Roast Potatoes and Roups The Mart

Farming is a risky business.

350? 380?

When it is time to make money, the stakes are high.

Thainstone Mart, one of Europe's biggest livestock markets.

Sheep, cattle and machinery

auctioned to the highest bidder, day in and day out.

Farmers spend months getting ready for their big sales day.

With livelihoods on the line,

their animals have to look just right.

This is the thing that puts the food on the table.

Of course I am nervous.

SHE LAUGHS

Fortunes can be made and dreams can be dashed.

All in the blink of an eye.

It is just another day at work.

Welcome to The Mart.

It is autumn at Thainstone, and in today's programme...

..young Ryan needs a new car and he's got a cow and calf to sell.

It is down to auctioneer John to get him the cash.

The pressure is on again.

There's not a day without the pressure on.

You will enjoy the pressure.

There's a crisis in the kitchen when a deep fat fryer fails

with lunch just minutes away and roasties in hot demand.

Farmers like their traditional roast beef.

It has got to have roast potatoes with it.

It's carnage if they don't get it.

900.

And Charlie auctions everything off the farm

for two brothers retiring after 50 years.

She was running like a sewing machine this morning.

But their trusty tractor lets them down just when they need it most.

ENGINE SPLUTTERS

Early morning and The Mart is off and running.

Calves are rounded up from the Mart farm

to be taken down to the auction rings.

The cleaning team make sure the pens look spick and span...

and auctioneers Colin Slessor and Finlay McIntyre

sort the sheep about to go under the hammer.

They all come off the lorries all mixed, you see,

so just shed them off.

You can see they're all clearly marked.

Just get them in their pens and ready for sale.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

We will get there eventually.

Some big good ewes here, some pure Cheviots.

Finlay gets very emotional when he sees a pure Cheviot.

His heart skips a beat.

Everything else is a cheap imitation.

But the Mart isn't just about buying and selling.

It is also the centre of the community

for farmers from far and wide.

While breakfast fry ups are finished off in the canteen,

in the kitchen, the chefs are already prepping lunch for 900.

-Right, John. How's things? Organised?

-Organised now.

Yeah? Good man.

Tom Cuthbert is head chef.

The Mart itself is quite a social place to be.

It is a busy...pub atmosphere.

Go half-and-half. Go steamed potatoes, the wee tiddley poms.

Tom has been a head chef for ten years.

I love it, I absolutely love it.

I mean, it is a day that is full of challenges. Every day is diffident.

We have got lots of good staff, it is fantastic.

Lunch starts at 11, and with just minutes to go,

Tom has a crisis on his hands.

We are just down to the one fryer. That other one is no' working.

His fellow chef, John Keith,

has just discovered one of the two deep fat fryers is faulty.

It was on this morning, but it has actually just switched itsel' off.

I have been trying to get it to light, but it wouldn't light,

so I have got the chef to do it for me.

We're probably going to be doing

about 300 portions in roast potatoes today,

which might prove a bit of a challenge.

No. Not working.

I'm going to have to get an engineer out.

As well as the roasties,

Tom's team needs to fry up 600 portions of chips.

One fryer will not suffice.

Farmers like their traditional roast beef.

It has got to have roast potatoes with it.

It's carnage if they don't get it.

20 miles away near Turriff,

two farmers are hanging up their overalls for the last time.

Brothers Cameron and Gordon Elphinstone

have worked their 180-acre family farm

for over 50 years.

But none of the next-generation fancy farming,

so the brothers are calling it a day and cashing in.

It will be exciting, but it will be sad to see, I think, going.

Aye, it is different with it empty at this time of the year, like.

The brothers have already sold their land and cattle.

How are we doing, there, boys?

All that is left now is for Mart man Charlie Morrison

to sell off everything else in a special auction known as a roup.

You've looked after her well.

A 39-year-old combine harvester has caught his eye.

You will go along way before I can show you combine looking so well.

She is fresh, she is nae rusty.

A good total at the roup is vital for the brothers' retirement.

Lucky for them, Charlie has 40 years auctioning experience.

She is just looking like new, boys.

2001?

Looking pristine. I could go in for her.

There is also half a century's worth of kit to sell off.

