0:00:02 > 0:00:06- Small family farms are in trouble. - This hasn't seen any action.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Business consultant Nick Hewer is going back to his Northern Irish roots
0:00:10 > 0:00:16to help them diversify and make radical changes before they go under.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21- What can you do with 17 acres? - But are the farmers ready for his advice?
0:00:21 > 0:00:27I'm not a farming guru with all the answers, but having observed many companies over more than 40 years,
0:00:27 > 0:00:32what I can offer is a great big dollop of common sense.
0:00:33 > 0:00:39This series follows local farms embarking on a long-term fight for survival.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43- You're not turning bookings down? - There will be tough decisions.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48That source will pump for ever and a day. And they'll sell it?!
0:00:48 > 0:00:52But doing nothing is not an option.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56- End of a long day, and, for me, a depressing day.- OK.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04COCK CROWS
0:01:04 > 0:01:10This week, Nick is on his way to Arkhill Organic Farm just outside Garvagh
0:01:10 > 0:01:14in County Londonderry. Paul Craig moved here 15 years ago
0:01:14 > 0:01:18with his wife, Eleanor, and their two young children.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22The plan was to escape the rat race and live off the land.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27I came from a housing estate, and to have your own land is amazing.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32To walk on it and not have anybody to shout at you, "Get off my land!"
0:01:32 > 0:01:39Today, life is difficult. Rheumatoid arthritis has forced Paul's wife Eleanor to give up work.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44- A few years ago, Paul had to get a part-time job.- It does cost a lot.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Organic food is very dear, £400 a ton.
0:01:48 > 0:01:5414 years has gone on and there hasn't been much finance come in. As a business, it's not feasible.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59We're on our way to a smallholding today,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03just ten acres. Very difficult to make a living.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09To be successful on that sort of scale, you need good ideas, imagination
0:02:09 > 0:02:16and a huge, huge slog of really, really hard work.
0:02:16 > 0:02:23Nick's visit is the start of a final push at the farm. Paul has rented his farm shop to chef Richard Brown.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Just two weeks ago, Richard launched a new business called the Duck Pond Tea Room.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34Paul's hoping Richard's rent and a new demand for fresh produce will help save his farm.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Nick has just eight months to get both businesses into shape.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40His first stop is up at Arkhill.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- Good morning. This is Paul?- Yes. - How are you?- Good to meet you, Nick.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48- Eleanor.- You're really welcome. - Thank you.- I'm Hannah.- Hannah.
0:02:48 > 0:02:56Accompanied by his dog, Jasmine, the first thing Nick wants is a tour of what the farm has to offer.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Where are you?
0:03:00 > 0:03:06Well, Nick, around here there's a lot of potential, a lovely orchard,
0:03:06 > 0:03:11- but I haven't looked at it in a long time. - Arkhill is mixed and organic.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Paul has chickens, sheep and, up by the orchard, a herd of 15 pigs.
0:03:16 > 0:03:22- Retail at the minute is a restaurant and a couple of customers. - Why's that?- There's just no market.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- Really?- Uh-huh. For organic meat. - Really?!- Yeah, yeah.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32OK, Nick. Come on and we'll show you the polytunnels.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36- They haven't seen action in years. - Because?- No market.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40- No time. - I think it's no time, isn't it?
0:03:40 > 0:03:46Or you're not prepared to spend the time. The other one looks like it was hit by an airstrike.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51- We had a storm back in 2006. - That's five years ago.- Mm-hm.
0:03:51 > 0:03:58What's the market for nettle tea like? If there is a market, you're in business without doing a thing.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Look at it.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07Five years ago, we had a bit of a storm here and it blew down this polytunnel. Was it repaired?
0:04:07 > 0:04:14No. It's remained exactly the same, and that's emblematic of the decline of this small farm.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Decline. Decline and fall, that's what we've got here.
0:04:20 > 0:04:26Unless he pulls his socks up, his little ten acres will be a wilderness in a few years' time.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31- There is one area of the farm that is making money.- Come on!
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- Brilliant.- Organised school visits. - There we are.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40Primary schools come to experience a working farm. The highlight is a ride on the goat cart.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46- How many children come to your...? - Over the May and June period,
0:04:46 > 0:04:52- we have approximately 25 schools, roughly 30 children in each school, so over 800 children.- 800.
