 Kerr Howatson
Potato Manager
kerr@brucefarms.co.uk
I joined Bruce Farms in 2004, initially helping on the pea harvest for a summer then subsequently joined the company full time to work on the pea and bean enterprise.
I have always been involved with the potatoes on the farm and at the beginning of 2010 I took on the role as potato manager.
At present we grow over 575 acres of potatoes in Perthshire and Angus, renting land from 5 local farmers to supplement our own land. We grow Maris Piper, Harmony and Albert Bartlett’s famous Rooster potato as our main varieties, with a small amount of Saxon and Osprey.
Planting takes place from the end of March until the end of April. The potatoes require intensive irrigation and husbandry until August/September when harvesting takes place. The remainder of the year is spent catching up with paper work, machinery maintenance and planning for the forthcoming season.
Perthshire has the ideal climate for growing potatoes; this coupled with fertile soil provides the right environment to grow fantastic crops.
All of our potatoes are bought by Albert Bartlett, based in Airdrie, Glasgow. Bartlett’s are one of the leading suppliers to the major UK supermarkets – 1 in every 5 potatoes within the UK is supplied by Bartlett’s.
Bruce Farms is a forward thinking company to work for. They never remain static and are constantly looking at new ways to expand and adapt to the current market conditions, which provides me with an interesting, challenging and enjoyable working environment.
I enjoy working outside in the fresh air but when I am not working I find time do to some skiing, clay pigeon shooting and socialising.
--------  James White
Soft Fruit Manager
james@brucefarms.co.uk
I joined Bruce Farms as the soft fruit manager in 2008 having been involved in soft fruit production previously in Herefordshire, England. I and a dedicated team, are responsible for the growing, harvesting and selling of the soft fruit grown at Bruce farms.
Annually we are cropping 110 acres of soft fruit of which about 80 acres are strawberries and 30 acres are raspberries.
We are predominately growing 3 varieties of strawberries – Elsanta, Sonata and Camarillo which crop from the last week in May until the end of September. Our raspberry varieties include Tulameen and Glen Ample which we start harvesting from the first week of July until the middle of September.
The majority of our fruit is grown to supply UK supermarkets, predominately Tesco and Marks and Spencer. We also have our own brand of fruit, Bruce Fruit, which is a premium brand supplied to top hotels, restaurants and retail outlets throughout the UK. The Bruce brand contains only the finest of fruit and is picked and despatched to order.
During the year we employ up to 350 seasonal staff to carry out crop improvement work and harvesting. All of the crops we grow require extensive crop husbandry which starts in January and continues through until the middle of October. We begin planting in March and then make 3 further plantings to ensure production until the end of September.
Bruce Farms is a pro active fruit farm which has an excellent environment for growing soft fruit. Its light fertile soils, cold winters and long mild summer days allow the fruit to develop a great taste. We are always looking to improve our production methods whether it is trialing new varieties or looking at new husbandry methods for the plants. Being receptive and keen to look at new ideas keeps us up to date with industry expectations and allows us to improve and build on what we already know which makes my job both interesting and rewarding.
When I’m not working I still love being outdoors and enjoy walking the dog or watching sport.
--------  Neil D Murray
Peas and Beans Manager
neil@brucefarms.co.uk
I joined Bruce Farms in 1999 and am in charge of more than 6,000 acres of crop, coordinating everything from sowing, harvesting through to purchasing. We grow 15 varieties of peas and beans and it’s a 24-hours-a-day process throughout the summer harvest period.
We are sowing between March and June and harvesting from July to September. I rent all the land and machinery which is overhauled out with those months as well as doing office-based activity.
Bruce Farms works with in excess of 150 different farmers and one of our key clients is Birds Eye which we grow, harvest and store for. As a brand leader, it demands the best quality so all our in-house growing and harvesting methods are carried out stringently in order to consistently enjoy producing great products.
I love the challenge of my job – the varying weather conditions make every season and every year different. Bruce Farms is a long established family-run business that has traditional values and a forward thinking outlook.
When I’m not on the farm, I spend as much time with my family and also enjoy shooting game during the winter.
--------  Ian McDiarmid
Farm Grieve
Believe it or not, I joined Bruce Farms in 1969! Initially as a tractor driver then moving on to farm work and I’m now responsible for running the farm and nine of its full-time employees.
I’m also responsible for Bruce Farms blackcurrants which are grown for GSK to make Ribena. We plant from April then start picking from the end of July for three weeks. From August we protect the wood and spray before pruning in November. I love looking after the blackcurrants and was fortunate to attend a major growers’ conference in New Zealand last year.
Bruce Farms is a very caring family-run business and all staff are on first name terms. I know I’ll be here for the rest of my working life!
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