13 years in business….
It hasn’t been a polished victory lap. This week provided a blunt reminder of what staying in the game actually requires:
- The Strategic Wait: We had a major, exciting announcement ready for this anniversary, which would have been a proper celebration and something designed to take The Wellbeing Farm: B Corp Certified Venue Experience’s reputation to a national level. Gutted that this has been delayed – the delay is out of our control, and we are having to play the long game, but the wait will be worth the reveal (when it eventually happens!).
- The Loss: We lost Yasser, one of our original llamas, last week. A reminder that business on a farm is tough – it’s not just office work and spreadsheets; it’s the environment and the lives within it, and his absence is felt. I have personally had to take a step back from the farm from November to February for personal reasons, and I sadly lost my dad at the beginning of 2026 – but I have an amazing management team, which has helped a lot!
- The Reality: This is the 13-year mark in hospitality. It is not a steady climb; it is a series of highs, lows, wins, and heartbreaks – often all in the same 24-hour cycle.
The statistics are clear: 70-80% of hospitality businesses fail before year 10. Sadly for female-led ventures in this climate, the margin for error is even slimmer.
This industry is not for the faint-hearted. It is for those who refuse to negotiate with difficulty and have a massive resilience mindset. Did anyone watch Panorama …?
Why I’m confident in our next chapter:
- We have a robust wedding and corporate event order book built on 13 years of trust.
- We are a multi-award-winning strong business, winning awards in wedding and corporate events, often which are at opposite ends of the hospitality spectrum.
- We have a unique offering that refuses to blend in – B Corp, farm venue and bow tie-wearing Llamas!
- We are welcoming bigger and bigger corporate clients hosting events at the farm, proving that our reputation amongst the corporate events industry is growing. This week was L’Oreal!
- There is a surging demand for sustainable, conscious, and meaningful business practices which place wellbeing at the centre, which is the business we fall into.
- We have an exciting event, Good For Growth (B Corp Fest), on the 3rd June, attracting major and global speakers and growing in reputation.
To every couple, client, and team member who has experienced the farm – Thank you so much.
We aren’t just surviving; we are trying to set the standard for what a conscious hospitality business looks like.
13 years down – I’d say, like a teenager, we are just getting started…
Celia xx