Head Grower, full or part-time – Forbidden Fruit and Veg

Head Grower, full or part-time, to commence from mid‑July 2026 or later.

Forbidden Fruit and Veg is a 1.7 acre Market Garden which includes outdoor beds, an orchard, six polytunnels, and a small greenhouse in a walled garden with a packing shed nearby, and about 35 chickens. We sell wholesale to a local pub, shops in Bristol, 2 farmers’ markets, an honesty‑box kiosk, and via delivered and collected veg boxes.

Due to the present head grower leaving on July 19th, we ask the head grower, who will be supported by the present experienced trainee, to commit to at least 5 months with the option to renew if both parties agree.

The engagement will be to manage the market garden and provide leadership and support to the trainee and volunteers (woofers).

The candidate(s) must have at least two years’ experience of organic/agroecological growing, preferably in a commercial setting, with a strong theoretical and practical experience in edible horticulture. A full, current driving licence is required.

The freelance salary will be £90 per 7‑hour day. Days worked will be 5 days per week.

We are willing to offer a full‑time head grower a bonus of 75% of end‑of‑year profits made by the business.

For a full‑time head grower we offer free accommodation and free organic food prepared in my house in a rota by the head grower, woofers and the trainee. You will be able to choose between a room in my 6‑bed house, or a room in a detached 5‑bedroom house 120 m across the quiet road (with a contribution towards your share of utilities) shared with the community of woofers and the trainee.

Forbidden Fruit and Veg was established in 2021 in a 1.7 acre walled garden, built by the Victorians to feed Badminton House and the wider estate. The market garden is run by the Head Grower, supported by live‑in WWOOFers and volunteers. The garden has 6 large poly‑tunnels and a small greenhouse and supplies veg to local markets, farm shops and businesses, as well as running a veg box scheme and honesty stall.

Responsibilities

• Practical work: crop production, harvesting, sowing and plant raising, infrastructure, maintenance and repair
• Routine admin: recruiting and managing WWOOFers, sales lists—collating and distributing by email, updating web lists, box planning, prepping pick lists, processing Ooooby sales (boxes & others), enquiries, ordering bought‑in veg
• Work with the trainee and woofers to attend to all aspects of care for the land and the production of crops, including soil preparation, sowing, planting, weeding, harvesting, pest and disease management, compost production
• Work with the trainee and woofers in packing and organising delivery of wholesale and individual orders around the local area
• Be flexible in working hours to suit the needs of the garden where necessary, such as early starts on busy harvesting mornings, and helping cover routine duties for example on the weekend watering / tunnel‑opening rota with irregular work prearranged according to need and availability
• Help promote and market the business such as helping run stalls at local events
• See more information via our Forbidden Fruit and Veg website

Benefits

• Bonus of 75% of end‑of‑year profits for full‑time head grower
• Free accommodation in 6‑bed house or detached 5‑bedroom house with contribution towards utilities
• Free organic food prepared in house by rota

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