What guides us
Family, food, tradition, innovation and sustainability
At Castleton Farm, our five values – family, food, tradition, innovation and sustainability – shape everything we do.
They influence how we grow our fruit, make and serve food, work with our team, support our suppliers and care for the farm, helping us build a successful business with a positive future.
Family
Castleton is a family business, but family means more to us than ownership.
It shapes the way we work with one another, welcome visitors and look after the people who help make the farm, shop, café and packhouse work.
We know that good businesses are built by people who feel valued and supported.
From the family and long-serving team members to seasonal colleagues arriving from around the world, everyone has a part to play in bringing fruit from the farm to the people who enjoy it.
Food
Good food starts long before it reaches the plate.
It starts with fruit grown carefully on the farm, ingredients chosen with thought and people who care about what they are making.
Some of our berries are enjoyed fresh, while others become preserves, sauces, cakes, desserts and other Castleton products. In the café and farm shop, we bring these ingredients together with food from trusted local suppliers – so visitors can enjoy the taste of the farm, then take a little of it home.
Tradition
Tradition gives Castleton its foundations.
It is the knowledge of the land, the rhythm of the seasons and the practical experience passed through the family and the people who work here.
We value the things that have stood the test of time: care, patience, good farming and doing a job properly.
Tradition does not mean standing still. It gives us a strong base from which to make thoughtful decisions about what comes next.
Innovation
“The tradition and heritage behind Castleton Farm underpins our respect for the environment. But it is dynamic thinking that will help us achieve our sustainability goals”
Ross Mitchell
Farming is never exactly the same from one year to the next.
Weather changes, crops change and the way people buy and enjoy food changes too. At Castleton, innovation means being curious, trying new ideas and learning what works.
From protected growing and new fruit varieties to preserves, ready meals, renewable-energy systems and new ways of welcoming visitors, we keep looking for better possibilities. Not every idea succeeds – but progress rarely starts without trying.
Sustainability
Looking after the future of the farm means looking after the land, the people and the resources we depend on.
We aim to farm profitably and responsibly, making practical changes that reduce our impact while protecting the farm’s ability to produce food for years to come.
Our work includes regenerative farming to improve soil health, renewable-energy systems, reducing waste and using more responsible packaging. We know sustainability is an ongoing process, so we keep reviewing what we do and looking for ways to do it better.
Our commitment
1. Lowering our carbon footprint by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions
Through a network of biomass boilers and solar systems, we produce more electricity than we use. However as our demand for power fluctuates through the day and we don’t currently have the infrastructure to store it, we export electricity during the night, and import it during the day.
Also by producing fruit for nine months of the year, we reduce the need for imported fruit, cutting down on carbon-intensive food miles.
2. Employing regenerative farming
An approach centred on improving and revitalising soil health. Find out more…
3. Reducing our use of single-use plastic
The biggest use of plastic is in the packaging for the fruit. Our ethos is that nothing should be single use. The current plastic fruit punnets used by Castleton Farm contain a minimum of 80% recycled plastic material and are 100% recyclable.
Five values, one way of working
These values are not separate from the day-to-day business. They come together in the way we grow fruit, develop food, support our team, work with suppliers and welcome visitors.
Castleton news
Keep up to date with what's going on at Castleton Farm
Why Castleton cherries are worth the wait
If you visited Castleton Farm for our cherry blossom tours this spring, you got a glimpse of where the magic begins. For a few short weeks, the orchards were filled with delicate white blossom, attracting visitors to enjoy coffee, cake and afternoon tea beneath the trees. But beautiful as the...
