The VET

New beginnings for Madeleine Brady at Northvet…. including this column!

Wynnstay, the agricultural supplies group, is pleased to announce that it has acquired the entire share capital of Tamar Milling Limited (“Tamar”), a manufacturer and supplier of blended feed products, for an initial consideration of £1.4m, with a deferred consideration of up to £0.1m payable dependent on performance. The acquisition is expected to be immediately earnings enhancing.

Established in 1994, Tamar is based in Whitstone, Cornwall, and manufactures and supplies a range of blended and coarse mix feed rations for dairy cows, cattle, and sheep to approximately 250 farmers, mainly in the southwest of England. Approximately 25,000 tonnes of feed is supplied annually. Tamar also operates a successful ‘on-farm’ grain milling service for farmers wanting to use home-grown or purchased grain in their livestock rations. Following its acquisition, Tamar’s founder, Nick Furse, will join Wynnstay in a senior commercial feed role and continue to lead Tamar’s operations.

In the year ended 30 September 2021, Tamar generated revenues of £6.40m, and a profit before tax of £0.42m. Net assets at 30 September 2021 were £0.92m.

The acquisition of Tamar is in line with the Group’s strategy of acquiring businesses that complement its existing activities and bring further benefits. Tamar significantly strengthens the Company’s presence in the south-west of England, adds a new farming customer base, additional supply chain relationships and significant cross-selling opportunities. It also establishes Wynnstay with its first feed manufacturing facility in the region, enabling it to provide its own bulk feed offering in the area.

By Madeleine Brady Northvet Veterinary Group

Becoming a director at Northvet has led to a few changes in my life – I have inherited Andy’s desk, his pickup and now it seems this column! So a little to introduce myself, graduating from Sydney University in 2012 I never imagined I would end up as a vet in Orkney. In fact I had never heard much about Orkney until I was trolling the locum job list in 2016. I had come to the UK as a lot of young Aussie vets do – looking for work to finance my trips to Europe. After finding mixed practice in the South East of England lacking in livestock numbers, struggling to come to terms with accents in Lancashire and getting a crash course in lambing yows on the crofts of Strathspey, I pitched up in Orkney – ready to find some puffins, killer whales and maybe a cow or two! 6 weeks over summer – well you can stand a lot of things for only 6 weeks so I thought why not give it a go!

I wasn’t prepared to fall in love with the place – the light, the beaches, the big skies that reminded me of Oz and of course the farms. The work here is challenging and varied, we are a true mixed practice treating any animal that requires our care. I can go from scanning cows to treating a pet snake, from being in the surgery to jumping on a plane to a far flung island. Orcadian farmers are among the best in the country with livestock to match and I am very lucky to have found my home and future in this beautiful part of Scotland.