Two Wills and a Fenland farmer
How young entrepreneurs are faring in a rural town and why it is tough to be a nature-friendly farmer in the Fens
The latest Farming Social Hub’s Farming with Nature episode (5) meets two young entrepreneurs who are bucking the trend when it comes to setting up businesses.
Will Richardson is the eponymous owner of Will of Wells, a independent coffee shop much beloved by locals and tourists alike. The tourists are attracted by a harbour-side location and an authentic shabby chic interior. The locals like the fact that the barista is also a member of the lifeboat crew and a bona-fida Norfolk born and bred businessman. It should also be said, the coffee is particularly good and Will’s attention to detail on both the brew and the decor is outstanding.
Best mate and cheerful sidekick is Will Purdy. He helps out in the coffee shop when he is not running his own fishing boat in the North Sea. Originally a budding IT expert, Will Purdy dropped out of university and joined the tough life of a fisherman working the cockle boats in King’s Lynn. When the opportunity arose, he bought his own boat with a government start-up loan and now has a thriving business operating out of Wells Harbour.
The two men are joining forces in an exciting venture to bring a new eating experience to the town. Will Richardson has bought the iconic Dutch barge boat, The Albatros, which has been an attraction in Wells Harbour ever since it was retired as a cargo ship in the 1960s. The boat, which latterly had been a floating bar and restaurant, was taken into dry dock in 2020 and seemed destined to the history books until Will bought it and started the refurbishment process.
The Albatros re-opens this spring with the aim of bringing a sea to plate eating experience in which the fish never actually touches the land. Will Purdy will supply the catch of the day and it will be cooked on board the Albatros.
The podcast outlines some of the challenges – and the motivations – the two entrepreneurs face as they attempt to make a success of two tough industries - hospitality and fishing.
Supporting businesses that operate within the North Norfolk AONB is part of the remit of the Norfolk Coastal Partnership. The role of the Norfolk Coast Partnership is to manage the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) on behalf of the four local authorities who share responsibility for it: Norfolk County Council, North Norfolk District Council, Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, and Great Yarmouth Borough Council.
The work of the Partnership balances the statutory duty of conserving and enhancing natural beauty with non-statutory requirements to meet the AONB’s social and economic needs. This means that protecting the landscape relies on a principle of sensitive management rather than on the attempt to preserve the area entirely unchanged.
We then schlepp across to the black soils of the Fens in West Norfolk. Rob Short is a third generation farmer whose main purpose is to produce high quality food from the very fertile soils. At a time when all the talk and the government agenda is focused on nature recovery in the farmed landscape, Rob explains why his main aim is still to get as much produce as possible from the land he farms. At the same time, under pressure of cost of inputs and the need to be as focused on biosecurity as possible, he explains how he is adapting some of his cattle rearing and feeding so that there is little to no input from outside the farm.
To listen to episode 5 of the Farming Social Hub’s Farming with Nature, click here.