Meet the Phoenix Fuels team
Jon Hammond
Jon Hammond has worked in agriculture for 16 years since graduating from Writtle Agricultural College in 1992. His family has farmed in Nottinghamshire since 1900 and Jon’s business, Hammond Produce Ltd, is one of Nottingham's leading fruit and vegetables processors and distributors. Jon is also a director of Sherwood Produce, a group of eight Nottinghamshire growers, collectively farming 16,000 acres of fresh produce, including cereals and oil seed rape.
Jon is committed to developing environmentally sustainable farming and business practices and plays a key role in the ongoing development of British-made bio-fuel through his directorship at Phoenix Fuels.
He’s been involved in a wide variety of conservation projects in partnership with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and the Sherwood Forest Trust and has worked with his family’s LEAF-marqued farm to win awards that include the Royal Agricultural Society of England’s (RASE) Award for Excellence in Practical Farming and Business and two Wilkinson Awards for Conservation in Nottinghamshire.
Jon Hammond has specialist knowledge in the following areas:
- British made bio-fuels
- Environmentally-friendly fleet transportation and powergeneration
- Vegetable growing and production
- Diversification in farming
Colin Bower
Colin Bower returned to the family’s Nottinghamshire farm in 1992 after studying agricultural production, conservation and management in East Yorkshire.
He is a founder member of the Phoenix team and runs the day to day production, development and innovation side of the business as well as being involved with the management of the 210 hectare arable farm at Rufford.
As Project Manager for the planning, construction and technical applications designed for the new plant, Colin is instrumental in ensuring the latest technology is incorporated at every level to improve efficiency and control all aspects of production.
Hugh Baker
I am a Rural Practice surveyor [MRICS] and a Fellow of the CAAV running my own property consultancy practice, Hub Rural Ltd, based in Spalding, South Lincolnshire. I split my time between defined roles within a small number of clients and more general consultancy to a selected client base.
Typical clients are Agri-Food businesses, but I also have clients with a range of rural/commercial assets.
Roles include; Finance director/company secretary of Hammond Produce Ltd [HPL], a fresh produce harvesting, packing, marketing and distribution business based just north of Nottingham. Company secretary to Sherwood Produce Ltd [SPL], a producer organisation for which HPL above is marketing and packing agent; the SPL members farm some 16,000 acres and we are responsible for running the business both physically and administratively, including grant claims which are a fundamental part of the activity.
Non-executive director of Worth Farms Ltd, a South Lincolnshire based agri-business growing potatoes and other high value crops. Retained Rural property consultant to Lincolnshire Field Products, a Spalding based agri-business specialising in Brassica production for the multiple retailers. Director/company secretary for Phoenix Fuels Ltd.
Spare time such as it is, is filled by my wife and son Oliver who is 15 months and socialising when baby-sitters and opportunities present themselves. I am going through the process of becoming a business mentor for the Princes Trust in the East Midlands.
Tim Bradshaw
I am MD of J C M Glassford Ltd which is a privately owned farming company based at Apley Head Farm Clumber Worksop Notts . We have 3 irrigated sand land farms and 3 heavy land farms 25 miles away near Lincoln totaling 2500 Acs and all run as one business. We have been expanding the vegetable side of the business over the last 10 years and along with the main crop carrots we also grow leeks and parsnips which complement the crops of potatoes, sugar beet , vining peas and cereals with make up the rotation.
The heavy land has a very simple rotation of wheat and oilseed rape which is destined to go through the Phoenix factory this coming year.
Along with the farms i am very involved with Sherwood Produce Ltd the producer organization that was set up 5 years ago and have been Chairman since the start and this is the company that markets all our vegetables and provides farm agronomy service. We as a business have many other advantages as members and are collaborating in many areas.
Ben Guy
Ben Guy, 21, is currently studying for his masters in Chemical Engineering at the University of Nottingham. Ben has been involved in a number of industrial & academic biofuels projects over the past three years including an economic evaluation of medium scale Biodiesel production from virgin rape seed and a research project into glycerol purification techniques.
Ben’s primary roles are to advise on design & commissioning issues surrounding the Biodiesel production process and to implement a centralised control & automation system for the plant, ensuring that the process is conducted as efficiently as possible.
