INSIGHT: Leader of the pack
Adam Goymour talks to Norfolk Director
“It’s that sense that we’re building something meaningful and always trying to make it better – that’s what gets me going each day.”
Interview: Sue Wilcock | Martine Silkstone
Pictures: Warren Page
When we meet Adam Goymour for his interview, it is in his father’s office at the Goymour Group headquarters in Banham, Norfolk. It is a symbolically appropriate location, because as our meeting takes place, the company is undergoing a leadership transition, with Adam getting ready to step into his father’s shoes as head of the family business.
It also seems the perfect time to gain some insight into the dynamics and challenges of being the fourth generation to lead the enterprise.
Adam, for example, is fiercely respectful of his father and ever keen to benefit from his wisdom and counsel, but he is obviously excited to finally be in control and full of ideas for the future too. Having previously been MD at ROARR! – the company’s biggest asset – he says he is driven by progress and problem-solving, enjoying the challenge of finding better ways of doing things and motivated by the idea that the business has a real impact, not only on their teams and their visitors, but also through the experiences and memories they create for families.
“It’s that sense that we’re building something meaningful and always trying to make it better – that’s what gets me going each day,” he smiles.
As this magazine goes to press, the transfer of power has been completed, and Adam has assumed his place as Group MD. It is a role he has earned, working from the ground up, but it will be challenging, nonetheless. What started as a single bakery in 1909, has since moved into property, leisure and tourism, and today includes a camping and glamping site, an event and wedding venue (run by Adam’s sister Kiera), and Goymour Properties, which manages a variety of land and real estate, including the sites of Banham Zoo and Africa Alive!. Adam’s most recent assignment, ROARR! – recently named as one of the best theme parks in the UK by The Telegraph and already the biggest day visitor attraction in Norfolk – completes the group’s diverse portfolio (for now).
So, how does it feel to finally be in charge of it all?
“There’s a strong sense of responsibility,” Adam says, frankly. “Watching my parents, I learnt about hard graft, and I know what it took to get where we are today. Now I want to keep developing, keep learning and play a role in moving things forward. I need to ensure the group remains resilient and well-positioned for sustainable growth in the years ahead.
“After all, the Goymour Group is a family business, so I’m invested in its long-term success.”
Where it all began
Adam Goymour was born in September 1987 – a second child for Martin and Caroline, and a baby brother for three-year-old Kiera.
Interesting fact: he is actually Charles Adam Goymour, continuing a family tradition of having Charles as a first name but using the middle name day-to-day. It had skipped a generation, but Martin brought it back when Adam was born.
Of course, the family business was already well established by that stage and Martin was MD having taken over in 1980. Though it also comprised various property and appliance rental divisions at the time, Banham Zoo was always his main passion, and with Caroline part of the animal care team, the family lived in a bungalow on site for the first nine years of Adam’s life.
Adam says his childhood was very much shaped by that unique environment.
“Banham Zoo was effectively my playground, and it gave me experiences that were quite different from most children. We did various jobs around the place from a young age and regularly had animals in the bungalow – particularly small primates which were my mum’s area of expertise. And we even helped to hand-rear a tiger when its mum rejected it. I remember we had to wear thick gloves and Hazmat suits to protect the tiger against infection.”
Wasn’t that scary?
“We had really well-trained animal keepers taking the lead, but I think Dad saw it as an opportunity for us to get involved and experience something amazing – and he was right.
“It’s something that I’ll never forget.”
Adam also helped build the tiger and leopard enclosures, worked in every department across the site, assisted his dad with their heavy horses at county shows, and even led a primary school trip to the zoo, guiding classmates around his “backyard” and talking with confidence about the exotic animals.
In fact, it was at that moment that he realised his was not a ‘normal’ childhood. And while it sounds exciting and full of adventure, he says it was actually “quite lonely at times”, with his parents working hard to build the zoo and a nanny helping out at home.
Still, he remembers those years fondly and says: “I have no resentment about that at all – quite the opposite. I’m very proud of what my parents achieved, and I have many happy memories from that time.
