Formula One's Jody Scheckter turns to meat

The organic farming business, Laverstoke Park, founded by South African multimillionaire and ex-Formula One World Champion Jody Scheckter, and styled as "the biggest small-holding in the world", has opened a new purpose-built meat processing plant next to its abattoir in Overton, Hampshire.

The company is also planning a move into dairy processing and wine production.

Scheckter, who made his fortune from developing a simulated training systems business, was granted a licence for his state-of-the art abattoir late last year.

He quickly won plaudits from celebrity chef Raymond Blanc, who claimed Scheckter's Laverstoke lamb was the best he had ever tasted.

The processing plant will make burgers, sausages, meatballs and other products, says the company, which rears cattle, wild boar, pigs, sheep and poultry. It also owns the UK's largest dairy buffalo herd.