Our team

The Bosses - Lizzie & Konrad Hughes

Baverstock Country Supplies is a wife & husband partnership.   We both bring different skills, interests and levels of experience to a business we are deeply fond of (most days anyway).  

The Manager - Lorraine 

I come from a very horsey background with various horses & ponies (and, at times calves & goats) being kept in the back garden of our family home & on our smallholding. 

I am lucky enough to live on the smallholding now, where we keep a small herd of cattle, some chickens, pigs now & again and, of course, the horses - so my life revolves around looking after and caring for them.

I left school after GCSEs and did my AI.  I then went on to work in Germany on a show jumping/dealing yard for two and a half years.  Then, after a few different jobs, I was approached by Lizzie & Mr Clark to work at Baverstock, where I have been working for over 20 years.

I really enjoy getting to know all our customers, their different animals and hearing about what they've been up to - and how they are doing if they  compete.  I have made some of my best friends through working at Baverstock.  If Carlsberg made jobs........ :) 

Likes: Spring; Tea; my dogs, Bessy & Nancy

Dislikes: Rain & rats

Strengths: My family & friends

Weaknesses: Nice boots

Konrad  - Junior Partner

Loving Husband to the Mad cat lady (see below), Dad and eco-warrior (Member of Sustrans and the Woodland Trust), I have clocked up nearly 3 years at Baverstock and have loved every minute of it, whatever the weather (see below)!

I was fortunate to move from a New Town to the country at a young age, spending my childhood playing in the fields, ditches, woods and orchards (Kentish boy grows into a Man of Kent).

I left school after my 'A' Levels (do I regret not going to Uni?) and joined a local company as a Trainee computer operator. I then spent the best part of 30 years moving to more technical and more senior roles as part of the computer revolution. Eventually the corporate bullshit became too much - outweighing the enjoyment of working with constantly changing technology – it was time to get out of the airconditioned, windowless world and back in to the fresh air.

According to my CV, I’m “a strong, fit, healthy, and hardworking individual, with a natural eye for detail. Accustomed to multi-tasking and working under pressure, as part of a team or working alone under my own initiative, to deliver work on time. Most recent achievement with my current employer was the implementation of a modern electronic Point-of-Sale system.”

I'm usually to be found, well, just about anywhere! I might be on the fork lift, unloading a lorry, loading the van, working in the barns, out on deliveries, cutting the grass, cutting hedges, maintaining the buildings, and I do my best to serve in the shop despite my relative lack of knowledge of most things animals.

Likes: The kids and the blimmin' missus. Keen, considerate Cyclist. Being a Smallholder and Shepherd. Real Ale. Oak. Computers. The 80’s. Tinkering with old tractors.

Dislikes: All the plastic.

Strengths: Arithmetic, A methodical mind.

Weaknesses: Reading, writing, A methodical mind.

Lizzie - Senior Partner

Mad cat lady (9 cats) & mum, I have clocked up nearly 40 years at Baverstock - with a few years off for good behaviour & University.  I've watched countless customers' children grow-up and have children of their own, whilst still maintaining their love for animals through the generations. 

Animal-mad from an early age, I've had horses, dogs, rabbits, goats, guinea pigs, tortoises, hamsters, goats & cattle ......but now I just have cats, sheep & poultry.

I have really enjoyed being able to combine my passion for animals with my job - and have loved being a part of the local animal-loving community.  You probably won't see me in the shop that often these days, as most of the time,  I'm stuck in my office doing paperwork or growing things in the polytunnel- which some might say is just as well. 

Likes (other than cats):  My husband, kids & friends; flowers; writing; growing things; making things; music & waterfowl.

Dislikes: Westerham Hill winters & horizontal rain; rats; the 1980s; instructions; shopping & HMRC

Strengths: Words & Numbers ....and I have green fingers

Weaknesss:  Collecting things

Donna - Assistant Manager

I am from a non-animal household really, but have been involved with horses since the age of 10, and I was a regular visitor to a local farm, helping with lambing etc.

I left school, worked at a kennels and then became a veterinary nurse for 12 yrs.  Following that, I had a brief 13 year spell in financial services before being head-hunted by Lizzie.  It was an easy decision... I had had enough of corporate life!

I enjoy the family feel at Baverstock, working with a great bunch of like-minded folk and the relationships we build with our customers.

I have one dog, Bumble & one horse, Elvis and a sympathetic hubbie who knows where to find me if I'm not at home.  I also enjoy gardening.

Likes: Tea, cake, biscuits

Dislikes: Spiders & rain for days on end

Strengths: Tea-maker extraordinaire  & excellent Digestive biscuit consumer

Weaknesses:  Eating too many biscuits

Rosie - Deliveries

I have owned horses since I was 16 years old and have had them ever since.  I have 4 dogs - 3 Collies, a Rottie & 3 cats.  I worked as a veterinary nurse for a while but horses became my passion and I worked at Chavic Park stables, where I did my AI. I carried on working there teaching, as well as breaking and schooling new horses.  I really loved it.

Then, I met my partner, had my son, and started breeding riding club-type horses which was fantastically rewarding.

I have lots of pet sheep, including Shawn who I hand reared, along with some Canada Geese to add to the mix!

We have a livery yard with some lovely ladies and 7 years ago, I started working at Baverstock doing the delivery driving.  I love it and the people I work with have become my very close friends.

Likes: Weekends away

Dislikes: Wet & windy weather

Strengths: I'm honest & reliable

Weaknesses:  I love a gin and tonic

Shop Cats - From left to right are Bea, Nim, Gabriel, Evie & Solomon. Now three years old, this little lot are an essential part of our team. Often spotted sleeping on the shop shelves in winter and making customers jump.

Gone but not forgotten, Jim Clark - Lizzie's dad, who started Baverstock back in 1980.