You have spares and tools.

Even have a paraffin microwave.

Whatever you two lads may think, it's nae rubbish, it is good stuff.

You will easily find a home for this stuff.

You can see the machinery here today,

how well it has been kept,

how well the steading is looking -

that reflects a dedication.

Now, a roup is the end of that.

So it is a tremendous honour.

It is a humbling sort of feeling.

Meanwhile, back at the Mart,

the precious potatoes are proving popular.

Can I have some roast tatties, please, John?

I can only do one at a time.

The kitchen team is struggling to keep up with only one fryer.

If we don't get them out, the customers complain.

Everything has got to be out. No waiting, out.

Luckily, Tom has had a flash of inspiration.

We have a new fryer that was going to get installed

for the large events.

We have literally just brought that up.

We will plug that in, get the gas going through it,

and that'll do for the solution for the roast potatoes.

Suddenly there is light at the end of the tunnel.

We are OK.

These guys that are in the queue at the moment,

take two or three minutes and they will be gone.

So we're OK. We are fine.

Damn fine tatties.

A new day, and it's a big one for the Elphinstone brothers.

Their neighbours have come to pay their respects

to two lifetimes of farming...

and get a few bargains out of auctioneer Charlie in the process.

If one can be quite jovial, it does help.

So long as there is plenty folk here,

that is what makes the atmosphere.

Right, then.

Charlie starts with the small stuff.

Box of pins. Yes?

Take five for £1 for it.

1 bid, 1...

Two bid, 2...

Bid, I'm at 3.

I'm at 4. 5. 6. 7.

8. 9.

£9. £9.

9 away. £9.

Number, Raymond.

Next up, the combine harvester.

The brothers are hoping for £3,000.

Wind her up and she'll go for hours.

ENGINE TURNS OVER

It's a BMW.

Now, as you can see, she runs like a sewing machine.

There's hardly been a wrong beat since you've had her, Gordy.

What will I get for her?

4,000?

2,000.

Thank you, sir.

A lot of combines half her age are not so fresh as this.

At 2,000 bid. 2,200.

2,500.

2,800.

3,000.

3,200.

Go on! 3,800. No, 3,500.

THEY LAUGH

3,500. 3,500.

3,800.

4,000!

4,000 bid.

Gordon, does it make it any better

if I tell you she's going to a good home?

Makes all the difference, Gordon says. 4,000.

At 4,000 once. 4,000 twice.

My third and last at 4,000.

Williamson...

Charlie has managed to secure £1,000 more

than Cameron and Gordon expected.

He's good. He's good. He's...

I suppose I could say unique.

But the big-ticket items are the brothers' trusty tractors.

They want £15,000 for them. Can Charlie deliver?

20 miles away near Keith,

another pair of farming brothers have a busy day ahead.

Graham and Colin Smith have enlisted Graham's son Ryan

to help round up calves for a makeover

as it appears a big cattle sale.

Just taking off the long hairs.

Off the... Along the side here and down on the belly as well.

I have offered to do my wife's hair, but she wouldn't let me.

It would be far cheaper.

Graham and Colin have spent their entire lives working on this farm.

They had to start young.

My father died when I was two, was it?

I just grew up with...

Well, no father to guide to me along.

Colin is a bit older than me.

He was kind of holding the fort, as such.

When their dad died 50 years ago,

Colin became head of the family at the age of 10.

I didn't know what I was doing half the time.

We had a couple of good neighbours at the time.

If you asked them for their opinion, they would have come along helped.

But other ones just used to look over the fence and say,

"That is a laddie who will never make it."

But the brothers did make it.

Their farm is flourishing with 2,000 sheep and 260 cattle.

We do argue a lot, we have a difference of opinions.

But we never let it linger.

The Smith brothers are getting ready for a sale next week.

They are selling heifers with calves at foot,

that is the three-month-old calves sold with their mothers as a pair.

Morning, guys. How are you doing today?

Mart auctioneer, John Angus, has come to check them out.

I will come in and have a look at the anyway.

Nice, high gate you've got here, guys.

-Keep folk out.

-Aye, keep folk out, like me.

Cracking heifer, cracking calf.

