Today I had Lauren on the R2Kast 🎙️ A food content creator, recipe developer and social media personality who has built a huge audience around cooking, local produce and great ingredients. 🌾

We spoke about growing up in Scotland, working in hospitality and then spending more than a decade with Scottish Water before eventually taking the leap into content creation full time. It was a really honest discussion about balancing a career, family life and building something from scratch online while figuring out what actually mattered to her. 🍎

A big part of the conversation focused on food. Why quality ingredients matter, supporting local producers, understanding where food comes from and the role social media can play in connecting consumers with farming. Lauren shared how her content has evolved from restaurant recommendations into something much more focused on provenance, local sourcing and telling the stories behind the food on people’s plates. 🌍

We also chatted about the realities of working in social media, the pressure of creating content, dealing with criticism online and the importance of staying authentic. It was a really interesting look at how someone outside agriculture can become such a strong advocate for British food and farming simply through a genuine passion for good food.

Enjoy! 🙂

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Today on series two of Tales of a Nuffield Scholar supported by NFU Mutual we continue looking ahead to the 2026 Nuffield Farming Scholarships Conference in Leeds 🎙️ Across this series we’re hearing from scholars who will feature within the conference presentation groups, giving a flavour of the conversations, ideas and experiences set to shape the event 🌍

This episode focuses on the presentation group “Innovation in Modern Horticulture” with Polly Hilton and Lucy George 🌱

While the Leeds presentation group will also include Ali Warren-Walker, a change in presentation groups meant Ali had already featured in the opening episode of this series as part of “New Pathways for Land, Rivers, Carbon and Nature”, so this conversation focused on Polly and Lucy.

We spoke about two very different journeys within horticulture, from premium cider production and traditional orchards through to tea growing in Wales. What linked both conversations was a willingness to challenge convention, create value from specialist crops and build businesses around products that many people would not immediately associate with British agriculture 🚜

Polly shared how Fine Love Cider works with traditional orchards in the Wye Valley, helping to protect and restore these valuable landscapes while producing premium ciders. Through her travels she explored cider cultures across Europe, looking at everything from education and government support to the role local producers play in maintaining regional identity and rural economies 🌳

Lucy spoke about pioneering commercial tea production in Wales after a background in soft fruit growing. Her Nuffield journey has explored how innovation from across horticulture can be adapted into the tea sector, while also questioning how we define value within food production. From consumer understanding and sustainability through to community engagement and wellbeing, her work highlighted the wider role that horticulture can play beyond simply producing a crop 🍃

One of the strongest themes running throughout the episode was the importance of education and connection. Whether it was helping consumers understand where their tea comes from or encouraging support for locally grown apples and cider, both scholars highlighted the value of reconnecting people with the origins of what they eat and drink 🌾

Without giving away everything that will be shared on stage in Leeds, this episode offered another fascinating glimpse into the future of horticulture, rural enterprise and innovative crop production.

Thank you to NFU Mutual for their support of this project.

Enjoy! 🙂

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Do you feel you have expertise and experience to pass on? Or perhaps you’re looking for someone who can help you learn, grow and navigate the challenges ahead? 🌱

Today on the TwoCan Mentor podcast I was joined by Ian Brown and Muhammad Umar 🎙️

Ian is a third generation farmer, entrepreneur and business adviser who has spent his career building businesses across food, renewable energy and innovation. Muhammad grew up on a small livestock farm in Pakistan before studying overseas, completing a PhD focused on food systems resilience and food security in the UK.

We spoke about how they were matched through the mentoring programme despite coming from very different backgrounds. What followed was a relationship built around sharing experiences, exploring opportunities and helping each other navigate key stages of their careers. 🌍

For Muhammad, the timing could not have been better. He was finishing his PhD, applying for jobs and trying to make the transition from academia into industry. Ian provided support, perspective and connections, helping him build confidence through what can be a challenging and uncertain period. At the same time, both highlighted how mentoring is never a one way process, with each learning from the other’s experiences and outlook. 💭

A big theme throughout the conversation was resilience. From business ventures and job applications to academic challenges and career setbacks, both shared the importance of learning from failure, staying curious and continuing to move forward. 🌱

We finished by discussing the value of networks, relationships and simply having someone outside your immediate circle to challenge your thinking and support your development. Their message was clear: there is very little downside to mentoring and a huge amount to gain.

Enjoy! ☺️

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