Farmer's son makes dad's business work for him

At an early age Mark Hammick made a career choice so he would not have to work on his father's farm.

Fast forward a couple of decades and he is now making sure that same farm can help benefit his own businesses.

In July 2007, after more than two decades working in the licensed trade, Mark bought freehouse the European Inn in Piddletrenthide, West Dorset, within a few miles of where he grew up.

The initial aim was to get it up and running and sell it on.

But it has proved so successful his regulars have instead persuaded him to add to his portfolio.

He said: "I was keen to do my own thing and have my own business "We found the European Inn and within 11 months we had hit our third year forecasts."

Impressed by how the pub had been transformed with a major refurbishment and a greatly improved food offer regulars encouraged Mark and his wife Emily to buy the nearby Gaggle of Geese.

He continued: "We are six weeks into it. On the opening night everyone in the village seemed to turn up and we are now doing 500 covers a week."

He said the key part to the success of the businesses is putting them at the heart of village life.

One way this is achieved is by using food sourced from his father's nearby farm.

"We grow, cook it and serve it. The only thing we don't do is kill it because we don't have our own abattoir.

"Basically we are the hub of the community. The Gaggle of Geese is a traditional British pub and as people have said to us it is like being in someone's drawing room.

"The way things have gone in such as short space of time has been amazing - if that's not Raising the Bar, I don't know what is."

And he is already planning his next venture, building a nine-bedroom, pub style venue within the barns at his dad's farm.