0:04:52 > 0:04:58- Call it a fiver a time?- Yeah. - £4,000 a year.- It's a little... It's a nice wee income.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01NICK CHUCKLES
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Right. There's a first time for everything.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Walk on, Mischief.
0:05:06 > 0:05:13- He's well used to it. As long as it's downhill, he doesn't mind.- I think I'll stick to cars.
0:05:13 > 0:05:20Apart from schools, the farm's main income comes from eggs, which Paul sells
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- to shops around Belfast. - You put your hand in there! Go on.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Around 400 chickens lay, on average, 240 eggs a day.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34It's organic and free range, but even here, the business has been in decline.
0:05:34 > 0:05:40- We used to supply Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer.- Who replaced you, then, as a supermarket supplier?
0:05:40 > 0:05:45- Er, Thompson's of Armagh. - And that's a price issue or...?
0:05:45 > 0:05:50- They're more like 3,000 hens. - So it's a scale thing.- Yeah.
0:05:50 > 0:05:56- And you sort of said, "Let it go." - Let it go.- And you didn't go and find somebody to replace them.
0:05:56 > 0:06:02- You had to get rid of surplus chickens, then?- Yeah, from 1,800 chickens down to about 350, 400.
0:06:02 > 0:06:09It's obvious the farm is in trouble. Paul's hoping Richard's tea room will be the saviour.
0:06:09 > 0:06:15- Down. Stay there.- But it's only been open two weeks and with just 35 seats, Nick's not so sure.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20- How are you?- I'm fine. Nice to meet you, Nick.- How's it doing?
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Ah, today was steady enough. We've had a good, steady flow.
0:06:25 > 0:06:31- A big lunchtime trade? - Yeah, between one and half past two, I'd say we did about 25, 30 people.
0:06:31 > 0:06:37- It now looks to me as though you're ready for tea.- Yep. - So you've got the morning trade,
0:06:37 > 0:06:42- you've got lunchtime trade.- Yeah. - And nothing in the evenings?- No...
0:06:42 > 0:06:48- Knocking that whole market out. - I've been in the restaurant trade for 30 years - split shifts, weekends,
0:06:48 > 0:06:54all evening work - and I have missed out on my family. And this is a lifestyle choice.
0:06:54 > 0:07:00This is where I'm here early in the morning, finish at maybe 6, 6.30,
0:07:00 > 0:07:06- and I get home to have dinner with my family.- So you're prepared to sacrifice a certain level of income
0:07:06 > 0:07:09in order to enjoy the family.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Understandable.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20I think that Paul and Richard think that the tea room is a bit of a wheeze,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22it'll solve their problems.
0:07:22 > 0:07:29The tea room will take all its supplies from the farm and the farm supplies all its stuff to them.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Wrong!
0:07:31 > 0:07:37You'd need a huge restaurant to take all the produce that a ten-acre farm could produce.
0:07:37 > 0:07:44Nick knows that the rent and custom from the tea room is not enough to save Arkhill Farm,
0:07:44 > 0:07:50but it IS crucial. He also knows his plan will only work if Paul and Richard will work together.
0:07:50 > 0:07:56- End of a long day, and, for me, a depressing day.- OK.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Because I'm not looking at a success story at all.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06I'm not going to be cruel about it, but I want to be really analytical.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Neither of you, I guess, are out to build empires,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13but you both want good lives.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Paul, you've told me there is no market for organic,
0:08:16 > 0:08:21and I understand that it costs more to produce and has a premium price,
0:08:21 > 0:08:26but I don't accept that there's no market. You're selling eggs, I think, in Belfast,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- what, once a week? - Once a week, yeah.- Once a week.
0:08:30 > 0:08:36There's room on that truck for whatever you grow in the polytunnels when you get round to planting them.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40So I think that Paul needs an energy tablet...
