dan mackelden limited

What dan mackelden limited does

Dan Mackelden Limited is a privately held, family-run agricultural business based at Lested Farm in Chart Sutton, Kent, operating continuously since 1947 and currently run by brothers Jake and Mark Thompson following their 2000 succession from their father. The company has three operational pillars. The first and largest is seasonal pumpkin production and distribution, in which the farm hand-picks, washes, individually checks, and packs over one million pumpkins each October for sale to UK wholesale markets and major retail multiples, supplemented by a Pick Your Own consumer experience at a separate Ashford, Kent site. The second pillar is commercial property, generated by converting a 200-year-old Oast House (5,060 sq ft across four units) and a separate Barn (2,200 sq ft) into fully occupied lettable office space with M20-corridor transport access. The third pillar is the 2019 Digestate Enhancement Project, a two-stage nutrient-concentration system (part-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) that raises digestate nutrient utilisation from 50% to 80%, halves storage volumes during the four-month Nitrate Vulnerable Zone closed spreading period, and is expected to lift crop yields by 5%. Year-round, the farm also grows mint, parsley, apples, and other squashes. The 2001-established sister company Environment First Ltd complements the operation by collecting surplus fruit across Kent for animal feed, operating as a separate entity but alongside Dan Mackelden.

Name

dan mackelden limited

Legal name

Dan Mackelden Limited

Website

https://danmackelden.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Dan Mackelden Limited is a family-run Kent farm (est. 1947) that grows, washes, and packs over one million pumpkins annually for UK wholesale markets and retail multiples, rents out converted heritage office space, and operates a digestate nutrient-recovery system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chart Sutton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pumpkin Sales: Wholesale and retail distribution of pumpkins to multiple retailers and wholesale markets. Seasonal peak in October with over 1 million pumpkins processed.
2. Agricultural Produce Sales: Year-round growing and sale of mint, parsley, apples, and various squashes.
3. Office Space Rental: Rental income from converted Oast House offices (4 units totaling 5,060 sq ft) and separate Barn office (2,200 sq ft).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dan Mackelden Limited is a family-run agricultural business that grows, harvests, washes, packs, and distributes pumpkins in bulk to wholesale markets and major retail multiples, processing over 1 million pumpkins annually during October. The company also rents converted Oast House and Barn office units, grows year-round crops including mint, parsley, apples and squashes, and operates a digestate enhancement operation that produces concentrated organic fertiliser.

Product overview

Dan Mackelden Ltd is a family-based agricultural business operating since 1947, based at Lested Farm in Chart Sutton, Kent. The company operates two primary divisions: a seasonal pumpkin operation handling over 1 million pumpkins annually for wholesale and retail multiples, and commercial office space leasing from converted heritage buildings. The Pumpkin division encompasses cultivation, handpicking, washing, packing, and distribution, with a Pick Your Own Pumpkin service in October. The Office Units division provides flexible workspace in a converted 200-year-old Oast House and a separate Barn facility. A third division, the Digestate Enhancement Project (part-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development), processes organic fertiliser from anaerobic digestion for use on the farm's crops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pumpkins (Wholesale) Handpicked pumpkins sold in bulk to wholesale markets and major UK retail multiples, available in four sizes — Small (13–18cm), Medium (18–24cm), Large (24–27cm), and Monster (27cm+). Pumpkins are washed, individually checked, and labelled on a dedicated packing line before distribution, with annual processing exceeding 1 million units during the October peak season.
• Pick Your Own Pumpkin Seasonal pick-your-own pumpkin experience available in October at the Ashford, Kent farm location, offering consumers and families a direct on-farm pumpkin selection experience. Seasonal opening details and updates are shared through the Pick Your Own Pumpkin Facebook page.
• Agricultural Produce (Mint, Parsley, Apples, Squashes) Year-round cultivation of mint, parsley, apples, and various squash varieties at Lested Farm, Chart Sutton, Kent, providing diversified crop output beyond the seasonal pumpkin operation.
• Office Units Commercial office units for rent in a converted 200-year-old Oast House totalling 5,060 sq ft (split into four units: 1,100 sq ft, 2,500 sq ft, 1,000 sq ft, and 460 sq ft) plus a separate Barn office of 2,200 sq ft split over two levels with kitchen and toilets. Located in rural Kent with M20 transport access and ample parking.
• Digestate (Organic Fertiliser) Nutrient-rich organic fertiliser produced from anaerobic digestion by-products, processed through a two-stage enhancement system that concentrates nutrients by separating digestate into solid and liquid fractions and drying the liquid fraction using excess heat from the AD Plant. Designed to raise nutrient utilisation from 50% to 80% and reduce artificial fertiliser use within Nitrate Vulnerable Zone constraints.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nutrient utilisation rising from 50% to 80%, reducing annual fertiliser bill
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Environment First LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Sister company established by Jake and Mark Thompson in 2001. Both companies operate separately but work alongside each other. Environment First collects surplus fruit from packhouses and farms across Kent and uses it for animal feed. This partnership enables Dan Mackelden to participate in sustainable food waste reduction while maintaining separate business operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Pickyourownpumpkin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dan-mackelden-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 dan mackelden limited