31 May 2026
Opening Reflection
Lifting My Head Above the Parapet
This week I appeared on the Matt Albright Channel 5 programme. Alongside my regular appearances on Storm Huntley’s show, these television slots have become an important part of my week.
I enjoy doing them because they force me to lift my head above the parapet of my own business.
When you’re building a brand, you become consumed by it. Your focus narrows. Your world becomes stock levels, staffing issues, customers, cash flow, and a hundred other things demanding your attention. Before you know it, months have passed and you’ve barely noticed what’s happening outside your own little bubble.
These programmes reconnect me with the wider world. They force me to engage with the issues people are talking about and worrying about.
This week one particular subject got my blood boiling.
Are Young People Lazy?
The debate centred around a recent report highlighting the growing number of young people who are unemployed.
One of the report’s findings was that around 80% of the young people interviewed wanted to work. The challenge was finding employment.
Another finding was that young people from migrant backgrounds were often finding jobs more successfully than many of their British-born counterparts.
As someone who employs young people regularly, I felt compelled to contribute.
And I’m aware this won’t be a popular view.
But in my experience, too many young people entering the workforce today are simply not prepared for the reality of work.
Now before anyone accuses me of making sweeping generalisations, let me be clear. Some of the best people who work for me are young. They are hardworking, ambitious, reliable and determined.
But they are the exception rather than the rule.
What I increasingly encounter are young people with high expectations but very little understanding of what it takes to build a career.
The World Has Changed
Part of the problem is that many were sold a dream.
Work hard at school.
Go to university.
Get a degree.
A good job will follow.
Perhaps that was true once.
It certainly isn’t true now.
The arrival of AI alone is transforming the workplace faster than most people realise. Many of the entry-level jobs that previous generations started in are disappearing or changing dramatically.
Yet many graduates still believe that obtaining a degree automatically entitles them to a job.
It doesn’t.
My BBC Lesson
When I was trying to get into the BBC, I didn’t have a degree.
I didn’t have qualifications.
What I did have was determination.
I realised very quickly that sending CVs wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
So I looked for another route.
I started helping security guards at BBC Pebble Mill.
Then I helped the cleaners.
Then I got to know the people inside the building.
Eventually I met people who were in a position to give me an opportunity.
Had I simply sat at home posting CVs, I would never have got into the BBC.
The lesson was simple:
If everyone else is doing the same thing, don’t be surprised if you get the same result.
You have to find another way in.
You have to make yourself memorable.
You have to show people that you want it more than everyone else.
Stop Waiting to Be Chosen
This is the advice I would give any young person today.
Stop waiting to be chosen.
Stop believing that uploading a CV onto a website is a strategy.
It isn’t.
It’s a lottery ticket.
The people who get ahead are often the people who show initiative.
Knock on doors.
Visit places.
Volunteer.
Offer help.
Make yourself useful.
Become impossible to ignore.
The Parent Problem
I also think parents have some responsibility here.
Too many young people remain protected well into adulthood.
If you’re living at home, food is on the table, bills are paid, and there’s a safety net underneath you, the urgency to make things happen for yourself can disappear.
Necessity is a powerful motivator.
Many migrant families understand this instinctively.
Work isn’t optional.
Effort isn’t optional.
And that attitude often translates into success.
The reality is that employers hire attitude first and qualifications second.
I can teach skills.
I can’t teach hunger.
The Shop Update
Away from television debates, the glorious weather has been fantastic for our farm shops.
People are leaving their offices, taking longer lunch breaks, and spending more time outdoors. That has been good news for us.
But it has also highlighted another challenge.
One of the frustrations of running a retail and hospitality business is the number of people who feel entitled to use your facilities without actually buying anything.
They’ll occupy tables for hours while consuming food purchased elsewhere.
It’s a delicate balancing act.
You want to be welcoming.
But you also need to ensure that paying customers can enjoy the space you’ve created.
It’s another reminder that running a business is often about managing people as much as managing products.
Perseverance Wins
Retail remains tough.
Being busy doesn’t automatically mean you’re making money.
Most of my time is spent trying to work out how to make the business more profitable and more sustainable.
But I’ve been here before.
When I started The Black Farmer brand, there were years of struggle, anxiety and uncertainty.
What kept me going then is the same thing that keeps me going now:
Perseverance.
Success rarely comes quickly.
It rarely comes easily.
And it almost never comes to those who sit around waiting for someone else to rescue them.
Closing Reflection
If there is one message I would leave with young people this week, it is this:
Nobody is coming to save you.
The world doesn’t owe you a job.
It doesn’t owe you success.
It doesn’t owe you an opportunity.
But if you are prepared to work hard, think differently, persevere and keep knocking on doors, opportunities have a habit of appearing.
Success comes to those who are prepared to keep going long after others have given up.
Onwards.
