Quickswood Farm Press Statement

The Hatfield Park Estate has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2025 and to increase biodiversity by at least 10% on its farmed land.  These are ambitious and challenging goals. We feel best placed to deliver these targets, whilst growing food and playing our part in addressing climate change, by being active risk-sharing participants in the farming of our land.  We see working in partnerships as crucial to our success and across the estate we seek to maintain positive relations with occupiers of our land and property.

In January 2024 we invited applications from prospective farming partners who are prepared to farm regeneratively and work with us to meet our targets at Quickswood Farm. We were delighted to receive many high-quality applications from the agricultural community including a tender from the current tenants.  After much careful consideration, we have chosen Whitbread Farms with whom we feel offer us the best prospects for a collaborative and successful partnership.

We would like to thank everyone who submitted tenders for Quickswood Farm and for the time devoted to interviews and visits.  We were extremely impressed by the high standard of applications and the thinking behind ideas to combat the environmental challenges.  Finally, we appreciate the disappointment felt by the unsuccessful bidders, and understand that this falls hardest on the current tenants.  We would like to thank Rob Hodgkins and Jo Franklin for their contribution to Quickswood Farm over the last ten years and wish them every success in their future ventures.