May/June 2021

PEOPLE
“We have enjoyed some wonderful coverage in the
press and have been riding high on the interest in
staycations.”
With confidence in the estate’s draw for domestic
tourism, Tom is also entering a joint venture to
develop luxury holiday lodges around the estate’s
lake. “We have a 12 acre lake which was created
in the 1700s and is the earliest manmade lake in
Norfolk. Despite its size, it is only about one foot deep
as it is really silted up. We are working with Natural
England on a parkland restoration project and will be
dredging it so it can be returned to its former glory.
“In the meantime we will be adding shepherd huts
in the more peaceful areas of the estate where people
can truly switch off. They will be completely off-grid,
although for those that need to keep in touch via Wi-
Fi, we have invested in a private fibre network via Air
Broadband/Voneus, with boosters around the estate.
Our connectivity had been shocking and we spent 15
months battling with BT Open Reach”.
Talking of ‘switching off’, Tom reports,
unsurprisingly with so many diverse business
interests, that he finds it hard to do so. “I keep my
phone in my pocket – a bad habit I know. But my two
children (seven and four) are a wonderful tonic from
thinking about business. They are very energetic so
there is always football, cricket, golf and bike rides
going on.”
Keeping a broad view of the business is part of
Tom’s success. “I like to look at other businesses and
farm diversifications and try to take one positive or
one ‘what not to do’ learning from each. I find the
Farm Business Innovation Show a good one to go
“I LIKE TO LOOK AT
OTHER BUSINESSES
AND FARM
DIVERSIFICATIONS
AND TRY TO TAKE
ONE POSITIVE OR
ONE ‘WHAT NOT
TO DO’ LEARNING
FROM EACH"
to too. Although it is often hard to get away, we
have gone every other year and it is great for
ideas when considering future plans”.
Because he is managing so many different
things, Tom says it is important to have created
the right team around him. “We have 26
employees at the moment covering the estate’s
operations including the farm, renewables,
woodland and events. We will be adding to that
as the glamping and events expand. We have
also just started working with UK Adventure
Trails to create a themed trail in the woods;
perfect for the summer holidays.”
Much of Tom’s success with the estate
has been delegation. “It is important to give
people autonomy to manage each enterprise
themselves, although I’ll admit is hard for me to
let go – hence the phone in my pocket!”
DETAILS
Raynham Estate
Hall Farm
East Raynham
Fakenham
Norfolk NR21 7EE
www.raynham.co.uk