The Farmers Mart Jun-Jul 2019 - Issue 63 | Page 52

52 MILL CLOSE FARM JUN/JUL 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk FIRST CLASS MEAT – FIRST CLASS ANGUS BEEF Chris Berry talks with Stephen and James Knox at Patrick Brompton. CATTLE have always been a passion for Stephen and James Knox All of our pedigree cattle were purchased from John Elliot of the Rawburn and Linton Gilbertines herd, based near Kelso in Scotland. The Beef Breed you can Trust We welcome any enquiries about our high health status herd and would be very happy to show you round. T: 01748 810042 | M: 07710957466 Email: [email protected] Mill Close Farm, Patrick Brompton Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 1JY We have 11 females with combined EBV’S of over 100, and two stock bulls also over 100 EBV’s. Our main stock bull is Linton Gilbertines Mr Prince N706, a Netherallen Peter Pershore E052 son. We also have some exceptional pedigree bull and heifer calves in the herd by Rawburn Louisiana, Fastball, Dingo and Boss Hogg. Exceptional pedigree bulls for sale Stephen Knox with stock bull Linton Gilbertines Mr Prince Stephen Knox at Mill Close Farm near Pat- rick Brompton in North Yorkshire. He grew up working on the tenanted farm alongside his father Peter until his father retired in 1989. It was a tenanted enterprise until Stephen had the opportunity to purchase the 236-acre arable and dairy home farm that had seen him and his father before him milking 180 cows. ‘I came out of dairying in 1993, selling the cows and the milk quota, which enabled the purchase of Mill Close and another farm running to 125 acres at Hurst near Reeth, which is when I went into sucklers instead. We sold the acreage at Hurst in 2006 to assist with the funding of Yorkshire Dales Meat Company in 2004.’ Today Stephen has reverted back to his farming roots and is looking forward to expanding his fledgling pedigree Aberdeen Angus herd while his son James leads York- shire Dales Meat Company into the 2020s. ‘I started selling beef to the public through farmers markets as Yorkshire Dales Beef in 1999/2000 with our first market at Gill’s at Leeming Bar. We then supplied shops, post offices and garage forecourts. It was the sale of the old farm buildings on the existing farmstead that brought about the funds to build the fac- tory that James now runs, on a greenfield site. We also built new cattle sheds, grain store and workshops. The complex runs to 50,000 sq ft.’ James joined the business after studying at Lancaster University and having worked for a seafood exporter in order to gain valuable experience away from the family farm. ‘When I came back, I started as factory manager,’ says James. ‘Dad hadn’t seen there to be much future in farming for me with the size of farm we have, especially if it had to sustain two families. I’ve farming in my blood and want to be involved in the farm operation. I check the stock every morning, but Yorkshire Dales Meat Com- pany has to be my focus at present. It has taken us 10-15 years to get it into a good place and we are getting there now. It’s not at all like farming, which is generally much softer business wise and where your word is generally your bond.’ ‘The meat trade is cut-throat with people sometimes doing things you wish they wouldn’t and tarring us all in the sector. It is highly competitive and there’s no love lost if a competitor goes out of business as everyone sees it as an opportunity first and foremost. The only way to survive is by being fair and buying cute. We have some great suppliers, three or four trusted sources for the exact specifications we need.’ ‘ This industry is constantly changing and you have to move forwards because if you stand still and everyone else is moving then you’re effectively going backwards ’ ‘We’ve just had our best year since we started with sales up and we are managing to maintain a margin. That’s down to cost cutting, efficiency, tight budgeting and win- ning orders. We’re also adding new systems all the time such as a new despatch system using barcodes, scanners and automatic invoicing. We have a fleet of vans and cars on the road six days a week.’ ‘This industry is constantly changing and you have to move forwards because if you stand still and everyone else is moving then you’re effectively going backwards. We operate a full species range as customers expect that from a food supply business. Beef still makes up a large proportion but chicken and pork are fast growing sec- tors.’