Richard Simpson – Development Director

B.Sc. Hons (Agric)

Richard has been with Kingshay since 1994 and is involved in all aspects of business management and development. He has a wide experience gained in consultancy, managing and running practical projects, IT projects, farmer surveys and desk studies; researching and writing technical reports and leading farmer discussion groups. His areas of expertise include farm business consultancy, farm business analysis & budgeting, extensive knowledge of dairy farming systems, key performance measures and keys to profitability & success as well as the ability to find & develop solutions e.g. applying the input requirements of a complex scientific model to practical farm situations that can be replicated from farm to farm.

Richard has been heavily involved in the designing, development, operation and promotion of the Dairy Manager herd costings service which is used by 2,000 dairy farms in the UK. Richard also has IT development and data analysis skills together with an in depth knowledge of on-farm Carbon Footprinting and evaluation of measures that can be taken to reduce emissions.

From a dairy farming background Richard, gained a BSc honours in Agriculture at Harper Adams and has practical experience managing cows on a day to day basis.

Sarah Bolt – Technical Knowledge Exchange Manager

B.Sc. (Agric), MSc Animal Behaviour

Coming from a non-farming background, Sarah has worked in the agricultural industry for just over 30 years. A graduate of Wye College, University of London, she has held technical sales, advisory and knowledge exchange roles, with a particular focus on helping farmers turn ideas and research into practical improvements on farm.

Since joining Kingshay in 2017, Sarah has led knowledge transfer, producing technical publications and providing evidence-based information to support farmers and the dairy industry. She has a particular interest in calf health and welfare, having completed an MSc in Animal Behaviour at the University of Exeter. As well as a passion for sustainable farming, believing healthy soils are key to resilient and profitable farm businesses.

Sarah is a co-host of the ChewinTheCud podcast, a founding member of Women in Dairy, and an Ambassador for the Society of Agriculture. She is also Secretary of Somerset CMA.

Outside work, Sarah enjoys gardening, walking and spending time outdoors. Regularly organising bat walks, wildflower walks and butterfly walks, helping her community connect with and learn more about the local environment.

Sarah enjoys helping people make small changes that can have a lasting impact on farms, businesses and the environment.

Christina Boobyer – Product Owner

BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Science

Christina joined Kingshay in April 2019 to provide customer support and to progress the services we provide. She is now a Product Owner working on many of the IT development projects we do at Kingshay, as well as being involved in the antimicrobial and Carbon footprinting work we do.

Christina grew up on a beef and pig farm in Somerset and studied Bioveterinary Science at Harper Adams. Before joining Kingshay, Christina worked as a pig nutritionist at ForFarmers, where she formulated unique diets and progressed a data analysis system to enable clearer access to data to help improve productivity on farm.

In her spare time, Christina can be found running around after her little boy, walking her dog Haze round the moors or with her few rare-breed sheep.

Emily Bunn – Project Coordinator

Emily has gained lots of agricultural experience working as a Red Tractor Farm Assessor for beef, lamb and dairy farms, and as a Rural Compliance Consultant, completing grant applications and providing a compliance service for NVZ, EA and Red Tractor.

Outside of work, Emily is often found working alongside her husband on his beef suckler farm or enjoying long walks with her Sprocker, Henry.

Kate Butler – Project Manager

Kate joined Kingshay in August 2021 and oversees the delivery of the TB Advisory Service. As Project Manager, she also supports Kingshay’s carbon footprint reporting and regenerative farming service, while contributing to a range of IT development projects across the business.

Kate has a range of agricultural experience from working on a family dairy farm and often helps with milking, calving and calf rearing.

Outside of work, Kate enjoys exploring the countryside with her dog and keeping active through local CrossFit classes.

Mary-Kate Foster – Senior Farm Services Specialist

Mary-Kate joined the Dairy Manager team as Farm Services Specialist in April 2021 to help assist with any queries whilst sending out the reports and ensuring smooth running of the costings service. She is now a key contact for larger corporate clients and helps manage the antimicrobial reporting service.

Mary-Kate has a vast amount of farming experience, ranging from rearing her own calves, pigs and breeding sheep & working as a milk recorder.

Outside of work, Mary-Kate and her husband have a flock of Pedigree Dutch Spotted sheep that, alongside their children, keep her busy.

Helen Frost – Finance and Administration Manager

MAAT

Helen is responsible for office management, financial reporting and project finance monitoring. Working closely across all areas of the business, she has developed an extensive understanding of the company’s operations and strategic objectives.

With more than 25 years of experience in the agricultural sector and 13 years at Kingshay, Helen brings a wealth of financial and industry expertise to her role. After training in agricultural accountancy practice, she went on to establish and run her own bookkeeping business before joining Kingshay, where she continues to play a key role in supporting the company’s growth and success.

