Meet the People Behind the Preserves
At Fruits of the Forage, everyone gets stuck in. During harvest season you’ll find us piled into vans heading down to the Vale of Evesham, clambering through orchards across Cheshire, or foraging hedgerows in search of the season’s best wild ingredients. When Christmas market season arrives, we’re all behind the stalls sharing our preserves, stories, and passion for seasonal food with customers across the country.
Bert
Head of Operations & Recipe Development
Bert joined founder — and brother — Fred in the very early days of Fruits of the Forage and has become the driving force behind sourcing and product development.
From mapping orchards across Cheshire, Derbyshire and North Wales to building relationships with farmers around the county, Bert has created a network that allows us to rescue incredible surplus produce and wild ingredients season after season.
He is also the mind behind many of our recipes, constantly adapting and refining them around the changing harvests each year. Whether it’s preserving, pickling, fermenting or foraging, Bert is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to seasonal food.
Archie
Head of Sales & Distribution
Archie began his time at Fruits of the Forage helping at markets and during the early veg box days, where he developed the customer-first approach that still shapes the business today.
He now works closely with farm shops, delis and distributors across the country, helping bring Fruits of the Forage to more shelves while building long-lasting relationships with independent retailers.
His goal is simple: to make Fruits of the Forage a staple name in farm shops and delis across the UK.
Aaron
Kitchen Manager
Aaron joined the team over five years ago and quickly became an essential part of the kitchen operation.
An experienced forager with a deep understanding of wild ingredients, he helped transform the production side of the business as the company grew. As the kitchen expanded and processes became more streamlined, Aaron led the charge in increasing output now with our busiest days in the kitchen now producing 2,500 jars - a lot has changed over the last 5 years!
Ruby
Marketing Coordinator
As the youngest Thorneycroft sibling, Ruby has watched Fruits of the Forage grow from the sidelines since her teenage years — helping pack orders, label jars, and support warehouse operations long before joining the team officially.
That behind-the-scenes understanding of the business now shapes her role managing marketing and social media, capturing everything from huge orchard harvests to market weekends and preserving days in the kitchen.
Through photography, storytelling and social media, Ruby helps customers and stockists better understand the seasonal rhythm and ethos behind Fruits of the Forage.
Francesca
Graphic Designer
Francesca has been part of the Fruits of the Forage story since day one.
From the very first label sketches and packaging mock-ups to the branding you see today, her artwork has helped define the visual identity of the company as it has grown and evolved.
Every new product, project and idea begins with fresh creative direction from Franci, whose designs continue to perfectly capture the rustic, seasonal and colourful spirit of the brand.
John
Kitchen Assistant
John joined the kitchen team through Aaron and quickly became an important part of day-to-day production.
From fruit preperation and jarring preserves to helping manage large production days, John keeps the kitchen moving during the busiest parts of the season.
Dan
Kitchen Assistant
Dan is the newest member of the Fruits of the Forage kitchen team.
A keen forager and passionate chef, he joined the business expanding our kitchen team of fruit and veg preseration and jarring .
As production continues to grow, Dan plays an important role in keeping everything efficient, organised and moving smoothly during the busiest times of year.