Episode 3 The Farm Fixer


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Small family farms are in trouble.

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-This hasn't seen action for a while!

-Business consultant Nick Hewer

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is going back to his Northern Irish roots

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to help them diversify, and make radical changes,

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before they go under.

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What can you do with 17 acres?

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But are the farmers ready for his advice?

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I'm not a farming guru with all the answers,

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but having observed many companies over more than 40 years,

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what I CAN offer is a great big dollop of common sense.

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This series follows local farms

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embarking on a long-term fight for survival.

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You're not turning bookings down, are you?

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-There will be tough decisions...

-That source will pump for ever -

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and they're going to sell it?

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..but doing nothing is not an option.

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End of a long day - and for me, a depressing day.

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OK.

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This week, Nick is on his way

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to Newtownbutler in County Fermanagh.

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John Brownlee and his Dutch wife, Ingrid, have a 160-acre farm.

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Their business is apples,

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and their main customer is a cider manufacturer

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who likes to buy big - and cheap.

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Unless they diversify, the farm will not survive.

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Luckily, John has plenty of ideas.

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You usually wake up at five in the morning!

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-Eating an apple!

-And he's crunching an apple,

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and then he says, "I have an idea!"

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The Brownlees' ambitious plans include apple pies, holiday homes

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fishing lakes and a forest.

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Nick has been called in to provide some commercial nous.

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-Slainte!

-Good morning!

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-Long drive for you! Hi, I'm Ingrid.

-This is Ingrid.

-Yes.

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Nick has eight months to help the Brownlees save their farm.

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The first job is to get a thorough look round.

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-What's her name?

-Jasmine. Come on!

-Hi, Jasmine!

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-Hi, Jasmine!

-There we go.

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-And who are your customers?

-Er, Magners.

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-You've had them a long time?

-Yes, I have.

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What sort of percentage would they take of the crop?

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They'll take it all. But it's at a low price.

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-And, er...

-That's the prob...

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A sole customer is always a bit, sort of,

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eggs-in-one-basket type situation, isn't it?

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Yeah, it is. Which is why we're looking at diversifying.

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The Brownlees need to reduce their reliance on cider buyers.

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Ingrid works as a business consultant in Europe.

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She's convinced that snack-sized apple pies,

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which are popular in the Netherlands,

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could be the answer.

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-Ready to eat.

-And you just take one at a petrol station...

-Actually...

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..and you just take a wee bite.

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I like the fact that you can actually see it.

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-How much do these sell for?

-In Holland,

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they're about 1 euro to 1.20 apiece.

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So hold on, so here's a way of utilising the apples, the crop.

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-Yeah.

-So you've got Magners, you've got a few others,

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-Magners will take everything...

-Yep.

-..but you'd like to say, hold on,

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let's have another outlet. I like the pie idea. I'll have one.

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I'll have one hot!

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It's one euro!

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As well as apple pies, the Brownlees also have their eye

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on Fermanagh's tourist market.

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Their first holiday cottage is almost complete.

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And what would you get a week for this in the summer, in the season?

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Er, we're hoping to get £500-600 a week.

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That's not so bad, is it?

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The plan is to develop other farm buildings - a fishing lake

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and forest will complement the package.

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-So that sort of whole area...

-Yeah, will be a lake.

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And then you see your young trees.

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We've planted here about 25,000 native, you know, trees.

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So you'll walk through a forest, you come to a lake

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and you go and sit there on your own and fish.

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Plans this ambitious are expensive,

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but the Brownlees have an ace up their sleeve -

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spring water.

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-Well, hello!

-This is the borehole, Nick.

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-The borehole.

-Yeah. This goes down 120 metres.

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-We can produce 66,000 gallons per day on this.

-Right.

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-I can smell the sulphur.

-Can you smell it?

-Yeah.

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You couldn't actually drink it. It's probably quite...

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-Let's have a look.

-..quite sediment...

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-Oh, it's pretty clear, isn't it?

-Isn't it? Yeah.

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-When was this borehole drilled, then, John?

-This was drilled

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-about 20 years ago, Nick.

-Right - why?

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Because John had an idea he'd like to bottle water.

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They began bottling the water

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by hand in the early '90s, but the cost of automation was too much,

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and eight years ago, production on the farm stopped.

