In 1993, an ex-soldier and brewery executive, Richard Vines, found himself out of work. He took stock of what he had around him - 40 acres of wild Dartmoor pasture and a small herd of native cattle that he had established from scratch. Armed with business acumen and a love of nature, he decided to start a small farm producing beef.

Our intrepid farmer is the first to admit that launching a self-sufficient farming business in the middle of an agricultural recession wouldn’t have been everyone’s first choice. He will also admit that he didn’t start out with the intention of setting an example for ethical free range farming. His primary motivation was survival and providing for his family.

However, by making the best of what he had and using his principles to guide him, Richard developed a successful, ethically driven business. And Wild Beef was born.