About Us
We are Paul and Kesri with our twins Jaden and Kaila and our dogs Coco and Indie. Having kids pushed us to escape our corporate jobs and city life for a more wholesome, relaxed life in the country so we could spend more time together as a family. We appeared on BBC’s Escape to the Country which was life changing. And in 2010 we found our dream property a stunning 16th century farm near Hay on wye in Herefordshire, on the England side of the border with Wales.
Looking back we certainly had no clue as to what we were getting into, just a dream. With limited resources, transforming the farm into a business that could generate income has many challenges and is hard work. We learn everyday and despite the blood sweat and (yes!!) sometimes tears, we wouldn’t change it for the world. Come stay to experience first hand what we have created so far.
And follow us on instagram as escaping to the country is only the beginning of the journey. For those who are less crazy or cannot simply up sticks and leave their well-paying jobs! Drovers Rest is your country retreat! We haven’t forgotten our corporate roots, which taught us so much. Today we run workshops, events and training on the Farm. And still travel globally freelancing for Unilever, Google and NGOs close to our heart. We are very much like the Black sheep that dot our Farm. And the cheeky sheep in our logo. We do love to buck the status quo. To do things differently. To ask why not. And to dream of what could be. We have a passion for diversity in all things. From people, animals, culture, food, ideas, to ways of thinking. Drovers Rest strongly mirrors this passion. We hope you love what we’ve created too.
“The terms ‘Bed and Breakfast’ and ‘Self-Catering’ once conjured up lace curtains, doilies, lists of do’s and don’ts. And a sense of being stuck in a more formal, sepia era. How times have changed. Part of this shift is down to a new generation of owners, who’ve brought a sense of play, informality, style and entrepreneurialism to their ventures. They’re breaking the rules. Blurring the lines between the old classifications of B&Bs, self-catering and hotels. And offering so much more than just a bed for the night. The result? Fabulous places, buzzing with energy and ideas. With a far richer experience for guests. At Drover’s Rest Kesri, Paul and their young family’s labour of love has really paid off. The Shepherd’s Shack, Drover’s Cottage, The Carthouse and a collection of souped-up Safari Tents with private underfloor heated bathrooms, are super getaways in the Black Mountains. Get involved on the farm, hang out around the campfire with cocktails toasting marshmallows or join in one of their convivial food night gatherings in their no expense spared, stunning chill-out barn.” Travel writer, Alistair Sawday
For The Love Of People
We love people and this shows in our interaction with guests. So be prepared to feel more like an extended family rather than paying guests.
Magical Gatherings
We believe in the magic that happens when people gather. So our communal gatherings are a big feature of what we do here at Drovers Rest so be prepared to dive in and meet other people around the dinner table, chatting around the campfire, hiking in the mountains or helping round up sheep in the field.
For The Love Of Food
We are foodies at heart. We love using our homegrown and foraged food for cooking, baking, making jams, relishes, sloe gin, elderflower cordial etc for our larder and for our guests too. So even though we are self-catering, we put on food nights, breakfasts, cookery workshops, the lunch shack and fully catered events, so not only can you have a break from cooking but you can also experience the lush organic produce from our Farm & Kitchen Larder too.
Food Grown The Proper Way
How the food is grown is one of our great passions. We don’t want any baddies in our food so we farm organically no artificial pesticides, fertilizers or hormone injections for our animals. The animals have the best life possible free-ranging on the farm. Here we pride ourselves on Food that is grown the proper way.
One Planet
We are passionate about wildlife and nature and believe we are one species on the planet living with a huge amount of other species. We, therefore, need to respect the resources and to ensure there is enough for all. With this in mind, we are rewilding 50% of our farm and forming and encouraging partners in Herefordshire to do the same. We also focus on soil regeneration, which has the ability to sequester carbon, meaning farms could be the vital ‘hope’ for the planet’s survival. As such we have a strong Eco Educational ethos engrained in our way of doing things as well as the winner of the Green Tourism Award.
Enjoy the Great British Outdoors
We are proud of our Farm, our animals and our Local Area and want to show it off to you. Bring old clothes and your wellies so you can get downright dirty on the Farm. There are 40 acres of farm, woodland, meadows and orchards the farm has a bubbling brook running through. We back onto a 150-acre common called Little Mountain where our animals have grazing rights – it’s great for walking and wildlife spotting too. There’s a huge badger sett nearby and you’ll often see badgers at night. There’s lots of birdlife on the farm due to the wildlife corridors around our fields, so you’re bound to wake up with birdsong in your ear. The bat boxes encourage bats to breed and you’ll hear the hoots of the resident owl and no doubt see the buzzard fly low over your car as you drive up the lane to us. Not to mention all our gorgeous farm animals that mooch about on the Farm. You will fall in love!