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I find it quite sad, that we had to stop bottling our own water.

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What figure would you put on the investment -

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-what frightened you?

-Oh, we're talking

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-about roughly, was it three million at the time?

-Yes.

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-Ah. It would take a long time to get that back.

-Yeah.

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We currently are in negotiations with somebody

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that has some foreign investors that might be willing

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to rebuild the whole factory and...

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And you'd retain a stake, or sell it out completely or what?

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They do want to buy us out completely.

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Yeah? And then...

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-cheerio, as far as you're concerned.

-Yep.

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A geological survey has revealed the Brownlees are sitting on one of

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the largest underground water sources in Europe.

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Nick is worried they might become seduced

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by an eight-figure deal.

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I can understand why they shut this down five years ago.

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It wasn't worthwhile keeping it going.

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But their great asset on the hill,

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their 60,000 gallons a day

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is tapped and ready to be exploited.

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And they've got somebody who wants to exploit it,

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somebody sniffing around, who wants to buy the lot.

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That source will pump for ever and a day

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and they're going to sell it, and say goodbye to it? I hope not.

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To wave goodbye to it, in its entirety,

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would be a sin.

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And I hope they recognise that.

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After an intense day of fact-finding,

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it's now time for Nick to present his ideas.

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Nick knows the future of the farm

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depends on a clear and well thought-out plan.

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It's been a great day.

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It's not often I get sort of, you know, excited about these prospects,

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but there's so much going on here.

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You've got apples, you're harvesting 1,500-1,600 tonnes a year,

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and then suddenly you've got a lake. I didn't know that Fermanagh

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needed another lake, I thought they had quite enough,

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but who am I to argue?

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And then you twin the lake, the fishing lake,

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with your holiday homes here -

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suddenly you've got a nice, sort of, regular sort of trade.

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They stay here and you charge them to fish all day, too.

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But the whole thing is underpinned, really,

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by your water asset.

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That extraordinary...

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oil well, if you like - water well -

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that can gush 60,000 gallons a day.

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To think that you're going to wave cheerio to that...

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I think we were eager to sell because first of all,

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it will make sure that Fermanagh Spring Water will grow bigger,

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and in order to do so, you need a big investor.

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I'm not arguing with that, I'm not arguing with that.

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I mean, my perfect scenario for you

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would be to do a great deal on selling it...

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-Yeah.

-..on the following conditions -

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that first of all, you retain the rights to sell,

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within 50 miles, your Fermanagh Spring,

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using your water that you've just sold, all right,

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free,

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and you get a royalty

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per gallon or per cubic metre pumped, all right?

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And there would be a minimum payment each year.

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Because let me tell you,

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that's a precious thing that's going out the door.

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-Mm-hmm.

-If you can do a good deal on that water, yeah,

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and retain some sort of revenue stream coming through,

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to feed and polish all the other ventures that you've got,

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I mean, the future's great for Brownlees, isn't it?

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'There's a lot of'

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potential here in a lot of different directions.

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But don't let's get carried away that we've already got a success

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on our hands, because we haven't - it's just potential.

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While the water deal is negotiated,

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the first thing Nick wants to develop

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is an Irish version of the apple pies

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Ingrid first discovered in a Dutch service station.

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Loughry College food technology expert Christine Haydock

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has been called in to help develop the product.

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I think this is a dashboard food,

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that you buy and eat in the front of your car.

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That's a good name. I like that.

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I think the whole thing's very...

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I wouldn't mind tasting one, actually.

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You think of the added value, what you're getting,

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for that little bit of apple.

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There's almost more pastry than apple in this concoction.

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Do you think this would appeal to the Irish palate?

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Oh, yes, I think Northern Ireland people like food exceptionally sweet.

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-And this is quite sweet, as far as I'm concerned.

-Mm-hmm.

-Mmm.

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I really like it a great deal, and I think you did yourselves

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a great favour stopping at that service station.

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Yeah? I like it a lot. I'm excited about this.

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It's autumn. Ingrid is away working in Europe.

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John is getting ready for the annual apple harvest,

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with the help of his farm manager sons.

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This year, most of the apples will be taken to make cider.

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Next year, it's hoped they will be used to make apple pies.

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For the last month, Loughry College has been analysing

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the make-up of the Dutch pies - the first prototypes

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of an Irish version are now ready for testing.

