The Boucher Family have been farming in Kent for over 130 years, specialising in fruit since 1942. Today it is a thriving fruit farm focusing on quality, sustainability and stewardship.

They grow top quality apples, pears, strawberries and blackcurrants, selling to major retailers as well as local businesses. They also work with the Kent Gleaning Network, part of Feedback UK, who distribute their class 2 fruit to food banks, schools and community projects across the South-East.

The business is proud to be able to keep all processes on-site at Newlands Farm, with our productive packhouse running nearly all year-round. They are BRC, LEAF and Red Tractor accredited, demonstrating their emphasis on high standards from start to finish.

GH Dean & Co (trading as Blackbird Farming) is a family farming business first established in the 1920s. Today the company, based near Sittingbourne, farms 1891 hectares of land including arable cropping, cherries, plums, apples and pears and a flock of sheep that graze grassland bordering the Swale Estuary, on the site of Special Scientific interest.

The apples and pears are handpicked in the Autumn at optimum maturity when their flavour is at its best and stored in atmospherically controlled cold stores. The farm is proud to be members of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming).

Apples, pears and cherries are their passion and they pride themselves on the quality fruit they produce. Their cherries are jam-packed full of flavour and through careful selection their chosen varieties grow well outdoors offering the best taste.

Through Innovate UK a new plum research orchard was established in 2018 with the guidance of FAST (Fruit Advisory Services Team), NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany).

In 1964 Victoria farm was purchased from Castle Farm Estates growing apples and plums. The farm, based in Hadlow is now owned and farmed by Peter, Gina and Jessica Kedge.

Boormans Farm was purchased from Hadlow College in 1998 and close ties remain with the college for student training. The top fruit business is particularly strong in Royal Gala, Bramley, Braeburn and Cameo. Other varieties include Cox, Russet, Fuji, Red Windsor, Cheerfull Gold and Robijn. Apples are stored in purpose built coldstores, some are DCA and all fruit is packed on site in their dedicated modern packhouse.

The business takes pride in producing apples with sustainability and longevity in mind. Measures have been put in place to reduce our carbon footprint such as solar panels, solar batteries, weather station, water capture, winter fill reservoirs.

Safe-keeping of the wildlife providing woodland, quiet areas, bird boxes, no mow until after blossom. Considerable care has been addressed for employees regarding training, accommodation, health and safety, using the Ethical Trading Initiative.

This family-run farm in Hawkhurst, Kent was established over 80 years ago. Builders merchant, Henry Budd, took over a small acreage of fruit and grazing land from his father in the early 1950s, and further increased the size of the farm during the early 1960s.

Henry’s son David took over the farm in 1971, when the business was just 11 hectares of fruit production, and about 160 hectares of arable and grazing land. David’s son Richard returned to the farm in 2008, since then the business has expanded rapidly, with 90 hectares of apples and 1400 hectares of arable.

The business grows a range of top fruit varieties across two sites specialising in Bramley, Cameo, Cox, Gala, Braeburn and smaller acreages of Russet, Spartan, Worcester, Robijn, and Red Windsor.