Why Mandy would be an effective mentor
Dr Mandy Lloyd combines academic expertise with practical farming and family life. She is a principal investigator and senior researcher at Aberystwyth University, specialising in metabolomics, food reformulation, human health and sustainable agriculture. In practice, her focus is on functional foods, crop diversification and resilient farming systems.
Alongside academia, Mandy and her parents run the family’s traditional 150-acre farm in Cleobury, near Knighton where she is bringing up her young family. She also co-founded Cleobury PM (Project Management) with a 2025 Nuffield scholar and friend, offering consultancy on novel crops and food/ingredient processing. Together, the farm and business integrate livestock and cropping with innovation and processing to demonstrate sustainable diversification.
Cleobury PM’s passion is developing novel crops on marginal land, particularly tea (Camellia sinensis). They apply advanced processing such as spray drying and micro-encapsulation to preserve health-giving compounds in end products.
A Farming Connect ‘Try Out Fund’ project at Cleobury is Wales’s first hill farm tea trial. Using geospatial and soil analysis, the project evaluates crop performance, soil biology, biodiversity impacts and supply chain potential. The aim is to demonstrate how upland farms can diversify profitably and sustainably.
Mandy is highly experienced in grant funding and the writing and management of grants as well as tools such as multivariate modelling, chemical analysis, GIS mapping, crop suitability modelling and soil analysis.
Widely published, she translates complex science into clear, practical advice. Having balanced daily farming with succession planning and new ventures, she understands the pressures facing farming families. Her mentoring can support those considering diversification, workload management and long-term strategy. Expect to be inspired by Mandy’s wealth of knowledge and expertise if you select her as your mentor.
Current farm business
- 300 ewes (Lleyn, Lleyn X, and Blue texel)
- 50 cattle (Aberdeen Angus X)
- Diversification into novel crops, especially tea
The family farm and Cleobury PM together:
- Produce livestock and crops sustainably.
- Trial upland diversification opportunities.
- Develop value-added products from novel crops
- Share knowledge with farmers, researchers and the industry.
Academic qualifications
- BSc Genetics and Biochemistry, Aberystwyth University (2004)
- PhD Metabolomics, Aberystwyth University (2008)
- PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner (2023)
Professional roles
- Principal Investigator & Senior Researcher, Aberystwyth University.
- Programme Manager, £3m Medical Research Council-funded dietary intake assessment project.
- Programme Manager & Researcher, Cleobury PM, supporting agri-food and food reformulation innovation.
Achievements and experience
- Secured £2.8m+ research funding (BBSRC, MRC, Welsh Govt, Innovate UK).
- Expertise in novel and diverse crops including tea, mushrooms and nettles etc
- Practical experience in tea cultivation, planning, analysis and supply chain building.
- Publications and outreach, incl. article on Britain’s tea-growing potential.
- Business partner with 2025 Nuffield Scholar Ali Warren-Walker, embedding global insights into projects.
- Extensive project leadership and collaboration with academia, industry and farmers.
- Member of professional/advisory boards; editorial boards for Frontiers in Nutrition and Metabolomics.
Top tips for business success
Adapt and diversify to build resilience against uncertainty in an ever-changing agricultural landscape.”
“Use research, analysis and innovation to guide decision-making.”
“Balance day-to-day operations with long-term strategy and always keep long term goals in mind.”