Our Story
The Story of Cedar Vets’ Leadership: Charlie and Lara Mitchell
Cedar Vets has been part of Hampshire life for generations, and today its story continues under the leadership of Managing Director Charlie Mitchell and Director Lara Mitchell, a husband-and-wife team whose lives and careers have been shaped by the practice from an early age.
Local Roots and Shared Beginnings
Both Charlie and Lara grew up locally – Charlie in Alresford and Lara in nearby West Meon – and each found their way into veterinary life through Cedar Vets. Charlie always knew he wanted to be a vet. Before heading to Liverpool Vet School in 1999, he completed work experience at the Alresford surgery and later spent time as a student at the Alton branch. He graduated in 2004 and immediately joined Cedar Vets, fulfilling a long-held ambition.
Lara also had early ties to the practice. With a farming background and a love of animals, she not only did work experience but also worked at Cedar Vets after school. After completing an animal care course at Sparsholt College, she joined Cedar as an Animal Nursing Assistant in 1999. In 2001 she became the first nurse to qualify at Cedar Vets when the practice gained training status, going on to achieve full Registered Veterinary Nurse status in 2004. Lara spent many years as Head Nurse, helping to shape the nursing team and standards of care.
Building Their Careers at Cedar Vets
Charlie began his career as a mixed vet with a particular interest in small animal surgery, before increasingly focusing on equine work. He went on to lead the equine department, building it into a cornerstone of the practice. In 2024, after two decades of clinical work, he stepped away from day-to-day veterinary practice to become Managing Director, focusing on leading Cedar Vets through its next chapter.
Charlie and Lara worked side by side until 2009 when their daughter Amelia was born, followed by their son Harry in 2011. While Lara stepped back from clinical practice to raise their family, she remained closely involved with Cedar, playing a key role in the redevelopment of the Alresford and Alton surgeries, and most recently in the opening of the new Bordon practice. In recognition of her long-term impact and leadership, Lara became a Director in 2024.
Family, Community, and Shared Values
The Mitchells live just outside Alresford with their children Amelia and Harry and their three Flatcoated Retrievers – Lark, Millie, and Purdy. Life outside the practice remains closely tied to their passions and the countryside. Lara and Amelia share a love of horses and spend much of their spare time competing Amelia’s horse Bruce at Pony Club. As a family, they also enjoy working together on the family farm and caring for their small flock of sheep. Charlie is a keen trail runner, taking to the Hampshire countryside whenever he can.
For both Charlie and Lara, Cedar Vets is more than a workplace – it is part of their lives, their family, and their community. Their leadership continues the practice’s tradition of combining clinical excellence with genuine local care, ensuring that Cedar Vets grows sustainably while staying true to the values that have defined it for over a century.
