fernhill farm

What fernhill farm does

Fernhill Farm is a first-generation regenerative livestock farm located on 160 acres atop the Mendip Hills National Landscape in Compton Martin, Somerset, UK. Founded by Andy Wear in 1997 after acquiring the property in a derelict state, the family-operated business (Andy Wear, Jennifer Hunter, and sons Kyle and Seth) manages 3,000 Romney x Shetland sheep, 50 Aberdeen Angus cattle, and woodland pigs using rotational mob grazing and holistic land management practices. The operation is Certified Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Grassfed, and Certified Non-GMO by A Greener World (since October 2020) and verified by the Savory Institute on the Land to Market platform.

The farm operates a diversified business across six interconnected revenue streams: (1) direct-to-consumer meat sales via an online farm shop with click-and-collect, plus B2B supply to Waitrose (beef) and FarmDrop (lamb); (2) event venue hire including festivals up to 15,000 attendees (ArcTanGent, Outcider, Fernhill Festival) and weddings; (3) on-site accommodation for 40+ guests across Horseshoe Barns, Wren Cottage, Arcs shepherd huts, and camping; (4) wool and fibre products via sister site Fernhill Fibre; (5) British Wool approved shearing courses and educational workshops; and (6) shearing tournaments and fibre retreats. Proprietary infrastructure includes a 2008-installed WET (Wetland Ecosystem Treatment) system by Biologic Design for chemical-free wastewater purification that doubles as a Bristol Zoological Society white-clawed crayfish ark site, renewable energy installations (solar, battery storage, log boiler), and Grade II listed stone buildings restored with reclaimed materials and wool insulation.

The business model is anchored by regenerative credentials as the primary differentiator, evidenced by Farmers Weekly Sheep Farmer of the Year (2022), BISCA Sheep Shearing Personality of the Year (2023), and Master Blade Shearer recognition (2024). Pricing spans low-ticket meat boxes (£35-£130) and high-ticket corporate conferences (£25-£300+VAT per delegate) and British Wool shearing courses (£264). Customer segments include health-conscious and sustainability-focused consumers, festival and event organizers, wedding and celebration parties, crafters and fibre artists, corporate clients, and aspiring shearers. The business is entirely family-owned with no external investment, operates only in the UK (South West England), and serves as a vertically integrated regenerative agriculture, hospitality, and education platform.

Name

fernhill farm

Legal name

Fernhill Farm

Website

https://fernhill-farm.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fernhill Farm is a first-generation family-owned regenerative livestock farm on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, UK, operating diversified meat, event venue, accommodation, wool, and education businesses with 3,000 sheep and 50 cattle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regenerative Livestock Farming

NAICS

Sheep and Goat Farming (1124), Hog and Pig Farming (11221)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sheep Farming (Wool & Meat) (AFAEAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Organic & Pasture-Raised Hog Farming (AFAEAEAI)

Keywords

• Regenerative agriculture
• Event venue hire
• Farm accommodation
• Wool fibre products
• Grass-fed meat sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Compton Martin

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Meat Products Sales: Sells grass-fed, regenerative Aberdeen Angus beef, lamb, mutton, and pork products directly through online farm shop with click-and-collect. Supplies Waitrose (beef) and FarmDrop (lamb). Products include freezer boxes, individual cuts, and processed meats.
2. Event Venue Hire: Hosts festivals (up to 15,000 capacity), conferences, weddings, stag/hen parties. Venues include Horseshoe Barns, Hay Shed, and outdoor spaces. Includes on-site accommodation units.
3. Accommodation: On-site accommodation including Horseshoe Barns (sleeps 20+), Wren Cottage (sleeps 8), The Basement, The Loft, three Arcs (shepherd huts), static caravan, camping, and wagon accommodation. Beds for 40+ with unlimited camping.
4. Education and Training: Runs British Wool approved shearing courses (machine and blade shearing), farm tours, and educational workshops. Hosts Fibre Experience events and shearing tournaments.
5. Wool and Fibre Products: Wool sold through sister site Fernhill Fibre (fernhillfibre.co.uk) including spinning/felting fleece, yarns, felt, cloth, sheepskin products, and finished garments. Sister site also hosts fibre retreats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fernhill Farm operates a 160-acre regenerative livestock farm in Somerset producing grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef, lamb, mutton, and free-range pork sold through an online farm shop with click-and-collect. The farm also runs the Horseshoe Barns eco-venue (a Grade II listed 17th-century barn) hosting festivals up to 15,000 attendees, weddings, conferences, and stag/hen parties, alongside on-site accommodation for 40+ guests, a wool and fibre retail enterprise via sister site Fernhill Fibre, and British Wool approved shearing courses.

