Unthank Hall Farm, a family-run farm based in Holmesfield, Derbyshire has been on a mission towards sustainability ever since 2015.
Led by Charlotte Lowe and her family, Unthank keeps only a small herd of Dexter cattle, sheep and pigs, producing 100% grass-fed and home-reared meat for the local Derbyshire community.
The vision? To deliver a sustainable regenerative farming practice, one of nutritional quality and minimal food miles. Good for people, and planet.
But when it comes to getting that message of authenticity and care across, it can be especially difficult for a business like Unthank – competing against the supermarket giants of today.
Female-led and future-focused
Charlotte, however, doesn’t let her ambitions falter in the face of failure. With each year, her community grows, thanks to not only her superb quality of produce, but her unfailing consideration and care for animals.
As an industry so historically associated with fathers and sons, Charlotte makes up the meagre 22% of the farming community that are women. However, with this number rising each year, Charlotte remains focused on the future of farming as a place for not only women, but sustainability throughout, too.
A big element to Unthank’s sustainable practice is their care towards waste on the farm. From creating bone broth products and nose-to-tail meat boxes, to using wool for cushions and rugs, Charlotte always ensures that the farm’s produce is put to ethical use.
However, Charlotte also understands that sustainability means a lot more than that. With all of the livestock grazing on fields of grass, wheat and barley, the farm never uses fertilisers or chemical sprays. Not only does this not damage the soil and ecosystem of the farm, but it also works towards producing meat that is healthier for us to consume and richer in essential minerals and vitamins.
“It makes me incredibly proud at Unthank that we’re producing local, quality meat that people can have trust in.
From field-to-fork, we know each of our products inside out – because we care. Whilst you could say this is ‘the future of farming’, to me it’s about going back to the beginnings. A time when farming wasn’t on a mass-scale, but ran by the community, for the community.”
– Charlotte Lowe, Unthank Hall Farm
Activation through creativity and communication
As a female-led business, too, and local to Unthank Farm, Crush have proudly been working alongside Charlotte since the farm’s sustainable beginnings. With our creativity and Charlotte’s aspiration, we’ve been able to support in developing Unthank’s brand, website design and overarching marketing strategy.
For Crush, supporting local clients isn’t just about delivering creative assets, though. It’s about championing a fellow independent business to reach their absolute potential.
Through the power of branding, photography and tone of voice, we showcase the trust behind Unthank – conveying the core message that when you buy from Unthank, you know exactly where it came from and how it was produced.
“When you meet Charlotte, it’s so instantaneously clear how much passion she has for quality British farming.
For the team here at Crush, it’s about relaying that passion into her brand and marketing. Having developed the farm’s identity and built the website a few years ago, now it’s all about activating it through effective storytelling in photography, content creation and communications.”
– Natalie Burkinshaw, Founder and Creative Director of Crush
