My countryside: Phil Spencer :: Country matters

Phil Spencer - UK countryside - country & travel - allaboutyou.com

'I’ve travelled around the UK for work but Kent is where I always come back to. I was brought up on a 1,000-acre mixed farm near Canterbury, so even though I don't consider the country to be the most beautiful place in Britain, it's my home and therefore will always be particularly special.

'Dad was a farmer and seemed to grow everything – wheat, barley, hops, watercress, potatoes, a bit of pick-your- own fruit – and he reared a herd of cattle. There was always something going on. My mum would often take my older brother, two younger sisters and me out for a walk to see which crop was being gathered, so we knew where our food came from.

'Mealtimes were governed by the seasons: wild watercress soup in spring, fresh strawberries and cream in summer, roasted chestnuts and mushrooms in autumn, and apple crumbles in winter. To this day, Sunday lunch at Mum and Dad’s will be entirely home-grown. I took it for granted as a boy but now it’s a real treat.

'I got involved in the harvest as soon as I became interested in earning pocket money. I learned to drive a tractor at the age of 14 and enjoyed going up and down the fields, pulling the grain trailer, or helping Dad in the oast house. The harvest of any crop is an exciting time because, after a year’s effort, it’s all hands on deck to see if what you’ve been working towards for so many months is actually any good.

'Although I’m happiest in the countryside, it never crossed my mind to become a farmer. It’s very hard work for what is not a huge material gain, but there are benefits: as my father says, “Look at my office”.

'I moved to London for work but would love to relocate to Kent in the future. My mum and dad still have the farm – although my brother now manages it – and I have a small cottage there. My wife Fiona and I take our two sons, Jake, nine, and Ben, seven, for visits during school holidays and at weekends, if my schedule allows it. My home in Kent is everything that my city one isn’t – quiet, private and surrounded by green space and nature. Fortunately, when I’m in London, my front door is only about 50 yards from Wandsworth Common. It’s not quite open fields but it’s better than nothing.

'As a boy, the outdoors was my playground, which is how it should be. Friends and I spent weekends fishing, shooting and ferreting. It was an adventure and the experience taught me to be self-reliant, confident and responsible. I encourage my boys to do the same – at the farm, they can let off steam running around the fields, which is much healthier than being cooped up inside. We go for walks with our four-year-old chocolate cocker spaniel Jessie, even in wet weather – warming up with lunch by a roaring fire at The Duke William at Ickham.

'Fly-fishing is a time when I can switch off and relax. I’m not particularly good at it, but I’m getting better. In the summer, I like to try to catch wild brown trout, which Fiona and I will then barbecue and eat with friends. Sitting at the table, you can almost see the spot where the fish came from. I take great satisfaction from being involved in my food – it’s much better than simply picking up a ready-meal from the supermarket.

'People travel from all around the world to admire the British countryside, but not many appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep it looking beautiful. Mending fences, coppicing trees and cutting back hedges all costs money. It is important to support our farmers so they can generate sufficient income to pay for these tasks. Buying food in farm shops may seem expensive but it’s an easy way to help protect our landscape and heritage.'

Phil Spencer is an ambassador for www.ratedpeople.com, which helps to connect homeowners with their best local tradesmen.