9 Jan 2026
Becoming an employee-owned business can be a protracted and lengthy process. For Brookend Veterinary Practice in Essex, that process began 10 years ago with an article in VBJ and ended last month when this much-loved indy completed its journey to becoming an employee-owned trust…
VBJ
Job Title
Staff: full-time vets 6 | registered veterinary nurses 9 | practice administrator 3 |
reception 12
Fees: initial consult £50 | follow-up £42.50
Mike Probert joined Brookend in Essex straight from vet school in 1997 and, almost 30 years later, he is still there.
His is a story of dedication and loyalty; not just to the bricks and mortar of the practice that has provided such a rich and fulfilling context to his entire career in practice, but its people, too. Mike is not “your typical animal lover” and his passion has always been for the human side of the veterinary profession: the buzz that comes from leading a high-performing clinical unit, the satisfaction of supporting and mentoring colleagues, and the friendships that come from being part of the wider team that gives life to any good business.
And he’s not the only one with a long and loyal history with the practice. A picture taken in 2005 still hangs on the office wall and of the 10 people shown in the sun-faded montage, six still work at Brookend more than 20 years later.
It has become a long-standing joke among the team that those who join never leave, such is the sense of loyalty engendered by a culture that not only supports professional growth and development, but also nurtures genuine friendships.
That same sense of loyalty is also found in the client base, many of whom first visited the practice as children with their parents and now return with their own pets and their own children more than 20 years later.
This is by no means unique of course, but it’s a special working environment nonetheless and one Mike hopes to protect for future generations of both staff and clients by joining the growing number of practices to have become employee-owned trusts (EOT).
Mike said: “This was my first job when I left the RVC; I started on £14,000 a year and, despite plans to work abroad, I loved it and never left.
“When I joined, Alison Ewbank had just taken it over, and I was very lucky to find some very kind generous colleagues who looked after me – that has stuck with me ever since.
“Obviously, that gave me a great learning curve, not just clinically, but also in terms of learning how to run a practice, which is something I found I really enjoyed from the start.”
He added: “The culture here has always been great and the clients really respond to that, and we have just grown strongly and steadily from that time, really.
“It is just a special little practice and so, when I read an article in VBJ in 2015 about a practice in the Shetland Isles that was one of the first to become an EOT, I decided it was the path I wanted to take when it came to moving the practice on.”
Brookend is located in a detached property on Witham’s busy Braintree Road, a site it has occupied since 2003 and one that boasts excellent roadside visibility with client and staff parking to the rear.
The 1950s building has been extended over the years, with a single-storey addition providing extra consulting space for the practice’s six vets, as well as a roomy reception area featuring separate cat and dog waiting areas.
A first-floor roof garden, complete with seating, has also been added in recent years to give the team an accessible outside space to recharge batteries during a break in a busy shift.
The strong nursing team of nine RVNs – supported by one student nurse and a nursing assistant – make full use of Brookend’s four consult rooms, all of which can be accessed direct from reception. Clinical areas sit behind the pharmacy, with good-sized dog and cat wards and a digital x-ray suite located off the large central prep area.
There is also a well-lit and spacious theatre which was in use during VBJ’s visit, as the team performed a caesarean on an English bulldog bitch, successfully extracting nine healthy puppies. It was a privilege to watch new life being brought into the world and, while a common enough event in vet practices across the land, what seemed like the entire Brookend team had gathered to share in one of those moments that give such meaning to so many working within the veterinary profession.
It is also a perfect illustration of the ethos and culture that Mike hopes becoming an EOT will help preserve and nurture for many years to come.
He said: “I am certainly not perfect, and I remember when I first became a partner with Alison in 2005, she told me I was too nice to be a boss – but I took over her share, too, in 2014 and I think it’s gone okay. There have been plenty of challenges of course as the business has grown and developed over the years, and it can be difficult managing people – in fact, it’s the hardest part.
“But I think if you enter into it being kind and with the best intentions, hopefully, things work out for everyone.”
If things go to plan over the next few years, the EOT stands to work out well for everyone.
While there are tax benefits with an EOT transfer – now somewhat reduced by the last Budget – Mike is effectively handing over ownership of his practice to the team at Brookend, overseen by a small group of trustees and directors, for considerably less than its market value.
He still stands to receive a significant sum over the next 10 years under the terms of the agreement, but for a practice that turns over £2 million a year, this amount will be a good deal less than he would have received were he to have sold outright.
Mike, head nurse Katie Blackery and practice manager Helen Turner have formed the board of directors; as senior figures with a long history with the business, they are responsible for the day to day running of the practice.
The board of trustees consists of Mike as the “vendor trustee”, one of Brookend’s senior vets as the employee representative and a former finance director as the third member. This board is in place to ensure the practice is run in a sound financial way and for the benefit of the employees.
The practice’s “John Lewis model” means all members of staff are eligible for an annual tax-free bonus of up to £3,600 and should allow for bigger pay rises, as well as providing the financial scope for employee perks such as the provision of private health care and enhanced pension contributions.
With profits going back into the business, EOT can also benefit a practice by making funds for investments in new equipment or refurbishments more readily available.
It is not a solution that suits everyone, and for it to be successful requires more than just a good staff culture and team continuity: strong cash flow and low debt are also vital for success.
Mike said: “I didn’t just want to sell out to corporate, take the easy route and just work out my time. I still think I have a lot to give this practice and to everyone in it.
“One of the things I’ve always enjoyed is mentoring younger vets and helping people who have come to us from environments where they have not necessarily received the support they need.
“We strive to develop talent in the business in general; it is one of the most fulfilling parts of the job.
“We all pride ourselves on having that attitude, from the vets, the nurses and the wider team – it is what has really driven Brookend and everyone in it since day one.”
The practice can cope with most things that come its way, with Mike an experienced orthopaedic surgeon, while the team boasts AVP and diagnostic imaging certificates.
Exotics are also well-catered for, and Mike’s long-held interest in preventive care meant Brookend was one of the early pioneers when it came to introducing a health care plan, which now boasts membership of more than 38% of active clients.
In another pioneering move, Brookend was among a group of local practices which were the first private practices to invite Vets Now teams in to provide their cover for out of hours, although this service is no longer based at the practice.
When referrals are needed, cases go to Cambridge vet school (for the time being, at least) or Christchurch in Ipswich, but Mike and his team have a firm belief in trying to keep as much work as they can in house.
He said: “I’m from a generation where we used to have to do things. We are very happy to refer and know our limitations, but if people can’t afford referral, we have a team that can do these surgeries.”
The EOT means Brookend’s future as an independent business has been secured and the change of ownership clearly mapped out, which means Mike and the rest of the present leadership team can turn their thoughts to the future.
There has long been an ambition to open a branch practice, and Mike believes expansion elsewhere could be the next significant step for the business.
Mike said: “So, the main constraint here is premises, and it’s always been in my mind to expand. I think because we’ve got a good site, rather than change things here, we could open a branch in one of the surrounding small towns where we already have 10% or 20% of our clients.
“That way, we effectively move 10% to 20% of our work away from this site which, in turn, would allow us to add clients here, too.
“But I am sure my energy for all that work will begin to wane at some point, so the plan is that when we bring on new directors, this can be their baby.
“Whatever happens in the future, however, the EOT means I know I am leaving this much-loved community business in safe hands.”
