'We're animal mad so built our own zoo in a field'
BBCAn "animal mad" couple who filled an empty field with a collection of exotic creatures have said their visitor attraction is "only going to grow".
Melissa and Ben Mews ran "animal encounters" business Zoo2U from home before finding a plot of land in a Cheshire village where they could turn their "lifelong dream" into a reality.
They opened Holmes Chapel Zoo to the public in May 2025, with enclosures full of animals including wallabies, meerkats, tortoises and reptiles. Parents from the village said the new attraction was "great to have on the doorstep".
Melissa said it had been "so, so lovely to hear children laughing, walking around and enjoying themselves".
The couple had previously run another animal enclosure site in Alsager but chose to relocate to the bigger site at Orchards Farm.
Their path to securing planning permission was far from smooth, however, with the application initially refused due to its potential impact on the countryside.
Their plans were eventually approved by Cheshire East Council, however.
The proposed development was also challenged in the courts by animal rights activists on welfare grounds before permission was again granted in November 2024.
Melissa's passion for animals took off as a 15-year-old when she got a part-time job at Colchester Zoo in Essex.
She said she had been "besotted with exotic animals" ever since.
The family-run site said it aimed to provide large animal enclosures and offer visitors a "personal experience".
Lead keeper Nas Nash said while other zoos were great, "as they grow, keepers have a lot more jobs to do and they're really busy, whereas here we are still small".
He added: "That's part of our vision - we want to interact with people."
Ben and Melissa have now set their sights on further developments, including more buildings, more animals, and more attractions.
"The collection is only really going to grow," said Ben.
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