Cultivating Comfort: Keops partner with New Forest Fruit Company on worker accommodation
Nestled between the Solent and the picturesque New Forest National Park, the New Forest Fruit Company is producing some of the UK’s finest soft fruits and asparagus. Under the leadership of CEO Sandy Booth the business has made significant strides in improving the working conditions for its staff. Recognising the importance of comfortable and reliable accommodation for his workforce, Booth partnered with us to provide living quarters for the farm's seasonal workers.
The project was initiated to address a critical challenge: ensuring that workers, who typically spend up to ten months on site, have access to well-heated, comfortable accommodation during the colder months. The previous caravans used by the company failed to provide adequate conditions and Booth, determined to change this, sought out our expertise at Keops to develop a solution.
Two years into the project, the results have been outstanding. The new cabins we provided have exceeded expectations in terms of quality and design. These cabins offer a warm and welcoming environment, truly serving as a "home away from home" for the workers. The feedback from the farm staff has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the significant improvement in their living conditions.
In our recent interview, Sandy Booth emphasised the importance of this initiative for the company. He stated, “Labour is one of our biggest issues…people don’t want to come into agriculture or horticulture but if we’ve got some really nice accommodation for them to come into… that is one of the big ticks when people come to the farm.” This statement underscores the pivotal role that quality accommodation plays in attracting and retaining a reliable workforce in the agricultural sector.
For us at Keops, this collaboration with the New Forest Fruit Company represents more than just a business venture; it is a commitment to enhancing the lives of agricultural workers. We take immense pride in creating cabins that are not only fit for purpose but also fit for the future. By ensuring that the accommodation is well-suited to the needs of the workers, we are contributing to the sustainability and success of agricultural operations.
We caught up with CEO Sandy Booth during construction of the latest cabins. Watch our interview below to learn more about the project.
