Fruit Enterprise

Our fruit enterprise is expertly managed by Richard Chandler and Charlie Dunn. We honour Kent's centuries-old tradition of fruit growing, thriving in the UK's premier apple-growing region.

Operating across two sites—Goldstone and Perry farms—we cultivate approximately 200 hectares of apple orchards. Our on-site facilities include atmosphere-controlled storage with a capacity of around 3,000 tonnes, where we store our fruit before delivering it to packers and supermarkets.

As longstanding and leading members of the Fruition Producer Organisation, we collaborate with Worldwide Fruit as our marketing agent. Our commitment to innovation is evident in our extensive trial plots for Worldwide Fruit Limited (WFL), with up to 60 new variety trials conducted simultaneously.

We were pioneers in the UK, becoming one of the first farms to commercially grow the popular Jazz variety following successful trials for WFL. Additionally, we actively participate in Technology Strategy Board (TSB) projects with WFL, exploring topics ranging from earwig population research to optimizing light levels in tree canopies.

In partnership with the University of Worcester, we have demonstrated our commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. Together, we introduced wildlife-friendly practices, including planting wildflower strips and adopting a 'no mow' policy in trial orchards to observe their impact on predator populations. Building on the success of this collaboration, we continue to maintain wildflower plots and corridors to support biodiversity.

We recently concluded studies, in collaboration with NIAB, exploring innovative strategies to combat the rosy apple aphid.

Sustainability remains a priority, with trickle irrigation systems installed in most new orchards planted over the past five years.