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The office is manned Monday to Friday 9.00 – 5.00. The farm shop is open Tuesday to Saturday 9.00 – 5.00, Sundays 10.00 – 5.00
Castle Farm is in the Darent Valley, Kent, only 20 miles south of London.
The Alexander family is continuing a long tradition of farming with the most up-to-date expertise while maintaining full regard for the heritage of the landscape and protection of its flora and fauna. New ideas are developed within a framework of minimal impact on the environment and everyone here has a total commitment to the importance of saving energy, minimalising the use of resources, recycling wherever possible, ensuring the well-being of livestock, enhancing wildlife habitats and making the farm an asset to the local area.
It is recommended that trade customers make an appointment with one of our senior team to visit us during weekday opening hours.
You are welcome to visit our retail farm shop at a weekend but trade orders can only be fulfilled by our office and packhouse team. However, trade orders placed in advance can be collected at a weekend.
Certainly you can opt to collect orders that are placed in advance. This is especially recommended for fresh hop bines.
We are very happy to make recommendations for a starter pack selection of our best selling items with advice on important sales tips and product knowledge. Please email or phone to make the most of our experience and expertise.
You can order and pay direct online. We will contact you if there are any additional delivery charges for location or upgrades. Alternatively you can email or telephone an order and we will contact you back with a proforma invoice for payment by BACS or card.
In the UK mainland there is a flat rate delivery charge of £15.
Surcharges apply to orders despatched to Highlands and Islands.
Delivery is by Next Day carrier for most consignments or Economy pallet for larger orders. We despatch Monday to Thursday but prefer not to have trade goods in transit over a weekend.
Our turnaround is generally very fast but please have patience (especially in our busy summer season) when ordering display items (wheatsheaves, maize swags etc) which are made-to-order.
If your order is urgent or date specific, please let us know so we can offer you an upgrade.
You are more than welcome to collect your order!
Please select a collection date and time at checkout. Please allow 48 business hours before collecting. Orders can be collected Tuesday – Friday, between 10am – 4pm.
If you need an order more quickly or wish to collect it outside of these hours, please contact us on trade@castlefarmkent.co.uk and we will do our best to help!
We can despatch Mail Order items of oils and toiletries overseas at additional cost but do not generally send dried flowers or hop bines because of customs regulations and high delivery charges. However, orders can be prepared for collection by your own courier.
Of course! But it will rarely happen because everything is produced and packed to a high standard and we try to ensure you know exactly what to expect – especially with dried plant material (which inevitably experiences some droppage from handling) or fresh hop bines (which survive remarkably well having their boxes squashed in transit!)
Our early variety Lavender ‘Folgate’ starts to flower in the second half of June which is when we are harvesting our bunches for drying. The main crop ‘Maillette’ and ‘Ladybird’ are in full flower in mid-July when harvesting for oil distillation starts. Lavandin ‘Grosso’ is cut for bunches from mid-July and oil distillation is finished by early August.
Lavender and lavandin look and smell different and have specific uses associated with their oil content. It’s important to understand the difference so please follow this link for a full explanation!
We use a specialist machine to harvest the flowers which are immediately taken to our on-farm distillery. Super-heated pressurised steam is pumped through the flowers which makes the cells expand, burst and release the oil. By condensing the steam, we can separate off and collect the precious, pure oil. As you can imagine, with over 100 acres to harvest, the scent of lavender permeates the whole farm in the summer!
Lavender ‘Maillette’ or ‘Ladybird’ have the oil profile most suited to relaxation. The combination with hop oil in our Sleepy range ensures an even more powerful effect!
Aromatherapists love our ‘Maillette Premium’ with its delicate, volatile oils and high ester content.
Definitely Lavandin ‘Grosso’. The camphor in the oil is a natural insect and moth repellent.
Yes we can, but the season is short! It is very difficult to keep lavender looking fresh so it needs a minimum transit time and immediate use. Please give us good notice of requirements because the bunches will be cut to order and we need to factor in seasonal weather conditions – we can’t cut in the rain!
