The J W Allen & Sons partnership was set up in 1980, with asparagus being introduced in 1985. Marketed under the “Portwood Asparagus” brand, 200 acres of the farm is now committed to asparagus, with 250 tonnes being produced annually.
Andy Allen owns and runs the business today. After studying Agriculture at Writtle College in Essex for three years, he travelled extensively around the world researching asparagus production in a wide variety of countries and environments. He has been involved in the British Asparagus Growers Association for more than 30 years, including 5 years as Chairman.
The business prides itself on its attention to detail and quality. We have invested in the latest equipment and technologies to enable us to produce high quality crops and optimise production using a cost-effective system. We have been accredited with industry standards in sustainable crop production and environmental protection, including:-
J W Allen & Sons has worked with asparagus breeding companies for many years, hosting field trials and collecting harvest date and, in fact, has a European variety “Portlim” named after Portwood Farm!
We employ renewable energy practices wherever possible, including solar electricity generation, heat recovery and waste recycling.
We look forward to developing the business into the future in a way that continues to meet both our customers’ and our own needs, and contributes positively to the local and wider economy.
