actually stand back,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56loosen the reins off, and delegate.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I'd arranged for Phil to launch Phil's Farm
0:12:03 > 0:12:05at the big St Patrick's Day parade in Monaghan,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and I fully expected to see a new truck
0:12:08 > 0:12:13with Farmtastic plastered across it and bags of merchandising.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Let's have a look at the Jeep. You haven't seen it yet?
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Phil's Farm. What about that global branding we were talking about?
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Well, I've got it, it's in here too, I've got it in here.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Oh, you've tucked it up the front. Oh, aye.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25You're beginning quietly with the Farmtastic?
0:12:25 > 0:12:29We're going to break it in slowly. Look what difference that makes.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32This doesn't say anything to me.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Phil had the makings of a fun little business,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39and I'd like to see what he's been up to since I last saw him.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Is he now Dr Dolittle, or as I suspect, Dr Do-Nothing?
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So, how are you? Great to see you. We talked about branding.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56It's amazing! That's a change. I remember the little trailer.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58You can't miss it now, anyway! So business is coming on?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Business is booming at the minute.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03And have you released the reins a bit? Loosened your hold?
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Delegated to a certain extent,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07but still I have to keep an eye on things.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09But managing growth is a difficult thing.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Talking about growing, have you expanded the range?
0:13:11 > 0:13:13How's the zoo, the menagerie, the farm?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Going well. Do you want to have a look and see some of them?
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Yeah. Love it.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19No chimpanzees, I suppose?
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Not yet, anyway. Crocodiles?
0:13:24 > 0:13:28I've met this little chap before. The alpaca.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30This is Joe. This is Joe. Brilliant. Lovely.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32What else have you got? Anything new?
0:13:32 > 0:13:35We've brought in two meerkats now, Itchy and Scratchy,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38which are a big hit at the minute.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Then we have two new wallabies as well.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43And then, of course, at Christmas time we have an extra two reindeer.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45We've now got four. Seasonal, but my word,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47when it's THEIR season, you make hay.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50We have some fairly big news as well from the last time you were here.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Since then I have purchased a new property - a new farm.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54Oh, really? So it's Phil's FARMS!
0:13:54 > 0:13:57I'll take you over now to let you have a look at it yourself.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08This is very good, isn't it?
0:14:08 > 0:14:13So, tell me this, the original farm, all right,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16the problem there was access, so you couldn't have visitors.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19So you bought this place, you've got a riding facility,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21you've got a big barn there. Yeah, with a big shed.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24You've got access, so you can bring school buses in.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Schools, birthday parties, different fun days.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31It's just to add something else that we can do.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34You seem to have added quite a lot of staff, actually, Phil. We have,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36we've 12 staff and myself now, to be able to run
0:14:36 > 0:14:38all the units we have now we can run in one day.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41All the units? We now do up to four events now in one day.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43So you've got the four units going out there,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45you've made an investment in this place,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and this is all funded out of trading?
0:14:48 > 0:14:50The mobile farm to be honest is doing well.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52We've went from being just a mobile farm in Ireland
0:14:52 > 0:14:56to being the biggest mobile farm covering now the whole of Ireland.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59There was I saying Phil doesn't do much,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02and Phil actually quietly does quite a lot.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05You've surprised me a bit.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07It takes something, doesn't it, to surprise you?
0:15:09 > 0:15:13It might have been a shaky start for Phil, but once he got his head round it,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16once he started motoring, well, there's been no stopping him.
0:15:16 > 0:15:22I reckon in a couple of years' time he'll be right across this country - Phil's Farms everywhere.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26And now I'm on my way to Derrygonnelly
0:15:26 > 0:15:28on the outskirts of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh,
0:15:28 > 0:15:34where I'll see Gordon Fallis who was really struggling to make his family farm pay
0:15:34 > 0:15:37until he came up with the idea of a microbrewery.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43What really intrigued me about Gordon was his reluctance
0:15:43 > 0:15:47to make lots of money - it simply wasn't his motive, he just wanted to make a living.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53I've never, ever before come across a businessman who didn't want to make as much money as possible.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Gordon built a microbrewery,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00and was scheduled to produce 1,000 bottles a week.
