At this year’s Love Local Trust Local Awards, a new honour was introduced to allow us to recognise not only those currently creating the best food in the county, but also those who have dedicated a lifetime to supporting its producers and growers. The winners – Charlie Goodland, Andrew Robinson and Roger Penny – each have a legacy of service to Dorset – Barbara Cossins
Charlie Goodland
Charlie owns and runs C & S Meats, an abattoir near Sherborne, where he is known for his love of the work and deep respect for animals.
Born into a farming family he learnt to shoot as soon as he could handle a gun safely, as well as how to skin the animals he shot and deal with the carcasses. He started work on the family farm, but as soon as a job came up in a Yetminster butchers, he jumped at the opportunity: “I was mentored by a fabulous old guy called Maurice ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, who taught me everything he knew about humane slaughter practices, and to really care for the animals.” Charlie eventually left Yetminster to work in a large slaughterhouse, and in 1996 set up his own business.
Charlie has always been interested in animal welfare, and he holds an extraordinary number of different slaughter licenses. His personal favourite animal is a wild boar: “I like how clever and slick they are. You need to be on your A-game when they’re around,” he says.
Charlie is a huge contributor to the food and farming community in Dorset, and he’s known for his unflappable calmness. Whether it’s a drop in meat prices, negotiating for full use of the animal, the impact of covid or protecting his staff and business, he meets them all head on with a smile, and he has done for more than 30 years.
Andrew Robinson
Andrew is firmly committed to protecting Dorset’s land, animals and infrastructure so that farming, business and residents can live in harmony. Symonds & Sampson have been in business almost 170 years, and for much of that time they have been one of the leading auctioneers and surveyors in the region.
Many people see a Symonds & Sampson board on the side of the road and think they simply buy & sell property – but it’s much more than that. Over a career of more than 40 years, Andrew has championed a whole host of causes within the agricultural community, including ensuring livestock is cared for properly during the sales process, access and compensation for both water and electricity during rural sales, expert advice in complex farm property sales, detailed succession planning as well as architectural help for farm sales and tenancies on both sides of the partnership.
To say he is a good mentor and great mediator is a huge understatement.
There have only been three senior partners at Symonds & Sampson in more than 40 years – Andrew being one. It is testament to his reputation and wise brain that he is still quoted today by many of the current and younger staff when making decisions: “What would Andrew do?” is a solid Symonds & Sampson benchmark.
Roger Penny
Roger began his career at Wessex Grain (now Cefetra Grain) in Henstridge in 1985, aged just 16 years old. He quickly established himself as an essential member of the team, working on the intake, storage and out-loading of grain across both the flat stores and the silos. Roger swiftly became the principal operator of the three Svegma grain dryers, mastering the intricate and often temperamental routes of conveyors and elevators that feed 21 silos and three flat stores. His dedication and expertise were unmatched, and over time, he became a familiar and respected figure to all the lorry drivers and local farmers delivering to or collecting from the store.
Sadly, after 39 harvests of committed service, Roger was forced to leave Cefetra this summer due to health issues. His absence has left a notable gap in the company, where he was not only a vital operator but also a cherished colleague and friend to many in the local agricultural community.
