Riverford Organic Farmers eye expansion at Sacrewell Farm with bigger site and 100 new jobs
A national organic farm company is looking to expand its base at Sacrewell Farm and double its workforce to cope with growing demand.
Riverford Organic Farmers, which delivers vegetable boxes, wants to build a larger packing facility and plans to double its workforce at the Sacrewell site.
Luke King, Riverford’s operations director, said the company had grown by almost 70 per cent over the last two years, following a rise in plant-based eating, and increased demand for home delivery.
“Our site at Sacrewell Farm, which supplies produce to homes in the Midlands and South East England has picked up a large part of this growth, “ he said.
“In the face of this growth, we have already doubled the number of people employed at Sacrewell Farm in the past year, which has risen to 100, all recruited from the local area.
“To meet the future growth needs, a larger packing facility is required with plans to double the current output in the next 10 years.”
The company was founded in Devon in 1987, and in 2007 began farming at Sacrewell where it manages most of the 500-acre site.
Sacrewell Farm is owned by the William Scott Abbott Trust, a charity which also runs the 50-acre Sacrewell Heritage Farm and Country Centre, set up to provide agricultural education.
Riverford representatives met with Thornhaugh Parish Council in September to outline their plans.
The company has yet to submit a formal planning application to Peterborough City Council, and Mr King said other locations were also being considered ‘in the immediate area’.
“The plans for the expansion will include key environmental considerations with maximising the use of renewable energy potential and sustainable build options,” he added.
“We also plan to recruit an additional 200 co-owners in addition to the 100 already employed.”