Graham is going to let Ryan keep the proceeds from one pair

as a reward for all his hard work on the farm.

Ryan, what's your favourites in here now?

Have you favourite in amongst them?

That 129, the big, rangy heifer.

The Smiths want to average £2,500 for each pair.

This is your reward, because you have had a lot of sleepless nights

getting them calved, so this is your payday.

The pressure is on again. There's not a day without the pressure on.

You will enjoy the pressure.

If the sale was going well, it is a delight.

But for now, the pressure is on Charlie back at the roup.

He is about to sell the first of the two tractors.

ENGINE SPLUTTERS

Just give her a tickle.

We've plenty time.

She was running like a sewing machine this morning.

Honestly, though, she's a rare starter thing, this.

It's all this folk. She's a wee touch of stage fright.

What do I get for her? 3,000?

2. 2,600. 2,800. 3,000.

3,200. 3,400.

3,600. 3,800.

At 3,800.

3,800.

It's an awfully untidy figure. 3,800.

3,900.

4,000.

Now we're talking. 4,000.

4,000 once.

4,000 twice.

Very last at 4,000. Yes, sir.

A top price for a tractor that doesn't start.

So what will Charlie get the brothers' favourite tractor?

The last sale of the day.

They will be delighted with anything over £12,000.

There's more chance of that if it works.

ENGINE TURNS OVER

Well shown, well maintained and purring like a pussy cat again.

What will I get for her?

20,000.

15,000.

12,000.

I could hear a pin drop.

10 and let me away, eh?

10 bid. 11. 12...

Charlie works the bidding up to 14,000, but he still wants more.

14,100.

Can I ask, boys, who'll tak it awa'?

You've turned out fine, but this is disappointing.

Well, I ken my men are going to be

very, very disappointed with this.

14,100. 14,200.

3.

4.

14,400.

Well, the hammer is up.

14,400.

Well, boys, have I anything else to sell?

Nope, that is the lot.

Thank you very much indeed.

Charlie has secured over £40,000 for the Elphinstone brothers today.

Something to keep the wolf from the door in the years to come.

Gentlemen.

You've made a good job, Charlie.

Thank you very much. It has been a pleasure doing your roup.

It is just the end of an era here.

I think... I think they will enjoy their retirement.

Customers travel to the Mart from all over Britain.

In the windswept Shetland Islands,

Kevin Rennie is rounding up lambs

to take to Aberdeen on the overnight ferry.

Well, I'm hoping that there might be something to be sold there

that folk are looking and thinking, "That's good animals."

You get that enjoyment out of that,

putting something through the ring or selling it to somebody

who is going to appreciate what they are buying.

Because of the tough climate, it is hard for Shetland farmers

to grow enough fodder to feed their animals over the winter,

leading to higher costs for Kevin and his wife Alison.

You have to pay extra for bringing up fodder, hay, straw.

Everything is more expensive than on the mainland.

So when we come to sell lambs,

obviously we would like to get a bigger profit margin.

Kevin crosses Shetland sheep with Lowland breeds

to create a fatter lamb, which he hopes will be worth more money.

£55 and £65 for your big crossbreed lambs, like, you know,

that's the sort of prices that you really need to be keeping it at.

Sheep loaded up, next destination - Thainstone.

Back in Aberdeenshire, it is 7am,

and the Smith family is about to set off

for the Mart's calves-at-foot sale.

It's Graham's 53rd birthday.

He hopes to have something to celebrate.

Nervous. Nervous. Always nervous before sale day.

You are kind of hyped up before the sale.

And once the sale is finished, you kind of come down off your high.

You will be tired tonight.

You will be ready for a dram.

The mothers are loaded up first,

and they are not happy to leave their calves behind.

DISGRUNTLED MOOING

But their little ones soon follow.

They will travel in a separate section to their mums.

Graham has just found out the result of the ballot

which determines the order of the sale.

The first main lot, so a bit optimistic.

Sometimes it can be dearer to start the sale

or sometimes it can be dealer to end the sale,

it just depends.

Hopefully we will set the trade.

Over at Thainstone,

Kevin and Alison Rennie have made the long journey down

from the Shetland Islands.

Their sheep sale is minutes away.

Good morning. How are you today?

