Ali Capper – Stocks Farm – HCP Chairman
In partnership at Stocks Farm, Suckley, Worcestershire UK with her husband Richard and his father Mark, the Cappers specialise in growing hops and apples. They farm dessert and cider apples and hops.
Ali’s former career was in advertising and marketing. Today, in addition to numerous roles at the farm, her work includes membership of formerly the British Hop Association, the NFU’s National Horticulture & Potatoes Board and Wye Hops Ltd. Ali is executive chair of British Apples & Pears Ltd, a Nuffield Scholar and a non-executive director for NFU Mutual.
Jack Ward N.Sch, FRAgS – Company Secretary
Jack is a Director and former Chief Executive of the British Growers Association, a grower owned, and grower-controlled cooperative which facilitates 40 organisations operating across UK horticulture. He works extensively on behalf of the sector on the issues of the day. He is on the board of trustees of Processors and Growers Research Organisation and a member of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers.
Prior to joining British Growers, Jack was CEO of City & Guilds NPTC providing vocational qualifications for the land-based industries. He also held several posts with the NFU, including regional director for the East Midlands. He is a Nuffield Scholar and went on to chair the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust. He is a former director of the Oxford Farming Conference and became a fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of England in 2014
Charles Carr – Hillier Nurseries
Charles has worked in the ornamentals sector since leaving school some 35 years ago and has been at Hillier as head of wholesale nurseries since 2018. Prior to this, he worked at Lowaters Nurseries as a director for 12 years and almost 10 years at Notcutts Nurseries on various sites. During this period he was lucky enough to be involved in the production of a wide and challenging range of plants.
Robert James – Thanet Earth
Robert James has been with Thanet Earth since its inception in 2008, playing a key role as part of the leadership team. Over the years, he has been instrumental in the development of the site into one of the UK’s most advanced and fully operational greenhouse complexes.
As Technical Director, Robert oversees all aspects of product quality and food safety, while driving innovation through sustainability initiatives, research projects, varietal development, and environmental management. His focus on excellence and forward-thinking solutions continues to shape Thanet Earth’s reputation as a leader in modern horticulture.
Robert has represented industry: – Trustee – East Malling Trust, NFU Horticulture and Potatoes, Board Member – Growing Kent & Medway, Director – Tomato Growers’ Association and Board Member – AHDB Horticulture
Through these roles, Robert has championed innovation, crop protection, varietal development, and sustainability — making significant contributions not just at Thanet Earth, but across the wider horticultural community.
Rob Parker – G’s
During the past 20 years Rob has moved up through the lettuce and farming team and now holds the positions of Growing Director for Gs Growers Ltd and G’s Growers Nurseries managing director.
Rob has been the British Leafy Salads chairman for the past seven years and sits on both the British Leafy Salads Association and Plant Propagators Limited R&D panels.
Sam Rix – P.G. Rix Farms
Sam is a director of Rix Farms and Stourgarden Ltd. An onion specialist with 14 years of agronomy experience, he is the current British Onions R&D chairman and has previously served two terms on the AHDB Field Vegetable Panel.
Stefan Atanasov
Stefan Atanasov began his horticulture career in 2009 after relocating to the UK from Bulgaria, where he had developed strong experience in plan production and operational management.
In 2019, he joined Coletta & Tyson Ltd. As Technical Manager, further advancing his knowledge in Ornamental plant production and contributing to the company’s ongoing technical and operational progress.
Stefan now serves as Director of HCP, playing a vital role in supporting the UK Ornamental industry. He works in collaboration with growers, industry organisations to help ensure essential EAMUs remain available to the sector.
Dr Louise Sutherland – British Berry Growers
Louise is chair of the British Berry Growers R&D board. She is also director of Ceres Agri-tech at Cambridge Enterprise, the commercialisation arm of the University of Cambridge. Ceres Agri-tech translates plant agri-tech innovations from university lab benches to farmers’ fields. She has a PhD in Plant Pathology.
Derek Wilkinson – Sandfields Farms Ltd
Derek is based in Warwickshire and is managing director and a shareholder of Sandfields Farms Ltd (part of The Shropshire Group). Sandfields Farms, which was set up in 2007, is a farming business growing over 1500ha of salads and vegetables for the major retailers, and employing more than 800 staff across Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Kent. Sandfields also grow over 400ha of combinable crops in rotation and their land base is predominantly rented from a whole range of landlords and farmer partners ranging from small to very large.
Stephen Shields – Technical and Sustainability Director Huntapac
Stephen Shields is Huntapac’s Technical and Sustainability Director and has worked within the food industry for the last 30+years, notably within Huntapac Produce for the last 19 years. Stephen heads up the technical division at Huntapac with the additional responsibility of ensuring the business meets its sustainability ambitions. Huntapac Produce Ltd is a 4th generation family-owned business, based on the fertile Lancashire plains that grows on a national scale circa 4000 acres of root crop production from Suffolk to Inverness whilst also having growing partnerships in Spain and France. The business grows, processes, packs and distributes roots crops to its major retail customers.
He also holds the positions of Vice Chair of the NFU’s Horticulture and Potato Board and is a member of the Red Tractor Fresh Produce Board.
