Interview: Farmison founder John Pallagi on bringing farm-to-fork meat to the people

Unless bought from an independent butcher, the likelihood is probably a generic plastic tray bearing the name of the supermarket it was purchased from.

John Pallagi, founder of direct-to-consumer butcher Farmison & Co, is on a mission to change that and make his company’s name as synonymous with provenance and quality as the specialists in other fields.

Pallagi founded Farmison in 2011 and its original backers included former Asda chief executive Andy Bond. He aims to take the business up a level following investment by Inverleith. The private equity firm is an investor in retailers such as chocolatier Montezuma’s and grocer Planet Organic, both of which share similar values to Farmison.

“From farm to fork, we’re the real deal,” says Pallagi. Farmison sources much of its products, such as heritage breeds beef, from farms in the Yorkshire Dales, close to its Ripon headquarters, or similar estates such as Fountains Abbey, which provides venison.

The retailer, which also runs a store at its HQ, combines a “chef’s appreciation of great quality produce and a butcher’s respect for the animal” with a customer message of sustainability and quality and a digital disruptor attitude to doing business.

When many consumers are adopting flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets – and big grocers are bolstering plant-based ranges – it may seem surprising to specialise in meat. However, Pallagi believes the Farmison proposition appeals strongly to consumers who may choose to eat less meat but want to be assured of the best quality when they do. 

Before establishing Farmison, Pallagi co-founded and ran the restaurant group Room, which he says gave him the idea for his current venture. 

“I was watching this amazing produce being delivered and asked why it wasn’t being seen on deli shelves,” he recalls. ”I didn’t understand why it couldn’t be pointed towards the consumer.

“When I was touching tables, people were constantly asking where that meat or fish was from – I knew there was an opportunity.”

“There is better food out there. We don’t just disrupt for the sake of it; we want to do things better”

John Pallagi, Farmison & Co

His restaurant business was also early to adopt digital opportunities, such as online booking, which led him to launch Farmison as an online operation. “I could see where digital was going,” he says.

He was also excited by the potential of building a meat brand, noticeably absent from the shelves of stores, and of explaining the differences and distinctive qualities of various breeds in the same way as is done with wine.

His plans were scoffed at by many in the meat industry who were stuck in their ways. Pallagi says this often made direct purchases from farmers a nightmare. “I bought a couple of things from farms and it was an appalling experience – no best-before date, no ice. It was an empty box with a piece of meat in it,” remembers Pallagi.

“There’s no brand in meat. The market is there but it’s got to be driven by brand values. There is better food out there. We don’t just disrupt for the sake of it; we want to do things better.”

More than a decade on, Farmison will make sales of £15m this year and its intention is to accelerate growth with Inverleith’s backing. Pallagi says while the core business is profitable, it will post a loss this year as investment is prioritised.

Christine Cross, an experienced retailer and non-executive director who has previously worked for Next and Tesco, joined as chair to help steer Farmison through the next stage. 

She says Inverleith “invests typically in businesses that have got to that difficult stage of about £15m but you need to invest to grow. It just needs that foot on the accelerator. They very much like to back values and, even more than that, back a founder.”

Currently, 94% of Farmison’s business is direct-to-consumer but the retailer also sells through a small number of department stores such as Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and Selfridges. The showcase store at its head office, which also hosts livestreams, could potentially be expanded as a shop-in-shops operation with suitable retail partners but the immediate focus is to build the core business. 

While the rising cost of living is prompting shoppers to tighten their budgets, Pallagi is confident in Farmison’s prospects. “As much as we’re targeting mass appeal, a lot of our customers at the moment are fairly insulated,” he says.

As far as he is concerned, there are plenty of opportunities to bring more customers on board and put into practice Farmison’s strapline – ‘eat better meat’.

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