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Tell me what you think of the taste.

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-I think we'll have to put a bit more...

-More apple, perhaps?!

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A bit more apple, Christine.

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This is made with diced apple. Tell me what you think of the texture.

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You should have a better texture with solid pieces of apple.

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You can taste the apple more.

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It's not just apple pies that John wants to talk to Christine about.

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Nick's advice about keeping a stake in his water

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has set John thinking - why not develop a brand of water

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for pets?

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I would like to know if you could help us

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with adding some flavours to it.

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What flavours had you in mind? We were thinking of beef or chicken

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-or liver or...

-OK.

-..whatever you can come up with.

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The plan is to tell Nick about it on his next visit.

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After a few months of tweaking, the time has come

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to test the pies on a focus group.

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Getting the public's opinion on flavour and texture will be crucial.

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Nick is back to help analyse the results.

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This is interesting, isn't it? This is the scientific way

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of finding out who likes what. It's no good you thinking, "I like it."

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-Mmm.

-That's not relevant!

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-It's exciting.

-We've got teams of people,

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and the winner will emerge.

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What about your water? What about the famous aquifer?

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Er, things are, er, moving forward,

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and...in a good way. Our solicitors are talking now to each other and...

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-You've got lawyers onto it?

-Yep.

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And, erm, I think it looks like it's 96%, erm,

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sure that it's going to happen, so...

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-That's very specific, 96%!

-Yeah.

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John actually came up with a new idea on top of that as well.

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-Really? What's this?

-Er, actually producing pet water.

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-Pet water?

-Pet water, yeah!

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Water for pets?!

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-Yes!

-Pets are getting fussy!

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-Yeah, they do!

-D'you know, it's mad enough...

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It's mad enough to have something in it.

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For now, the pet water will need to be put to one side.

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The prototype apple pies have been marked out of 10,

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and the results are in.

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We asked them what they were prepared to pay for this kind of product.

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Upwards of 75% are prepared to pay

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up to £1, but then suddenly, it comes off a cliff.

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There's a £1 price point, and that's it.

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The scores on appearance - the apple chunk

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scored a 6.3, while the apple slice scored 6.5.

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And the apple pop scored 6.

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The next aspect is taste,

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and I was saddened by this, because these are the lowest score.

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The apple chunks scored 5.4,

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and the apple slice product scored 5.5,

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while the apple pulp one scored 4.6.

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What I think is fascinating is that

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they both look and smell better than they taste.

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-That's got to be bad news, hasn't it?

-I'll try and find

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a coarser apple pulp, and that will help the texture.

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What proportion of an apple would find its way

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-into one pie?

-I'd like to think there would be half a Bramley apple

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in each pie, which is significantly more than the Dutch product.

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If you take it as £1 a pie,

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which you sell in...let's say at trade, at 50p, would that be fair?

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-Mmm, yeah.

-50p, OK. What proportion of that 50p

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-is made up of apple?

-My guesstimate answer

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would be, about half the price of your contents

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will be products other than apple.

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-There's half an apple in there.

-JOHN: Mm-hmm.

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And you're getting 25p for it.

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So that's 50p an apple, therefore - two pies.

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-What would you normally get for an apple?

-A tiny fraction.

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-Tiny fraction.

-Yeah.

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-So, if you could build this into a real strong brand...

-That's right.

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-..your revenues would rocket.

-They would, yeah.

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But the product's one thing - it's time to get onto the packaging now,

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-isn't it?

-Nick knows packaging

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is just as important as the product.

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-John!

-So he has sent in branding expert Mark Thompson.

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Thanks very much indeed.

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After seeing the Fermanagh Spring Water labels,

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Nick knows John and Ingrid need all the help they can get.

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The plan is to market the pies under the name

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"Brownlee's Bramleys".

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-Brownlee's Bramleys is a terrific name.

-Isn't it?

-Well done!

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With any commercial product, John,

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the key with packaging is to catch the eye on shelf,

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to stand out against any competition,

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to make sure that your product's being noticed.

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Not only do you need a message like "non-flake pastry"...

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-Yep.

-..or something to explain that difference,

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but also something saying the apples are all grown in County Fermanagh.

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While Mark works on packaging for the apple pies,

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Nick wants to take a look at the pet water idea.

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He has invited dog owners and experts to sample the product.

