We were delighted to attend Cereals for the first time this year – being one of the leading technical events for arable farmers. It was even more exciting that the event was hosted by Jeremy Clarkson at Diddly Squat Farm. As a major opportunity for us, the event required careful planning and input from several members of staff.
Heavy rain in the days leading up to the event meant that additional metal roadways had to be laid across the site. Despite the challenging conditions there was a real sense of anticipation as we set up our stand on 9th June. Cereals would be the first show where we could take advantage of our new Starlink internet service, giving a broadband connection for us and our clients.
We had our long-standing friends from Orion Farming Group, lead by General Manager, Stuart Goodinson, sharing the stand on both days. Farming Minds also came along on both days, including co-founder, Sam Stables, who famously completed a 142-mile fundraising walk earlier in the year. It was fantastic to spend time with them.
Our team arrived early on 10 June to open our stand and welcome the first visitors of the day. The sun was shining and a light breeze created ideal weather conditions.
Throughout the day, we enjoyed a steady stream of visitors, including both existing customers and prospective ones, making for a busy and productive first day. Visitors were welcomed with a choice of chilled local drinks from the fridge or a freshly made cup of tea, accompanied by a slice of homemade cake. At lunchtime we served Ploughman’s lunches, featuring locally produced Oxford Blue cheese.
Rain arrived overnight and continued throughout the day, barely letting up at all. However, the wet weather did little to dampen our spirits or deter visitors, and the show continued to attract visitors to our stand where we served more cups of tea and coffee than the previous day. Our refreshments continued to be well received.
As we packed up at the end of the show and dismantled our tent, the rain continued to fall. Despite the wet finish, we reflected on what had been an extremely successful event for us. We came away having made valuable new contacts and strengthened existing relationships. Based on this year’s success we are already considering a return for a future Cereals event.