Stuart grew up on Hammonds End farm and was always involved in some way. He and his wife Emma took over the running of the farm from his father Howard in 2012.
Before he returned to the farm full time, he worked at the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, the Food Standards Agency and Defra helping the beef industry tackle the threat of BSE. He installed a BSE testing regime and helped the farming industry to improve the way it handles animal disease outbreaks.
His experience was in considerable demand and he was brought in to help manage Foot and Mouth in 2007 and the Bluetongue outbreak in 2008. Stuart spent almost a decade in the meat processing sector and was instrumental in dealing with yet more industry crises, most notable the horsemeat scandal.
After returning to the farm Stuart became more involved in the National Farmers Union (NFU) in Hertfordshire and from 2018 – 2022 he was one of the three National Officeholders for the Union appearing regularly in the National media and in front of parliamentary select committees before stepping down as Deputy President in February this year. Among other issues he led the Unions work on Climate Change, Water, Animal Health and Public Access.
Hammonds End employs organic farming methods which means working with nature, and Stuart believes it is critical that food production and caring for the environment work side by side on a modern progressive farm. How he farms is instrumental in addressing his own approach to the big challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and antibiotic resistance.
As well as his interest in farming Stuart has also spent a long time studying and commenting on other challenges in the food supply chain and will always advocate the importance of short, safe and secure supply chains.