MEET OUR TEAM

Bill, along with his brother John, started the business together in 1995 & with a lifelong history is onion farming Bill knows his onions! With a keen eye for quality and years of experience growing onions Bill spends a lot of his time visiting our growers and ensuring the best crop is heading to Stourgarden at all times. Bill has seen the business grow from 40 ton per week to the current 2,000 ton per week and often sites memories from the early days. In Bill’s spare time he can be found on a paddle tennis court or one of the local golf courses!

George joined the family business in 2013, before that George worked for a few years in the produce industry following his time at Reading University studying Agricultural Business Management. Onion production is in George’s blood, and even as Managing Director can often be found getting stuck in where needed around the site. When George isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time with his family on the local waters and ending the day in the village pub with a pint!

Ben joined the team in 2016 and comes from an agricultural background, from livestock to fresh produce, he’s done it all. Ben looks after the procurement of all onions and garlic, working closely with the growers in both the UK and around the world. Ben ensures the right onions are in the right place at the right time, and even sometimes at the right costs! At the weekends Ben enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 boys, being outdoors, den building in the woods or on the water!

Christine (AKA Peanut) has been working at Stourgarden since 2002, starting on the production lines working her way up through the ranks to her current position of production manager. Peanut is responsible for our two wholehead packhouses, overseeing more than 200 staff, 10 production lines and 100,000 tons of onions per year! In her spare time Christine likes spending time with her young family and baking treats for the office!

Jonathan joined Stourgarden in 2009 and as our Operations Director is involved in many areas of the business. Fresh produce is in Jonathan’s blood having grown up on his parent’s tomato nursery and has a degree in commercial horticulture. Jonathan has a great knowledge of the whole process, from growing crops where it all starts, through to the packing, processing and marketing. Outside of work Jonathan enjoys watching formula one, building & racing model cars and sunny holidays.

Julie joined Stourgarden in 2017 to manage the finance team, Julie is only the second person to hold this position since the company began! Julie runs the accounts team, preparing monthly accounts and ensuring we’re on track throughout the year. When Julie isn’t at work, she enjoys spending time with family & friends and long walks with the family dog - always coming back to the office with excellent café recommendations!

Sarah joined the business in 2022 as Account Manager & after quickly becoming a firm fixture within the team she was promoted to Commercial Manager in 2024 to take on commercial responsibility for the complete portfolio of customers, across both wholehead and prepared. Sarah has developed our supply chain team and continues to oversee the function in its entirety. Prior to joining Stourgarden Sarah worked in the packaging industry looking after fresh produce & ran weddings and events during her time at university. Now Sarah organises all of Stourgarden’s events, which if you have attended one you will know there is no stone left unturned! When Sarah isn’t at work, she enjoys weekend trips to Norfolk and holidays in Dubai!

Sarah joined the business in 2022 as Account Manager & after quickly becoming a firm fixture within the team she was promoted to Commercial Manager in 2024 to take on commercial responsibility for the complete portfolio of customers, across both wholehead and prepared. Sarah has developed our supply chain team and continues to oversee the function in its entirety. Prior to joining Stourgarden Sarah worked in the packaging industry looking after fresh produce & ran weddings and events during her time at university. Now Sarah organises all of Stourgarden’s events, which if you have attended one you will know there is no stone left unturned! When Sarah isn’t at work, she enjoys weekend trips to Norfolk and holidays in Dubai!

Tiina joined the team in 2023, having previously worked in all sorts fruit and veg across the world for the last 11 years. Tiina joined team onion to head up the technical function with a passion for all things technical. Especially keen on standard development, compliance and keeping an eye on third party standards that affect our entire supply chain. Outside of work you’ll find Tiina with a glass of wine and a good book.

Tristan joined the business in 2014 to take on the running of our new Prep factory from the beginning. Tris oversees the smooth running of the factory and operations, making sure all regulations are adhered to, maintaining standards & ensuring staff are well looked after. In his spare time Tristan can be found up a mountain, running around the countryside with a weighted backpack or listening to music, all of which are his happy place!

