A YOUNG entrepreneur has set up a farm diversification on the estate where she grew up.

Twenty-one-year-old Emily McVeigh decided to take the bull by the horns and set up a weddings, occasions and glamping business at her family home, Kenton Hall, near Debenham, after recognising the potential of the beautiful moated Tudor manor house as a backdrop for special events.

“It’s been in the pipeline for a few years,” she said.

Emily decided to take the plunge and set up her own business after working for a variety of other employers.

“I sort of got to a crossroads. I had to decide what to do next. I did try university and decided it wasn’t for me,” she said.

“I’m very fortunate - I’ve had a lot of support from my parents, David and Sharon McVeigh.”

She added: “My father runs the farm and he also runs a waste business (Wastology) and he was very keen to set me up with something and help me.”

The wedding celebrations will take place in a bespoke marquee on the estate, which has a small working farm, and is home to a herd of English Longhorn cattle.

“We have got 450 acres of arable land with grazing land for cattle, so it’s not enormous.,” says Emily.

She hopes the venue will appeal to the growing number of couples seeking an alternative to what she describes as “factory weddings”.

“We are offering a completely bespoke wedding,” she said.

From next year, she will also be offering “glamping”, for camping softies, in a luxury yurt or shepherd hut.