WHEN police officer Nick Prewett-King fell ill in 2013, doctors found he was Coeliac – a condition which forced him to adopt a calcium-rich diet.

The condition, which he had since birth, led to osteoporosis and he was advised to drink goats milk to help strengthen his bones.

After a year of research and visiting agricultural shows with wife Sally, the pair decided to source their milk by buying goats and keeping them on their land in Abersychan.

Although they didn’t know it at the time, this decision would form the backbone of a unique business which would propel them into the spotlight.

Based in Broad Street, Blaenavon, ‘The Goat Lady’ offers a selection of handmade soaps and lotions made purely from goats milk and natural oils.

Since buying their first goats in 2014, the pair now have a herd of 26, supply around 36 outlets across Wales and produce about 80 bars of soap a day.

As you walk through the doors of the business you are greeted with smiles, shelves of beautiful moulded products and an area which allows customers to see the process of soap making.

For Sally – who met Nick while working at Avon and Somerset Police together – the core of the business has always been about helping people.

After leaving the force, Sally trained in aromatherapy, became a podiatrist due to her passion for all things natural and also starting working in care homes.

“That’s when I saw even more the effects of medication on peoples' skin," she said.

"With skin sensitivity it was a case of, instead of slapping on lots of cream is there any other way we can do it?

“Something that’s more effective than prescribed creams and something that will calm the skin down quite quickly.

“We found with babies and infants with chicken pox a couple of mums said please can we try your products and luckily it takes away the irritation. It took off from that really.

"If somebody would have told us five years ago you would leave your well-paid job and you would have goats and chickens. The business was fell on really in a lot of ways."

Nick added the business also receives positive online feedback about the way their products help calm skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.

But the products have also attracted attention for their ability to maintain healthy skin and have been embraced by both customers and suppliers, he added.

“I think we’re very proud to say that the products are in a number of independent pharmacies - from Abergavenny and New Inn to Abersychan- which is lovely".

The pair learned the process of soap-making by going to classes in the Cotswolds before moving to their Blaenavon base earlier this year to upscale their production.

The process involves taking milk from the farm – which is frozen and naturally high in Vitamin A – before being blended with oils such as coconut or pomance.

The mixture would sit in moulds for 24 hours before being left to set for four to six weeks and moulds are currently sourced from company, The Soap Kitchen.

The other stars of the business are the Anglo Nubian goats themselves – a breed of 19th century origin that involved cross breeding British goats with breeds from India, the Middle East and North Africa.

“The ones that we have are big, extremely placid and all they want to do is have your company and follow you around,” Mrs Prewett-King said.

“Lots of people ask for them because they want their lawns cut which is a myth and what they like to do is browse and go through bushes.

“You’re advised not to have one goat on their own as they’re herd animals and if you do get just one you find they tend to fall sick quite easily."

This bramble-nibbling nature also led the business to use them to help clear overgrowth from the graveyard of Blaenavon's St Peter's Church last year.

The goats, which can all be summoned by their own names, are also regular visitors to schools in the area and even starred on kids’ TV show Cbeebies.

Looking forward, the business wants to continue helping people with a focus on hand-made products and hope to share their experiences by giving presentations on their business model.

Mrs Prewett King added: “When I think about what has happened over the last five years it's mind-blowing really.

“We just hope to dispel the myth that it’s all done in a factory or it’s just another gimmick.

“It’s going back to basics which a lot of people tend to do these days and if it helps someone then it’s a bonus for us”.

For more information and to find 'Goat Lady' stockists near you, visit their website: thegoatlady.co.uk