Lewis Steer, second year agricultural student at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), showcased his business on BBC One’s Countryfile on Sunday November 2.
The BBC One show featured Lewis, who set up Lily Warne Wool with his mother and business partner in 2012, with Adam Henson at the family farm in Dartmoor, Devon.
Countryfile took a look at the whole business, from farm to yarn. It showed Lewis in the field with his sheep talking about why he keeps GreyFaced Dartmoor sheep, how he began, and his work with the Dartmoor Sheep Breeders Association.
During the show, Lewis and his mother and business partner can be seen with two of their knitters, local ladies who lovingly craft the woollen products, who talk about their involvement. Lily Warne Wool create an array of brightly coloured products, from headbands to brooches, but Countryfile focused on their hand crocheted poppy; £1 from every poppy sold is donated to the British Legion.
Lewis is a passionate entrepreneur. He has engaged with the support available from the RAU Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme, which gave him the opportunity to showcase his business at the Big Feastival over the summer. It also helped to provide financial support via UnLtd and HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) funding for social entrepreneurs last year.
Lewis said: “The RAU has helped me grow my business and supported me not only financially through their funding networks but also through their wealth of contacts – there is always a helpful mentor to call and a wealth of experienced friendly contacts to gain knowledge from. I really would recommend the RAU Enterprise and Entrepreneurship support to anyone who can access it.”
As well as appearing on BBC One’s Countryfile, Lily Warne Wool has also received national coverage in Country Living magazine and can be found on the shelves of John Lewis and National Trust.
Watch the BBC Countryfile episode up to 4 weeks after the date of airing here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04p238g