0:16:00 > 0:16:06We'll be able to produce 500 litres of beer, which'll translate into a thousand bottles.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11There's potential to run that three times a week, which would translate into 3,000 bottles a week.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15However, that would be at the very maximum end of capacity at the minute.
0:16:15 > 0:16:193,000 bottles tells me that's not a big microbrewery.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21What I want to get out of this is a living for myself
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and enable me to do my farming activities at the same time.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28I don't want to become the next Guinness or a millionaire really.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30I haven't run into many people like you.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Most people are driving for the most they can possibly get.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35They can't help themselves, they've got to keep growing.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38But you've said no, that's not what I'm about.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Reluctant or not, Gordon had to make a living
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and the first challenge was to come up with a brand.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49I worked with a designer, and Gordon pushed on with his own scheme.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I really want this to be sold as a Fermanagh beer, we've really got to tap into that.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55That, I can't read. That was an off-the-wall one. I think so.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00'In the end, we had a little compromise and Gordon was happy with it.'
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Now, the next stage is production.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Yes. I think it's time. And when are we going to be actually tasting some beer? Pretty soon, I hope.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09It's time to fill some bottles with beer.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12After many missed deadlines and many fraught telephone calls,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17Gordon's new beer was ready so I took him to London to launch it
0:17:17 > 0:17:19at the Porterhouse in Covent Garden
0:17:19 > 0:17:22under the scrutiny of the trade press and many buyers.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I'd feel more at home in a field in Fermanagh to be honest,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and we're a long, long way from the bog lands of West Fermanagh here tonight.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I hope you enjoy the beer - if you want to chat about it
0:17:34 > 0:17:37come and have a word with me, mingle, do what
0:17:37 > 0:17:40we do here in London, you know? Thanks again for coming, cheers.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Well done.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46It's not a crazily flavoursome beer.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50It's very drinkable, very quaffable.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Distinctive stands out for that first pint - you might not order the second one.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55This one's just about on the cusp.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57You can imagine having a second glass of this.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59He's nailed it, it's a great beer.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01It's obviously led by the consumer
0:18:01 > 0:18:04but there's 24 bottles in a case, there's 24 hours in a day,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08so say ten cases a month - you know, something like that?
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I mean, that's a nice gentle start for a fine beer.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18With all the pain of getting the Inishmacsaint brewery
0:18:18 > 0:18:22up and running, and with talk of a volume buyer in London,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I'm dying to see what happened next.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33You've brought the weather with you. I have. I hope you haven't sold out of your beer, have you?
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Cold ones in the fridge. Excellent. Come on, let's have one.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Well, here's to you. Good health.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43And when we first met, you were producing about 100 bottles a week.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Now, what's the story today?
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Most weeks we would be putting out 1,300 bottles.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52And you could push that up to? 2,000. Really.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54And you're enjoying the sales but not the distribution?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57I really need to be in the brewery getting the beer out.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00The distribution's taking up quite a bit of time.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04So how are you going to cope with that then? We are going to have to look at the way we're operating
0:19:04 > 0:19:06and I think I'm going to have to get back into the brewery
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and hand over the distribution to somebody else.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11And at the London launch there was a guy who was interested
0:19:11 > 0:19:14in taking some product for the UK market. What happened?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16I was quite keen to supply some to London,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21but the demand at home here was so great that I thought to myself
0:19:21 > 0:19:24it's more sensible to satisfy our local market.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28And I've heard locally that you sold into the Lough Erne Hotel during the G8 summit.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Well, we supplied the hotel, and it appears that
0:19:32 > 0:19:36the President of the US managed to get his hands on a bottle and tried it.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Is that right? That's right. That's amazing.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40We've been in touch with his head chef.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44A communication from the White House? Yeah, we've an e-mail there and my dad met him.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Isn't that brilliant? Yeah.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Well, that's fantastic. You didn't get a picture of Obama with a pint?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Unfortunately not. That would have been worth its weight in gold.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53More than its weight in rubies!
