Lead Grower at Farm to Fork – The Ribble Valley Lancashire

Organic Growers Alliance; Ribble Valley; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an experienced Organic Grower to join their passionate team. This role involves managing a vibrant kitchen garden and polytunnel, ensuring high standards of organic produce for a renowned kitchen. With a focus on sustainability and community engagement, the ideal candidate will have a strong background in organic gardening, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative environment. If you are enthusiastic about organic growing and want to make a meaningful impact, this opportunity is perfect for you!

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years experience in organic food growing, preferably in no dig or permaculture.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills required.

Responsibilities

• Create seasonal growing plans and liaise with the head chef for quality produce.
• Manage indoor and outdoor growing environments, ensuring cleanliness and order.

Skills

Organic Food Growing

Time Management

Communication Skills

Volunteer Management

Soil Management

Pest and Disease Management

Plant Propagation

DIY Skills

Driving License

Tools

Garden Machinery

Job description

The Three Fishes successfully opened in November 2021 under the management of Nigel Haworth. In the short time since opening, we have already been featured in the Sunday Times as one of the ‘top 30 places for Sunday roast’ and listed in the 2022 MICHELIN Guide, Hardens and The Good Food Guide. Our menus are shaped by the seasons, supported by our kitchen garden, foragers, and local suppliers. Menus are complemented by exceptional wine pairings and a well-drilled order of service.

We believe that the success of a business is in the quality of its people. We’ve worked hard to build a team who are dedicated to our sustainability mission, are in line with our ethos and have exciting, engaging personalities. We’re looking to grow our team further with the addition of an experienced Organic Grower. Our one and a half acre kitchen garden and polytunnel is open to our guests and the general public, meaning our gardens will need to be maintained to a high standard. On occasion there may be the requirement to lead guided tours of the growing area, and it would be helpful for the growing areas to be well labelled and informative for all who join us.

SALARY

According to experience - Shorter hours in the winter.

THE PERSON

The ideal Organic Grower will have the following:

1. Minimum of three years experience as a kitchen gardener or market gardener working with organic food growing, preferably in a no dig or permaculture setting.
2. Good organisational skills, including efficient time management and ability to prioritise.
3. Excellent communication skills to liaise with the kitchen team as well as guests.
4. Experience of volunteer management and plotting out their development.
5. Knowledge of soft fruit production, pruning and care.
6. Practical experience of organic and no dig and permaculture systems.
7. Good understanding of soil management, fertility building and increasing site biodiversity.
8. Experience of growing micro-greens and salad production.
9. Skilled in plant propagation and mixed vegetable production both outside and within a poly-tunnel.
10. Excellent knowledge of organic pest and disease management and control.
11. Full, clean driving licence.

As a sole gardener, you will need to be self-motivated and confident with the ability to work independently but also enjoy being part of a wider team.

THE JOB

Working to create seasonal growing plans, you will liaise with the head chef regularly to plan and supply the kitchen with quality seasonal produce. The site has much potential, and we would love your enthusiasm for kitchen gardening and organic growing to imaginatively drive this project forward. You will be responsible for the following:

1. Ability to work in all weathers.
2. Undertaking practical DIY tasks, such as creating compost bays and cold frames.
3. Safely using garden machinery, such as hedge trimmers, leaf blowers and lawn mowers.
4. Ad-hoc seasonal gardening tasks across the property where required.
5. Maintaining all relevant health and safety requirements.
6. Plan and manage an annual rotation and timetable for successional sowing in the growing areas to provide the kitchen with a constant supply of fresh seasonal produce.
7. Manage the indoor and outdoor growing environments, keeping these areas clean and well ordered.