Minette Batters: The Peppering Project is a ‘blueprint for delivering food and Nature security across the country in a way that rewilding on its own never will’

The ex-NFU president reflects on a recent visit to the pioneering nature-recovery project being undertaken by the Duke of Norfolk in West Sussex.

I am gradually re-booting my life, more than three months since I stood down from my role at the NFU. Spring calving on the farm is nearly finished, silage fields are being cut as I write, the holiday let is starting to be booked, farm weddings are in full swing and we’re about to start picking sweet peas — it’s a different life, but very busy.

In addition, I’ve recently become a trustee of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and I’m doing a bit to help the amazing team at Wildfarmed, a business that produces sustainable flour and bread through regenerative agriculture, plus I’m about to take up a position as a director at Salisbury racecourse. It seems many years ago that I rode 30 point-to-point winners when riding out for racehorse trainers David Elsworth and James Toller. Racing has always been a big hobby and it will be great to give something back to a sport I love.

In my new GWCT role, I was invited to Arundel Castle in West Sussex to visit the Peppering Project, the remarkable story of the recovery of grey partridge on the South Downs. On arrival, I was greeted by our host, the Duke of Norfolk, and his wonderful wife, Chica, together with expert ecologists, the farm manager, gamekeepers and those, like me, who were simply intrigued to hear the story. Our host quickly batted away references to his title — ‘call me Eddie’; he is, of course, better known to many as Earl Marshal, the man responsible for organising the state funeral of Elizabeth II and the coronation of The King.

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