Product overview

Fernhill Farm operates a diversified regenerative agriculture and eco-tourism business comprising multiple interconnected product lines: (1) Farm Shop offering meat products (grass-fed Angus beef, sheep meats, pork) via click-and-collect; (2) Event venues including Horseshoe Barns, Hay Shed, and conference facilities for festivals, conferences, stag/hen parties; (3) Accommodation units ranging from bunkhouse to luxury shepherd huts; (4) Wool and fibre products via sister site Fernhill Fibre; (5) Educational events including blade shearing tournaments and shearing courses; and (6) Livestock breeding with verified regenerative practices. The business integrates its farm operations with hospitality services, creating a closed-loop system where livestock, events, and accommodation support each other.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fernhill Fibre: Sister website for all aspects of the wool enterprise - supplies fine British wool in native colours including spinning and felting fleece, natural knitting and weaving yarns, felt, cloth, sheepskin products, and finished ready-to-wear garments.

Products and services

• Farm Shop — Meat Products and Boxes Online ordering platform with click-and-collect from the farm for grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef, mature sheep meats (lamb, hogget, mutton), and free-range pork cuts. Products are vacuum-packed, labelled, and stored frozen. Meat boxes available in small (£35), medium (£75), and large (£130) sizes, plus individual cuts and processed meats.
• Horseshoe Barns Eco-Venue 17th century Grade II listed cow sheds converted into an eco-venue with on-site accommodation, accommodating gatherings from 10 to 200 guests. Features reclaimed timbers, wool insulation, coir matting, under-floor heating, professional kitchen, private bar, washrooms with power showers, dining room seating 40, and a courtyard with fire pit.
• Conference Facilities Regenerative eco-farm venue for business meetings and conferences including Hive Hall Function room (16m x 7m, up to 85 people), three breakout spaces, dining room, hot drinks bar, and outdoor courtyards. Half-day delegate packages from £25+VAT, full-day from £50+VAT, plus residential packages for corporate retreats and team away days.
• Festival and Large-Scale Event Hosting Eco-venue hosting festivals and large-scale events up to 15,000 capacity, featuring two large venues (Horseshoe Barn and Hay Shed), 150 acres of flat fields, renewable energy infrastructure, and the WET system for waste disposal. Previously hosted The Big Green Gathering, Off-Grid, Cloud Cuckoo Land, ArcTanGent, Outcider, and the farm's own Fernhill Festival.
• Stag, Hen Parties and Private Gatherings Self-catering exclusive-use venue for stag and hen parties and small private gatherings from 10 to 200 guests. Features BYO drinks, kitchens, dining areas, bar furniture, washrooms, on-site accommodation units, and parking.
• Wool and Fibre Products (Fernhill Fibre) Fine British wool in native colours including spinning and felting fleece, natural knitting and weaving yarns, felt, cloth, sheepskin products, and finished ready-to-wear garments (scarves, cushions, blankets, throws, gloves, hats, socks, gilets, jackets). Processed using only UK manufacturers. Also hosts fibre retreats on the farm.
• On-Site Accommodation Units Multiple accommodation units including Horseshoe Barns (20+ guests), Wren Cottage (8 guests), The Basement suite with 4-poster bed, The Loft apartment (6+ guests), three Arcs shepherd huts (4+ each), static caravan, and The Wagon (king-size bedroom boudoir). Plus camping with unlimited capacity. Total bed capacity 40+ guests.
• Blade Shearing Tournaments and British Wool Courses Bi-annual blade shearing tournaments featuring top Northern Hemisphere shearers (free entry, proceeds as prize money). British Wool approved machine and blade shearing courses for beginners and intermediate levels (£220 + VAT = £264 for the two-day beginner course), running 9:00–17:00 over two days, with pathway to gold program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 133 species of flora and fauna documented on farm
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A Greener World (AGW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Partnership for farm certifications including Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW, and Certified Non-GMO by AGW. A Greener World is an international certifier with operations in Ireland, South Africa, USA, Canada, Central America, and launched in UK with AGW Europe and UK office.
