Martyn met Helen at Agricultural College, Robertson. After graduation they moved to Yorkshire, Helen's home County. They remained there for several years. Martyn however, is originally from the Potteries and was looking to return to the area when the opportunity to manage Buttercross Farm Foods, a pig farm on the outskirts of Market Drayton arose nine years ago. Unfortunately, crises in the agricultural sector made pig farming an uneconomical business. As an alternative venture, Martyn and Helen decided to add more value to their product by specialising in the following:

• 'A quality range of dry-cured bacon'
• 'Succulent gammon joints and steaks'
• 'Speciality sausages and savoury burgers'
• 'Cooked hams and fresh pork'

They process sausages, bacon, gammon and ham on site and employ 4 staff including a full time butcher and a part-time delivery/salesman. The farm also produces potatoes, barley, sugar beet and Kale for winter feeding. They hope to get a licence to produce organic products and develop new ways of packaging them. They are also looking to develop a small herd of rare breed pigs.

Both Martyn and Helen are concerned with the promotion of traditional local foods. They believe that the quality of the food tastes far superior and that customers like to trace directly where the product originated. They are enthusiastic in re-establishing the local food connections and strengthening the relationship between producer and customer.

The pig farm that they both manage sells directly to number of local businesses including Woodies. It is also possible to pre-order food and they are eager to build a personal relationship with customers. Their own business network, which they have worked hard to establish, now covers the whole of the West Midlands.

Both Martyn and Helen feel that networking is important in terms of bringing people together to share their different experiences.

They are both interested in the environment and the fact that the Tern flows along the eastern tip of the farm. Martyn is a school Governor at Alexandra Rd. School.