CE20_p82_p83_Muddy Wellies 6/8/2009 15:37 Page 1
RACE Cotswold entrepreneurs
Royal Agricultural College students are becoming known for their business brains as well as
their skills in the countryside. Cotswold Essence finds out more.
projects to give future members for a range of natural products,
opportunities to develop their including girth sleeves, numnahs and
entrepreneurial skills and ideas, with a saddle cloths.
proportion being donated to charity. The pair are proposing to market
“Muddy Wellies is run by members of British-made products that would be
the business club,” said Youssef. superior to the largely synthetic
“It provides students with a great equipment currently available.
opportunity to develop their creativity “We plan to use 100% English
and have first hand experience of what is sheep skins and fleeces which would
involved in running a business. provide horses with fully breathable
“Muddy Wellies is a student beer and absorbent products that would be
developed by students for students as well better for their welfare and easy to
as to a wider market interested in quality care for, at a reasonable price.”
ale with an even greater purpose. It is Charlotte Webb was the runner up
sold on campus and supplied to caterers with idea to set up Arabella Knitwear,
for college events but we are now looking which would use the luxurious soft
to extend this to clubs, pubs, restaurants wool of alpacas for cardigans, wraps
and events within a 50-mile radius. and jumpers.
“At present we are concentrating on the While most of the ideas entered in
taste of the beer: we have moved to a the competition were still at the
new brewer and the feedback since its re- business plan stage, student Charlie
launch at our May ball has been very Hancock is already successfully
good. combining his rural land management
Words by Sue Bradley
“We have also moved studies with a
Pictures by Richard Pasco
over to selling it in bottles profitable enterprise of
as this gives us the his own.
opportunity to be much Chavenage-based
more creative and expands Ver mtek Pest Control
our market potential. offers a range of
S
TUDENTS from the
Royal Agricultural
“Muddy Wellies is services to clear
proving a great way for rodents and other
College are making
students to get hands on infestations from
their mark on the world of
experience of running a farms, gardens and
business.” commercial premises
business with their Muddy Meanwhile, using modern
Wellies.
entrepreneurial students equipment but
Pints of the aptly named beer have
have been impressing practising traditional,
already proved popular on campus and
judges in the RAC’s non-invasive methods.
now members of the college’s business
annual business Charlie specialises in
club are setting their sights on pubs, clubs
competition. rabbit control but is
and restaurants within a 50-mile radius of
Clothing made from often called out to deal
their Cirencester base.
Alpaca wool, pest control with wasps, rats and
Grand Ideas 2009 winners
Royal Agricutural College
services, farm-based mice, squirrels, moles
Entrepreneurs (RACE) came up with the
children’s nurseries and
Adriana Vaux (left) and
Lucy-Victoria Woodthorpe
and deer.
idea of developing and selling an
own-label Champagne
of Skeefs
He carries out
exclusive beer during brainstorming
were just some of the landscaping services
sessions almost three years ago.
schemes entered in the college’s Grand such as knapsack spraying, fencing
Muddy Wellies, a name chosen because
Ideas Awards for 2009. and mowing and is looking to
it was something that every student had
The competition’s winners will now go diversify into venison sausages.
in common, is made and bottled by a
on to represent the RAC at regional finals “Business is good and, with my
brewery in Bath but marketed and
later in the year. Last year the college equipment now all paid for I’m
distributed by RACE.
beat universities from throughout the confident that Vermtek will provide
Each bottle is labelled with a distinctive
south west to scoop two top prizes. me with a nice income when I leave
pair of boots logo, the RAC coat of arms
The winners of this year’s Grand Ideas college,” said Charlie.
and an entreaty to “drink responsibly”
Awards were Adriana Vaux and Lucy- Guest speaker at the Grand Ideas
and “tread carefully”.
Victoria Woodthorpe with Skeefs – a Awards was Denys Shortt, the founder
Chairman Youssef Jemmoua, 21, said
100% sheepskin and fleece range for the and chief executive officer of DCS
sales of the beer had risen steadily and
equestrian market. Europe plc, who congratulated all of
the club was optimistic about the future
Adriana, who is on an equine studies the entrants and announced that he
of Muddy Wellies and its contribution to
course, and agricultural animal would be backing next year’s
the club’s activities and interests.
management student Lucy-Victoria competition with a “prize money
Profits will be invested in future RACE
impressed judges with their business plan cannot buy”.
82 COTSWOLDESSENCE | SEPTEMBER ~ NOVEMBER 2009
www.cotswoldessence.co.uk
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