Robert Mitchell Farms is a Partnership between Robert Mitchell and his two sons James and Alex, growing top quality fruit for the processing and local market. The farms extend to 90 hectares of mainly Bramley cooking apples and Conference pears; other crops include eating apples and cobnuts. The farm is divided into 37 orchards and there is a constant programme of grubbing and replanting to reflect new techniques and market trends.
Robert started his career with the Mitchell family farming business in 1983. He was responsible for pruning all the young trees on the farm until they were established. He is also interested in fruit storage solutions. He introduced low oxygen storage to the family business,enabling them to have continuous supply of fruit throughout the year. Robert is active on many committees and industry groups. He joined the committee of the Marden Fruit Show Society in 1986, and became chairman for five years, and steered the Society towards greater financial stability.
He became a Trustee of East Malling Trust for Horticultural Research and was a Director of East Malling Reserch until 2009. Robert and his brother won the Top Fruit Grower of the Year, and Overall Grower of the Year in 1999. As Chairman of Marden Fruit Show Society, Robert has had many opportunities for political lobbying. He has made many visits to the House of Commons and the House of Lords to address the Parliamentary British Fruit Industry Group on industry matters. He was awarded an MBE in June 2011 for services to young people.
The farm produces a wide range of fruit products for different markets:
Apples are sold in bulk to processing factories in England, Northern Ireland and continental Europe.
Pears are sold to supermarkets via a large packhouse.
Cobnuts are sold to a local processor who presses them into Cobnut Oil.
A carefully selected blend of apples and pears is made into Mitchell's Juice, available locally in the Sevenoaks/Tonbridge area.
In season, top quality fruit is sold locally in specialist greengrocers.
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