Adrian joined Stourgarden in August 2015 to assist Tristan manage our Prepared Factory. Adrian has years of experience in the food industry and utilises this at Stourgarden by looking after daily production and all of the staff to ensure a smooth-running factory. Outside of work Adrian is a keen footballer, whether that’s playing himself, coaching his son’s football team or watching Chelsea play.

Beth began working as a line leader in the packhouse before heading off to study Regenerative Agriculture. On her return to Stourgarden Beth joined the procurement team and supports Ben, Bill and Mick in sourcing onions for all our customers. Beth spends much of the growing season out walking crops and spending time with growers. Outside of work Beth enjoys keeping fit, spending time with her dogs and travelling.

Bethany joined Stourgarden in January 2024, spending 7 months in our Technical team before moving across to Commercial to join Sarah in looking after our customers. Bethany supports both prepared & wholehead customer. In her spare time Bethany can be found on a rugby pitch playing for our local team, on a long dog walk or singing along to Taylor Swift!

David can usually be found very close to one of the Stourgarden lorries! Dave runs the entire fleet 24/7 ensuring our customer’s consignments arrive on time, every time. Dealing with an ever-changing environment, looking after the drivers and more often than not delivering the goods himself! All things transport are driven by Dave! Outside of work, Dave can usually be found waiting at an airport departure gate in a bid for winter sun!

Before moving to the United Kingdom, Eryk worked as an IT teacher in schools, building a strong foundation in technology and problem-solving. After arriving in the UK, Eryk joined Stourgarden as a Line Operator and progressed into the Print Room, eventually managing that independently. Eryk was promoted to IT Manager in 2025, a recognition of his IT expertise and tech background. In his free time, Eryk can be found reading, gaming & refurbishing computers!

Gabriella started her career at Stourgarden in 2007 as a line operative and has worked her way up thought the company to her current role as Shift manager, in which she works alongside the other shift manager to ensure that the packhouse runs smoothly and orders are produced in accordance with the specifications. Outside of work, Gabriella enjoys long walks with her dogs and spending as much time with her family as possible.

Georgi is responsible for the high hygiene standards within our Prep Factory, he oversees the entire team and can often be found getting stuck in. Georgi loves real, honest, and responsible people and keeps hygiene from hypocrisy. Georgi likes to support and inspire his team to achieve cleanliness to perfection and compliance with confidence. Outside of work Georgi is a keen sportsman who has a competitive streak and can often be found with his two young sons.

Jan started with us in 2008 as Office Manager, keeping everyone in check. Jan is responsible for the weekly payroll for over 360 staff and oversees the sales and purchase ledgers, with the assistance Natalie and Ky. Whether it’s ensuring our growers are paid on time or helping to prepare the monthly accounts, Jan covers a whole host of tasks. In her spare time Jan loves spending time with her family and many pets, socializing (especially if it involves a glass of prosecco) and holidays!

Jason joined the technical team in 2025, having 30 years extensive experience in roles within produce, working with tomatoes, salads, top fruit and soft fruit. Jason has spent the last ten years leading a technical team processing fresh and frozen produce. Jason has recently taken up running, joining the affectionately titled ‘Stourgarden Running Club’, following persistent peer pressure from colleagues Lee and Kynan & is absolute smashing the miles!

Kavita has great technical and quality experience of working in the food industry. Working alongside the production team to maintain the highest food standards in our prepared factory. Kavita is a specialist in microbiology and loves to share her knowledge with all members of the team. When Kavita is not reading lab reports she can be found spending time with her family and enjoys holidays.

Kerry joined Stourgarden in November 2024 as Technical & Health & Safety Administrator, dealing with various tasks including Pest Control and Supplier Compliance. Before that she worked in the technical department of a fruit and nut sales & distribution company, and prior to that in a well-known Jam factory. Kerry previously spent 11 years as a Special Needs Learning Support Assistant. When not at work, Kerry enjoys visiting her 3 grown up children and her dad, and has volunteered in Zambia working with lion cubs.

