Herefordshire farmer and innovator Leonard Chase has died at the age of 93.

His son, William Chase, founder of Tyrrells Crisps and Chase Distillery, has paid warm tribute to his father.

“He was a great person for Herefordshire with everything he did. Things like Tyrells (Crisps) would not be here without him,” he said. “He was phenomenal.”

Born in Warwickshire, Leonard Chase was managing a farm in Dormington after finishing his studies at Hartpury Adams when he met his first wife, Sheila, who died in 1976.

Sheila was a farmer’s daughter and together the couple bought Tyrells Court in 1952, which, says his son, was “a huge stretch. I remember growing up we had no money at all, but he was a fantastic father, always making me things.

Mr Chase was also a man ahead of his time, building polytunnels in the 1960s to enable him to diversify into growing, among other things, new brassica crops, chrysanthemums, red peppers and tomatoes.

He was also an enthusiastic tree-planter, and the family plan to plant a wood in the hill behind Tyrells in his memory.

“In the 60s, when agriculture was still very traditional, to do what he did was quite phenomenal and inspiring,” said his son, who credits Mr Chase’s spirit of innovation and tenacity as the quiet force behind his own success.

“But he was so very humble. He would have taken no credit, but it all stems from him, and he was very proud of Tyrrells.”

Leonard Chase was also a former NFU chairman for Herefordshire and a committed supporter of the Lugg Drainage Authority.

He is survived by his wife,

June, whom he married in October 1980, three children – William,

Caroline and Fiona – eight grand-

children and three great-grandchildren.