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Conversations of Inspiration

Yeo Valley CEO, Tim Mead, on growing a sustainable future

Conversations of Inspiration

Holly Tucker MBE

Education, Society & Culture, Entrepreneurship, Self-improvement, Business, Personal Journals

5.01.3K Ratings

🗓️ 20 June 2022

⏱️ 69 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A leading expert in the farming industry, Tim Mead CEO of Yeo Valley, delves into a number of crucial topics around responsible farming, environmental consciousness and reveals how farmers can help to reverse the carbon crisis. This is an unmissable conversation that won’t only help our generation, but many to come. 

Tim’s family have been farming in Somerset for over 500 years and are known across the country for stocking our shelves with delicious organic milk, cheese and yogurts. However what we didn’t know is just how much hard work and grafting has gone into the Yeo Valley brand over the years. 

Tim grew up in the family business, but a tragic accident left Tim holding the reins aged just 26. Since then, he has been on a quest to not only continue his father’s legacy, but to follow his true north star which is encouraging, educating on and producing food that is made in a healthy, natural way. 

Having witnessed the introduction of industrial manufacturing, Tim shares that 55% of what we eat is classified as ultra processed food – and offers unmissable advice on how we can start to change that statistic to not only help ourselves, but our young and the environment. 

Contemplating the introduction of alternative milks, the importance of community and the marketing genius that changed the Yeo Valley brand forever, Tim’s story is one of hard work and determination that binds both legacy and heritage with adaptability and future proofing. 

If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also enjoy Holly’s episode with Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford.

This Conversations of Inspiration podcast episode is brought to you with support from Adobe Express.

Enjoying listening to these unfiltered chats? Subscribe to Holly’s weekly newsletters on our website, where she shares small business inspiration of all kinds, exclusive nuggets of wisdom from her and her guests, plus offers, creative ideas and topical, 'ungoogleable' business advice. 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

I've always believed that the most successful businesses of our future

0:03.2

will be those with a strong sense of purpose.

0:06.5

And by yesterday, Tim Mead has this most crazy, powerful connection with the environment,

0:13.6

but also the mission that the yoghurt is on.

0:17.1

That's Yo Valley.

0:19.3

Yo Valley might be the blue pot you see in your fridge every single day,

0:23.6

but my goodness, it is so much more.

0:26.7

I have just spent the last hour and 10 minutes learning about the way we all consume,

0:34.4

how we've got to do better, and the connection that we must have with nature.

0:40.7

My mind is blown, so get your pen and paper because you're going to want to scribble down,

0:47.2

so many facts and promises to self after this podcast.

0:53.2

I hope you enjoy it.

1:03.0

I'm Holly Tucker and welcome to Conversations of Inspiration.

1:07.6

Back in 2006, I founded Not on the High Street from my kitchen table,

1:12.4

and since then, I've gone on to launch Holly and Co.

1:15.7

I'm the UK ambassador of creative small businesses,

1:19.0

and I believe that having a business doing what you love

1:22.1

is the key to a happy fulfilled life.

1:25.0

My dream is to help everybody start theirs.

1:28.4

I'm here to offer advice, inspiration, wisdom and encouragement,

1:33.2

and in my view, the best way to do this is by sharing stories.

1:38.3

So I've reached out to my favourite small businesses,

...

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