“My childhood experiences made me who I am today.”
School years
From the age of nine, Adam attended a weekly boarding school where, shy at first, he quickly learnt how to interact with anyone and everyone, ultimately finding a strong sense of independence and self-reliance. He claims he was “not academically gifted at that stage” but always worked hard and excelled in a wide variety of sports.
Then, at the age of 13, Adam was thrown a curveball.
Having been such a healthy, active child, it was all the more unexpected when he was suddenly taken seriously ill on a drive to London. Suspecting diabetes, his doctor sent him straight to hospital where a diagnosis of Type 1 was confirmed. It was a lot for Adam to take on board.
“It was so random, and I just thought: ‘Why me?’,” he recalls.
It was a steep learning curve and later in his teens, Adam was in two serious comas due to the illness. Today, he has an implant which sends health information to his phone and alerts him when he needs to address his insulin levels, allowing him to keep it well-controlled at all times. In fact, as we talk about his diabetes, Adam’s phone pings and we take a short break so he can eat a banana.
Travels and troubles
After GCSEs, Adam went on to West Suffolk College to study a BTEC in business studies before completing a foundation degree in construction. He did not have a particular career in mind at this point, and there was no pressure from his parents to join the family business, so, instead, Adam decided to travel.
Always an adventurous person, in 2008 he went to Australia and New Zealand to enjoy some freedom and explore the other side of the world. He started in Perth, then worked his way across the continent, labouring on building sites and fruit picking, often sleeping in tin sheds with bed bugs, and once even in an old prison.
He went to Alice Springs, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, before driving along the Great Ocean Road where his car broke down and he had to walk five miles to the nearest town. He tried bodyboarding in huge waves, trekking in the outback and diving on the Great Barrier Reef. It was the trip of a lifetime.
Then he had a worrying call from his dad.
It was the year of the financial crisis, and the banks had asked for a meeting where they called in all the Goymour Group’s loans. By that time, they had also acquired the Suffolk Wildlife Park (now known as Africa Alive!), the Dinosaur Adventure Park (now known as ROARR!), and Weston Park Golf Club.
It was going to hit the business hard. And it was a pivotal moment in Adam’s career.
“That’s when I knew, deep down, that I wanted to get involved in the family business,” he remembers.
Martin and his finance director spoke to an accountant and a solicitor for advice on how to proceed. They all concluded that to save the business, they needed to sell the property division and concentrate on leisure and tourism, no longer building new homes, though retaining some commercial and residential interests.
There were tough times ahead, but ultimately their plan worked.
Later, in 2013, to safeguard the zoos – a personal passion but not financially beneficial – they also put Banham Zoo and Africa Alive! into an independent charitable trust: The Zoological Society of East Anglia. They still act as landlords for the attractions, but safe in the knowledge that the animals are protected into the future.
Coming home
When Adam came home from his travels, he was 22 years old and ready to get to work.
Based at the headquarters in Banham, he started as his father’s assistant, helping with project administration or simply going wherever an extra pair of hands was needed – usually the Dinosaur Adventure Park.
But he didn’t mind.
“I really wanted to prove myself and I was happy to do whatever was needed,” he explains. “I’m not shy of the grunt work and I didn’t expect any special treatment. I just wanted to get in there and do a good job.
“Dad sometimes tried to shelter me from a lot of that,” he adds thoughtfully, “when actually I needed to try and fail. But I think he did it the best way he could and he has certainly led by example. When it comes to work ethic, persistence, passion and entrepreneurialism, my father is my greatest role model.”
Making progress
Within a few months of starting work at the Goymour Group, Adam had obtained his NEBOSH General Certificate (a globally recognised health and safety qualification) and become Group Health and Safety Officer. By 2010, he had progressed to the role of Assistant Manager at the Dinosaur Adventure Park.
“I had already been helping out where needed, so the transition felt natural,” he recalls. “It was still scary though, because everyone was a lot older than me and I was coming in as this young buck. But I’ve worked in the zoo doing every single job, so I had a good grounding. I just had to prove myself over time.”