Kynan joined our Accounts team in 2023 and he manages the sales ledger, ensuring customer accounts are accurate and kept up to date, and provides support across a range of other accounting functions. Kynan deals with all customer queries, although luckily, we don’t have too many and helps prepare the monthly accounts. Outside of work, Kynan has a passion for his animals which include snakes, lizards, and cats.

Lee joined our accounts team in 2024 and is responsible for looking into the overall cost of the products we sell, ensuring we remain as cost effective for our customers as possible. Lee has a real interest in old cars, fun fact his newest car was made last century!! Lee also enjoys spending time with his 2 rescue dogs and watching football.

Mark has worked at Stourgarden since he was 16! Mark has been a key figure for years and in 2025 was promoted to Yard & Intake manager. He manages the entire goings on in the yard from raw material coming in from the UK & overseas as well as ensuring everything leaves site as it should do – all while making sure a busy yard is safe at all times. Outside of work, Mark enjoys walks with his two dogs as well as jetting off to warmer climates with his wife & grown up sons!

Miriam is based in Spain and is our eyes and ears on the ground with our Spanish Onion and Garlic growers, ensuring the best quality arrives at Stourgarden, on time every time. Miriam spends her days visiting the crop in fields, whilst it’s being packed and dispatched as well as always looking for competitive transport and whole market analysis. In her spare time Miriam can be found swimming, travelling and spending time with her friends.

Natalie works closely with Jan and Julie and is responsible for purchase ledger and ensuring all our suppliers' invoices are logged and paid on time. Natalie works 3 days a week and is a real ray of sunshine in the office. In her free time, Natalie likes spending time with her family and dog, visiting the local area and going on holiday!

Nick joined Stourgarden in 2025 as Sustainability manager, kickstarting our Sustainability Department, responsible for reducing emissions and integrating environmental, social, and governance goals into business operations. Nick is also working closely with our grower group to innovate and improve sustainable farming practices along our supply chain. Prior to joining Stourgarden Nick was responsible for looking after various protected sites along the Suffolk coast and enjoys getting out to see such sites and nature reserves when possible. Nick also holds a Msc in Tropical Marine biology, taking any chance he can to get out and do some diving when on holiday.

Paul joined the team in 2026 as Health and Safety Manager, having several years of experience in health and safety within the food processing industry. Throughout Paul’s career, he has been committed to creating safe, compliant, and efficient working environments, ensuring that both employees and operations are protected through strong safety cultures and best practices. Outside of work, Paul has five children who keep him very busy and active. Paul says family life has strengthened his organisational skills, resilience, and ability to manage multiple priorities - qualities that he brings into his professional role every day.

Polly joined Stourgarden in December 2025 as the new Human Resources Manager, bringing with her several years of HR experience within the fast moving and complex food industry. Polly is adept at delivering expert guidance to enhance organisational performance. She holds a BA (Hons) in English and Politics, is CIPD qualified and specialises in employee relations, investigations and generalist HR support. Outside of work Polly enjoys shopping, gardening, socialising, or hopping on a plane with friends to enjoy somewhere new for the weekend.

Raminta started working at Stourgarden in 2016 as a shift QC, during her time here Raminta has shown great passion for all things onions, now as the QC manager, Raminta oversees the QC team working closely with the production, grading and procurement teams. Outside of work, Raminta likes to spend time with her family, especially her two children!

Sam joined in Stourgarden 2023 as a line leader. In 2025 she was promoted to Shift Manager where she oversees the smooth running of the packhouse on shift B. Before this she managed the families butcher shop for 20 years. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family & friends and getting out for long walks with the dog in all sorts of weather!

Vanya started her journey at Stourgarden in 2014 and quickly advanced to the role of QC Supervisor, where she led the Prep team. In 2020, she joined the Technical Team, contributing to maintaining high production standards. Now serving as Technical Manager, Vanya remains committed to ensuring the safety and quality of all products. Outside of work Vanya can be found running & spending time with her two young sons.