Join us at Madresfield Court with special guest, Rich Summers, exploring sustainable and resilient sales routes for pasture fed produce.

We are delighted to return to Madresfield Court to hear more about the business model they are building, creating sustainable and resilient markets for the estate's produce. We'll hear about what's working and not and what the future plans are for expanding the butchery, developing retail operations and opportunities for collaboration. It will be a chance to learn how they have set up a butchery and cutting room from scratch and some of the technicalities on how they juggle carcass balance as well as how this all fits in with public facing elements.

We'll have a walk to see the current butchery and new site in development before a lunch of estate produce.

In the afternoon, Rich Summers from Hunters Moon Collective (https://www.huntersmooncollective.com/)will talk about some of the estates and businesses he is working with in order to provide ideas and inspiration for what could work here in the Hills.

This will be followed by a Q&A session and opportunity for discussion.

We hope to cover the following topics:

carcass balance in retail operations. How does it all stack up over the year?

farmer collaboration as a possibility for direct marketing to consumers, inspired by The Farmers Larder (http://www.instagram.com/the_farmers_larder/)

routes to market for Venison in the Malvern Hills National Landscape. How can we find a sustainable retail market for this nutritious meat?

the practicalities of setting up on farm butcheries. Challenges and opportunities.

provide an opportunity for networking. Connecting local businesses.

About Rich:

Rich Summers has spent three decades working across the meat world, from farms and abattoirs to specialist butchery and award winning charcuterie. His work is rooted in a simple idea. When you respect the animal and the land, you get better meat. When you build systems around that principle, you get stronger businesses and healthier communities.

Rich now focuses on helping farmers, small producers and growing food businesses create supply chains that are humane, ecological and commercially robust. His experience covers the whole journey. He has farmed, he has slaughtered, he has butchered and he has taught. This gives him a rare ability to join the dots between animal welfare, ecological farming, human health and genuine business resilience.

His specialist areas are:

Direct sales setup, customer routes, ordering, fulfilment and brand

On farm butchery and charcuterie buildouts, design through to commissioning

Estate diversification and enterprise stacking, including regen adjacent income streams

Whole carcass optimisation so nothing leaves at trim price

HACCP, food safety systems and audit preparation

Staff recruitment, training and mentoring

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The day will run as follows:

9.45 - arrivals.

10 - 12.45 morning session

10 - 10-45 - Edward Ford will talk about the past, present and future of Madresfield including their restaurant, butchery and food village plans

10.45 break

11 - walk to see the current butchery set up.

Break for lunch 12.30-1.15pm

1.30 - 4pm afternoon session

1.30 - 2.30/3ish - discussion with Rich Summers, bringing it all together.

grab a cuppa!

finish with Q&A/discussion with Rich and Ed and audience.

Finish at 4pm

This event is partly funded through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme in the Malvern Hills National Landscape.

Description supplied by the event organiser.