It will be up to Finlay to get them the money they need

to buy fodder over the winter.

This is your lambs here? They are looking well.

The sheep were slow for grass, the cattle...

Everything was slow getting onto the grass.

-A lot of extra feed.

-Aye, that is exactly right.

-A lot of extra pennies.

-A challenging year, I know.

-So you have never been here before, Alison?

-No, this is my first time.

It is really good to see what happens at the sale

and before a sale and that.

-I would definitely like to come back.

-Aye, that is good to hear.

-I've not got the sheep sold yet.

-THEY LAUGH

We will do our best for you anyway.

That's good, yes.

I hope to see you again.

The sale starts. The Rennies' sheep will be sold second.

As long as they do a good trade.

If they are looking well and they sell good for the day,

I will be happy with that.

Their first pen enters the ring.

Now it's Finlay's job to get Kevin and Alison

the £50-a-head they are hoping for.

40 bid. 1. 42. 42 I'm bid.

43 I'm bid.

43, 44, 45. 6. 7.

48. 9. 50.

Do it again. 1.

2. 52 I'm bid.

3. 53 I'm bid.

All done at 53. I'm done at 53. Away they go at 53.

The Rennies' other pens do well too.

In total, they make £1,845.

Thanks for that.

The best you can ask for is that the lambs look good on the day

and they sell well on the day.

It's good seeing it all going through. Yes.

Hopefully that's enough.

That will maybe pay for a load of hay,

so that'll be something up the road.

Kevin and Alison's 500 mile round trip has been a success.

Just round the corner,

the Mart's exchange building is being transformed

from a car auction room

into a super-sized restaurant for a big event to raise money

for a local charity close to the hearts of the Mart's community.

As usual, Tom has a lot on his mind.

There are so many different stages to it.

So many different food safety and health and safety aspects

to the whole thing as well.

The fact that we are in a semi-temporary kitchen

brings its own challenges as well.

We are moving fridges in, we are moving cookers in,

we are moving even stands.

All these things have got to be in place.

Have you tested that oven?

All done.

Over 300 people are expected to attend the black-tie ball.

We'll get him back here ASAP,

because he is struggling for time today, OK?

General manager Graham Fryers will be running the show,

and he already has a problem to contend with.

We have had an issue with power, so it is tripping,

so now we have to go and replace an oven.

Who says nothing ever goes wrong?

With one of the Mart's biggest nights of the year looming,

Graham has a lot on his plate.

In the pens, the Smiths have just arrived for the calves-at-foot sale.

Ryan is going to help pair the cattle up.

Mums are over there, heifers are over there in a pen,

the calves are in here.

We are just taking each heifer out into here

and getting the calves down with their mothers.

It is surprising. Just, all of a sudden,

as soon as they are matched up with their mothers,

the noise just disappears.

Graham thinks Ryan has what it takes

to run the family farm himself one day.

Choosing which pair to sell

will be valuable experience for the youngster.

I am proud of Ryan, aye.

He sticks it in, he works seven days a week, usually,

and just has a Saturday night out now and again.

He doesnae go out a lot. He just kind of works all the time.

So it is fine to give him a fine bonus.

I think he was wanting to swap his car this year, so it will be nice.

When it comes to your heifer going through the ring,

-will you come up beside me in the box?

-I would, yes, aye.

Hopefully everyone will say,

"Oh, look at this poor, young lad. He'll need a help in life."

-Hopefully the bidders will...

-Maybe wave a bit more, aye.

Before the auction, there is a show in the pens,

and three of the Smiths' pairs win rosettes.

But Ryan decides to gamble and chooses a pair that came third.

The judge's opinion is only one opinion.

I'm hopeful that there will be a couple of buyers looking for her,

so hopefully they like her as much as I do.

He's hoping for £2,800 towards his car fund.

You are never sure what you're going to get

till the first one is sold, so...

We will see what happens, yep.

But the auction gets off to a bad start.

The bidding for another farmer's pair is so low they go unsold.

1,900. Well, we'll leave them meantime.

Ryan is next up. His hopes for 2,800 may be overambitious.

We'll start off with Ryan's one here. This belongs to Ryan.

There is some heifer there with a male calf.

