CARDIGAN-based business Chuckling Goat has been selected by the Parliamentary Review as an example of best business practice in the UK.

With no previous business experience or financial funding, farming couple Shann and Richard Jones sold Rich’s motorcycle to buy bottles for their goats milk kefir, when they started their family business on their farmhouse kitchen table at Brynhoffnant in 2014.

The couple began making kefir in their stone barn; today they offer a range of natural gut-health products including cutting-edge Microbiome Testing.

Chuckling Goat employs more than 20 full-time staff and has a turnover in excess of £4m a year, with its products only available online and sent all across the world.

“We make everything by hand and in small batches on the farm,” said Shann.

“Nothing is automated – we could have gone down that route but we employ local people instead.

“It is important to us to create high-quality jobs and we want people to stay and work in the area.

“I find it a good combination of the high tech and the personal touch. Everything we do on the farm is all hand-made and natural, which gives you the quality but then there is the technical side on-line to get that quality out there to as many people as possible.”

The business grew from seeing the benefits kefir had on Shann’s own family. After being in hospital for ulcerative colitis, Richard returned home with MRSA. Shann says by using kefir she helped Rich return to full health. She has also used soaps and lotions which contain kefir to reduce her son’s eczema.

Last year, the company scooped the Best New Dairy Drink in the World accolade for their goats milk kefir.

Now, this unusual rags-to-riches success story has caught the attention of MPs, Secretaries of State, Ministers and business leaders as an example of best practice in a challenging political and economic environment.

Ben Lake, MP for Ceredigion, said: “The story behind Chuckling Goat is a truly inspirational one. Shann and Rich’s passion for their produce and their sheer determination has enabled them to expand successfully as a business, whilst also retaining their commitment to keeping everything hand-made and creating jobs for local people.

“Small businesses are the backbone of any local economy and Chuckling Goat is a shining example here in Ceredigion.”

The Jones’ attribute their business success to staying fully committed to their values.

“We never compromise,” says Shann, who has written three best-selling books on the topic of gut health.

“We stay in direct contact with our customers, we make everything by hand here on the farm, and we never cut corners. If you keep your quality high, even in a rural location like ours, the world will eventually find you and beat a path to your door.”

Chuckling Goat has always been committed to doing business differently; it’s this unconventional approach that has won the company this prestigious recognition.

Speaking about their involvement in the Parliamentary Review, Shann added: “We feel incredibly passionate about our business practice principles, and it is an honour that they have been highlighted in the Parliamentary Review.

“The political and economic climate is indeed challenging at the moment, especially for small businesses. If our learnings and tactics can go any way towards helping other UK enterprises grow, then we are delighted to have been able to share our story with Parliamentary Review readers.”

The Parliamentary Review has a readership of more than 500,000 and is issued to CEOs, directors and business leaders across the UK.

It allows the public and private sectors to share and promote best practice with the goal of raising standards.

In 2020, Hay House will publish Shann Jones’ upcoming fourth book: How to Start a Business on Your Kitchen Table. For further information about Chuckling Goat, visit chucklinggoat.co.uk