About Heckfield Estates
The Heckfield estate, set across 438 acres, contains a certified biodynamic market garden, organic farm, woodlands, ornamental gardens, and pleasure grounds. The market garden and farm, known as Heckfield Home Farm, grows produce and flowers for its sister companies Heckfield Place, Spring, and Wildsmith Skin, along with produce sales held on the farm. The mixed livestock and arable farm is home to a herd of beef cattle, flocks of sheep, saddleback pigs, hens, and a dairy herd of Guernsey cows, whose milk is processed on site in the dairy processing unit.
Heckfield Estates provides a range of services within its wider Group, offering opportunities to work across the following areas:
- Food and flower growing
- Gardening and arboriculture
- Warehousing and logistics
- Project management
- Grounds maintenance
- Facilities maintenance
- Safety and security
- Office management and administration
Heckfield Estates partners with local schools and community organisations, welcoming learners of all ages to explore the farm, understand sustainable agriculture, reconnect with nature, and discover the numerous career paths in this sector.
Working with FuturePlus to further their practices around sustainability, Heckfield Estates has implemented many policies and initiatives to improve their sustainability and impact in the community. FuturePlus provides a framework for sustainable growth, managing and measuring sustainability scores in five key themes: Climate; Diversity and Inclusion; Social; Economic; and Environment.
We are now looking for a Senior Glasshouse Grower to join our growing team, to assist the Head Market Gardener in the successful planning, propagation, production, and day‑to‑day management of a productive market garden. The role combines hands‑on crop growing expertise with day to day supervision of the team, ensuring crops are raised to a high standard from seed through to harvest while leading the garden team effectively.
This is a plant‑centred role, requiring strong propagation skills, sound horticultural knowledge, and the ability to make informed growing decisions based on close observation of crops and prevailing conditions.
This is a physical role based outdoors throughout the seasons therefore the ideal candidate must be comfortable working in all weather conditions and be physically fit.
Some of the duties you will be involved in will include:
· Together with the Market Garden Supervisors, take responsibility for the effective operation of the market garden in the Head Market Gardeners absence.
· Contribute to and support the development and maintenance of the market garden areas including the glasshouse, polytunnels, outside vegetable plots and the orchard, along with all buildings/ workspaces that relate to the market garden operation.
· Carry out all aspects of horticultural work as required by Head Market Gardener.
· Implement the biodynamic principles that underpin the market garden practices.
· Take responsibility for plant propagation, raising crops from seed through all nursery stages to successful establishment in the field.
· Demonstrate strong practical and theoretical knowledge of plants, including germination requirements, growth habits, and seasonal behaviour.
· Working closely with Head Market Gardener, plan and oversee crop production from seed to harvest, including variety choice, sowing calendars, succession planting, and crop rotation suitable for UK growing conditions.
· Maintain strong standards of plant health, monitoring crops closely for signs of stress, nutrient deficiency, pests, or disease.
Only candidates with the Right to Work in the UK should apply.
We are an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £33,418.35 per year
Benefits:
- Canteen
- Company events
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid volunteer time
- Sick pay
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Hook RG27: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Growing: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