0:19:53 > 0:19:55How much would they sell for generally?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I think they sell it for in and around £4.50.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02So call it £4. Say 2,000 bottles a week, that strikes me as being
0:20:02 > 0:20:088,000 at retail, and I hope you're getting a good slice of that?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Oh, yeah. There's a margin in it for me.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13You need a partner. You stay in the brewery - I'll do the driving.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Might have a bit of work on your hands though cos we're moving further afield,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18we're heading into the South of Ireland now.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Oh, really? Into the Republic? My word.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23So what other things are you thinking about?
0:20:23 > 0:20:25We completed an extension recently...
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Let's go have a look. Come on. Let's go.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Good heavens. We're going South then?
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Oh, yeah. Definitely.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40So what have we got here, then? These are our fermenting vessels,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42we can get 3,000 litres of beer in here.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44So that's 6,000 bottles. That's right.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48And next door? Through here's the brewing end of the operation.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52OK. So that's fermenting and this is brewing, yeah? That's correct.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57And in there you can ferment 3,000 litres, 6,000 bottles
0:20:57 > 0:21:02but the production capacity in the brewing side is 2,000 bottles.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04You've got to decide how fast you travel at this,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and I think possibly you're a cautious man.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09You're going to eat the elephant in small pieces. Is that right?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11That's right. We'll not get carried away.
0:21:11 > 0:21:17Not a bad idea. My word, how you've come on though. Inishmacsaint, my goodness me.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25I'm delighted that Gordon's Inishmacsaint is doing so well.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30He still maintains he's a reluctant businessman, but the tide has turned.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35He enjoys selling, and he enjoys bringing in the extra money to sustain the farm and the family.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40He's got success, it's there - all he's got to do is reach out and seize it.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49Next on my hit list is Colin Heron of Tullyveery House, Killyleagh in County Down.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51He had the idea of opening up the family estate
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and going into the lucrative wedding market.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Colin, good morning. Nick, welcome to Tullyveery. Thank you.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06This is probably my last serious opportunity to effect radical change here for the better.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15This area with this hard core that's about to be spread out and compacted
0:22:15 > 0:22:17is the base area for where a marquee complex
0:22:17 > 0:22:20which will take up to 250 people can be erected,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and the client can configure that tent as they wish.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26And how much are you actually charging for that footprint?
0:22:26 > 0:22:30In this case it's £1,850, which is rather less than, actually, some of my competitors.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33£1,850. That's a flat fee? Yep.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Depends... I've only got 100 people, or I've got 250? Yeah, it's a flat fee.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40It's a flat fee? It's a flat fee.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Colin needed to think about other forms of revenue
0:22:42 > 0:22:46and I asked him to consider maybe American tourists, cruise ships -
0:22:46 > 0:22:49and to test the water I arranged for a bus-load of WI women
0:22:49 > 0:22:55to come down here to Tullyveery to be entertained and indeed enthralled by Colin.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Good morning. Welcome to Tullyveery.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04I don't know how far you've travelled,
0:23:04 > 0:23:09perhaps you want to come in and sort of check the house out first. Come on in!
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Lunch is at 1 o'clock, so we've got a bit of time in hand.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Do you want to have a potter round outside before you take your coats off?
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Sorry, I haven't brought you in, I'll take you out. Do you want to leave bags and things here?
0:23:27 > 0:23:31I had a professional career away from here until I was 55 and came home,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35had a hard look at it and thought it maybe has to do something to wash its face.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39So it's quite an interesting, complicated world but Northern Ireland's got a lot to offer.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43We're witnessing a very strange little scene here.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47One company's responsible for everything that happens on shore...
0:23:47 > 0:23:51This group is a sort of tour group. It's a trial tour group.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56What I have not nailed down yet is how much they're going to take off...
0:23:56 > 0:23:59But Colin's talking to them about almost everything he knows.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05Other than the sort of talk he would give to a tour group he's talking about the margins, the chef...
0:24:05 > 0:24:09"Not sure how much money the cruise liner would want
0:24:09 > 0:24:14"because after all they've got their mooring fees in Belfast Harbour..."
