Camellia : Welcoming Bardsley England to the Group

I am delighted that we announced today our new partnership with the Bardsley family.

A 5th generation fruit growing business based in Kent, Bardsley is a stone's throw from our headquarters here in Linton.

It has always been our ambition to extend our farming footprint into the UK. To have found an operation which not only shares our values but is also so near to us, makes this a terrific transaction.

Bearer crop agriculture is where we specialise, and Bardsley's production of apples, pears, cherries and other fruits is right in our sweet spot.

Whilst we will have an 80% share of the business going forward, it will continue to be led by Ben Bardsley and his team. This family connection and continuity is hugely important to us as we have always thought of ourselves as custodians of our agricultural operations, developing and improving them to be passed to the next generation.

Based across 23 sites with 850 ha of land in Kent, Bardsley is passionate about future innovation and sustainability.

Ben's focus on long-term regenerative agriculture which minimises the impact on the soil and promotes biodiversity fits perfectly with our own environmental ambitions in this area.

Welcoming Bardsely England to the Camellia Group is a major milestone in our long-term strategy to diversify and expand our agricultural operations.

An exciting day!