• Bristol Zoological SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for white-clawed crayfish conservation. Bristol Zoological Society breeds and rears white-clawed crayfish for ark sites and outreach, combining with scientific research. Fernhill Farm serves as an ark site established after habitat and water quality surveys.
• Biologic DesigncoreTechnology or IntegrationApplied permaculture design consultancy that designed and installed the WET System at Fernhill Farm in 2008. WET Systems are soil-based, multi-species constructed wetlands that integrate wastewater purification with biomass production (willow for basket making or fuel, fruit and nut trees) while creating wildlife habitat.
• British WoolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial British Wool approved training venue for shearing courses. British Wool coordinates course bookings, provides instructors, and manages certification. Farm hosts machine and blade shearing courses under British Wool pathway to gold program.
• Savory Institute / 3LMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm verified by Savory Institute and listed on Land to Market platform. 3LM (Foundation Farms) provides holistic management training and farm walk educational sessions. Christopher Cooke from Savory Institute and 3LM conducts land discovery tours.
• Mendip Hills AONB / Natural LandscapesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) project funding for Fibre Experience events. Partnership supports free farm open days and natural fibre education initiatives.
• Orchard Park ActivitiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal activity provider recommending Fernhill Farm for BBQ boxes and accommodation. Offers minibus transport from Mendip Hills with farm produce for events at their cider barn.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rhug Estate: Rhug Estate is a North Wales organic farm running an integrated model across farm shop, online meat sales, on-site restaurant, B&Bs, weddings and corporate events — directly comparable to Fernhill's multi-vertical regenerative estate model, though at larger scale and longer operating history.
• Pipers Farm: Pipers Farm is a small Devon regenerative farm selling native-breed meat boxes direct-to-consumer online, with a very comparable D2C model and size to Fernhill's farm shop line, including freezer-box product tiers starting around £35.
• Trill Farm: Trill Farm is a Devon organic and regenerative farm that runs on-site wellness retreats, educational courses, and seasonal events. Smaller scale than Fernhill but highly comparable in combining low-intensity livestock with a venue/education business model.
• Fordhall Farm: Fordhall is a Shropshire community-owned organic farm running farm shop, glamping, educational visits and events. Directly comparable small-scale UK organic/regenerative farm with on-site visitor economy, though operating under a community share structure rather than family ownership.

Broad incumbents

• Daylesford Farm: Daylesford is a much larger Gloucestershire-based organic farm with farm shop, cookery school, café and events programme. Comparable in regenerative positioning and eco-venue use case, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader premium retail footprint.
• Knepp Estate: Knepp is a West Sussex rewilding estate with on-site camping, glamping, safaris, weddings and a farm shop, built around conservation outcomes (including white stork reintroduction). Comparable to Fernhill in the eco-tourism, AONB context and conservation-led narrative, though rewilding rather than rotational grazing.
• Riverford Organic Farm: Riverford is the UK's largest organic farm box scheme, operating national D2C delivery. Comparable in farm-direct digital commerce and organic positioning, though primarily vegetable-led rather than livestock, and at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• The Ethical Butcher: The Ethical Butcher is an online regenerative and pasture-fed UK meat retailer aggregating supply from multiple small farms. Comparable product offering and consumer (sustainability-focused) to Fernhill's farm shop line, but operates pure e-commerce without the venue or own-farm events side.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/fernhillfarm
• Facebookfacebook.com/FernhillFarm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fernhill-farm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about fernhill farm