0:08:40 > 0:08:46- Yeah, definitely.- And I think, Richard, you've got actually a very good, modern,
0:08:46 > 0:08:52Scandinavian type of business. But what you haven't got yet - early days, I accept that -
0:08:52 > 0:08:58is marketing. You've called it Duck Pond Restaurant.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02And you're Arkhill. You've got an Arkhill Farm Centre sign outside.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I wonder whether it's prudent to have called it a different name.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10I think we've got to look at the whole marketing really freshly.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15Nick's plan is for Paul and Richard to join forces to create a unified Arkhill brand.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20He also wants them to work together to take produce further afield.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25What about the outside catering business? You've got your kitchen, your staff.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29All you need now is marketing and transportation to get it there.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33You've got your flock of sheep. Maybe you could turn it into pies,
0:09:33 > 0:09:41call it Arkhill Organic Lamb Pies and sell them locally in the pubs and restaurants around,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43in Coleraine and Cookstown.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48- Because you've got to get rid of that product somehow.- Very true.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Pies, vegetables, eggs - same truck, reduce the cost,
0:09:52 > 0:09:59more product to sell, greater the profit. Listen, the future's not bleak. The future's there.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05To be honest, I came in depressed, I feel much better now because it's all here, you know.
0:10:05 > 0:10:12- Yes.- Energy, a bit of investment, get out there and market the hell out of it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17The first step in Nick's plan is to create an Arkhill Farm brand,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21so Nick's invited along marketing expert Mark Thompson.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25The first thing they need to sort out is signage.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30So here we are, smack bang on the A29. Loads of traffic.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Are they stopping?
0:10:32 > 0:10:37- No. Why? - The signs are in the wrong places,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40they're almost impossible to read at 40, 50mph.
0:10:40 > 0:10:47- And they've got two different brand names.- If we could cut down some of those trees
0:10:47 > 0:10:54- and reveal the tea house...- Yeah. - ..and light it at night, then you'd be getting somewhere near to it.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57You're right. People need to know the business is there.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01At the moment, they're solely reliant on really poor signage.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- You can't see the premises at all. No wonder it's not working.- Yeah.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11It seems to me, guys, that there are two things we need to look at.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Firstly is the signage on the road.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18There's an official brown sign. It says Arkhill Farm Centre,
0:11:18 > 0:11:24which to me, as somebody who grew up on a farm, almost suggests to me an agricultural machinery yard.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30It doesn't tell me there's an open farm here, a tea room here or an organic producer here.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33We need at the very least to get that wording changed.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37If you do want the two businesses to work together better,
0:11:37 > 0:11:42it's always much clearer and more effective with a common name.
0:11:42 > 0:11:48Maybe something to think about is that Arkhill becomes the main brand name.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53So the tea room could become Arkhill tea room, but there could also then be a retail brand developed
0:11:53 > 0:11:59which could be called Arkhill Organic. Using the same name starts to build a real momentum.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02They effectively promote each other.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Nick's visit has given Paul and Richard a lot to think about.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09For Paul, it's given new focus,
0:12:09 > 0:12:14but at the Duck Pond, Richard is still not convinced about changing his business name to Arkhill.
0:12:14 > 0:12:21We're sticking with Duck Pond tea room at the moment. There's an amount of independence I want.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26'And we haven't made up our minds yet. We're still tentatively thinking about it.'
0:12:26 > 0:12:32I think it's a better idea keeping it under one brand and he's still the owner of the tea room.
0:12:32 > 0:12:39- So, I don't know.- Nick knows asking Richard to lose the Duck Pond name after only a few weeks of trading
0:12:39 > 0:12:43is a big ask, especially as he is just Paul's tenant.
0:12:43 > 0:12:50So he's asked Mark to develop a compromise - a family of Arkhill branding with strong shared identity
0:12:50 > 0:12:56- that allows the Duck Pond to keep its name.- What we've done is something simple
0:12:56 > 0:13:02- that combines a duck pond and a teacup.- Very good. I like the concept of a duck and a teacup.
0:13:02 > 0:13:08Encouraged by the new branding, over the next month, Paul sets to work on Nick's plan.
0:13:08 > 0:13:14The first task is to reinstate the polytunnels. Winter salads could be ready in a few weeks.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I think for the last 16 years, I have been treading water.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I have come and lived the good life.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24I have enjoyed my farm and the lifestyle.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26But, really, I need to make money.
0:13:26 > 0:13:33So if I can make money with the product I have, then, yes, I'm all on for that.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Paul may be buoyant, but down at the Duck Pond Richard's got problems.
0:13:38 > 0:13:44The person who owns the land in front of the tea room is not allowing any trees to be cut down.