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Quite strong-smelling, that one.

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Included in the line-up is one of Northern Ireland's top dog trainers,

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Keith Matthews - unfortunately, today's focus group

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are not quite as controlled as the group who tested the apple pies!

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Well, thank you very much indeed for all turning up with your dogs

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for the launch of John and Ingrid's JLB flavoured pet water,

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which you'll see lined up in front of you.

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Let's see what happens.

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And did your dog drink any of it?

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Yes, he fancied the taste of the pork, I think.

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It's Guinness I think he's found - he likes a drop of Guinness!

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A wee bit of the chicken.

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I just don't think he's thirsty enough. It's not hot weather.

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It's becoming obvious that the current recipe is not irresistible

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to dogs, however much encouragement they're getting.

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Keith Matthews is not impressed.

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Water is something that dogs drink

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because they need to, it's not something that they take on board,

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you know, like,

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-biscuits or something like that.

-It's a treat for the owner

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to treat the dog, even though the dog will drink the water anyway.

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-Yeah.

-So I think we've got to, you know,

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look at the owner - and there are silly owners...

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-Yeah.

-..who pay good money.

-Not in Ireland, but...!

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It makes the customers feel better, giving something good to their dogs.

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-Mmm.

-Erm, something with extra vitamins...

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That's a good point, yeah. Some health benefit.

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Today's exercise has convinced Nick the idea is worth pursuing,

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as long as they target owners, rather than their pets.

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So, what do you reckon, how did it go?

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I think it went pretty well, didn't it? Well, the dogs...

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-Difficult test.

-Yeah.

-It is, yeah.

-Very difficult.

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I'm sure there are people that want to pamper their dogs.

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In fact, we know that's the case. I think what we have got to do,

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having spoken to them, is to inject some health benefit

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and frankly have a crack at the packaging...

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This dog looks as if it's in sort of attack mode!

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..and take it to those who want to pamper their pooches,

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and they'll pay.

0:16:560:16:57

Back at the farm, in the five months

0:16:590:17:02

since Nick's first visit,

0:17:020:17:04

progress on the cottage has been slow.

0:17:040:17:07

The long-term tourism plan

0:17:070:17:09

depends on finalising the water deal, but after months

0:17:090:17:12

of phone calls, the Brownlees are still waiting.

0:17:120:17:16

It's an anxious time for both of them.

0:17:160:17:19

It's very hard to explain, but it's like having this big...

0:17:190:17:23

cake in front of you...

0:17:230:17:26

and somebody says, you can almost stick your teeth in it,

0:17:260:17:29

but just not yet - you have to wait

0:17:290:17:31

-just a little bit longer!

-Have to wait!

0:17:310:17:33

Nick's determined not to let the uncertainty over the water deal

0:17:330:17:37

derail the rest of the plan.

0:17:370:17:39

So, these are the ideas, Nick - they haven't seen them yet.

0:17:390:17:42

Thankfully, the packaging for the apple pies

0:17:420:17:44

and pet water is now finished.

0:17:440:17:47

Today, the Brownlees get to see it for the first time.

0:17:470:17:50

I'm going to start with the apple pie product,

0:17:520:17:56

and I'm conscious that you've already got a terrific brand name,

0:17:560:17:59

which you've done the right thing with, in trademark-registering it.

0:17:590:18:03

The obvious thing to do here was to take the O

0:18:030:18:05

and turn it into a little apple graphic,

0:18:050:18:07

-so people know at a glance what this is all about.

-I already like it.

0:18:070:18:11

-It looks really professional!

-That's a relief already, Ingrid,

0:18:110:18:15

so thank you! To move on, then,

0:18:150:18:17

from the brand identity down to the packaging idea,

0:18:170:18:20

if you can imagine this as printed film,

0:18:200:18:22

this half is left clear so that people can see the product.

0:18:220:18:26

This side then is printed, to look like a parchment paper,

0:18:260:18:30

And the little circle on here gets the message

0:18:300:18:34

across about the type of pastry, that it's flake-free.

0:18:340:18:37

I prefer it even from all the labels I've seen so far.

0:18:370:18:40

I think this is one of the best.

0:18:400:18:42

And you'll remember of course the "Dog Refresh" -

0:18:420:18:44

what have you got for us?

