Yeo Valley is a family-owned dairy-processing and farming business, with three dairies producing predominantly yogurt and ice cream for the Yeo Valley Organic brand, and for all of the major retailer brands. The company now employs 1,150 people and is growing at 25% per annum. The Yeo Valley Organic brand now accounts for 7% of all yogurt sales in the UK.

Graham joined Yeo Valley as Managing Director of the, then separate, Yeo Valley Organic Company Ltd in 1999. "This was my first real introduction to organic," he says. "I previously worked for Northern Foods for 10 years in different roles. I grew up in the rural community so I have always had some involvement in the farming community". Graham is now Communications Director for the whole company.

Since his arrival, Yeo Valley has won many awards, including two Queen's Awards for Enterprise, a BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming award, and Graham was recognised as Organic Business Personality of the Year (2002) in the Soil Association's Organic Food Awards.

• Organic principles – why do they matter?
  Organic is fundamentally a sensible way of farming – working within (as much as possible) a balance with nature rather than trying to subjugate it though technology. We apply that sensible approach throughout the food supply chain and it brings us confidence and reassurance in the food we eat. The principles, rather than the rules and regulations of organic food, are the things that engage our consumers and so they matter hugely. The great thing about organic principles is that, as a set of 'sensible ways of doing things', they can apply to wider business principles too.

• What does the Soil Association mean to you?
  They are the most knowledgeable, most trusted source of information and guidance on organic principles and the application of those to practical food production. We use the Soil Association to accredit our organic products and processes because they have the most exacting standards – other organisations operate to the minimum legal standards but the Soil Association continues to question the height of the bar.

• What is your greatest achievement?
  Bringing in a process of professional but honest, un-gimmicky marketing to the Yeo Valley Organic brand and seeing, as a result, the huge growth in consumer recognition and household penetration, without disillusioning our core organic consumers or 'selling out' on our principles.

• How do you plan to progress in the future? What is your vision?
  More of the same, growing our business on ethical principles with increasing openness about who we are and what we do. We'll grow our business within the bounds of our abilities to manage it and by retaining our allegiance to British farmers. My vision is that Yeo Valley Organic becomes a regular purchase for the majority of UK consumers, and that through it they gain a real sense of understanding of organic farming and the countryside – our activities with our Education Centre will play an important supporting role to this.

• If you were starting all over again, what would you do differently?
  Recruit able assistance earlier in the growth of the business! The rate of growth has meant that we have relied on the knowledge of a few of us to drive decisions so it gets increasingly difficult to devolve these to others. Better to bring people in earlier and develop them as you are learning yourself.

• What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
  Keep communicating, even when things are tough, but stay confident.

• What do you love most about what you do?
  The variety of the role and the feeling that Yeo Valley really is something special – the antithesis of a 'made-up' brand, it's authentic and engaging so it's so rewarding to be involved in it.

• What single thing would most improve your life?
  Fewer 'cc for info' emails and the auto-destruction of spammers' computers!

• Any unusual hobbies or past careers?
  Sailing, with my wife Dianne, is my main hobby – it's the one thing that takes me completely away from thinking about work. We both took part in a non-stop Round Britain and Ireland yacht race in 2003 (in competing boats) which was the most extraordinary experience.

• How can the organic market be improved?
  Continual improvements in product quality and consistency – just because it's organic doesn't mean it's necessarily going to be a great tasting product. There are some really brilliant organic foods on the market and some which I wouldn't buy again - because good ingredients have been spoiled by poor preparation, or by the accountants having become involved to reduce the costs at the expense of taste.

• What's the main benefit of being organic for you?
  From a business perspective, a real point of difference for our brand. From a personal point of view, the benefit has been that the still small and immature organic market forces us to talk directly to farmers and to develop long-term relationships with our suppliers – not something that is commonly found in the non-organic world, sadly.

• What other organic ventures do you admire and why?
  Riverford Organic. Guy Watson has done a remarkable job in developing the veg box scheme whilst remaining true to his principles. A walk round the farm with him should be an essential annual event for anyone questioning the principle of organic farming – and for supermarket buyers (but only if they are reasonably thick-skinned!)

• What keeps you awake at night?
  Not too much – usually a feeling of something not completed properly (I'm a bit of a perfectionist).

• Supermarkets – good or bad?
  I've had some really dreadful conversations (if that's what you can describe them as) with supermarket buyers over my 20 years in the food industry – and they really did keep me awake at nights. But equally, we wouldn't be where we are now at Yeo Valley without them so, on balance, they have been a very good thing for us. As for the organic market in general? Well, it's fashionable to criticise the major supermarkets for their actions – often rightly so – but we should be clear that without their support the growth of the organic and fair trade markets would be a fraction of what it is today. They have brought some economies of scale and organisation to what were previously very niche markets and have allowed consumers who don't have a local farm shop or farmers' market to join the organic movement. What we do need to do is to ensure that 'sensible trading' prevails and that the relatively fledgling organic market isn't damaged by some of the activities that have been so detrimental to British farming in the non-organic world.

• What is the biggest threat to what you do?
  Our relationships with our retailer customers are non-contractual so we are only as good as our last delivery and our sales level per store per week. We are therefore always at risk of major decisions on range changes so it's up to us to keep driving consumer demand and to maintain the relationship with the retailers to keep them wanting Yeo Valley Organic in their stores.

• What's the best thing about organic farms?
  The abundance of wildlife and the overwhelming enthusiasm of the farmers (such a contrast to many non-organic dairy farmers who are having an appalling time with milk prices as they are).

• What is your favourite meal?
  I do most of the cooking in our household so the current favourite meal changes. However, an infrequent treat is organic fillet steak with a Royale sauce (made with Yeo Valley Organic crème fraiche, white wine, onion, mushrooms, garlic, wholegrain mustard and tarragon) with the my Best Mash in the World (organic potatoes with more crème fraiche and wholegrain mustard).

• If I was Prime Minister I would...
  Make food appreciation / cooking / farming key parts of the national curriculum so that every 16 year old will have gained an ability to cook healthy meals, will have visited at least one farm, and will have the ability to understand the long-term health benefits of eating sensibly (and preferably organically).

• The world would be a better place if...
  George Bush was out of office.

• When were you happiest?
  Being reunited with my wife after being apart for 12 days on the Round Britain race (made the more special due to the fact that my boat crossed the finishing line an hour before hers!)

• What is your greatest fear?
  That British society is becoming increasingly isolationist and neurotic – with everyone plugging into iPods and PCs and forgetting how to converse with each other.

• What is your favourite word?
  Aplomb.

• What would be your 'Desert Island' luxury?
  A windsurfer – not for a madcap escape bid, just for the fun and challenge of trying to master it.