0:13:44 > 0:13:52Permission to change any wording on the brown tourist sign has also been refused. Nick is furious.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55'So what you're saying is local authority, as is usual,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57'these petty bureaucrats,
0:13:57 > 0:14:02- 'are saying no to any sign changes. Right?'- That is correct, yes.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04'Really, I just despair.'
0:14:04 > 0:14:12What I think we need to do is organise a petition and we'll go and ram it through their letterbox,
0:14:12 > 0:14:18and we also need to start promoting the Arkhill name. I've got a challenge.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22'We're going to get a stall for you, and what have you got to do?'
0:14:22 > 0:14:29Take a representative selection of produce and price it correctly, package it and brand that stand.
0:14:29 > 0:14:35It's really taking Arkhill out for a little walk to see how people like it, you know?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37OK, yes.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44It's December,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47three months since Nick's initial visit.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51- Come on ahead, Nick.- He's back to see how they're getting on.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- You've got the green one up.- Yep. - What's going in there?
0:14:55 > 0:15:01Fruit canes, raspberries, tayberries, strawberries, and various plants that get fruit.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05- And in here...- Should be the big change you can see.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10I should say so. It was full of pig manure up to your ankles! Up to your knees!
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- The smell's a lot better.- What is this?- Well, here we have rocket,
0:15:14 > 0:15:20pak choi, parsley, and then over here, which is slow yet, this is spinach.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25- I'll let you have a taste... - Where's this going?- Down to Richard.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- So you're all fired up? - All fired up.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- A big, big change.- Nick hopes the mood is as good at the Duck Pond.
0:15:32 > 0:15:38The first winter was always going to be slow, but hopefully Richard's holding up.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43Business has tailed off slightly coming into the winter,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46but we're doing better than we had anticipated.
0:15:46 > 0:15:53The one issue is still the signs. When we can't get the signs out, we notice a considerable drop.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57The signage is the thing. No sign, nobody knows you're here.
0:15:57 > 0:16:03We've got the Arkhill Farm sign out there. It doesn't tell you anything except it's a farm called Arkhill!
0:16:03 > 0:16:08I know that we talked about a petition, and you're running one?
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- We're ready to present it. - Give me a number.- We're over 300.
0:16:12 > 0:16:18- That's pretty strong in such a short time.- Yeah. - I find it so distressing, you know.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22It sort of makes me want to have a shout.
0:16:24 > 0:16:30Nick has asked Paul and Richard to meet him at the local government road services offices in Coleraine.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35They have received a letter explaining the position about the wording on the brown sign.
0:16:35 > 0:16:41Nick's hoping the petition might convince them to agree to some sort of compromise.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47This is where you said that you wanted the wording changed on a tourist board
0:16:47 > 0:16:52from Arkhill Farm to Arkhill Farm and Tea Room.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- Yeah.- Not a huge change, to be honest with you.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01Really. Well, look, we can meet them, but we can't meet them with a camera.
0:17:01 > 0:17:08They said, "Oh, we can't have cameras!" But they have issued a statement which says, inter alia,
0:17:08 > 0:17:15"It is not possible to approve the wording as suggested...because in accordance with the RSPPG,
0:17:15 > 0:17:20"EO29, the use of the words 'tea room' shall not be permitted
0:17:20 > 0:17:25"due to issues of inequity..." And blah de blah de blah.
0:17:25 > 0:17:31Usual old bureaucratic humbug. Anyway, come on. Let's go. Let's go and talk to them.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37After an hour, Nick, Paul and Richard reappear.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39It doesn't look like it went well.
0:17:39 > 0:17:45What did we achieve, having put forward their petition and explained their situation?
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Frankly, buck passing.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51And what's so sad about this sort of situation is
0:17:51 > 0:17:57that if these guys with their enterprise are successful and make money,
0:17:57 > 0:18:03the taxes that that profit generates goes to feed that sort of institution behind us.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08And yet they're not interested in helping these guys to pay THEIR wages.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12And that's what disappoints me more than anything.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14No imagination.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Jobsworths.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22For now, the brown sign will have to keep the Arkhill Farm Centre wording,
0:18:22 > 0:18:28so Nick's plan to promote the Arkhill name further afield is more vital than ever.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32- That may have felt like a bit of a waste of time.- Yes.- It ain't over.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36We'll not take our foot off the gas. We'll push for new business.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41New business, bigger business, better business, more profitable business.
