Our Team
We are a unique family business, started by David and Linda, managed today by Ben and Charlotte and with the younger 3rd generation of the family already actively involved with planting and harvesting.
But we also have an amazing extended family of nearly 20 permanent staff and many other seasonal workers who share our passion, enthusiasm and energy for delivering great tasing, farm fresh produce to our customers.
Meet our team
Ben
Director
Charlotte
Director
David
Director
Linda
Director
THE JUICE PRODUCTION TEAM
Our Juice Production Team are responsible for making the full range of Chegworth Valley juices, firstly pressing the hand-selected fruit, then pasturising and bottling the fresh juice, before labeling the bottles and packing up orders so that they can be delivered out to our customers.
There are 3 members of the juicing team. Jacek and Gena handle the pressing and bottling before Tomek labels and packs up the juice. Choosing the right fruit to ensure the highest quality product and a consistent taste profile is key to this process.
The team have to be highly organized, with attention to detail, cleanliness and health and safety essential components of each and every press.
THE GROWING TEAM
Rayko, Kiril, Andon and Mike make up our Growing Team. Rayko heads up the team who are responsible for nurturing and looking after all the trees, plants and fruit, from the planting of seeds through to harvest. They also maintain all the polytunnels and take care of almost 200 acres of land.
All the team have extensive knowledge of the most up-to-date growing methods and a passion for producing the best quality fruit and vegetables. There is always a lot of work to be done across the farm, so a very strong work ethic and a good understanding and love of nature and the environment are key attributes for all team members, along with a love of the outdoors - whatever the time of year and whatever the weather!
THE HARVEST TEAM
Charlotte heads up the Harvest Team which comprises of 4 key members of staff – Andrew, Kasia, Tseko and George and 10-15 additional seasonal workers who help to bring in the harvest.
Harvest is the most exciting and the busiest time of the year on the farm and it’s Charlotte’s responsibility to organise the team and make sure that all our fruit and vegetables are picked at peak condition, maximising yield and maintaining optimum quality and freshness.
The team need to be able to work quickly but with precision to make sure that fruit is removed from the tree in the right way and that our trees remain in prime condition for years to come. The team also need a strong eye for detail to check that all the fruit picked is of the highest quality and they need good stamina and a positive attitude to meet the physically demanding requirements of their roles.
THE FARM MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING TEAM
Chegworth Valley is busy farm covering nearly 200 acres of land and, while we still pick our fruit by hand, there is a lot of machinery on the farm as well as a fleet of vehicles, that all need to be kept in full working order to ensure the business runs as efficiently as possible. From cutting hedges or bringing in the harvest to improving drainage or taking fresh fruit and vegetables to the Borough Market shop, machinery, equipment and vehicles have an important role to play all year round.
Our Farm Maintenance and Engineering Team are our unsung heroes and ensure that everything is working efficiently and running smoothy. Lucas is our ‘Mr Fix It’ and Kysek and Kamil work with him to ensure that the farm and all our equipment is always in good order.
An inquiring mind that loves to know how things work, plus an ability to work quickly and neatly while not being worried about getting hands and clothing dirty are all essential for working on this team!
