About the Leckford Mushroom Farm

Leckford Estate has 16 growing rooms specifically created for mushroom crop production. We produce the finest quality Chestnut mushrooms from the Estate, including pre-packed products and loose products. Mushrooms are harvested at different times of maturity producing different product lines.

Our crop consists of five lines in total: Chestnut Cups, Portabellini, Portabella, South of England and 2kg loose Chestnut Cups. In order to achieve the finest mushrooms, each room maintains a 16-18-degree temperature. 

We have been producing mushrooms on the Estate since 1986 and typically harvest 25-26 tonnes of Chestnut mushrooms per week on The Waitrose Farm; each is carefully hand picked and packaged for protection.

What might I be doing?

The Mushroom Farm works in a flexible way to allow variety for it’s workers and to be as efficient as possible. As a Mushroom Producer you could be working in any of the following areas or a mixture during your shifts. Each comes with it’s own tasks and responsibilities and these can be discussed more at interview.

Service Operative

You enable the Harvesters to complete their role. You will be putting platforms out ready for the Harvesters ensuring boxes and punnets are in place and bins are readily available. Throughout the day they take out full boxes and punnets and return with empties for the Harvesters to fill.

Packer

Liaising with the team on what mushrooms are to be packed, you will collect the mushrooms from the fridge and load them on to the production line whilst completing a quality check. If trained, you drive the forklift to load and unload lorries, ready for dispatching.  This role would involve moving full pallets of mushrooms both packed and unpacked. 

Harvester

You are issued with a rack, trolley, scales and knife then make your way to the designated growing room and pick the harvest for that day. At the end of your working day you have to ensure all your equipment is washed and put away.

What will you be doing?

Hand-harvesting mushrooms following instructions from the Team Leader, ensuring optimal picking rates, punnet and tray weights, mushroom quality and presentation. With a potential earning of an additional £200 plus per month with the picking incentive scheme (more information under additional information)

You will be an important part of a wider team responsible for supplying high quality mushrooms to our supermarkets through the below activities:

• Correct selection of mushrooms from the growing bed

• Correct handling of mushrooms

• Correct trimming of the stalk

• Quality grading

• Product presentation

• Correct punnet/tray weights

• Picking rate

• Keeping picking area free of debris

• Cleaning and stripping the beds

About Leckford

Leckford is a 4,000-acre estate near Stockbridge, Hampshire. The estate was purchased in 1929 by John Spedan Lewis, founder of the John Lewis Partnership, and we have been farming it now for nearly 90 years.

We are the Waitrose Farm and our produce is supplied to Waitrose stores across the country. The estate is diverse and our commercial businesses span property, food production, farming, retail and leisure activities.

We care passionately about British farming and the environment and we practice 'The Waitrose Way' of healthy living, fair treatment, treading lightly on the environment and championing British produce.

Take a look at our interactive video to learn more about the Leckford Estate.