Kite Consulting

Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined this week by the Chair of AHDB; Nicholas Saphir and dairy farmer John Allwood. They discuss the key elements of AHDB’s new Change Programme & Strategy for the next 5 years (2021 – 2026) including the proposed focus on farm performance, evidence and marketing & exports. Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general in...

Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans welcome listeners to 2021 and back to the podcast with a brighter Brexit outlook following the deal announced on Christmas Eve. We’re joined by former Director of Strategic Intelligence at FrieslandCampina & Director and Founder of Strategic Analysis Services BV; Erik Elgersma & our very own John Allen to discuss what the Brexit deal means for dairy. We're also joined...

Christmas isn’t complete without cheese……& with Chris Walkland featuring every week on the podcast we’ve never been short of cheese. But this week’s pre-Christmas episode, hosted by Ben Eagle has a double dose of cheese; Chris Walkland’s terrible jokes & market report followed by Robin Skailes of Cropwell Bishop Creamery & Kite Partner Chris Flint to talk all things Stilton! We discuss not only Co...

Following the publication of the Agricultural Transition Plan last week, which detailed how BPS will be phased out & gave some detail about new agricultural support schemes, hosts Will Evans & Ben Eagle are joined by Janet Hughes; Programme Director for Future Farming & Countryside at DEFRA alongside our own Ros Hughes. Janet shares DEFRA’s ambition for the future of farming including an increasin...

Hosts Will Evans & Ben Eagle are joined on this weeks podcast by Brian Lindsay, who is the Global Dairy Platform’s Sustainability Lead & Project Manager for C-Sequ, alongside our very own Helen Evans. They discuss the current carbon sequestration calculation consultation, what it could mean for dairy, practical implementation on farm & how this links with the ELMs framework revealed earlier this w...

Hosts Will Evans & Ben Eagle are joined by Jake Pickering who is Agriculture Manager at Waitrose, dairy farmer & WDF Chairman; Brian Barnett & John Allen. Waitrose recently announced an ambitious target for their business and farmer suppliers to be carbon net-zero by 2035. We discuss what this means for the Waitrose business, their customers, farmer suppliers and how practically this will be achie...

Following a milk market update from Chris Walkland, where he helpfully and metaphorically goes shopping for George Eustice, hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined by the Director General of the Provision Trade Federation (PTF); Andrew Kuyk CBE. The PTF represents companies trading or manufacturing dairy, pork and seafood products, having previously worked for the Food & Drink Federation and DEFRA...

Following the US presidential election we invited Eric Meyer from Highground Dairy back onto the podcast alongside John Allen to discuss what the Biden administration means for US dairy producers and consumers, what impact the current oversupply of milk in the US means for UK dairy and whether the incoming administration looks more or less favourable for UK exports to the US or US imports to the U...

Chris Walkland gives his usual milk market update and hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined this week by FCN’s Vicki Beers, Arla’s Rosie Cowie & Rozenwyn Lane; a dairy farmer from Cornwall to discuss the impact of lockdown at farm level and how Arla & Asda’s collaboration with the Farming Community Network is aiming to support farmers with these & other farming challenges. They share tips on rec...

It’s not just Chris Walkland’s puns that make this week’s episode scary….it’s our Halloween special. When we heard about the Halloween cheese that Barbers Cheesemakers had created that was largely destined for the US market we couldn’t think of a better time to find out more about the Barbers business than during our Halloween special. This week Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined by Michael M...

Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or re...

Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined by Patrick Mueller and John Allen to discuss Mullers Milk & More business following Kantar data released last week showing that doorstep deliveries have surged during Covid. Patrick describes where Milk & More sits alongside the wider Muller business and how they have evolved a very traditional service business to meet the needs of a modern, values driven co...

Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined by Chris Walkland for his usual milk market update, along with dairy farmer Henry Lewis and Kite consultant Rachael Madeley-Davies who discuss the looming labour issues in relation to the impending EU-Exit. Most farms, even those employing minimal numbers of local staff, struggle to meet their current labour requirements and with confirmation last week that,...

Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined by farmer Andy Gilman and his Kite consultant David Levick, to take a look back at 2020 so far & forward into autumn along with discussing the development of the business. In between kicking tyre's & watching tractor porn, Chris has managed to pull together his usual (comedy) Milk Market Update to share with listeners! Please note: The information provided d...

On this weeks podcast, host Ben Eagle is joined by Lloyd Holterman from Rosy Lane Holsteins, Becki Leach & Chris Walkland to discuss all things covid, cows & celebrating awards. Lloyd talks about how they are minimising the risk & impact of Covid on farm and discusses the financial returns they have realised as a result of covid related federal support. They also discuss current cow performance an...

With roughly 100 days to go until 31st December & Brexit back in the political and public spotlight, on this week’s podcast hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans ask John Allen, Rachael Madeley-Davies & Chris Walkland to give a round-up of the current situation for this ‘Brexit Bulletin’ podcast. As always, the podcast includes Chris Walkland’s Milk Market update. Please note: The information provided duri...

Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined on this weeks podcast by marketeer & dairy farmer’s son; Harry Evans who, alongside Becki Leach, discusses human psychology, branding and buying behaviour & why marketing the health benefits of milk might not be the best way to increase the appreciation or consumption of dairy & milk! This week Chris Walkland not only gives us the usual milk market update bu...

Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined on this weeks podcast by our very own Tim Davies & John Allen. Before discussing the sustainability of soya in future dairy rations, Tim carries on the theme from last weeks podcast & shares his thoughts on the feed markets this winter. Including discussion about the challenging UK, but favourable harvests in Europe & worldwide and the alternative destinatio...

Hosts Ben Eagle & Will Evans are joined this week by dairy farmer Jimmy Evans alongside Kite Consulting’s Duncan Williams & John Allen. After Chris Walkland’s usual milk market update, we attempt to reverse the rain by talking about forage again. They discuss what forage quality & stocks look like on-farm and the considerations for feeding cows this autumn/winter. Please note: The information prov...

Following the usual milk market update from Chris Walkland, hosts Ben Eagle and Will Evans are joined this week by Arla’s Category Director for Milk & Organic; Harriet O’Regan & OMSCO’s Managing Director; Richard Hampton. They discuss the position of organic dairy in farmer and consumer mindsets and ask “does organic give the dairy industry a chance to take back market share from plant based?” And...

Hosts Ben Eagle and Will Evans are joined this week by farmers Michael Oakes and Robert Craig who are also wearing their NFU Dairy Board Chair & First Milk Vice Chair hats respectively.  After a milk market update from podcast regular Chris Walkland they discuss the key elements of the dairy contract consultation including; pricing mechanisms, exclusivity, fixed volumes, farmer co-ops & unintended...

Hosts Ben Eagle and Will Evans are joined this week by the Grocer’s Fresh Food editor; Kevin White, John Allen and Chris Walkland & they’re discussing all things cheesy (not just Chris’ jokes!). Cheese has been a big winner during Covid with over a 20% surge in both retail volume and value as reported in the recent “Big Cheese” article in the Grocer. Please note: The information provided during th...

Hosts Ben Eagle and Will Evans are joined this week by Chief Exec of Glanbia & Dairy UK chair; Paul Vernon, Dairy UK Chief Exec; Judith Bryans, Becki Leach & Chris Walkland. As the “Milk Your Moments” dairy campaign culminates, donating £100k to mental health charity Mind, they discuss the outcomes & next steps for dairy advertising campaigns, along with both the Governments recently announced Obe...

We’re staying a little closer to home this week as hosts Ben Eagle and Will Evans are joined by dairy farmer Di Wastenage, Becki Leach and Chris Walkland. After Chris gives an “out of this world” milk market update we ask; what is important to the consumer, how does dairy meet those requirements and what opportunities does a post-covid world present to increase the perceived value of dairy? Please...

We continue our (virtual) tour this week albeit a little closer to home, when hosts Will Evans and Ben Eagle are joined from Ireland by Conor Mulvihill Director at Dairy Industry Ireland, John Allen and Chris Walkland. They discuss the milk markets, including the recent record milk output from Ireland, its impact on the UK market and the potential implications of Brexit on the Irish milk markets....