AC Goatham & Son

Name

AC Goatham & Son

Legal name

A C Goatham & Son Limited

Website

https://acgoatham.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Fruit Production

NAICS

Apple Orchards (111331), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Pome Fruit Orchards (Apples, Pears, Quinces) (AFAGACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Orchard Establishment & Replanting (New Plantings, Rootstock Selection, Trellising Systems) (AFAGACAK)

Keywords

• British apple growing
• Pear production
• Fresh fruit supply
• Orchard farming
• Top fruit distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fresh produce sales: Growing, storing, transporting and marketing apples and pears to major UK supermarkets. The company's main clients are the major UK supermarkets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

AC Goatham & Son is a vertically integrated British top-fruit grower that grows, stores, grades, packs, transports and markets apples and pears from its 26–27 Kent orchards directly to major UK supermarket regional distribution centres. It produces around 450 million apples and 70 million pears annually across multiple apple and pear varieties, using pre-grading machines with camera inspection and computer-monitored irrigation to deliver consistent quality from orchard to shelf.

Product overview

AC Goatham & Son is a family-owned British fruit growing company specializing in fresh apples and pears. They operate a vertically integrated supply chain spanning orchard management, cold storage, automated grading with camera inspection, packing, and distribution to UK supermarkets. The core product offering consists of 9 apple varieties (Royal Gala, Braeburn, Cox, Bramley, Cameo, Zari, Rubens, Windsor, Worcester, Discovery, Maribelle) and 3 pear varieties (Conference, Concorde, Comice). The company grows over 450 million apples and 70 million pears annually across 26 farms in Kent, with operations from orchard to supermarket shelf.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• British Apples Vertically integrated range of British-grown apple varieties produced by AC Goatham & Son, including Royal Gala, Braeburn, Cox, Bramley, Cameo, Zari (exclusive), Rubens, Windsor, Worcester, Discovery and Maribelle. Hand-picked across 26 Kent orchards, graded using camera-based pre-grading machines (20 images per fruit), and packed via state-of-the-art packing and flowrap lines for delivery to major UK supermarket regional distribution centres.
• British Pears Range of British-grown pear varieties produced by AC Goatham & Son, including Conference (90% of British pears), Concorde and Comice. Grown in Kent orchards, graded via the same pre-grading camera systems, and supplied to major UK supermarket regional distribution centres.
• Zari Apples Exclusive-to-Goatham's summer apple with a clean classic apple flavour, crunchy texture, pale flesh and light red blush; available as a differentiated variety for supermarket buyers seeking unique British apples.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 3 market share of British apples and pears
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEDEXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered member of SEDEX. AC Goatham & Son incorporate the principles of the ETI Base Code into all aspects of their business practices through SEDEX membership.
• Stronger TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Stronger Together. A key member of staff has attended Stronger Together workshops on tackling Modern Slavery and are responsible for driving activity throughout the business.
• LEAFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming). AC Goatham & Son is working towards enabling sustainable farming practices.
• BRCGS (British Retail Consortium Global Standards)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertified member of BRC. Awarded 2025 accreditation by UK FoodCertification Limited, audited against BRC Global Standard for Food Safety.
• Red TractorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Red Tractor. Audited by the UK's biggest farm and food assurance scheme. Red Tractor logo means food is responsibly sourced, safely produced, and traceable.
• Ethical Trading InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner of Ethical Trading Initiative. Supports the ETI Base Code principles in all aspects of business practices.
• High Halstow Cricket ClubminorOthersProud sponsors of High Halstow Cricket Club, a sociable club formed in 1895 located on the Hoo Peninsula.
• ProForcecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLabour recruiter for seasonal workers. ProForce is one of the outsourced recruitment agencies used by AC Goatham & Son for field and pack-house seasonal workforce.
• ConcordiacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLabour recruiter for seasonal workers. Concordia is one of the outsourced recruitment agencies used by AC Goatham & Son for seasonal workforce sourcing.
• Agri-HRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLabour recruiter for seasonal workers. Agri is one of the outsourced recruitment agencies used by AC Goatham & Son for seasonal workforce sourcing.
• Fruitful JobscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLabour recruiter for seasonal workers. Fruitful is one of the outsourced recruitment agencies used by AC Goatham & Son for seasonal workforce sourcing.
• HOPS Labour SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLabour recruiter for seasonal workers. HOPS is one of the outsourced recruitment agencies used by AC Goatham & Son for seasonal workforce sourcing.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Worldwide Fruit Ltd: UK-based apple and pear supplier/distributor supplying major UK supermarkets. Comparable as a top-fruit value-chain participant operating in the same product category with major UK grocery customers.
• Fresca Group Ltd: UK fresh-produce supplier and packer supplying major UK retailers. Comparable as a vertically integrated UK produce company operating in the same top-fruit value chain and supermarket customer base.
• Bardsley England: UK top-fruit grower (apples and pears) in Kent with vertically integrated packing and direct supermarket supply. Highly comparable in operating model, geography, and product mix to AC Goatham.
• Berry Gardens Ltd: UK berry cooperative supplying major UK supermarkets. Comparable as a UK fresh-produce grower selling into the same supermarket channel, though focused on berries rather than pome fruit.
• Adrian Scripps Ltd: One of the largest UK apple and pear growers based in Kent, operating a similar vertically integrated orchard-to-supermarket model. Directly comparable as a top-fruit producer supplying major UK grocers with similar apple variety portfolios.
• Hall Hunter Partnership: Major UK soft-fruit grower (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) supplying UK supermarkets. Comparable as a vertically integrated UK fresh-produce grower serving the same major retailer customers.
• S&A Produce (Holdings) Ltd: UK fresh-produce grower primarily of strawberries and other soft fruit, supplying major UK supermarkets. Comparable as a UK grower with vertically integrated production and direct supermarket supply.

Broad incumbents

• Driscoll's: Global market-leading berry company supplying major UK retailers. Comparable as a large-scale fresh-produce supplier operating in adjacent fruit categories and serving the same UK supermarket channel.
• T&G Global: NZX-listed global fresh-produce company with significant apple and pear growing operations and global supply. Comparable as a larger, more diversified incumbent in the same pome-fruit category serving major retailers.

Regional players

• Stemilt Growers: US-based family-owned apple, pear, and cherry grower-packer-marketer. Comparable as a multi-generational family-run vertically integrated pome-fruit business, but operating in a different geography (North America).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ACGoatham
• Facebookfacebook.com/Goathams
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ac-goatham-&-son
• Instagraminstagram.com/goathams

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AC Goatham & Son