Geoff Sayers of The Well Hung Meat Company in South Devon

The Well Hung Meat Company started life on Carswell Farm in South Devon. Geoff entered the meat from his farm into the Soil Association Organic Food Awards in 2001 and 2002, winning both times and inspiring him to start the company. Well Hung Meat was endorsed as one of Rick Stein's Food Heroes and has won numerous awards including Gold at both the Taste of the West Awards 2007 and the Soil Association Organic food awards 2006.

• Can you give a short history of how you got to where you are now, including why and when you 'went organic'?
  I was born to farming parents and have always been passionate about farming and nature. I studied Agriculture and Economics and then went to into banking, mostly in Hong Kong and Thailand. I returned to run the family farm in 1998 (with a few ‘unconventional’ ideas about business and farming) and started the organic conversion process immediately. I started The Well Hung Meat Co. to try to reduce some of the ‘natural’ but unnecessary waste in dairy farming and to give our carefully husbanded sheep a chance to be processed properly. Processing milk is my next ambition and I have started on a small scale with “Holy Cow” cottage and cream cheeses.

• Can you describe a typical day in your life?
  I don’t milk regularly so every day is different and very often unpredictable – I like it that way!

• Who are your customers and where are they?
  All sorts of people (mostly meat eaters) who enjoy good food - from all over the UK.

• Organic principles – why do they matter?
  I think we all have a duty to step as lightly and kindly on the planet as we possibly can. Farmers also have a responsibility to provide the best, mineral and vitamin rich nutrition they can. Organic principles are a good place to start.

• What does the Soil Association mean to you?
  It provides a reliable barometer for farming and food.

• What is your greatest achievement?
  Being brave enough to leave city life and take up farming as I didn’t really feel I knew enough at the time.

• How do you plan to progress in the future? What is your vision?
  My dream is that all the food I produce and process will be available to and enjoyed by people in my local community without having to go via Newcastle to be processed or packaged or have folic acid added to it! I also hope the people in Newcastle will be able to enjoy their local produce too of course!

• If you were starting all over again, what would you do differently?
  Have had more belief in myself.

• What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
  Value everybody’s opinions but listen to your guts.

• Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
  Nature! Seeing miracles of inspiration every day.

• What is the key to your success?
  I’m still looking for it.

• What do you love most about what you do?
  Variety.

• What keeps you awake at night?
  My 3 year old who creeps into bed with me every night!

• What single thing would most improve your life?
  A government that valued food and farming.

• What do you find most frustrating about what you do?
  Dealing with bureaucracy.

• Any unusual hobbies or past careers?
  None are particularly unusual – I’m passionate about cricket and I try to do at least a little bit of Yoga regularly – it sets me up for the day.

• How can the organic market be improved?
  Keep raising the bar with regards to standards that are not necessarily addressed by organic stipulations. For example all our animals are grass fed - but that isn’t the case for all organic stock. Just because it’s organic it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good.

• How important is energy efficiency to you?
  Very important although my family are not so keen on the lack of central heating in our house. I also think choosing the perfect cake mix of alternative energy sources for home and farm is going to be very difficult until there are well established independent advisers, and it would help if, as in Germany, we were offered a good rate to sell energy back to the grid.

• What's the main benefit of being organic for you?
  My dairy farm would not be functioning today if I hadn’t gone organic. Oh and the glow worms!

• What other organic ventures do you admire and why?
  Taste Matters – They do what they believe in and don’t compromise Yeo Valley – because they made it big and are still a family organisation.

• Supermarkets – good or bad?
  These days it is safest that I only talk to my therapist about the way I feel about supermarkets!

• What is the biggest threat to what you do?
  Climate change and the Pirbright Laboratory in Surrey!

• What’s the best thing about organic farms?
  Lots of different insects.

• What’s the best thing about organic food?
  Generally… the taste.

• What is your favourite meal?
  A fresh, complimentary, lovingly prepared and perfectly cooked surprise - with good meat …obviously!

• If I was Prime Minister I would...
  Mix blue with green a bit more.

• The world would be a better place if...
  There weren’t so many humans on it.

• I’d like to be remembered for...
  My jokes.

• When were you happiest?
  At Mount House School in 1973.

• What is your greatest fear?
  Fire.

• What is your favourite word?
  Supper.

• What would be your ‘Desert Island’ luxury?
  LW Radio to listen to cricket.

• Is the customer always right?
  Yes.

To find out more about The Well Hung Meat Company go to www.wellhungmeat.com