0:18:440:18:46

The idea here is to source a bottle,

0:18:460:18:48

and there were soft drink bottles like this,

0:18:480:18:50

which narrow part-way down the top of the bottle.

0:18:500:18:53

Erm, lamb could be green, beef could be brown...

0:18:530:18:56

This looks quite unique, and it really appeals to me, yeah.

0:18:560:18:59

I think the design also speaks to the sort of people

0:18:590:19:02

that would buy it for their little pooches, do you know?

0:19:020:19:05

I think you've got to work with Mark on finalising the packaging,

0:19:050:19:08

and you guys have got to get down and really finalise the products.

0:19:080:19:12

And then I'll fix the meetings, and those meetings

0:19:120:19:15

-will be "give us an order" meetings, yeah?

-Yeah.

0:19:150:19:17

Because once you get those, you're off to the races.

0:19:170:19:20

Over the next few weeks, the Brownlees work with Hayley Cobane

0:19:230:19:27

at Loughry College to get prototype products ready.

0:19:270:19:30

True to his word, Nick has lined up

0:19:310:19:33

some top sales pitches with a leading pet superstore chain,

0:19:330:19:36

and one of Ireland's biggest food groups.

0:19:360:19:39

-Mmm. That's a big difference, isn't it?

-Yeah.

0:19:390:19:43

Both are massive opportunities. With so much at stake,

0:19:430:19:45

Nick wants to hear a rehearsal pitch on Skype.

0:19:450:19:49

We, erm...

0:19:500:19:53

have a new product online...

0:19:530:19:55

As Ingrid is away, it's John that's under pressure.

0:19:550:19:58

'Just calling them Brownlee's Bramleys apple pies.'

0:19:580:20:02

Complete new product, which, erm...

0:20:020:20:05

new on the market.

0:20:050:20:07

'And, er, we've picked your company to see, maybe...

0:20:070:20:11

'maybe if you'd be interested in distributing it for us.'

0:20:110:20:14

At the moment, we're at our very early stages, we haven't got it...

0:20:140:20:17

We're just... We have the pie made,

0:20:170:20:20

we think...

0:20:200:20:21

'Er, packaging done...

0:20:220:20:24

'and, er, the next stage is, erm,

0:20:240:20:27

'to look for somebody like yourselves to put it onto the market.'

0:20:270:20:31

The practice pitch has not gone well.

0:20:310:20:33

Nick is getting worried.

0:20:330:20:35

Well, I like John,

0:20:370:20:39

but to be honest, that was truly terrible.

0:20:390:20:42

And if that's the sort of quality of pitch that he delivers

0:20:420:20:45

when we meet these people, then the product is dead in the water

0:20:450:20:49

before we've even launched it.

0:20:490:20:51

It's spring,

0:20:560:20:58

and Nick is back on the Brownlees' farm.

0:20:580:21:00

The Easter tourist season starts in a few weeks,

0:21:000:21:03

so before they go on pitch, Nick wants to see

0:21:030:21:05

what progress they've made on the holiday cottage.

0:21:050:21:08

Oh, so... This wasn't here.

0:21:080:21:10

Unfortunately, after eight months,

0:21:100:21:12

it's still not ready.

0:21:120:21:15

-This is the bedroom.

-Oh, right.

0:21:150:21:17

Yeah. So, almost finished. And our plan is to be fully operational

0:21:170:21:20

within a month - website and all.

0:21:200:21:23

-So, Easter's gone.

-Mmm.

-The danger is

0:21:230:21:26

that unless you're very lucky, the summer could be gone, too.

0:21:260:21:29

So, it's the early bird that catches the worm.

0:21:290:21:33

Missing Easter is a big disappointment,

0:21:330:21:35

but it's not the only area of the business plan

0:21:350:21:37

where little progress has been made.

0:21:370:21:39

So, the water deal, that's pretty much concluded now, I guess?

0:21:390:21:43

Well, I spoke to them, yesterday, Nick, and I said, erm,

0:21:430:21:46

er, "No more lip service."

0:21:460:21:48

So, it's... It's in their hands now at the moment, so...

0:21:480:21:53

-So, tomorrow, the next day, next week?

-Yeah.

0:21:530:21:56

-Or next week.

-Next month?

-Yeah.

-Mmm.