In his new role, Adam supervised the addition of the indoor play area and treehouse and was involved in establishing the park’s now-popular scare event, PrimEvil – born out of Martin’s mind because he loves Halloween. His first complete project as lead was Dippy’s Splash Zone, and when the new attraction officially opened in 2016, it was the busiest day the park had ever had – and then the most profitable year.
“It’s still the best investment I think I’ve ever made,” he says proudly. “The business made the money back that same year, which is fantastic.”
Since then, his leadership has seen more investment take place, and in 2018, the park rebranded to ROARR!. Today, it is the largest business in the group, but while Adam still has a long list of potential projects he would like to implement over time, he remains cautious.
“I’m very careful – going back to 2008 – that we don’t over-capitalise,” he explains. “It’s all about cash flow. Can we pay it back? What’s our debt service like?
“Of course, not everything can be put on a spreadsheet – you also need to have a good gut feeling about potential projects. But I need both to feel confident enough to move forward.
“Dad, on the other hand, likes a risk,” Adam adds with a wry smile, “and when he’s got a passion project, it can be hard for me to find that balance. But I know what I’m doing, and I proved that through COVID, because I led the whole group through that difficult time.
“In fact, Dad told me a couple of years ago: ‘That’s when I knew you were ready.’”
Finding love
Adam may have found his feet as a leader during the pandemic, but that period wasn’t all about work.
In 2020, he also found love online when he met Rosie – a former GB athlete in modern pentathlon and a model at London Fashion Week.
“I was definitely punching above my weight,” he says with a grin.
Their first date – when restrictions allowed – was at Earlham Park, and within six months they had moved in together. After 18 months, Adam proposed on a skiing trip to France, with a ring in his hand, champagne in his backpack and Mont Blanc in the background. Rosie, of course, said yes, and the couple were married at Oxnead Hall on a beautiful sunny day in September 2023.
“Rosie is the best partner I could ask for,” he smiles fondly. “She’s just a phenomenal person, not only as a human being, but also in the love and care she gives to other people – she certainly brings out the best in me.”
They honeymooned in Bali and now live happily with their dog, Beau, in the Norfolk house they are renovating together. When not working, Adam likes paddleboarding, gardening or just walking the dog. He still plays rugby occasionally for Diss RFC and his current ambition is to get his golf handicap down to single figures again.
It seems he is a man driven by continuous improvement at home too.
Meanwhile, back at work…
The Goymour Group weathered Covid but things were still tough for a while.
Though 2021 was a great year, with low VAT and everyone keen to get out after the lockdowns, in the following years, costs went back up and they started to experiment with the operating model moving forward – reducing opening times and offering a varied pricing structure. Those changes and a decision to risk some further investment eventually helped ‘steady the ship’, allowing them time to form a strategy for the years to come. The most significant move being that from June this year Adam has assumed the role of MD, taking over from his father who, at 76, is stepping back to a chairman position – still looking after core projects but allowing Adam to guide the Goymour Group into the future.
Always keen to learn and share ideas within his sector and beyond, in recent years Adam has also joined several collaborative groups as Director, including Norfolk & Suffolk Tourist Attractions. And in 2025 he became a founding member of the Norfolk Ambassadors, which aims to promote the county and all it has to offer.
He says: “I think Norfolk is such an unsung hero in the country, considering what it brings to the table. It has a great sense of place, community and collaboration, and I feel it’s important to help push Norfolk business forward, particularly for the tourism sector.”
So, what’s next?
“My vision for the future is to continue building on our strong foundations in leisure, tourism and property. And I’ve got the passion to push ahead, but right now, with the economic situation, it’s hard to have the confidence to move forward with any sizable investment. So, it’s about being patient and I think that’s something I’m having to learn a bit more.
“But I take pride in doing the right thing. And whatever we do, the most important factor is that we retain what makes our business unique: our family ethos and our commitment to delivering memorable experiences.”
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