A wonderful opportunity has arisen for a highly skilled Kitchen Gardener to work underneath the Head Kitchen Gardener, on a charming estate, covering over 750 acres, in East Sussex. This is a very exciting period on the estate following the recent renovation of the walled garden, and the Kitchen Gardener will assist in ensuring that it continues to run efficiently and remains productive year round.
Within the kitchen garden there are multiple beds, 2 glasshouses for propagation, and an outdoor kitchen which the property owners enjoy using very much. There is also an orchard which produces a variety of fruits, and so the Kitchen Gardener will be expected to prune these as necessary. There have been experiments with producing items such as jams, chutneys, and ciders, and the estate aims to continue experimenting with the creation of new product offerings, and so applicants can bring a good level of creativity in the generation of new and exciting ideas.
The kitchen garden has been renovated to a beautiful standard, and supplies produce, including fruits, vegetables, salads, and cut flowers, to the main home and holiday lets on site, as well as reaching out to small businesses to develop new working relationships within the local community. This includes creating boxes of produce and, following a successful first season, the client is focused on developing this aspect of the estate this coming year. In addition, the Kitchen Gardener role will provide assistance with general garden maintenance duties on the wider estate such as pruning, weeding, and watering, so candidates should be pro-active and an excellent team player.
Applicants are expected to have a solid background in kitchen or market gardening, with the ability to reliably produce fruit, vegetables, and cut flowers. The Kitchen Gardener will be highly motivated and genuinely passionate about what they do, with a good understanding of the seasonal requirements of a garden of this level. The ability to communicate at all levels is essential, as well as good administrative skills.
Candidates should have their PA1/6 spraying certificates, a full driving license, and hold a horticultural qualification, although those with extensive experience will also be considered. The working hours for the position are Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm, with occasional weekend working which can be taken back in lieu at times agreed. This role will be subject to a DBS check and candidates will be required to sign an NDA.
SALARY: up to £32,000 DOE
LOCATION: Hartfield, East Sussex
JOB No: EC67316
If this vacancy is of interest, please click ‘Apply for job’ below or contact Jess Parrett on 01233 733510 or email info@englishcountrygardeners.co.uk.
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