What did Sam Steggles speak about?
Sam Steggles, owner of the Goat Shed, spoke about farm diversification and the success behind the newly expanded farm shop and kitchen.
Sam shared his experiences, along with everything he's learnt in his time running the business including advice on what he would do differently if he were to start again.
About Sam:
Sam was born in 1982, and his grandfather farmed livestock at Wacton in South Norfolk. He was one of the first people in the country to import Simmental cattle from Switzerland into the UK, and he and Sam used to breed them together. At the age of 12, Sam’s mum and dad bought him a Jersey cow called ‘Sophie’ for Christmas and he managed to breed her and started to sell the cows, along with sheep, rabbits and pheasants.
The Goat Shed story began with a family holiday to Cumbria, which saw Sam, his wife Caroline and their baby son return home to Norfolk with a herd of ten goats. Sam started milking the goats and experimenting with making cheese, and it wasn’t long before the cheese production was moved to Honingham. By 2018, Fielding Cottage was producing 12 tonnes of Wensum White and Norfolk Mardler goat’s cheese each year which were stocked by local restaurants, pubs and delis.
In November 2019, Sam was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, and his subject was ‘The Journey to Maturity, Navigating Sustainable Food Business Growth.’ The intention was for him to travel to Australia, New Zealand, China and South Africa – he would be away for around 12 weeks.
The rest of the story can be found throughout the timeline on our website: About the Goat Shed (goat-shed.co.uk)
