One young man (and his two dogs) went to grow
THE INSTA- FARMER Julius Roberts, 26, turned his back on London life to run his own smallholding in East Anglia. Madeleine Howell pays a visit
Cook and food photographer Julius Roberts left a fastpaced life in London, as a chef at Noble Rot Wine Bar and Restaurant, in 2016 to set up a smallholding in the Stour Valley with his loyal lurchers, Loki and Zephyr.
His focus is on animal welfare, sustainability and slow living, an approach that has won the 26-year-old 27,000 Instagram followers.
Roberts was inspired by River Cottage as a child, looking up to Hugh Fearnley-whittingstall and his emphasis on field to plate. His time in restaurant kitchens ( having previously studied sculpture in Brighton) nurtured his appreciation for seasonal ingredients. “It struck me deeply – provenance, quality and an interest for where food comes from,” he explains over a bowl of velvety beetroot soup with crème fraîche, wild horseradish and lemon thyme.
On 10 acres of land, Roberts rears his prized Mangalitza pigs (fantastically hairy – a cross between Hungarian breeds and European wild boar), a herd of hardy Hebridean sheep, chickens ( before the foxes got them, twice), and a multiplying number of eccentric and curious goats – as well as beekeeping, foraging, and growing vegetables, fruit, and herbs. The goats were purchased from a fellow farmer nearby, and Roberts suspects them to be a cross between Dutch Landrace and Nigerian Dwarves. “I went to buy three goats and the farmer convinced me to buy 17. He must have thought ‘ this young lad has no idea what he’s doing, I’m going to have him!’” he laughs. “They were completely wild. I’d never looked after goats before, so I had no idea that you have to trim their toenails so regularly, let alone how to do it,” he admits, as he deftly demonstrates how to flip a surprisingly compliant billy goat named Snowdrop over by the horns to carefully clean and trim his hooves.
Roberts uses his Instagram profile (@telltalefood) to celebrate the joys and successes (and the funny side) of a thriving, non-commercial smallholding, but he’s also candid about the challenges of learning as he goes along, sharing some of the darker moments. “The goal was to show people why welfare is important, by getting them to fall in love with my animals, and by telling my story rather than preaching.
“There have been some steep learning curves. Taking your animals to slaughter is difficult. It hit me like a train, despite going to a local, familyrun, humane abattoir,” he admits. “And last winter was brutal. An agile billy had escaped into the nannies’ paddock, so the females were pregnant earlier than intended and shivering as they gave birth in midwinter. Luckily, I’d built proper huts by then, but their water kept freezing and I had to keep taking them tubs of hot water with molasses to keep them going. The kids were fine because they had milk but the mums were struggling.
“It was then that I developed a bond with the goats. I camped out in the snow with them at night, baby monitor in hand, waiting for them to give birth so that I could lend a hand. At -4C [25F]. a newly born goat can die in minutes if not cared for immediately.” In the icy wind after he assisted his favourite, Leah, through a difficult birth at 3am, she licked her kid clean and then
‘I’d never looked after goats before, so I had no idea that you have to trim their toenails so regularly’
worry about dressing up and you can make staple pieces – such as a classic pair of black trousers – work harder by just changing your top half to suit the occasion. Here I’m wearing a pair of Aldo faux fur mules with a pair of palazzo trousers from Zara and a statement cashmere jumper for a smart supper – no dress necessary. I’m not normally one for a tracksuit, but my tune changed thanks to brands such as Madeleine Thompson and Chinti & Parker, with their fashionable cashmere creations. They come at a high price but are great investment pieces as they can be worn on the school run and make the cosiest travel outfits. I wore my Chinti & Parker set (hoodie, £395 and track pants, £350, chintiand parker.com) with trusty adidas Stan Smiths and a crossbody Gucci bag (£ 1,160, net-a-porter. com). Other weekend cashmere brands I swear by are Wyse (wyse london.co.uk) and new kid on the block, Ven Store, which makes super-soft sets (ven-store.com).