Generation Gap

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Generation Gap: The Turkey Farmer

The Turkey Farmer

BBC Radio 4 - Generation Gap, The Turkey Farmer

Baby boomers v Gen Z/Millennials compare jobs and lives across the generations.

At a time of economic, political and global turmoil, Baby boomers compare jobs and lives with Gen Z/Millennials.

Paul Kelly, 59, is the driving force behind KellyBronze Turkeys, which was set up in 1971 when his parents Derek and Mollie bought a plot of land in Danbury, Essex following his father’s retirement from one of the major turkey producers in the UK.

From small beginnings, a turkey empire has grown, with farms throughout the UK, one in Virginia America, and a hatchery supplying chicks to other farms. But it is still very much a family run business with free-range Kelly bronze turkeys at its heart. 

Eighteen months ago, his 28-year old son Toby joined him – but it's a different world from when Paul worked with his father Derek who is still involved at 90 years old. 

Toby had initially started on a high-powered international career in the corporate world with BMW, but during lockdown realised how much he missed farm and family. He has returned to share his ideas, which he hopes will bring added value to the turkey business throughout the year, developing a range of charcuterie and increasing the farms’ social media presence.   

Toby and his father share their very different experiences across 30 years – from when Paul was young and the whole village would turn out to pluck turkeys for Christmas, to the current worry of getting enough labour to butcher and pluck seasonal birds now. Not only are they having to cope with skills shortages, but they are facing an early onset of a virulent strain of bird flu, which has already killed turkeys on one of their farms and wiped out several larger turkey farms in East Anglia.

Series Producer: Sara Parker
Sound Mixer: Tom Brignell
Executive Producer: Samir Shah

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4

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Baby boomers v Gen Z/millennials compare jobs and lives across the generations.

At a time of economic, political and global turmoil, baby boomers compare jobs and lives with Gen Z/millennials.

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