Case Studies
Estate Transition & Land Acquisition
A 3,000 acre working estate had a clear ambition: to move away from conventional farming practice and build something more considered, more sustainable, and more resilient for the long term. The vision was well formed; what was needed was the operational structure, the right external relationships, and the day-to-day support to make it a reality.
Hay Consulting was engaged to provide both strategic and operational support across several interconnected workstreams over an extended period.
The transition from conventional to organic and regenerative practice is a significant undertaking for any farming operation. It requires a fundamental rethinking of how the land is managed, how decisions are made, and how success is measured. For a farming operation of this scale, that meant moving away from reliance on synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides, and rebuilding the farming system around soil health, biodiversity, and natural processes.
Working alongside the estate's farming team and specialist advisors, a detailed transition plan was developed that mapped the shift across the entire holding in a carefully sequenced order. Existing land management practices were reviewed in full, and a programme of change was agreed that balanced the ambition of the transition with the commercial realities of a working farm. This included introducing rotational grazing systems to allow pasture to recover and build organic matter, establishing cover cropping programmes to protect and enrich the soil between rotations, and reducing and ultimately eliminating the use of artificial inputs across the holding.
Soil Health & Carbon Monitoring
Soil health became a central focus from the outset. Baseline assessments were commissioned across the holding, establishing a clear starting point against which future improvement could be measured. A regular testing programme was put in place to track changes in organic matter, microbial activity, and overall soil structure over time. Alongside this, a natural capital baseline was established to assess the estate's current carbon stocks, identify where sequestration potential was strongest, and create the foundation for future carbon reporting. Land management records were set up to document every intervention and outcome, both to inform ongoing decision-making and to support future organic certification and voluntary carbon market participation.
Habitat Creation
A habitat creation programme was developed as an integral part of the transition rather than an afterthought. This included the restoration and extension of existing hedgerow networks across the holding, the establishment of new wildflower margins and buffer strips along field boundaries, and the creation of wildlife corridors connecting existing areas of semi-natural habitat. Woodland planting and agroforestry was scoped and planned, with species selection informed by the estate's existing ecology and long-term biodiversity objectives. Each element was mapped and recorded to build a comprehensive picture of habitat extent and condition across the estate.
Water Management
Existing water management practices were reviewed in full. Conventional farming had compacted soils in certain areas, increasing surface run-off and reducing the land's natural capacity to absorb and retain water. A programme of remediation was developed, including the creation of riparian buffer strips along watercourses, the restoration of natural drainage features, and targeted interventions to reduce compaction and improve infiltration across the most affected areas. The estate's wetland and ditch network was also assessed, with a programme of restoration put in place to improve water quality and create additional habitat in the process.
Agri-Environment Schemes & SFI
A full review of available agri-environment funding was carried out, mapping the estate's activities and land types against the options available under Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Applications were prepared and submitted across a range of relevant SFI actions, covering soil health, hedgerow management, habitat creation, and water quality. The funding secured provided a meaningful contribution to the cost of the transition and created a financial framework that rewarded the estate for the environmental improvements being made.
Relationships with specialist advisors were established and managed throughout, including agronomists, ecologists, carbon auditors, and certification bodies, ensuring the estate had access to the right expertise at each stage of the process.
Alongside the transition, a 200 acre land acquisition was completed. Hay Consulting provided operational support throughout, coordinating due diligence, liaising with legal advisors and land agents, and ensuring the integration of the new land into the existing estate structure was properly planned and executed. The additional acreage was incorporated into the transition programme from the outset, allowing the regenerative model to be applied consistently across the expanded holding.
Ongoing Retained Support
We continue to work with the estate on a retained basis, providing the kind of consistent, close involvement that complex and evolving situations require. This includes attending regular meetings with the estate's advisors and specialist consultants, reviewing and sense-checking decisions before they are made, coordinating between agronomists, ecologists, legal advisors, and grant bodies to ensure nothing falls between the gaps, monitoring progress against the transition plan and flagging where adjustments are needed, and supporting the preparation and submission of ongoing grant applications and scheme reporting. Having a single, trusted point of coordination across all workstreams has allowed the estate team to focus on the doing, confident that the wider picture is being properly managed.
The holding is now operating on a fundamentally different model. The regenerative transition is well underway, soil health data is showing meaningful early improvement, and a comprehensive natural capital baseline is in place. Habitat creation is progressing across the holding, water management has been significantly improved, and the estate is receiving SFI payments that reflect and reward the environmental work being done. The land acquisition has been fully integrated into the farming operation, and the estate is on a clear path towards full organic certification, with a farming system built for long-term resilience rather than short-term yield.
Family Office Establishment & Household Transition
When a family made the decision to relocate from London to a country property, the scale of what was involved quickly became clear. A household needed to be built from the ground up, the right people needed to be found and placed, and the governance of a newly established family office needed to be properly structured, all within a tight timeframe and without disrupting the family's existing commitments.
Hay Consulting was brought in to manage the transition end to end, acting as the single point of coordination across every workstream.
Staffing & HR Infrastructure
The first priority was staffing. Role profiles were written for each position, a recruitment process was designed and managed, candidates were assessed and interviewed, and offers were made and negotiated. An estate manager, personal assistant, housekeeping team, and wider estate staff were all recruited, onboarded, and inducted before the family arrived. Staff contracts, handbooks, and HR policies were put in place from the outset, ensuring the household was properly structured and compliant from day one. Payroll was established, DBS checks were completed, and induction programmes and probation frameworks were put in place for each new member of staff.
A clear operational structure was established between the existing London PA and the newly appointed country PA, defining responsibilities, communication protocols, and reporting lines between the two, ensuring continuity of support for the family across both locations without overlap or gaps.
Supplier & Contractor Network
Building a trusted network of local suppliers and contractors around a new country property from scratch is a significant undertaking. A full programme of supplier identification, vetting, and onboarding was carried out, covering maintenance contractors, tradespeople, grounds and garden contractors, domestic suppliers, and specialist service providers. Service level expectations were agreed, contracts were put in place where appropriate, and relationships were established and handed over to the estate manager once the household was operational.
Family Office Governance
In parallel, the family office was established with clear governance and operational infrastructure. Reporting frameworks and decision-making processes were defined, financial controls and administration procedures were put in place, and banking relationships were established and managed. Liaison with the family's private bankers and wealth managers was handled throughout the transition, ensuring continuity of financial oversight during a period of significant change. Investment reporting structures were set up, and a clear framework for the ongoing management of the family's affairs was documented and handed over once everything was in place.
Property Readiness
Contractors were coordinated, household systems were set up and tested, and a comprehensive property manual was produced covering all operational procedures, maintenance schedules, emergency protocols, and supplier contacts. The manual provided the estate manager and household staff with everything needed to run the property independently from day one.
Outcome
By the time the family arrived, everything was in place. The transition was smooth, the household was fully functional, and the family office had the governance and infrastructure it needed to operate properly from the start. Hay Consulting remains available to the family on an ad hoc basis, providing a trusted point of contact for sense-checking decisions, navigating occasional challenges, and offering continuity of counsel when it is needed.