Despite the impressive output, Clock House Farm shares Shepherd Neame’s commitment to sustainability - and has made some groundbreaking moves to incorporate this into its operations.
;
Locally sourced soft fruit
A long-term partnership
Shepherd Neame has been working with fellow independent family firm Clock House Farm for more than 25 years.
Founded in 1903, and now farming some 300 hectares just outside of Maidstone, the business typically grows and sells 4 million punnets of strawberries, 8 million punnets of raspberries, 4.5 million punnets of blackberries, 7 million packs of apples and 500,000 punnets of plums each year: that's a lot of fruit!
Chef apprenticeships
Produce to plate
As part of their development programme, Shepherd Neame’s Chef Apprentices are regularly taken to see suppliers including Clock House Farm.
“Seeing where the produce comes from helps when they get into the kitchen as it provides inspiration to create delicious dishes.
“We are lucky enough to have this fantastic produce on our doorstep here in the Garden of England, so we want to showcase it on our menu with delicious seasonal specials.”
Executive Chef, Gareth Finney
Sustainability at its heart
“Sustainability is a cornerstone of how we operate as a farm. We have implemented some really leading technology, including investing in the rollout of a £10m renewable energy heated soft fruit growing system designed to produce fruit outside of the UK growing season whilst focusing on our environmental footprint.
"It has involved investing in technology that can source the heat required from the nearby River Medway, and is amongst the most significant investments in green energy for soft fruit in the UK.
“We have been proud to work with Shepherd Neame for the past decade. They have always been committed to supporting local growers and using local produce. It is great for our team members to be able to actually go into one of their pubs locally and see our fruit being served.”
Managing Director, Oli Pascall