We’ve just had our first honour of the year – Mary Mead, Yeo Valley’s co-founder, who’s still guiding us after 50 years, has been awarded an OBE!

We all feel very privileged as it’s only been a month since we accepted our third Queen’s Award for Enterprise, for Sustainable Development.

Mary has been recognised for her services to sustainable dairy farming, which she began back in 1961 when she and husband Roger moved to Holt Farm in the Yeo Valley.

They had just 35 cows but expanded their herd and sold their first yogurts in 1974.

In 1994, a group of organic dairy farmers approached Mary and son Tim to help find a stable market for their milk. Mary and Tim helped them form The Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative (OMSCo) with the object of pooling together their milk and for us to buy it to make more Yeo Valley yogurts. OMSCo has grown from just six farmers originally to over 300 today, and Yeo Valley still buys milk from about 90 of them in the south west.

Mary has developed an amazing herd of pedigree British Friesians, a black and white breed which is dual purpose, gives quality milk and generally lives a long, healthy life. Demand is now international and bulls from the Lakemead herd are increasingly influential.

Mary says, “I’m completely stunned to receive an OBE… in fact the right word is probably flabbergasted! My family is delighted with the news and I’ve had lots of lovely messages from them.”

Well done Mary – and what a start to the year!