0:21:560:21:58

When I came here eight months ago,

0:21:580:22:01

the water deal was "impending", and eight months later,

0:22:010:22:05

I'm not altogether sure it's any nearer.

0:22:050:22:08

I worry about the energy levels on that one. The cottage?

0:22:080:22:10

Late, no website, it's not going to be ready until May,

0:22:100:22:14

Easter's gone, the summer may be missed, too.

0:22:140:22:18

So, frankly, if there's to be any progress at all,

0:22:180:22:21

it's down to the pitches.

0:22:210:22:23

The first pitch is to Jollyes.

0:22:240:22:27

With 55 stores, they're one of the biggest

0:22:270:22:30

pet superstore chains in the UK.

0:22:300:22:32

convincing them to get behind the pet water

0:22:320:22:34

-would be a major coup.

-Have you seen this?

0:22:340:22:36

But the Brownlees' pet water is not the only pet drink in town.

0:22:360:22:40

How much is that?

0:22:400:22:42

-1.39.

-That's interesting.

0:22:420:22:44

With other competitors already in store,

0:22:440:22:47

the pressure to impress is on. Today, it's Ingrid

0:22:470:22:50

that is doing the talking.

0:22:500:22:52

Initially I think they look very good.

0:22:520:22:54

Can you tell me more about the minerals etc that are in it?

0:22:540:22:58

Well, the mineral composition actually

0:22:580:23:00

of the spring water that we've used from our well

0:23:000:23:03

is very unique, and it's very high in sulphur,

0:23:030:23:07

-which is very healthy.

-Calcium.

0:23:070:23:09

Calcium, as well, which is good for the bones,

0:23:090:23:11

so that's already naturally in it.

0:23:110:23:13

And we were thinking about adding some vitamins and minerals

0:23:130:23:17

in the sense of, you know, maybe glossy coat or something like that.

0:23:170:23:20

Yeah, sure. Sure, yeah.

0:23:200:23:22

I guess you'll be wanting to put this in the customers' hands

0:23:220:23:26

-on a regular basis.

-Yeah.

0:23:260:23:28

-So again, there has to be an added benefit...

-Yeah.

0:23:280:23:31

..over and above the minerals and vitamins that are already in there.

0:23:310:23:34

Having said that, it's a fantastic-looking product.

0:23:340:23:37

John can show you actually,

0:23:370:23:38

these are the bottles we're trying to source,

0:23:380:23:41

-they're a bit more round here, you see?

-Sure, yeah.

0:23:410:23:43

-What it is, I suppose it's humanising it somewhat.

-Yeah.

0:23:430:23:46

It's very like the water we would buy ourselves.

0:23:460:23:49

-And these are possible extension ranges to the flavours, yeah?

-Yep.

0:23:490:23:52

-This is tuna, we can have, for cats.

-So do you at this point

0:23:520:23:55

-have a recommended retail price?

-We have not really figured it out

0:23:550:23:59

fully yet, but we have compared it with

0:23:590:24:01

other products, and we were thinking around the £1.50 mark.

0:24:010:24:04

What would the product actually cost us here at Jollyes?

0:24:040:24:07

Yeah, well, we have only a rough sort of idea

0:24:070:24:10

how much the production costs would be,

0:24:100:24:13

and I cannot give you the actual price.

0:24:130:24:16

I don't know if you have a ball figure in mind?

0:24:160:24:18

I would like to be purchasing this round about 60p, 70p, thereabouts.

0:24:180:24:22

I mean, we would be willing to help you if we can get the price right,

0:24:220:24:27

and keep it a low price for the consumer, definitely,

0:24:270:24:29

we would be interested in speaking to you

0:24:290:24:31

and perhaps using Northern Ireland Jollyes as a test bed,

0:24:310:24:34

-if you would like.

-Yeah, OK.

-OK, good.

0:24:340:24:37

Jollyes have agreed a small, local trial,

0:24:370:24:39

but it's a niche market.

0:24:390:24:42

Nick knows the main hope for securing the farm's future

0:24:420:24:45

rests on selling the apple pies.

0:24:450:24:48

I thought the pitch went pretty well,

0:24:480:24:50

but I've got a couple of observations.

0:24:500:24:52

I thought it was too tentative, and I didn't think that you were

0:24:520:24:55

actually...able to nail down some of the big issues.

