PEOPLE

The 16-year-old farmer selling meat to Britain’s top restaurants

“From the moment I stepped foot on a farm, I knew that’s what I wanted to spend my life doing. And now I can’t imagine spending it any other way.” Cotswold Style Editor-in-Chief, Archie Cawthra, recently met up with young farmer Seb Godwin who discussed all things farming! Seb Godwin is a 16-year-old Cotswold farmer who has recently been making international press for selling his meat to Michelin-starred restaurants.

BY ARCHIE CAWTHRA & SEB GODWIN

5 December 2023

What got you interested in farming in the first place?

“I’ve been interested in farming from the moment I saw a farm. When I was a little boy I grew up on fields, watching tractors. Then, one day, when I was 11 the local farmer asked if I would like to give him a hand. I went down there, did a few days work and then started getting involved with the sheep and on my 12th birthday, my mum and dad got me 4 sheep, however, we had to get rid of one as it turned out it was a boy… and related! Now, four years later we have 350 sheep!

Are you farming full-time?

“I’m part time at college, I have an apprenticeship with a farm in my village and another apprenticeship with a farm in the neighbouring village. It all keeps me on my feet! But it is my passion and what I enjoy doing, it’s wakes me up in the morning and according to my mum keeps me from tidying my room”

Is there anyone or anything that go you into farming?

“The story of Kaleb Cooper and Clarkson’s Farm has encouraged me, they’ve done a lot for farming. There’s lots of people who don’t know the first thing about farming but that show really shows the struggles for British farmers. When I had an article in The Times on me, the title was ‘Step over Clarkson!’ which my mum showed to Jeremy and he was really lovely about it. I think Kaleb’s a lot like me, doesn’t like leaving Oxfordshire! I recently went to London with my grandparents to deliver some lamb to a restaurant I sell to and it was horrible, I hated getting out the van! It was a nice part of London as well, it was Kensington Street and I still didn’t like it. I couldn’t go there on my own that’s for sure. The good thing is I didn’t have to take the tube, especially since I had six lamb carcass’ weighing 24 kilos a piece!”

How did you start getting in connection with the restaurants?

“Mark who owns Kitchen W8 in London is my mum’s distant relative (fourth cousin) and my grandad who is a chef knew quite a few businesses who were interested so he sent out some emails, he’s been a massive help in getting restaurants. Lots of businesses in the area are keen to have some such as my village pub, Thyme at Southrop Manor and much more.”

What’s your end goal with farming?

“I wouldn’t mind a farm shop, if I were to have a farm shop I wouldn’t want to be involved with the business side of it, I’d be more than happy to produce the stuff that goes but that’s as far as it goes. It’s something we’ve talked about that we’d like to do. I’d like to do farming for different farms around the county and I like the idea of going to New Zealand and Australia and see the big sheep ranch.”