0:18:41 > 0:18:47The promotional push is on. Today, Nick has organised a stall for Paul and Richard
0:18:47 > 0:18:53in the Diamond Shopping Centre in Coleraine. The Duck Pond's kitchen is too small to produce pies in bulk
0:18:53 > 0:18:59but Paul and Richard have developed a range of Arkhill products that includes soups, cakes and chutneys.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Today, they present it to the public.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08I've put a wee flyer in there about the Duck Pond tea room, where you can buy this produce.
0:19:08 > 0:19:16Here we are in the shopping centre, to get away from Arkhill, away from the Duck Pond tea room
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and meet the public.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Bring your friends out and you can get some of this produce again.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Guys, you've really embraced that challenge.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30- All home produced. - What's that? Soup?- Fresh soups. - Your sausages?- Yes.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- Local butcher.- It's brilliant.
0:19:33 > 0:19:39I am delighted. I think you've progressed far more than I thought you would.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44But it's not what I think. It's what the buying public thinks. That's what's important.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Nick's plan is working. Paul is adding value to his produce
0:19:50 > 0:19:54and the Duck Pond is getting a promotional kick.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Like to try the chutney, sir?
0:19:56 > 0:20:03- I'm just having a wee look.- Despite all the work, the Diamond Centre is quieter than Nick expected.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08At this early stage, Nick does not want Paul and Richard discouraged.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Hopefully, they've at least broken even.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17- Well, end of day.- Yeah.- How did it go? What does the till say?- £92.
0:20:17 > 0:20:23That's good. Remember, it wasn't all about using it as a commercial thing.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29- It was about taking your products and the range of your products out to the public.- That's right.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34- It's been a great exercise.- A lot of people had very positive feedback.
0:20:34 > 0:20:40They've known about the place and it's been highly recommended, or they're interested.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45The thing is now is between now and the spring, when I'm coming back,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49you've got to go to as many markets as possible. Get the word out.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54Because the challenge is for you to mount a massive open day,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59- open day at Arkhill. That's it. - We will.- That is the big launch.
0:21:03 > 0:21:09It's the new year. Paul and Richard have taken a regular pitch at a farmers' market in Coleraine.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14Everything on here is organic. Chickens, hams, boiling hens.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17For Nick's plan to work, Paul needs to create more demand.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20There's your change. £5.55.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Although the products are selling well, the market is only monthly.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30Producing meat pies from the Duck Pond's kitchen is also a problem.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36We're limited with our kitchen size and what we can churn out, with Health and Safety and hygiene.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Thanking you. Lovely.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Back at base, despite letters to the Department of Tourism,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45the stalemate over the brown sign continues,
0:21:45 > 0:21:51so Paul is helping Richard by clearing the trees from his small corner of land by the lane.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Not directly in front of the Duck Pond, it will still be hidden,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59but the small plot will allow room to erect new signage.
0:21:59 > 0:22:05We hope to have a big sign up here. Either a duck house or the Duck Pond logo
0:22:05 > 0:22:08with the cup and the wee duck in it.
0:22:08 > 0:22:14So people driving along the road can actually see there's a restaurant. That's the key.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19Exterior signage may be improving, but inside the Duck Pond, there's no change.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25Nick's plan was for the Duck Pond to act as the public face of the Arkhill Pure and Simple brand.
0:22:25 > 0:22:32At the moment, there are just a few shelves. Hopefully, things will improve for the launch.
0:22:38 > 0:22:46It's spring. Later today, Arkhill Farm and the Duck Pond are having their official launch,
0:22:46 > 0:22:52but before Nick arrives, Paul has asked to meet him in a cafe at a local skydiving centre.
0:22:52 > 0:22:59I'm rather confused about this, but my job right from the start was to make Arkhill Farm sustainable.
0:22:59 > 0:23:05And if this new thing he's got helps to do that, then I'm happy.
0:23:06 > 0:23:12The cafe at the Sky Centre is open at weekends, and Paul has secured a contract to supply his produce,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16but he has also struck a deal with the chef, Jennifer.