0:24:550:24:59

But we're off to see the apple pie people.

0:24:590:25:02

So, in the forefront of your mind this afternoon is,

0:25:020:25:04

"We're coming outta there with an order!"

0:25:040:25:07

CLOCK TICKS

0:25:100:25:14

The next pitch is to Henderson's,

0:25:140:25:17

a leading food wholesaler and retailer

0:25:170:25:19

with access to over 400 stores.

0:25:190:25:21

A deal with them could secure the future of John's orchards.

0:25:230:25:27

Everything is resting on the next 60 minutes.

0:25:290:25:33

So, er, Neil and Nigel, thanks for having us here.

0:25:330:25:38

As you know, we've developed a new food product -

0:25:380:25:41

basically, a small apple pie. And we've already done

0:25:410:25:45

a test run, and John, maybe you'd like to present it.

0:25:450:25:48

This is the result of it - it would be in a small package.

0:25:480:25:53

We would supply the apples, which is a lot less mileage

0:25:530:25:57

on the environment, instead of maybe importing apples

0:25:570:26:00

from faraway countries, which is a good thing.

0:26:000:26:02

And it's a Northern Ireland product, which we believe

0:26:020:26:06

is also a good thing to promote.

0:26:060:26:09

-Yeah, it's quite strong.

-Yeah, it is, yeah.

0:26:090:26:11

Thanks to Nick's packaging, they're off to a good start.

0:26:110:26:15

-But there's a long way to go.

-Do you see it being a brand,

0:26:150:26:18

as in Brownlee brand, or whatever you intend to call it?

0:26:180:26:21

We have registered this as our specific brand,

0:26:210:26:24

Brownlee's Bramleys.

0:26:240:26:26

-And the plan would be to extend the range to four, or whatever?

-Yeah.

0:26:260:26:30

OK, shall we try it first,

0:26:300:26:31

-before we decide whether there's a market for it?

-Yeah.

0:26:310:26:36

-These are all the same flavour?

-Yes.

0:26:360:26:39

CLOCK TICKS

0:26:420:26:45

I think the apple and pastry flavour is very, very good.

0:26:490:26:52

But for me, it's quite... There's a lot of crust.

0:26:520:26:55

-Yeah.

-A lot of crust.

0:26:550:26:56

It does taste very homemade.

0:26:560:26:58

But I would consider the fruit filling. It's...

0:26:580:27:01

-For our market, it's got a lot of pastry.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:27:010:27:05

-OK.

-They liked the taste and concept,

0:27:050:27:07

but are their reservations about the amount of pastry

0:27:070:27:11

enough to scupper the deal?

0:27:110:27:13

If you wanted to test the market,

0:27:130:27:16

we would absolutely be happy to help you through that journey,

0:27:160:27:19

-because the product does taste good, and it is local.

-Mm-hmm.

-OK.

0:27:190:27:22

We could work with you on a trial

0:27:220:27:25

in a number of stores. Within our estate, we own around 80 stores,

0:27:250:27:28

-and we could trial something in those stores.

-Yeah.

0:27:280:27:31

We could work together in partnership on it,

0:27:310:27:33

see what the market is, if that was of interest to you -

0:27:330:27:36

to explore the partnership that way?

0:27:360:27:38

They've done it. Henderson's have agreed to work with the Brownlees

0:27:380:27:42

and bring the product to market.

0:27:420:27:44

What a wonderful offer!

0:27:440:27:47

These guys are experts. They'll bring it to market,

0:27:470:27:51

they'll sell, you'll make money,

0:27:510:27:54

and what happens? You're using up your apples, giving added value.

0:27:540:27:59

Eight months ago, we talked as we walked through your orchards -

0:27:590:28:02

how would it happen? And now we've got packaging,

0:28:020:28:05

we've got products, yeah? We've got retailers -

0:28:050:28:08

-real commercial interest, yeah?

-Yeah.

0:28:080:28:10

You're up and running. It's fantastic, I'm so pleased.

0:28:100:28:14

-So, good luck.

-We'll miss the pressure you've put on us, Nick,

0:28:140:28:17

but great working with you - thanks.

0:28:170:28:19

-Good luck to you, John.

-Thank you very much, Nick.

0:28:190:28:21

Excellent news. Brilliant.

0:28:210:28:22

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