0:24:14 > 0:24:21It's a bizarre carry on. He's sort of emptying his heart to this group.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Who are not the slightest bit interested in hearing about this.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28If he were to do this to a genuine tour group of Americans,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31I think they'd scuttle back to their ship double-quick.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I then piled on the pressure by sending a group of corporate types
0:24:39 > 0:24:41for an evening of fine dining.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45No problem - Colin rose to the challenge OK.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Here, we are very close to Comber, which is the ancestral home of the Andrews family.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Americans who are interested in the whole Titanic memorabilia thing might be interested.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56There's 50 to 60 Titanic societies in the states, I believe.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01So there must be a market that can be tapped in for special fine dining dinners
0:25:01 > 0:25:04or something to tie in with that.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07So Colin had lots of potential revenue streams,
0:25:07 > 0:25:12and I'm very keen to see just how many he's succeeded in exploiting.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Colin, how are you? Lovely to see you back here.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Every time you come here the sun shines.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Has Tullyveery ever looked better?
0:25:22 > 0:25:27I have a big wedding tomorrow. Most of the guests tomorrow are Americans.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30They've come in from Florida, Philadelphia... It's their sort of weather.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35But I want to talk to you about the money. You love talking about the money.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Eventually, it's always about the money. Of course.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Now, that is what I call a marquee, my word. That's magnificent.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44We've seated 160 in there for dinner quite easily, three weeks ago.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50It'll take up to 200, and up to 300 when people come along afterwards. So it'll take big numbers.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Are you still sticking to the old footprint argument?
0:25:53 > 0:25:57"I sell you a bit of my garden, and of course I sell you me"?
0:25:57 > 0:26:03Well, we've two packages - I have a house fee which opens all doors, opens all areas,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and the marquee company offer a fantastically well-priced package,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10which means you know exactly from the outset when you add those two together
0:26:10 > 0:26:13what it's going to cost you for a country house wedding here in a marquee.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15So we've got the wedding business,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18and then I was looking through some research papers the other day
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and I noticed that there were actually a lot - maybe 60 - cruise ships,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26pulling into Belfast Harbour this year. Are you getting any business from them?
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Yes. We're still working with a company in Dublin who control these,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I've got four bookings for later on this month.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36For dinners, or...? No, afternoon teas. Country house afternoon tea.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40But you don't know really until the last minute because it depends
0:26:40 > 0:26:44how many will select to come and take up this land-based option.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49So the teas are in-house? Teas are in house. Correct. Literally in the house, there's only up to 16.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53But we may, with some expansion of the facilities...
0:26:53 > 0:26:56I haven't seen this courtyard. No, this is all new since last year.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03So this is the old estate courtyard. Yes, it is. What's the plan here then?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I discovered fairly early on that actually there was a gap
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I couldn't actually meet the girls' needs
0:27:09 > 0:27:12which was very small venues in the house and do a reception for them there.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16You could... Obviously the marquee can take anyone,
0:27:16 > 0:27:21but you need a certain minimum number to make a party in the marquee sing, 125 or more perhaps.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23And obviously there's the cost of the marquee.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26So, with some minor renovation the estate offices here,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29which I used to play table tennis in as a kid, that will seat
0:27:29 > 0:27:34around 60 to 70, and 20 or 30, 40 friends that come along. I think this complex'll take 125 overall.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So, big daddy weddings, mummy weddings,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39baby weddings in the house. Yes. Tell me something -
0:27:39 > 0:27:41all this profitable?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44No wedding runs at a loss. Well done. Well done.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47And it doesn't impact on the beauty of the place.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I think it's wonderful, I love it.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Just over a year ago, Colin Heron was on the cusp of starting
0:27:56 > 0:28:01a wedding business. Since then he has done remarkable things -
0:28:01 > 0:28:05the original objective, to secure the future of Tullyveery House.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Has he done it? And then some.
0:28:08 > 0:28:14I've got no right to say this but, do you know something? I feel rather proud of Colin Heron.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21It hasn't all been plain sailing but I'm happy to say
0:28:21 > 0:28:26that, for these farmers, our combined efforts have paid dividends.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd