The Watercress Company (TWC) is a progressive and enthusiastic company based in Dorchester, Dorset and is the UK’s largest watercress grower.
The purpose of the business is to produce the finest quality products in a safe and sustainable way across their farms in Dorset and Hampshire in the UK, Spain and Florida, and to achieve this end, they employ an exceptional team of over 300 experts, from well-trained seasonal staff to specialist managers in production, technical support and commercial roles.
The business is now nearly 30 years in the making and was founded by Chairman, Peter Old. He had the foresight and vision to see that by combining two smaller businesses into a new company he could harness the existing energy and resources to build a market leading company which now sells watercress, baby leaf salads and wasabi throughout the UK and Europe.
The day to day running of The Watercress Company is overseen by Managing Director, Tom Amery who is passionate about watercress and has helped drive ground-breaking scientific research into the health benefits of watercress, including a potential role in the prevention of cancer. He continues to encourage the exploration of new uses and applications for watercress, including in the world of cosmetics, healthcare, and new uses in food.
Innovation is core to the entire business; it tests the team’s creativity and problem solving solutions, improves their efficiency and keeps them motivated to achieve their goals and targets. TWC supplies to a broad range of markets from the local grocery store through food service distributors and to national supermarkets.
This is all achieved through a range of formal and informal partnerships and collaborations where the parties identify opportunities together and produce a plan to add value and qualities that could not be achieved on their own.
TWC always takes the long term view to business development and ensures that their investments are meeting this business model. Given that the watercress beds on their Hampshire and Dorset farms date back 150 years, and that the spring water that feeds them has taken thousands of years to filter through the chalk of the stunning South Downs into underground aquifers, taking a long-term view certainly seems to work for this company!