James Mansfield of Field & Flower

London is a city in which a lot of people relocate having lived in the countryside. It’s rare that people make the opposite move. This is, until they reach their fifties and, exhausted by the frenetic pace of London life, they retreat to cottages in villages that sound like thriller writers. Places Little Grisham or Paterson-upon-Thames.

James Mansfield is not yet in his fifties, but the life of this Balham-born entrepreneur is now dedicated to all things agricultural. Whilst studying at agricultural college, he met fellow student James Flower. The result is a company based on the produce of Flower’s family farm down in Somerset, now a flourishing business. The London Word sat down with James to find out how you go from catching the 155 to mucking out the stables.

You’re originally from Balham. How did you make the switch to farming? 

‘I originally was doing a media degree but given that I did a lot of work experience on farms, I thought I would go to agricultural college, which is in Cirencester in Gloucestershire. There I learned all about crop science, soil science as well as a lot of business. There’s a heavy emphasis on learning about business. That’s where I met James Flower and before long, we decided that we were going to start a business together.’

Balham has become quite a gentrified area but it hasn’t always been so charming. What changes have you seen whilst growing up? 

‘I was quite lucky in that although Balham wasn’t the nicest area when growing up, I had quite a comfortable background. My dad was someone who started with very little but who worked his way up to the top of his profession, which was an inspiration to me. I went to school in Streatham which was also quite a rough area. But it’s changed a lot and although it’s a bit embarrassing to say, I do still live at home! Although I plan to move.’

Will you stay in Balham? 

‘I think so as it’s a great area and I’ve still got a lot of friends who live nearby.’

You’re catering at V Festival and Glastonbury this summer. What is that like in terms of an experience? 

‘We got into supplying festivals after supplying Virgin’s Media Louder Lounge at V Festival last year. It was such a success that we were asked back to do more this time round. Doing a festival is exhausting work because we have to do everything ourselves. It’s a completely 24-hour job so we don’t have time to see anything that’s going on.’

You worked at The Ivy. What was it like working in such a prestigious place? 

‘I was very lucky to be taken on there and I certainly learned a lot. To begin with, I was a bit star-struck when serving all the celebrities but I soon got over it. They don’t have a dumb waiter at the Ivy so you’re having to take meals down three flights of stairs. It was exhausting work but I enjoyed it and I’m still in contact with the guy who took me on.’

How do you relax when not working? 

‘I like hanging out with friends, going to the pub and eating out. I’m looking forward to visiting the Paternoster Chop House and St John. I also play a bit of five-a-side football in Shoreditch. On Saturday mornings I like to walk down to Borough Market.’

Didn’t you once have a pitch at Borough Market? 

‘Yes, James and I were invited by the Real Food Festival for one day. We were there as part of the Country Living show. It was a real privilege, getting the chance to talk to the customers. People nowadays are much more keen to find out where their meat is coming from and what’s in it.’ 

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

‘After we’ve finished with the festivals, it will be time to start thinking about Christmas. That’s when things start to get really busy. We include a lot more seasonal meats in the boxes that we send out. We put in meats like turkey and goose in addition to our regular beef, lamb, pork and chicken.’

To find out about James’s business, visit Field & Flower.

Photograph by Clint Randall