Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, better known as The Black Farmer, is an influential businessman championing British farming through his multi-million-pound venture. Utilising his internationally recognised brand as a platform to combat diversity, small business and rural affairs, Wilfred is a new wave of entrepreneur, combining social issues with business success through his innovative approach. Having lived a versatile career, Wilfred makes the ideal keynote speaker for farming-centred events, business occasions and diversity speeches.

Founding The Black Farmer in 2007, Wilfred was embarking on a lifelong dream to own land and champion British farming through his Higher West Kitcham Farm. From locally reared meat to eco-roast coffee, Wilfred’s ambitions for the award-winning products were to be as healthy, environmentally friendly and locally sourced as possible. Another aspect of the line was to ensure all products were gluten-free as the dietary restriction is an obstacle many face in the UK, and Wilfred has successfully secured Coeliac UK approval on all his lines. A determined and conscious businessman, Wilfred’s venture continues to be a roaring success, responding to demand in the industry.

Born in Jamaica but raised in inner-city Birmingham, Wilfred’s childhood dream of owning a farm was only realised aged forty. His career history prior to The Black Farmer helped pave the way to his entrepreneurial success, and his eclectic roles included time in the army, cheffing, political campaigning and becoming a food director at the BBC. An innate passion for produce led Wilfred to further follow his interests and found a food and drink marketing company in London. Armed with his experiences on the journey to success, Wilfred published ‘Jeopardy: The Danger of Playing it Safe on the Path to Success’ which evaluates the impact of risk on reward.

The award-winning entrepreneur has since set up the Black Farmer Scholarship to support people from ethnic minorities into careers in the rural industry, which has been developed into a Channel 4 series ‘Young Black Farmers’ following the students on their journey to farming. In 2020, for his services to British farming, Wilfred was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours list. An ethical businessman whose venture has seen exponential success, Wilfred is the ideal speaker to inspire, motivate and offer transformative entrepreneurial advice to a range of audiences.