Out in the grass field last night.

2,500 bid.

2,550.

2,550, that's some heifer.

At 2,550 bid.

You want to top 6.

2,650.

7. 2,700, that's some heifer, come on, now.

Ryan's one. 50.

2,750. 2,750 bid.

2,750 bid.

At 8. 2,800.

2,800.

2,800. 2,800, some heifer.

Help the young man, yes.

2,800 bid.

2,800. 2,800. You finished, then?

2,850.

2,850. At 2,850 bid.

2,850.

Thank you, Ryan.

Ryan's gamble paid off.

A very good price, aye.

Especially looking at the way the trade has went,

I would say it is a very good price, aye.

And the rest of the Smith family's pairs do well to,

with one exceeding all expectations.

At £3,000.

All in all, they have made £50,000 today.

All the names that were shouted out as buying

have been buying for years,

so it is fine to see that as well, coming back to buy them again.

-Nice.

-It shows we're doing something right, I suppose.

Aye, must be.

On the way out, Ryan goes to pick up his cheque.

He has clearly learnt the golden rule of selling -

never show you're happy with what you have got.

Pleased today?

Mmm, just about, aye.

Night falls on Thainstone,

and the big charity dinner is about to start.

Graham sorted the oven problem.

But there are some things he can't control.

We are just down to a group of stragglers who are coming in.

Obviously if people are late, then that kind of puts everything back.

It is really important, we finish at 9:15

and then the dance can happen after that.

Good evening, sir. Madam.

Later, there will be an auction to raise money for cancer support.

At home six miles away,

Colin will soon be setting off to take charge of it.

But it is Halloween,

so, for now, he is on pumpkin duty with daughter Rachel and son Robbie.

Ooh, what...?

There's seeds everywhere, guys.

Colin suffered from cancer himself seven years ago.

Let's have a look. It needs a wee scrape round.

'My kids were very young when I had it.

'I am still here, seeing them growing up -

'you know, there was a risk I wouldn't be at that time.'

But, no, it makes you more thankful that you are around.

There is no guarantees in the future, we all know that.

Nobody has got a guarantee, but be positive,

look on the bright side of it, I'm here.

They are through there making a noise and it's fine.

Everything is good.

This going to be awesome. Let's head out, guys.

-Let's go.

-Wait for me.

HE GROWLS AND HOWLS

Back at Thainstone, the meal has gone down well.

Now Graham just has to get the desserts out on time.

Come on, guys. Crank it up!

Five more minutes.

CLATTERING

Come on, guys.

We have got a problem on the dishwasher. Can you look for him?

It cannot start.

-BLEEP

-sakes.

While Graham sorts out the dishwasher,

in the function suite, Colin has arrived and is in auction mode.

At 2,000. 2,200.

2,200 is here at the front table.

2,200. You bring 2,500.

At 2,500 it goes. Thank you, sir, right at the back.

Thank you. Well done, sir.

The auction is going well. The final item is a replica Viking axe.

The organisers hope it will go for more than £1,000.

800. 900.

900. 1,000.

I'm bid 1,000. Come on, again, sir.

At 1,000. 1,200.

At 1,200.

At 1,200. You're out, make no mistake, sir.

At 12. At 12. It goes. Thank you. It goes to Pat.

Bought by the chairman of Thainstone Mart.

Thank you very much indeed. Thank you.

Overall, £40,000 has been raised for charity this evening.

When you're selling sheep at £50, £80, £100, that is one thing.

But when you're standing in front of 300 people wearing kilts

and dickiebows, and selling items that's making hundreds

and up into thousands, it is a totally different thing.

But, you know, people are generous.

They are trying to raise money for good causes tonight.

I think we have achieved that.

Now, Colin needs to get some sleep.

Soon he will be back in action.

Next time on The Mart...

Colin visits two rival farmers

desperate to outdo each other on sales day.

The only reason I am in the thing is to beat Chris.

The pressure is on trainee auctioneer Rory

when his brother comes to watch him in the box.

It could be worse. It could be my gran.

And on Shetland pony day,

a seller worries his favourites won't to go to a good home.

This is the last hour I own them. This is sad.

Can Colin come to the rescue?