Grower Profiles

M H Poskitt Ltd Managing Director Guy Poskitt

Guy Poskitt has always been involved in his family's farm - from playing on the farm as a young boy then working on it as a young man. And today he is the driving force behind 4,000 acre farm which is a major supplier of carrots to the UK's supermarkets.

Guy's mother took over the running of the farm when her husband died when Guy was just eight years old. As soon as he had finished his education, Guy took over the running of the farm.

The business has changed a lot over the years. "I've taken the business from producing just 1,500 tons of carrots per year, to over 60,000 tons today", says Guy, justifiably proudly.

The farm was started by his father in the 1950s and initially supplied wholesalers and canners. However, when Guy took over he quickly realised that the opportunities with wholesalers were limited and the way forward was to supply the major retailers.

"I never thought I'd become a business man", laughs Guy. "I thought I'd always be a farmer, but nowadays I can drive a computer much better than a tractor!" He runs his farm as a business that is focused on his customers and market opportunities, rather than a farm based on traditions.

It is still very much family business. Mrs Poskitt senior still works part-time at the farm and Guy's wife Clare manages the financial side of the retail accounts.

"I eat loads of carrots; I eat them raw at my desk all day long", says Guy. And his staff claim they can measure his mood by the amount of carrots he eats - they say that as his stress levels go up, so does the number of carrots he crunches throughout the day!