From crisps to vinegar via vodka for William Chase

And he's at it again, with the introduction to the market of Willy's ACV, a premium apple cider vinegar and, in William's view, an essential element in the pursuit of good health.

The new brand, Willy's Wellness is born, as his previous successes were, out of his love for the land and his passion for farming.

"I have traded potatoes for most of my life but was fortunate to inherit 200 acres of untouched old organic orchards when I moved to the Mother Farm in 2005," William explains.

"It’s in a village called Little Miracle, a beautiful and fruitful place in Herefordshire. Here 48 classic apple varieties grow, including the Broxwood Foxwhelp and the mighty Collington Big Bitters.

"I fell in love with the old trees," he continues.

"The sense of balance in the old orchards was incredible and I felt it was my duty to preserve it."

Among 48 varieties growing in the orchard are the Broxwood Foxwhelp and the mighty Collington Big Bitters.

"The apples made the most incredible cider and having learnt the craft of fermenting alcohol, I soon realised that a new trend for fermented health foods was gathering momentum, and tried my hand at the next step of creating apple cider vinegar with the help of ‘the Mother’."

The increasing emphasis on staying healthy as you get older has also played its part in the creation of the new brand, as William recognised that he had perhaps not been looking after himself as well as he could.

Having read about cider vinegar he decided to give it a go, and now, with Willy's, he wants to share the good news about how much of a change it's made to his life.

"I take 25ml daily with fresh beetroot juice and I’ve lost two stone, I have lowered my cholesterol, increased my energy levels and I sleep better.

"I also believe the science of how a mildly acidic product like ACV can shrink swelling in the body, explaining why people like Sir Ranulph Fiennes claim it has helped relieve arthritis symptoms."

"I find nothing more satisfying than making something from scratch at source.

"The farmer in me is also the reason I take pleasure from making things myself. I love the whole process from growing to harvesting, pressing to fermenting, bottling and even designing the products myself.

"Pedigree and taste is everything to me. I want people to feel more connected to their food and appreciate that eating isn’t just a process, it’s a way of life.

"You will hear me talking a lot about my 300-year-old orchards at my farm and the 'Mother’ in my live apple cider vinegar – she’s 100% live and in every bottle I produce.

"We keep the 'Mother' and all her goodness protected from sunlight in our brown glass bottles."

Since the launch of the original Willy's Organic Live Apple Cider Vinegar, the range has expanded and now offers Willy’s Organic Live Fire Cider apple cider vinegar, the ingredients in which include horseradish, turmeric and fresh ginger, Organic Live Turmeric and Honey Apple Cider Vinegar and Organic Live Honey Apple Cider Vinegar, as well as apple cider vinegar health shots.

Also on the Willy's menu are a range of healthy soft drinks, including Kombucha, and two intriguing alternatives to alcoholic beers, Hemp and Hop Kombucha Beer and Ginger Kombucha Beer.

"The Willy's ACV range features all natural, plant-based ingredients, sourced as locally as possible, and nothing is processed beyond being pressed and fermented."

It's a business that, says Charlotte Ellis, head of marketing, has grown very quickly, with turnover increasing about 300 per cent in a single year.

"It's been very well received," she says. "In July we were up 150% on the same month last year. It's very much a growing market, both here and globally. "

Charlotte also reports, anecdotally, that Willy's have received messages from older customers saying that they've taken apple cider vinegar their whole lives and, that, having discovered Willy's ACV, it's very different to anything they've ever had before, more palatable than other brands.