We have 90 hectares of orchards which produce about 3,000 tonnes of fruit, which has to be picked by hand. Harvest begins mid-August and finishes at the end of October. Our pickers work in small teams, supported by a supervisor. Fruit is picked into picking buckets (which can be heavy when full) and are emptied into fruit bins, which are moved around the orchard by picking trains.
The job involves working in all weather conditions; it can be very hot in the Summer turning cold and wet very quickly. Please ensure you bring appropriate clothing for these conditions. Our pickers are paid weekly and provided with a detailed payslip showing earnings and deductions. PAYE Tax and National Insurance will be deducted in line with UK legislation.
Watch our latest video to get an idea of what it is like to live and work on our farm:
Accommodation
We provide on-farm accommodation for our seasonal workers. Our accommodation has a variety of bedrooms to suit groups of 2, 3, 4 or 6 people per room. We have limited accommodation for couples. There are communal kitchens, dining areas, lounge areas, and games facilities alongside a fully equipped internet room with WiFi throughout the building.
We have separate toilet and shower facilities for men and women. Bedding and kitchen equipment are all supplied. Food shopping trips are organized at least once a week; our minibuses will take our pickers to the local supermarket where they can buy their groceries. There is sufficient fridge and freezer space for food storage for every room.
Testimonials
Anna & Honza, from Czech Republic
On Robert Mitchell Farms, it was our first experience with picking apples. We arrived one week before the other workers to prepare the whole place, so we had plenty of time to explore the place and enjoy ourselves.
From the very beginning, I was a bit afraid of how we handle all the other people coming and sharing our new home with them. I was surprised how smooth it was. Everybody was so nice, we helped each other and nobody was mean. I do appreciate Robert's attitude, as well as his family's and Carol's - they kept trying to fulfil all our wishes.
Picking apples was physically demanding, especially when the weather was not so good, nevertheless, it was balanced by meeting so many people from different countries and a chance to leave our social bubble for a while :-).
Staying on the farm was a great pleasure and experience!
Tibi, tractor driver & supervisor from Romania
I have been working in this farm for 7-8 years. I had the opportunity to acquire a tractor driver's certificate and one for the Kramer forklift. The owner, harvest supervisor and all the employees are very nice. Here I felt like in a family. Any problem I had they always helped me to solve it.
Olena, tractor driver & supervisor from Ukraine
This is my first experience working abroad, and you know, I was lucky, I came to Robert Mitchell's farm. At first I was very afraid, everything was new for me. But I was afraid for nothing. For me, these two months were like a fairy tale, I learned to drive a tractor and received a certificate; I saw interesting places; I met wonderful people, and made friends with many. The work is hard, but the attitude towards people and the pay are decent. I will definitely come to Robert and Carol again.
Some other comments
"Best season ever! "
" Trip to Hastings was really nice "
" I hope we will meet next year "
" We had great parties! "
How to apply
Please note that the recruitment process will re-open in March for the 2024 harvest.
We use a recruitment agency to fill most of the places on our farm. Interviews and selection takes place in a number of European cities and this is often the most secure and reliable method of application.
Please use the following link to contact our agency: