15 minutes with...

It's not every day you get a bona fide celebrity on 15 Minutes With — but this week, host Jonathan Roberts sits down with CLA member Ted Howard-Jones, part of the Hawkstone Choir that took Britain by storm and won Britain's Got Talent. Ted shares the surreal journey from a farming-club advert to a golden buzzer moment on the BGT stage, working with Jeremy Clarkson and the Clarkson's...

In this episode, we sit down with Baroness (Barbara) Young, the newly appointed Chair of the Forestry Commission, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of trees and woodland in England. Barbara shares her vision for what success looks like on trees — from timber in construction and flood risk management to air quality and human health — and explains why getting the right tree in the rig...

What does it really take to run a family farm across generations? In this episode, we sit down with John, Alice, and Rufus Pawsey of Shimpling Park — a 4,500-acre organic farm in Suffolk that's been in the family for five generations. We pick up a conversation that started at the CLA breakfast at the Suffolk Show, going deeper into what it's actually like to work together as a family bus...

CLA Deputy President Joe Evans sits down with New Zealand farmer, entrepreneur and Nuffield Scholar Carlos Bagrie for a wide-ranging conversation about rural innovation, brand-building and what UK and New Zealand farming can learn from each other. Carlos Bagrie is anything but a conventional farmer. Having co-founded My Food Bag - New Zealand's answer to HelloFresh - he went on to purchase a...

15 Minutes With...Lord Townshend of Raynham Estate In this edition of 15 Minutes With , CLA East Director Cath Crowther visits Raynham Estate in Norfolk to meet Tom Townshend, the 9th Marquess Townshend — a landowner whose family has farmed the same land since the 1100s. Recorded on location at The Copse, the estate's own secret supper club, Tom talks openly about what it takes to future-proo...

What does the government's new Devolution Act actually mean for rural Britain? In this episode of 15 Minutes With , host Jonathan Roberts is joined by Charles Trotman of the CLA (Country Land and Business Association) to break down the UK's landmark devolution legislation — and what it means for farmers, landowners, and rural businesses. Charles explains how power will flow from Whitehal...

What does it take to keep a thousand-year-old rural estate alive in the 21st century? In this episode, CLA Communications Manager Henk Geertsema visits Broughton Sanctuary in North Yorkshire to speak with Roger Tempest — 32nd-generation custodian of the estate and one of the most compelling voices in the rural resilience conversation. Roger shares the remarkable journey of transforming Broughton H...

15 Minutes With… Kerry Booth, Chief Executive, Rural Services Network What does it really take to champion rural communities at a national level — and are policymakers actually listening? In this episode, we sit down with Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of the Rural Services Network, the national body representing over 450 rural local authorities and service providers across England. Kerry shares her...

How can a career in music management, working with acts like Busted, provide the skills to run a 2,500-acre rural estate? CLA Vice President Eliza Ecclestone sits down with Tristan Lillingston, from the Thorpe Estate, to discuss how he transitioned from a career in music management to taking the reins of his family's rural estate. Tristan, who is hosting the CLA Next Generation Conference at...

In this episode of 15 Minutes With , CLA Vice President Eliza Ecclestone sits down with Will Bax — Secretary and Keeper of the Records at the Duchy of Cornwall. Will shares the story behind one of England's oldest institutions, from its founding in 1337 to its modern-day mission spanning 130,000 acres, 200+ tenant farms, and ambitious community-building projects like Poundbury. They discuss t...

In this episode of 15 Minutes With , CLA Midlands Regional Director Sophie Dwerryhouse sits down with Dan Smith — a self-described "farmer-ish" from Monmouthshire who's been making waves across the sector. Dan shares how the Company of Rural Leaders (CRL) programme gave him the confidence to push beyond his comfort zone, leading to a life-changing Nuffield Farming Scholarship. His s...

15 Mins with Henry Dimbleby — Food Security, GLP-1 Drugs & the Future of Farming In this episode, we sit down with Henry Dimbleby — food policy expert, author of the National Food Strategy, and co-founder of Leon — for a wide-ranging conversation on the issues shaping the future of food and farming in the UK. We discuss whether the government truly understands food resilience, and what it woul...

15 Minutes With: Sarah Dunning — Westmorland Family Businesses CLA President Gavin Lane sits down with Sarah Dunning, Chair of Westmorland Limited, the family behind the award-winning Tebay Motorway Services and Gloucester Gateway. Sarah shares how she left London in her late twenties to join the family business, navigated a pivotal generational transition when their long-standing partners retired...

CLA Deputy President Joe Evans sits down with James Fielden, founder of Jamie's Farm, to explore how working farms are transforming the lives of disadvantaged young people across the UK. In just 16 years, Jamie's Farm has grown from a pilot project to a national charity operating seven farms, employing nearly 100 people, and impacting almost 20,000 children. Jamie shares the remarkable s...

In this episode, CLA President Gavin Lane speaks with Alan Laidlaw, England's first Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector. Alan discusses his newly created role, which emerged from the Rock Review, and shares insights into promoting best practices and addressing challenges in tenant farming relationships. Key topics include: • The Commissioner's role and day-to-day responsibilities...

How can siblings work together to run a successful rural enterprise? Kenton Hall Estate in Suffolk is truly a family affair, with siblings Tom McVeigh, Lucy McVeigh and Emily Aitchison at the heart of the estate's diversified businesses.  On top of the 450-acre arable farm's exploration into hazelnuts and walnuts, the estate is home to a variety of diversifications, including a wedding v...

Open Farm Sunday: 20 Years of Reconnecting Britain with Farming Join us for a special conversation with Ian Pigott, founder of Open Farm Sunday, as we celebrate two decades of this transformative initiative. Since 2006, Open Farm Sunday has welcomed 3.2 million children onto British farms, bridging the gap between urban communities and agricultural life. In this episode, Ian shares: The inspiratio...

CLA Land Use Chief Susan Twining sits down with Baroness Minette Batters to discuss her groundbreaking Farming Profitability Review and life in the House of Lords. Minette shares insights on the disconnect between rural and urban Britain, why agriculture's true economic value is vastly underestimated, and her vision for a partnership approach between government and the farming industry. From...

CLA President Gavin Lane sits down with Julia Aglionby, Director of the Foundation for Common Land, to discuss the critical challenges facing England's upland farmers. Julia shares insights from 25+ years of living and farming in the Eden Valley, exploring why government policy struggles to support these vital landscapes. Topics include funding shortfalls in environmental schemes, the invisib...

15 Minutes With: Abi Kay, Deputy Editor of Farmer's Weekly Join Jonathan Roberts as he sits down with Abi Kay to discuss the fractured relationship between politics and farming in the UK. From inheritance tax controversies to broken promises on food security, Abi shares her insights on why 40% of farmers are now planning to vote for Reform UK. Plus, she reveals the stories behind her most imp...

In this edition of 15 Minutes With, CLA Deputy President Joe Evans and Vice President Eliza Ecclestone tackle one of the most challenging questions facing rural Britain: what does it really mean to be a landowner today? Joe and Eliza explore the disconnect between public perception and the reality of modern land ownership, discussing why the term "landowner" itself might be a barrier to...

In this episode of 15 Minutes With from the Country Land and Business Association, host Jonathan Roberts sits down with Labour's former farming minister Daniel Zeichner to reflect on his time in office. Zeichner offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at reshuffle day, discusses the challenges of cross-departmental collaboration in government, and addresses Labour's relationship with rural...

In this inaugural episode, host Jonathan Roberts sits down with CLA President Gavin Lane to discuss the government's controversial inheritance tax changes and their impact on farming families and rural businesses. Gavin shares his experience running a farm in West Norfolk, explains why the recent policy U-turn still falls short, and reveals the challenges of getting Whitehall to understand th...