Finally hits home

Over the past year Rhonda and i have been looking at areas around the UK to setting in the next 3 years when her daughter Rosie has completed A levels and left the nest of Islington. It's not been easy because as small as the UK is, there are many areas and pockets to visit. One of the areas we have fallen for is mid Wales after coming across the Tannat Valley. Its an area that is untouched, the property has not been modernised too smooth starched white walls and you really do feel things haven't really changed too much over the years. These pockets of life seem to have disappeared from many of the idealistic areas once looked at as rural areas such as Devon, Cornwall and Somerset  Every county around London seems to be full of second homes and large people carriers. Its also an area close to where I grew up so i do feel a sence of returning home after 20 years of shenanigans. After looking hard over the past few months we came across 6 properties to look at, I used the last 5 days of my holidays and off we went to visit them.

The first out the 6 was the best, we completely fell in love with the property, the surrounding 10 acres and that internal feeling you get when something is very right. We headed home feeling a little overwhelmed and anxious, a week later I'm still feeling the same as its finally hit home that this could actually happen. We have a lot to think about, is this an area we can really settle? Is 10 acres too much to handle? Can I brew and supply my ale and make a living from it? Will I find friends in this rural community? Can I get a mortgage? Every last bit of money I have been saving is going to vanish from my savings, but I guess this is what it was for and I cant think of anything else Id want to spend it on really.

Very exciting times

Fäviken:Magnus Nilsson

After a week of relaxing at my place in Bulgaria with Rhonda, I now sit back in my chair at work staring at my computer again... It also stares back at me.

It feels more abnormal by the day, especially after my week away and baking in a wood oven, eating veg freshly plucked from the garden, killing and skinning rabbits and enjoying the odd shooting star late at night in the very clear sky. Its times like this that I feel sad, but also excited about where Im going and my next chapter and what helps is when I read about people who have done it. I recently purchased a book on Magnus Nilsson and his restaurant Fäviken. Its another inspiring story of somebody who has a great passion for the outdoors, understanding true nature and ways of old when it comes to food preparation and preservation. Now all my homebrew stuff is in the loft I'm now going to start looking at fermented vegetables alongside preserving and canning. This is an area I have always found fascinating so I feel its a natural progression from what I have been doing over the past few years. I feel very excited about this although i must say when I mentioned fermented vegetables to Rosy and Josh they gave a look of concern.. I guess that's natural though

Haines & Brown

Its been a pretty interesting time for me on the Ale front.

Over the years of brewing I have often thought how great it would be to sell to the public, its been a kind of pipe dream but you read so much about councils destroying the dreams of many artisan's. There is a great deal of red tape but over the months I've battled through it, invested money and now finally have my Ale in my local The Scolt Head. The most memorable part was going down the cellar with Lewis, my partners father and watching them tap it. Id only ever seen this on youtube let alone my own beer actually in a real pub cellar being tapped. It was very surreal seeing it pulled through into the bar and looking around at the public all paying for my Ale. The first brew wasn't great, I was far from happy but it seemed to go well, in fact the 30c sunny days have helped get rid of 3 firkins in 3 days, good timing I say.

This has been a huge jump towards the farm, I feel more confident and although I need to improve my Ale, I know I'm in the right ballpark. I'm close to cracking it after many books, many video tutorials, many infected Ales, many spillages, many arguments, many bank notes and many hours sat in bed wondering and contemplating. Rhonda has been very patient, brewing beer not only takes over the house, it takes over relationships at times.

Its been a good week..

In the beginning..

Im sat here in work, like have done in the past 15 years and like many others, feel ready for a simple life in the country. Its very must a cliche but that's ok. I've been feeling like this for a number of years now but its today, I feel intensity disconnected with office work and London life. I think its due to reading and listening to Joel Salatin, this man is a true genius.

I decided to start this blog to get it out of my system. My need to become a farmer, or to even work outside is close to exploding so I've decided to document my pathway to the Farm. It will happen, I'm not sure when, but it will happen.. It has to.