Engineering help from people who build things

Practical process, systems and IT engineering for small businesses in Bristol and across the UK, from the team that built a vineyard and a winery from scratch.

Forest Larder started with a bare 15-acre hillside at Willsbridge and an idea. Since then we’ve planted a vineyard, built an urban winery in Brislington, and solved a lot of problems nobody had a manual for.

That heavy lifting is mostly done, so we have time to help other people with theirs. Our background is chemical engineering first and IT second, and we enjoy the bit where those two meet: how a process actually runs, and the systems and data around it.

We’re a small team and we’re open about the fact that this is a new part of what we do. If you have something that needs working out properly, we’d love to hear about it.

What we can help with

Process and production engineering

Mass and energy balances, scaling a recipe or process from bench to batch, equipment sizing, and finding where a production line loses time, product or money. This is the chemical engineering side: food and drink, small-scale manufacturing, and anything with tanks, pipes, heat or flow.

Systems, data and automation

Joining up the tools you already pay for so that stock, orders, invoices and customer records stop living in five places. We look at sensors and monitoring, simple dashboards, and automating the repetitive admin that eats your week.

IT and AI tooling for small businesses

Sensible advice on software, cloud and security, plus practical AI that is actually useful: assistants, document and inbox workflows, and reporting. We’ll tell you when something isn’t worth it.

Projects and problem-solving

Sometimes you just need an engineer in the room. That might mean a second opinion on a quote, a feasibility check before you spend, a technical spec for a supplier, or someone to manage a build or install from start to finish.

How we work

1. A free first chat. Tell us the problem in plain words, with no jargon needed. We’ll say honestly whether we’re the right fit.
2. A clear scope. We write down what we’ll do, what you’ll get and what it costs before any work starts.
3. Hands-on delivery. We work alongside you, on site in and around Bristol or remotely anywhere in the UK, and keep you updated as we go.
4. Handover you can use. Notes, drawings, code or a plan your own team can run with, so you aren’t stuck depending on us.

We’re flexible on format, whether that’s a one-off day, a fixed-price project or ongoing support. If your problem doesn’t fit neatly in the boxes above, ask anyway.

Why us

• We’ve done it with our own money. Siston Brook Vineyard and Brislington Cellars weren’t handed to us finished. We planned the site, planted the vines, specified and fitted out a winery, and worked out the processes, kit and systems that keep it running. Every decision was a real trade-off between cost, time and quality, and we lived with the results.
• Engineering training, not just enthusiasm. We studied chemical engineering, then spent years in IT. That means we can follow a problem from the physical process all the way through to the software that tracks it.
• Small-business sized. We know what it’s like to have a tight budget and too many hats. We size the fix to the business, not the other way round.
• Local and straight-talking. We’re based in Bristol, easy to reach, and we’ll tell you plainly if something isn’t worth doing.

Quick questions

Who do you work with?

Small and growing businesses, makers, food and drink producers, and anyone with a technical problem who doesn’t need, or can’t justify, a big consultancy. We’re happy to talk to larger organisations too.

Do you only work in Bristol?

No. We live in Bristol but are happy to work with just about anyone around the world who needs us!

What does it cost?

It depends on the job. The first conversation is free, and you’ll get a written scope and price before anything starts.

Is this the same Forest Larder that makes wine?

Yes. Forest Larder Limited runs the vineyard, the winery and now this engineering consultancy. Same people, same approach.

Got a problem that needs an engineer?

Tell us a bit about it and we’ll come back to you within two working days. Email us at cse@forestlarder.com.