Andrew Hodgson of Cheverton Farm has been crowned ‘Beef Innovator of the Year’ at the British Farming Awards 2020.
The event, which was broadcast online on Wednesday and hosted by Vernon Kay, showcased the innovation and achievements of British farmers across the agricultural industry.
Cheverton Farm, near Shorwell, is a family run business led by Andrew and Claudia Hodgson, who own 730-acres of beef, sheep and arable farmland.
As well as their 400 beef cattle and 1,500 sheep, the family have an arable contracting business and run a varied portfolio of diversifications.
Today, the family have 3 holiday cottages, an organic recycling business including the contract to spread all island sewerage sludge and digestate for a local AD plant and even host a mountain bike track. This, on top of a new meat business, is all in a day’s work at Cheverton Farm.
Andrew has steadfastly built the business up from renting the farm and buying 700 sheep and 90 cattle from his parents 28 years ago. He bought a further 250 acres of land adjoining the farm, took on the farm mortgage and built up and sold an AD plant since then. Despite some serious financial setbacks along the way he has never wavered from a positive outlook and determination to succeed.
In May 2019 Andrew built a dry-ageing butchery facility to process and market beef and lamb produced on the farm. It now processes 400 cattle and 1,500 lambs a year from the Hodgsons’ farm as well as 250 local pigs and employs 7 full-time staff.
With around 70% of its business serving the food service sector, the COVID-19 pandemic meant restructuring overnight. It started producing sausages, bacon, burgers and meat boxes specialising in 40+ day dry-aged meat using a Himalayan salt chamber, offering free delivery to homes across the Isle of Wight.
Meanwhile, Andrew has also restructured the beef unit, which now stands at 400 beasts sourced from suckler herds reared predominantly on grass whereas previous numbers topped 800 but with a reliance on cereals.
Challenges to the business include no slaughter house on the island as well as the additional costs of living on an island.
How stupid.. Unnecessary cruelty on massive scale.. Go Vegan….
Each to there own so shhhh
Congratulations Andrew, well deserved. As for Vystopia’s comment, everyone is entitled to free speech, but would you bloody vegans give it a rest. You’ve decided that lifestyle choice and others have chosen to live life differently, stop piling your decision on others.
Animals don’t get a choice, enjoy stuffing dead bodies into your mouth this evening.
Thanks. I had a nice juicy steak. Omm nom nom yummy!
But its ok to cut down a living plant or do you live off fresh air
“Bloody vegans” is a contradiction in terms, and:- “Old beany” – it’s “their”.
I’m glad you got it.
I’m with you. It’s not some weird lifestyle choice. It’s the future. A mostly cruelty free, kinder to the environment future. Eating animals is weird and our descendants will think we were backwards.
Who’s called the vegan lifestyle wierd? What is wierd is the twaddle you’ve posted here. There is absolutely nothing wrong being vegan, what I don’t agree with is the way some vegans feel the need to attack those that don’t follow the same lifestyle.
Good on yer farming is hard work well done and congratulations
I’m sure all those poor tortured and murdered animals are over the moon about this. Why doesn’t he farm humans for slaughter. Disgusting
I’m sure he would if there was a market for it, but there isn’t. What there is, is a huge market for beef and lamb. There is a society that enjoy eating meat and a society that doesn’t. You are part of society that doesn’t enjoy meat, carry on being a part of that society and leave the other society alone. What you vegans don’t understand is that you need people like Andrew!
I do not enjoy being responsible for the rape, torture and massacre of other living beings. There is a huge difference.
Finally some intelligent and awoken person here.. Wish there were more people like You.. World wouldn’t be such a shitty place….
As fellow ‘Vegan for Animals’ I THANK YOU that you see real victims innocent sentient beings and understand How exploited and enslaved They are by Humans Greed NO Need….
Where on earth did you get the rape and torture thing from? You are taking things completely out of context. I totally agree that anybody causing suffering throughout an animals life should be heavily prosecuted. Andrew, along with a lot of other farmers, take extremely good care of their livestock and have been recognised for this. You need to wind your neck in a bit Vicky, you’re starting to come across as a bit unhinged.
Not at all, please respect people for being concerned about what they put into their stomachs; everyone is entitled to their own conscience, but tell you what, I wouldn’t choose to work in a slaughterhouse. Animals are senetient beings, and after a life “on the farm” as shown by Andrew’s care and attention, don’t want to die in a horrifying, metal clanging cruel environment.
You’re highlighting my point here. Please respect the choice of others.
No I’m not, Myopic – put your specs on, and when you have, read my first sentence, or was it the semi-colon you didn’t understand? Over and out.
Congratulations Andrew and family. Your meat products are wonderful. Keep up the good work
Well done Andrew
Well done Andrew & Co. Puts the Island on the right sort of map.
Beef Innovator, why has he found a new way to grow cows????? Bloody ridiculous. Salted beef and bacon, nothing new there either. Obviously he is sucking up to the council and Seely, ‘alf a sausage anyone?