Guy Watson: how I mastered organic growth

Farmer's son Guy Watson set up his organic vegetable business on three acres of land. Now his company, Riverford Organic, turns over £33m a year.

Guy Watson, 49, was born onto a 500-acre farm in Devon, and has always felt most at home on the land. Even a well-paid job as a management consultant in New York couldn't cure him of his love of a life "spent mucking around with pigs and throwing straw bails around", he says. In 1986, fed up with helping other people with their business ideas, he found himself "screwing up a piece of paper, chucking it in the bin and stomping out of the office" to make a go of things on his own.

His plan? To set up a business selling vegetables from three acres of land. "My father was pretty supportive of the idea." But his brother, who had taken over the farm, "was a bit more sceptical". Twenty-three years on, the avid tightrope walker "I have a line tied between two trees in the orchard" has proved his brother wrong. Riverford Organic now turns over £33m a year and is Britain's biggest organic vegetable box scheme.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Jody Clarke

Jody studied at the University of Limerick and was a senior writer for MoneyWeek. Jody is experienced in interviewing, for example digging into the lives of an ex-M15 agent and quirky business owners who have made millions. Jody’s other areas of expertise include advice on funds, stocks and house prices.