The National Fruit Show will celebrate its 90th year at the Kent County Showground on Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd November 2023. This year’s show will be opened by Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers Union and she give a keynote speech as well as touring the show and meeting with fruit growers and industry leaders.
The National Fruit Show is organised by growers, for growers, and showcases the finest British apples and pears, soft fruit, and nuts with a large display at the centre of the show. The National Fruit Show is sponsored by BASF, Hutchinsons, N.P. Seymour Ltd and Worldwide Fruit.
Sally Flanagan, CEO of the Marden Fruit Show Society, organisers of the show comments: “We are inviting growers from across the UK to help us to celebrate the show’s 90th year by putting on the largest display of fruit ever and we also have a real focus this year on the future for the industry with an exciting Teacher Encounter event on Day 2. The show will be packed with exhibitors and there is a terrific range of speakers and information for fruit growers. We look forward to welcoming everyone and hope they enjoy the show.”
Catherine Paice, President of the National Fruit Show comments: “The National Fruit Show is not only for growers by growers, but a showcase from which to take new ideas, developments, energy, education and, of course, the best fruit to the outside world.”
Broadcaster, food, and drink expert and all-round bon viveur Nigel Barden will host several talks over the two days and the draft speaker programme, sponsored by Gullands Solicitors, includes:
Day 1, Wednesday 1 November
10am – NFU President Minette Batters officially opens the show and tours around.
10am – Nigel Barden and Chris Newenham, The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers their speakers:
10.10am – Cindayniah Godfrey – (20mins)
10.30am – Samantha Lynn – (20 mins)
11.00am – John Gray – (20 mins)
11.30am – Minette Batters delivers keynote speech followed by Q & A session
1pm-1.30pm – Gullands Solicitors talk
2pm – 3pm – Rural Policy Group – Changing Environmental Policy & Impacts on Growers.
A panel of experts debate the government’s most recent announcements on environmental policy and what they mean for fruit businesses. We discuss what the new stance on nutrient neutrality and BNG means for landowners among other business critical changes to the UK’s green strategy.
6.30pm – Midnight – Drinks reception and celebration dinner (ticketed)
Day 2, Thursday 2 November
10-10.30am Regenerate Earth
10.45-11.15am – Westrock packaging
11.30 – 12.30pm – Panel discussion With Ali Capper, British Apples & Pears, fruit growers, Gullands Solicitors & guests talking about the future of fruit growing.
2pm – Prize giving
Other highlights of the show include a focus on education, young people, and teachers, highlighting careers in the fresh produce sector and the skills needed by employers.
On day two, the Kent & Medway Careers Hub will be running the first ever Kent and Medway Teacher Encounter event hosted by The National Fruit Show Education Programme, which is free for teachers to attend.
This ground-breaking event will bring together Career Educators, Senior Leaders and Curriculum Teachers from Mainstream Secondary schools, Colleges, SEND and Alternative provisions and Businesses from the horticulture and wider fresh produce sectors exhibiting at The National Fruit Show. This is an exciting opportunity to understand, develop and ignite connections between the world of education and the world of work.
The Teacher Encounter will enable over 100 Educators to hear guest speakers, network with fresh produce industry leaders and to meet exhibitors demonstrating the dynamic and varied careers paths available. Linking careers within horticulture and fresh produce to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics, the educators can take real-life examples back to the classroom to enrich their teaching and conversations about careers in the sector.
Educators and businesses will have the opportunity to discuss the challenges in growing careers aspirations and access to the industry through networking and to create new working relationships to support the local economic need of Kent and Medway and to inspire well skilled, career ready young people to work in the sector.
This event will deliver exciting outcomes for both Educators and businesses:
Educators
• To challenge misconceptions of horticulture and the wider fresh produce industry
• Embed Curriculum learning in context with the world of work
• Offer examples of positive and diverse role models
• To support students to recognise skills employers’ value
• Reflect both growing and declining sectors through teaching
• Develop sustained and embedded employer relationships to support school engagement
Businesses
• Increased awareness and visibility of the sector within the wider community
• Better prepared young people/applicants
• Develop future pipeline and future skills need
• Increase in interest/applications to employer (specifically areas with skills gaps)
• Increased diversity in the workplace
• Improved recruitment practises to attract young people
What is a Teacher Encounter?
Teacher encounters with employers, enable educators to fully understand current industry practice and share up to date knowledge and skills with their students.
They help educators maintain a breadth of knowledge and an understanding of the latest technical and professional developments relevant to the subjects they teach, including present and future career opportunities and pathways, and the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for different roles.
Educators can use these insights to inspire their students and keep their teaching and curriculum up to date. Employers can support educators to shape the curriculum and provide relevance to the world or work to ensure young people are best prepared as a future talent workforce.
Matt Peake, Operational Hub Lead at the Kent & Medway Careers Hub comments: “An important part in making careers education inspirational, relevant and sustainable is endowing teachers with the knowledge of what is happening in the industries and businesses that directly relate to the curriculum they are teaching.”
“Teacher encounters, combined with experiences of the workplace for students, can bring to life job roles and career pathways for learners and enable them to see school or college as an integral part of their journey into the world of work.”
Samantha Smith, Education Lead at The National Fruit Show comments: “Understanding the comprehensive and contextual needs of the education sector and the needs of the fresh produce industry, has played a vital role in us organising this relevant, meaningful, and critically timed event which supports schools to achieve the Gatsby Benchmarks.”
“Our immediate aim is to give a real and practical insight into how young people can become part of an exciting and vital industry in the UK and to connect educators and employers to better support each other and these future employees.”
“Significantly, we will use this event to gather and disseminate learnt lessons to all parties, bridging a long overdue skills and labour gap.”