January always seems a long month, so the new year celebrations seem a distant memory. And, yet it is only right to begin this month’s news by wishing you all the best for a happy and prosperous 2020. Christmas as well seems an even more distant memory, but it was so lovely to celebrate with friends and family. The buzz in the Restaurant and Farm Shop during December never fails to put a smile on my face and it was so lovely to see so many of you over the festive period. Gift giving at Christmas becomes increasingly more challenging,...

November 2019 I began October’s news with its wet, wet, wet out on the Farm and I begin November’s news with same, same, same, I have never known an Autumn so wet. I was out walking the dogs down the field last week and I almost got stuck in my own wellies, lets hope for a dry and crisp December. November brings an excuse each year to have a bonfire party with my friends and family, and although the weather was a little damp and dreary, the firework display was fantastic. I have a talented friend who is technical minded,...

It’s wet, wet, wet out on the Farm, so there’s not really too much to report farming wise. I decided it was a good opportunity to take a break and get away for a few days. Hence, I’ve just returned from a fantastic long weekend in Cornwall, golfing with the pups! They make excellent caddies and enjoy escaping for some well-earned sea air too. I was inspired to cook a posh fish and chips when I returned, and thought I’d share a photo of it.  I still enjoy any chance I get into the kitchen and do a bit of...

On the farm the oil seed rape is back in the ground, but is being attacked by flea beetle, which is a nuisance to put it mildly. Most of the land is now prepared for reseeding and the wheat seed has arrived and is ready to go. We’re just waiting for fairer weather. We needed the rain, but not quite this much! The great thing about growing old with the NHS is that over the age of 60 you are invited to a bowel screening. Despite being an uncomfortable process and somewhat taboo discussion I cannot reiterate enough how important...

This month’s news will just be short as harvesting is in full swing and I barely have the chance to get a moment at my desk. After a miserable start to August, this amazing weather has been so welcome in time for harvest. Yesterday we finished harvesting the wheat and we now move on to the 90 acres of feed beans left to do. This month has been a happy/sad sort of month as I have taken the decision to stop touring with my motorcycle. It means I have to give up my touring bike, which will make my father...

I’ve not long returned from a well overdue break, spent in France. We visited Versailles, Avignon, Bordeaux, Brest and Lake Geneva to name a few. I enjoyed some delicious food and wine and took in some stunning scenery. The natural wonders of the world never fail to amaze me, and a sunset like the one we saw at Lake Geneva one evening is just enough to stop anyone in their tracks. It was absolutely stunning. I enjoyed many incredible seafood dishes too, for example the most amazing fish soup at a restaurant called Le Paillard. I also ate skate for...

The rain has come at the right time for the Farm, but definitely the wrong time for the Farm Shop. Our Butcher’s counter is famous for its fantastic BBQ meats and it is where a lot of our summer trade comes from. We remain optimistic though and I’m glad to see the weatherman reporting better news for the week ahead! The BBQs should be out in force over the weekend. The month kicked off with celebrating my Godson’s 18th Birthday – where on earth does the time go? Then we celebrated a friend’s wedding. Agricultural weddings are always fantastic, the...

I find it fascinating that this is my 40th year at Becketts! Stepping back to the 1st of January 1980 our largest tractor was a John Deere 3130, 2-wheel drive with 91 horsepower. Fast forward 40 years and we have just purchased a John Deere Still 6250R, 4-wheel drive with 250 horsepower, how times have changed! Over the last three years we have upgraded three of our tractors, I’m hoping this will see us set for the up and coming years. Earlier in the month I celebrated my birthday and what a celebration it was. I was taken to The...

It’s that time of year once again when the oil seed rape is in flower, and doesn’t it look fantastic. It’s good to see people enjoying taking photos with the fields in the background, even if one of them this year had some nudity to it! I’ve been enjoying cooking again and am building up a real repertoire of desserts. Since I discovered last month that a weed wiper does the same job as a blow torch (I’m told the art of improvisation really helps the best of chefs!!), I thought I’d try another famously caramelised pud and made Baked...

I’ve just returned from a few days in southern Portugal, in Tavira on the Algarve coast. It was a beautiful place to visit and I was there to celebrate the 70th birthday of a close friend. The celebrations were great. Why was I stood on a chair? I was singing happy birthday of course! We enjoyed a delicious roast suckling pig for dinner. You’ll know from previous instalments of ‘Simon’s News’ that I really like my cars. As you can see the hire company provided me with one of the best cars I’ve been lucky enough to drive to date!!!!...

Aren’t we having such glorious weather for February! On the farm the weather has brought everything forward. We’ve managed to start with fertilising the crops which we’d usually not do until mid-March, but we’re a whole month ahead with it. It’s brilliant news! I’m sat looking out of my office window at the Becketts Island and it’s just so lovely to see the daffodils coming through. It’s really starting to feel like spring. I’ve been enjoying cooking again, getting back into that. I really like seafood, so my posh version of fish and chips is a firm favourite. It’s all...

It’s been a couple of months now since I wrote my last update and whilst those two months have been filled with lots of fun and happiness (Christmas and New Year’s being among it all!) I have some sad news to share. Earlier this month, the community lost a local man, Jack Connolly in a tragic accident abroad. Jack was a friend of mine, a civil engineer in his 30’s, recently married with two wonderful children. He was a huge part of the Woodrush Rugby Club and many in the local community, including people among the team here at Becketts...