0:23:18 > 0:23:24The cafe has a bigger kitchen than the Duck Pond, and Jennifer has agreed to produce meat pies
0:23:24 > 0:23:26and other products to sell at the markets.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Finally, Paul has a way of adding value to his pork and lamb.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36- Right. So Arkhill produce is coming in here.- Yes.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41- How does Richard feel about that? - Yeah, fine. Richard's biggest problem was the size of the kitchen.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45We couldn't do that much with it. Pies were a problem.
0:23:45 > 0:23:51Now that we have the branding over here, I'll take it to the market and Richard's happy.
0:23:51 > 0:23:57- How far away is the Duck Pond from here?- Three miles.- OK. That's far enough not to interfere.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03- Exactly.- OK. And you're still supplying Arkhill to the Duck Pond?- Uh-huh.
0:24:08 > 0:24:14Well, more and more interesting. Paul seems to have gone out on his own. He's opened up here
0:24:14 > 0:24:19at the Sky Centre with Arkhill products. I thought the whole original idea was
0:24:19 > 0:24:24that Richard and Paul were in this together. So I'll have to dig
0:24:24 > 0:24:28to find out exactly where Richard stands.
0:24:29 > 0:24:35Any questions Nick has will have to wait. The launch is now less than an hour away.
0:24:35 > 0:24:42Although Nick's pleased to see some new signage, a quick look around the tea room confirms his worst fears.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51So where's the branding? There is no branding.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56No Arkhill branding. How can you have a launch with no branding?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59What do you reckon to that?
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Fortunately, Nick has brought some Arkhill signs.
0:25:03 > 0:25:09- Hopefully, for today at least, Richard will agree to put it up. - That work for you?- Yeah, great.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16There is now less than 30 minutes to go until people arrive.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21The race is on to get Arkhill and the Duck Pond finished in time to meet its public.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26With minutes to go, the Duck Pond is ready.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34Up at Arkhill, Paul has begun promoting his open farm visits with a farm tour.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39As you see, the chickens are free range. They're happier outdoors.
0:25:39 > 0:25:45As well as press, dignitaries and tourist representatives, today's invited guests include teachers.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- It's one of the favourites. Two days old.- It's the perfect opportunity
0:25:49 > 0:25:54to show off the cleaned-up farm ahead of the summer term.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59In this polytunnel, we have raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants...
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Between now and when I first came here, a lot of things have happened.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Polytunnels, paint everywhere, lawns are tidied up.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11He's made a bit of an effort and it shows.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14A lick of paint does wonders.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19Down at the Duck Pond, Richard's promotional teas are going well,
0:26:19 > 0:26:25but underneath the jovial atmosphere Nick knows Paul and Richard's business relationship has changed.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31Before he goes, he wants to make sure it's not about to fall apart altogether.
0:26:31 > 0:26:37That was a pretty good launch and things have come on in leaps and bounds, no question.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42It's evident for everybody to see, but one thing puzzled me.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Are things running as smoothly as they should be in that partnership?
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Or has it changed in some way?
0:26:50 > 0:26:56No, I think what we've... what I've done, certainly, is maybe taken a little step back
0:26:56 > 0:27:02to focus on what the business here is doing and making sure it runs smoothly. We use Paul's produce,
0:27:02 > 0:27:08but for the immediate future, I have to make the Duck Pond tea room a success.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12And you're happy that you've got enough outlets to take your produce?
0:27:12 > 0:27:18You've got here, and now the Sky Centre, which has more than double the seating of this place.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Yeah, the main thing that I had a problem with was the pork and lamb,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26and now that we're going to do the pies, that gets rid of that.
0:27:26 > 0:27:33Going forward, having made all the advances you've made, it's important to reassess your relationship
0:27:33 > 0:27:40to make sure it's still a good partnership. And when you're happy with the team room running so well,
0:27:40 > 0:27:48then maybe it can sort of reform again and you can go forward on the Arkhill Pure and Simple as well.
0:27:49 > 0:27:55Having seen the launch today and knowing just how much hard work has been put in,
0:27:55 > 0:28:01Arkhill Pure and Simple and the Duck Pond have all that they need for a sound future.
0:28:01 > 0:28:08Bear in mind, this is all coming out of a little ten-acre farm and a tiny little roadhouse.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12I have great confidence that Paul and Richard can make this work,
0:28:12 > 0:28:18not just here, but it's capable of growing. That's good. That's what we wanted in the first place.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd