We played host to members of The Nuffield Foundation this week as part of their Triennial Conference and 2017 Tour – on their Great British Food Day.

The Nuffield Foundation was originally formed by the leading industrialist and philanthropist Lord Nuffield, and now works to support agricultural advancements throughout the UK.  Known as the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, the organisation selects farming scholars every year who are briefed to search out and bring back to farmers in the UK details of good and innovative agricultural husbandry from around the globe. To date over 800 Scholars from the UK and some 1600 Scholars worldwide have benefited the foundation.

Martin Thatcher, himself a Nuffield Scholar, showed the party around Myrtle Farm, demonstrating how he has put his experience gained through his Nuffield studies to benefit at Thatchers Cider.

He said, “Following the Nuffield Scholarship is an exceptionally rewarding experience, albeit exceptionally hard work. What I learned through my studies over ten years ago has played a major part in our work here at Thatchers, most importantly to settle for nothing less than the best, so I have been delighted to show the group today how this has been implemented.”

The 2017 Nuffield International Triennial Conference provides a two-week spotlight on British farming, food and rural enterprise, with a programme of visits and events to showcase the very ‘Best of British’ in farming, food, technology and the diversified rural landscape. During their day in Somerset, the group also visited Alvis Bros at Regilbury Park and Lye Cross Farms, and Aldwick Court Farm.