Cereals - It can't be that Bad.

There are 3 things I dislike;

1. Norwich City,

2. Norwich City beating Ipswich Town

3. Being forced to attend agricultural events in a work capacity.

And the winner of number 3 is Cereals.

Only those who have worked in the grain/ crop inputs / merchant side of Ag will know what I mean.

Being forced to attend this event for nearly 16 years was something I truly dreaded.

I was a glorified waiter - having to make small talk with people who had never dealt with my firm or worse, they were “thinking” about doing so and then proceeded to invite their passing friends over for some sandwiches , Pimms etc.

Complaining when you tried to engage in “sales talk”

Ugh.

Back in 2018, I wrote about how sh*t Cereals was.

The Big 3 grain merchants had grown tired of being milked for every pound year after year and at quite short notice had decided not to spunk £200k up the wall to feed Lord Ponsenby’s tractor drivers’ son.

They weren’t alone as others came to their senses and realised it wasn’t the business opportunity they’d been over promised. As you are actually meeting the same people you deal with each week - you know, for free

There were more gaps between the stands than in Rishi Sunak’s defence for leaving the D-Day Commemoration.

Meanwhile, in the NFU stand a young(er) and very enthusiastic Tom Bradshaw was speaking (or at least trying to) over the top of hecklers and general idiots who didn’t want to listen.

I liked Tom. I wonder whatever became of him?

I left that year’s show, grateful that I wouldn’t have to attend it again.

In the subsequent years that followed I have returned once. In 2022 - I think.

It was unbelievably poor. You could buy a hot tub but you couldn’t have a decent conversation with potential candidates or clients.

And so not surprisingly, I gave it a miss last year.

To be honest, I had every intention of not going this year too.

What’s changed?

Nothing, I’m sure but if I don’t go - I can’t moan about it can I!

So stay tuned for some amazing content..or not!

If you are going, why not partake in this fun new edition of - Cereals Bingo!