In addition to her financial responsibilities, Helen is passionate about employee wellbeing and plays a central role in fostering a positive working environment. She is dedicated to ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the office, helping the team operate efficiently and effectively.

Felicity Gale – Senior Farm Services Specialist

B.Sc. (Animal Science)

Felicity will be known to many of you as the main contact for any technical and customer service queries regarding your herd(s) and is responsible for the smooth running of our Dairy Manager costings service. Having joined the team in 2013, she now regularly analyses production results and industry trends for key clients.

Felicity is well qualified for the role, having grown up on a dairy farm in West Dorset and then going on to gain a BSc in Animal Science from Harper Adams. Felicity then spent 3 years working on a diverse range of dairy farms in both Australia and Canada.

Outside of work, Felicity spends her time keeping busy with her young family on their farm in the Mendips. She is also a keen weather enthusiast!

Michael Head – Training Consultant

BSc (Hons) BVetMed CertCHP DBR MRCVS.

Michael Head (AKA Spike) is Kingshay Training’s Lead Trainer. Spike is passionate about making the learning process both practical and fun and ensures all participants receive a positive and engaging experience when attending a Kingshay Training course.

Michael’s career has focused on farm animal clinical practice with a dairy focus, together with a national reputation for providing farmer training. He has joined the Kingshay team as a Training Consultant to continue to facilitate knowledge exchange to farmers, vets and  the wider agricultural business community.

Lucy Hicks – Services Support & Marketing Coordinator

Lucy joined the Kingshay team in September 2024 and brings a strong background in Graphic Design and management. She holds a BA (Hons) in Graphic Media and Communications, having spent three years developing her skills in design, marketing, and effective communication.

Prior to joining Kingshay, Lucy worked in the retail sector in management roles, gaining valuable experience in customer engagement and team leadership. She is delighted to combine her professional expertise with her passion for agriculture and animals, putting her degree to good use in a sector she has always loved.

Outside of work, Lucy enjoys spending time with her horse, exploring the countryside on long walks with her dachshund, and making the most of the outdoors.

Molly Lee – Farm Services Administrator

Molly grew up helping on her family dairy farm on the Somerset levels and joined the Kingshay team in 2023 after her family sold the dairy herd to continue beef farming. She provides administrative and operational coordination across the team and supports finance administration. She administers our laboratory analysis and ordering services, also supports IT and antimicrobial reporting projects. She enjoys having conversations with farmers on a daily basis.

In her spare time, she enjoys evening dog walks with her jack russel ‘Bella’ and working on the farm with her own livestock.

Helayna Morell – Farm Services Assistant

Helayna has relocated from in New Zealand and joined us in July 2026. In November 2026 she will be graduating with a Bachelors degree of Agricultural Science which she studied back in New Zealand. From growing up on her family dairy farm she has a passion for animal welfare and collaborating with farmers. Her role as a Farm Services Assistant means she will support the smooth running of the office and help with any projects along the way.

In her spare time she enjoys attending Young Farmers, exercising and spending time on the farm with her partner.

Emma Puddy – Farm Services Specialist

Kingshay members may remember Emma from her years in the Technical Team from 2013 to 2016, running trials and writing technical publications. She has had various roles in the meantime including Project Manager of a research project at the University of Bristol looking into antimicrobial resistance on dairy farms, running a mastitis vaccine trial, and teaching at Cannington College.

Emma has a great love of data and is involved in several projects at Kingshay including producing our Dairy Costings Focus Report.

In her spare time, Emma is the Secretary of Somerset Grassland society. She has been in the committee for several years and has a particular interest in the silage competition held each year.

Sarah Tomlinson – Kingshay Veterinary Consultant

BVM&S MRCVS

As an experienced farm vet, Sarah has worked with a variety of dairy and suckler herds, together with sheep flocks in the East Midlands. Her role has required her to have excellent communication skills both on an individual level with farmers, speaking at public meetings, liaising with government and talking to industry stakeholders. During her career she has developed excellent working relationships with the NFU, CHeCS, BVA, BCVA, AHDB, DEFRA and APHA, as well as with individuals at Universities. It is through these connections that she has developed a keen interest in social science and farmer behaviour. Sarah is passionate about improving livestock welfare and productivity by reducing the risk and impact of endemic disease, particularly bovine TB.

Sarah has three children and two Labradors, and loves walking around our beautiful countryside. She is an active member in the local farming community. Sarah is a keen contributor on social media, championing British farming and the rural community. Reading has been a passion since childhood and devouring a book in one day is a rare luxury. She loves to cook, enjoy holidays by the seaside and various crafts but have yet to perfect most. More recently Sarah has developed an interest in politics.