Head Gardener Job Opportunity at River Cottage

River Cottage is looking for a new Head Gardener to produce fantastic organic vegetables for our kitchen, help shape our vision of sustainable food production, and inspire our guests with their knowledge and enthusiasm.

Responsible for

• To grow a continual supply of organic vegetables for use in the kitchens

• To keep River Cottage HQ’s outside spaces in good order
• To ensure all public spaces are looking their best all year round
• To carry out maintenance and site improvement tasks in a timely manner
• To always maintain equipment and tools well
• To recruit likeminded people and to ensure good team morale and motivation
• To continually evolve more environmentally responsible ways of growing food and managing the land
• To work alongside our farmer to ensure an integrated, holistic plan for both vegetable and livestock production
• To deliver and develop the garden and growing teaching curriculum at River Cottage HQ
• To share images and tips from the garden on our social channels

Requirements

• To work in the gardens on a daily basis
• To work with the Head Chef to ensure all produce grown is relevant to the requirements of the kitchen
• To work within agreed budgets at all times
• To keep a detailed growing plan and harvest log
• To complete all tasks required to keep the growing areas compliant with the Soil Association and to be prepared for their inspections
• To maintain a leading edge interest in organic and regenerative horticulture, including soil improvement and composting
• To help plan and enable the best delivery of our growing courses
• To attend weekly operations meeting with the GM and other operational heads
• To attend monthly meetings with the Chief Executive and all heads of departments within the business

Practices

• Ensure that all company assets and property are well always cared for and secure
• Ensure the proper implementation of all company policies and procedures
• Hold and attend training and team meetings as required
• To always act as an ambassador for River Cottage and to carry out PR activities when requested
• Be the envoy for River Cottage at external events and festivals deemed useful for the promotion of the brand
• Be available to create marketing content (filming/photos, etc for social media, etc)

Work Schedule

• 40 hours per week including weekend working
• Work location: River Cottage HQ, Trinity Hill, Axminster
• Salary: £34,000 per annum

How to apply

If this sounds like the perfect role for you, send us a few lines about yourself, attach a CV, and tell us why you want to work with us at careers@rivercottage.net or get in touch via our website contact form.