Have a Question?
Employee-Owned Trust:
Mole End Farms Ltd is progressing towards Employee ownership, which we are hoping will be achieved by the beginning of September 2024 .
This succession planning was seen as providing the most stable future for the business, which ultimately will see the majority shareholding being held by an employee owned Trust , which will operate solely for the benefit those employed.
About Us
Our Team
As a business farming for over 30 years, we believe that a team of loyal and dedicated staff is our most important asset who share the same goals of achieving the best produce for our customers.
Many members of staff have been with us for more than a decade and provide an invaluable wealth of knowledge and experience that benefits our younger team members, seasonal staff and ultimately customers.
Seasonal workers are a vital part of business in order for the business to be successful during harvest, packing and pruning times. By using and adhering to the seasonal workers scheme as well as undertaking rigorous audits of our labour providers we succeed in welcoming staff to a safe and friendly environment in which to work. This encourages workers to return for several seasons.
Founding Mole End Farms in 1994, Paul has steered the business to become what it is today – the biggest Organic Top Fruit Farm in the UK. He is an award-winning Top Fruit producer and credits the hard working and loyal Mole End Farm team for the businesses success.
Paul is now embarking on the process to convert his business into an Employee-Owned Trust to ensure its sustainability for the future.
Paul Ward
Founder and Director
Jules came to Mole End Farms after a 40 year career in nursing – latterly in clinical governance and auditing. She accepted a ‘temporary role’ in 2016 to use her skills to create a quality management system to ensure compliance with our regulatory bodies and to ensure positive audit outcomes. Jules now takes more of a back seat role but continues to support James and Nicoleta with compliance and auditing as well as H.R management.
Jules Ward
Company Secretary
Nicoleta holds an honours degree in Applied Horticulture Science and Veterinary Medicine from the University of Bucharest in Romania. Previosly she was manager of the Largest Cherry Farm in south East Europe.
She joined Mole End Farms in 2014 as Assistant Farm Manager, becoming Farm Manager in 2015. During her time at Mole End Farms she has become a qualified Agronomist (BASIS) and as of September 2023 became Farm Management Director.
Nicoleta Ionita
Farm Management Director
James joined Mole End Farms in August 2020 as part of the packhouse team after a ten-year career in hospitality. He rose through the ranks to become Agri-Business Manager and as of September 2023 Business Director, CEO. His responsibilities involve managing customer relationships and sales, business administration, health and safety, compliance and auditing. As well as these responsibilities he is very much boots on, being a qualified spray operator and tractor driver.
James Langley-Hunt
Business Director, CEO
Paul is our longest serving team member having joined Mole End Farms almost from it beginning. As well as managing the packhouse and relevant logistics, Paul is also qualified as a spray operative and is trained in all aspects of tractor driving.
Paul Chittenden
Packhouse Manager
Tomasz came to Mole End Farms in 2009 as a picker and returned in 2014 where he became a permanent member of staff. During the next 10 years he has become qualified as a spray operator and is trained in all aspects of tractor driving including all attached implements. As of 2017 he had held the position of Assistant Farm Manager – Operations.
Tomasz Blawut
Assistant Farm Manager – Field Operations
Jarek, previously a qualified builder in his native Poland came to Mole End Farms in 2015 as a picker and returned in 2016 to become a permanent member of staff. Since then he has gained qualification as a spray operative and all aspects of tractor driving
As of 2023 Jarek holds the position of Harvest Manager, managing several teams of seasonal pickers to ensure the quality of the harvest crop.
Jarek Bakiera
Harvest Manager
Stephen is our newest member of team having joined Mole End Farms in June 2023. He came to us from a background in workshop managing and is our Head of Maintenance and Repairs ensuring that our equipment is maintained and running efficiently to minimise down time of any of our agricultural appliances.
Stephen Adams
Head of Maintenance and Repairs
Attila began his Mole End Farms journey as a seasonal picker in 2018. Returning for several seasons before joining the permanent team in 2022. He is currently training for a qualification as a spray operative and tractor driver. He is our harvest supervisor, looking after new and returning seasonal workers.
Attila Prezsmer
Farm Supervisor
Gabriela joined the Mole End Team in 2019 to be with her partner Tomasz. Gabriela showed a natural talent for organisation and now holds the position of supervisor when the packhouse is in operation.
Gabriela Skowronek
Farm and Packhouse Operative/Supervisor
Dobrinka worked in the hospitality industry in her native Bulgaria before coming to Mole End Farms as a seasonal worker. She returned for three consecutive seasons before joining the permanent team in 2022. Dobrinka works equally as well in both picking and packing operation and is training in orchard husbandry.
Dobrinka Chapkanova
Farm Operative
Aleksandra working in accountancy in her native Poland before joining her partner Jarek and the team at Mole End Farms in 2018. Aleksandra works as a farm operative, being experienced in picking, packing and orchard husbandry. Since joining the team Aleksandra and Jarek have married and in February 2023 welcomes their son, our youngest member of the Mole End Farms Team.
Aleksandra Bakiera
Farm Operative