Honda car worker becomes farmer

Mr Read spent over seven years on the factory floor before turning to farming

A Swindon Honda worker has swapped the production line for the farmyard.

Rowland Read, 55, used to bolt parts on to the bottom of engines but after taking voluntary redundancy now runs a meat business on a farm near Cricklade.

"They were looking to get rid of people and I had the opportunity to go and do something else," said Mr Read.

He has a flock 250 lambs, sells a range of meats as well as making his own sausages and has recently started a service delivering meat boxes.

"My grandfather did the same. He used to have a farm north of Cirencester and used to take meat around farms in the Cotswolds on a horse and cart.

"When we first started selling meat we did it at farmers markets but it wasn't always that successful, said Mr Read.

"I thought it made more sense to box it up and take it to people so they could have it when they want."