Roots to market The Alan Bartlett and Sons root vegetable story
Contents Page 01
An introduction
Alan Bartlett Toby Bartlett Page 05 Oliver Bartlett Page 08 Terry Hawthorn Director Page 10 Neil Coatsworth Farm manager Page 13 Pete Saunders Technical manager Page 17 James Griffin Technical assistant Page 18 Anthony Holmes Farm worker Page 21 Richard Ransome Harvester driver Page 24 Darren Barnett Factory manager Page 25 Nuno Castro Assitant production manager Page 26 Shirley Mayes Factory worker Page 28 Teresa Burbridge Factory worker Page 29 Irma Kapitonoviene Quality controller Page 32 Mark Emery Onion store supervisor Page 37 Mick Packi Yard supervisor Page 40 Shane Moulton Warehouse and distribution manager Page 03 Page 04
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Contact details
At root, we’re a people business... Alan Bartlett and his brother Ronnie are the third generation of the Bartlett family to successfully grow root vegetables in Scotland and throughout Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. In 2009, the brothers agreed to divide the company, with Ronnie concentrating on the potato crop and Alan, together with sons Toby and Oliver, putting heart and soul into carrots, parsnips and onions. Through changing times, the passionate commitment of the Bartlett team has been unwavering. Many staff members have been with Alan for years, helping to shape a first class crop production process that has seen the company grow in output - and reputation. This book walks you through that crop production process and introduces you to some of the individuals responsible for ensuring the best roots to market.
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ALAN BARTLETT
Alan began working for the family business in Airdrie when he was just 17 - and you could say he was raised on root vegetables. In 1982 he came to Chatteris with the intention of staying just two weeks. Over 25 years later, Alan is still seeing potential to develop the business so he’s never left. And it is this committed approach that he is passing on now to his twin sons Toby and Oliver.
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TOBY BARTLETT
Toby joined the business in 2009. Commerciallyminded, his interest led him first to the factory. But like brother Oliver, he will be expected to learn all aspects of the business – from the ground up.
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OLIVER BARTLETT
Oliver also joined the company in 2009. Initially drawn to farming, his interest in growing is balanced by a growing interest in other areas, as - like Toby - he is being schooled in every aspect of the business.
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If you could lay out all the root vegetables grown by Alan Bartlett and Sons each year in East Anglia, the line would stretch around the world, three times over.
TERRY HAWTHORN DIRECTOR
Promoting excellence from seed to supermarket Together with Alan Bartlett, Terry is responsible for overseeing the crop production process from planting to packing. He has been working alongside Alan since 1991.
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NEIL COATSWORTH FARM MANAGER
Sustaining a healthy growing environment Neil directs all aspects of the farm operation, ensuring that every worker and piece of kit is in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing - in the right way. He has been making things happen for the Bartletts since 1995.
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PETE SAUNDERS TECHNICAL MANAGER
Selecting well and planting wisely Pete joined in 2001, bringing with him a sound understanding of seed and land selection. He is responsible for both the ‘good start’ and the constant nurturing that gives each crop the best chance to thrive.
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Alan Bartlett and Sons currently farms in excess of 3000 acres of carrots, and has the capacity to wash and grade 600 tonnes of carrots every day.
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James Griffin TECHNICAL ASSISTANT
Maintaining a watchful eye James is responsible for monitoring the crop in the ground and for helping to decide when to harvest. He joined Alan as a passionate graduate, straight from agricultural college. And just like the carrots, onions and parsnips he watches over, James is flourishing.
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ANTHONY HOLMES FARM WORKER
Leading the way in irrigation Anthony joined Alan Bartlett in 2009. His role is essential, overseeing the company’s sophisticated irrigation system, which delivers precisely the right amount of water to crops in the field. In short, if nature doesn’t provide, Anthony does.
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RICHARD ‘Boney’ RANSOME HARVESTER DRIVER
Harvesting with care and expertise Boney joined the team in 1980. Whilst he can turn his hand to all manner of tasks, from de-stoning to veg topping, there’s no place he’s more comfortable than in the driving seat of Alan Bartlett’s stateof-the-art carrot harvester.
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Alan Bartlett and Sons grows more parsnips than any other producer, worldwide.
DARREN BARNETT FACTORY MANAGER
Ensuring the factory runs smoothly Darren came on board in 2002. He drives the factory operation, ensuring that carrots and parsnips are processed quickly and efficiently, while onions are held in storage to ‘cure’. Being Darren, he’s also good at bringing out the best in the workforce.
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NUNO CASTRO ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER
Satisfying customer demand Nuno works alongside Darren and the factory team, making sure that customer orders are processed and dispatched from the cold store, seven days a week. He has been with the Bartletts since 2004.
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SHIRLEY MAYES FACTORY WORKER
Recognising the best Shirley joined Alan Bartlett in 1995, showing that when it comes to maintaining quality there’s no substitute for a well-trained eye. There are over 200 pairs of them at the Bartlett factory and if crops don’t pass muster, they don’t pass Shirley and the team.
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TERESA BURBRIDGE FACTORY WORKER
Focussing on quality A high-spec modern factory and a motivated workforce; they are both essential to delivering the best crops to market. Teresa joined us in 1989, swiftly making herself indispensible while also setting a standard for others to match.
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IRMA KAPITONOVIENE QUALITY CONTROLLER
Upholding an enviable reputation Irma joined us in 2008 and quickly embraced our approach to delivering the best. Together with her colleagues, she is responsible for the regular produce checks that ensure the Alan Bartlett name means ‘quality’ – every time.
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Alan Bartlett and Sons was the first UK company to supply English parsnips 52 weeks a year, and led the way in reducing damage and bruising by selecting parsnips in the field.
MARK EMERY ONION STORE SUPERVISOR
Bringing out the very best flavour It may be a cliché, but Mark knows his onions. He has worked with this humble root since 2000, and now supervises the store where raw ‘green’ onions become the flavoursome brown and red varieties we all know and love.
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Each December, Alan Bartlett and Sons is ready to increase production by up to 97% to bring the finest carrots and parsnips to the Christmas table.
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MICK PACKI YA R D S U P E R V I S O R
Running an efficient site Mick joined Alan Bartlett in 2003. He can safely negotiate any farm vehicle, from a forklift to a 360-digger. He runs the yard and is the driving force behind water recycling at the factory site – helping to ensure that every root vegetable comes in a healthy shade of green.
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Each year, Alan Bartlett and Sons supplies over 90,000 tonnes of carrots, parsnips and onions.
SHANE MOULTON WA R E H O U S E & D I S T R I B U T I O N MANAGER Guaranteeing a swift and smooth delivery Since joining in 1993, Shane has mastered every task in the delivery chain. He started in the pack house as a forklift driver and today runs the entire dispatch area - proving that it’s not just vegetables that grow with the Bartletts.
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Alan Bartlett and Sons (Chatteris) Limited, Great Acre Fen, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire PE16 6EG
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Telephone: Email:
+44(0)1354 692 685 theteam@alanbartlettandsons.co.uk
Website:
www.alanbartlettandsons.co.uk
Design: Photography:
www.lionhousecreative.com www.juliancalverley.com
We love our onions, but rest assured we don’t normally sit on them...
www.alanbartlettandsons.co.uk