Generally yes, but occasionally we may need to limit orders if stocks are low.
We sell lavender and lavandin plants through our retail shop and by Mail Order. Small discounts may be available for trade orders on request.
Our prime aim is to produce high quality lavender oil with minimum impact on the environment. If a plant is under stress from weed competition or lack of nutrients, the oil yield will be lower and the quality less intense. Our 25 years’ experience of growing lavender has taught us the signs of when a plant needs our help – and our choice has therefore been not to go for organic certification but to use small, precise amounts of specific mineral supplements (just as we all do to keep healthy) and only apply herbicides selectively on some weeds between the rows – never on the lavender itself. This way, the plants are happy and long-lived and we preserve the integrity of the oil.
Fortunately lavender thrives well in our local soil and has few pests or diseases so our acres provide a happy feeding ground for thousands of bees, butterflies and birdlife. And, to show just how much we care, all our acreage is weeded by hand. If you put all the rows end-to-end, the length is equivalent to the M25 around London!
If you have any further questions, a member of our team would be happy to talk you through the family’s ethical and sustainable approach to farming .
No, not all. For instance, our wonderful balms and handcream use beeswax. Please check individual product information.
The pure lavender oil, sometimes known as essential oil, is extracted by steam distillation. The food essence is a formulation of the favour element of the oil, configured so it integrates with other ingredients in a recipe to distribute the flavour evenly and ensure it can be tasted on the tongue.
There’s detailed information on our product page (link) to help you but, if still in doubt, ask us a direct question!
Fresh hop bines are available from mid-August until mid-September.
There are always plenty of hop bines but we need to plan the despatch of fresh bines so our carriers are not overloaded with boxes. A week or more’s notice is helpful for despatch but 24 hours’ notice is essential for collection.
Dried hop bines are available from early September throughout the year – though occasionally we may run out by the following summer.
The hops that are harvested and dried at the beginning of the season will have the best colour so, if you are planning an important event for the following year, it’s a good idea to order and reserve them in advance so we can set aside the beast quality for you.
Of course you can cancel but there will be an admin and storage charge deducted from your refund. Please check when ordering.
Hop plants are sold when they are dormant in the winter and are available from late November until early April. It is best to plant them as early in the year as possible so they can get their roots established ahead of seasonal top growth.
Fresh hop bines are robust and easy to drape along beams or hook onto nails. They trail in a natural way and eventually dry in situ.
Dried hop bines need to be conditioned (softened) before handling to minimise damage to the delicate flowers. They need more careful handling but, as long as you are well-prepared with dust-sheets, mist sprays, string and a vacuum cleaner, you can still do the job quickly and effectively!
Fresh hops are only available for a few weeks each year and need to be used immediately.
Dried bines can easily be stored long term for use when needed.
Fresh bines are quick and easy to handle.
Dried bines are, inevitably, stiffer to handle. They need to be conditioned (soften in high humidity) before use and will always shed some flowers and leaves when handled but don’t be alarmed – it’s what happens!
Fresh bines can sometimes contain tiny green aphids which are hidden in the flowers and only become apparent when they emerge as the bine starts to dry. Please ask for advice if you are planning to use the bines in a hospitality location or somewhere with expensive furnishings!
Hop flowers contain a yellow pollen-like resin which can stain fabrics so extra care needs to be taken when handling the more fragile dried bines – always use a dust-sheet and make sure the bines are in a position where they won’t get knocked or damaged.
Whichever you choose, the hops will look lovely once they’re in place!
Dried flowers and hops should be stored in a dry, dark location. Damp or bright conditions will cause detrimental colour changes over time. Dried flowers containing seeds (such as golden wheat or barley) may attract mice.
The green colour of hops or dried flowers (green wheat or the stems of lavender, for instance) will fade with exposure to direct light. The more light, the faster they’ll fade. Some locations will change their hops every year, others may be happy with a more neutral colour for a little longer.
The lavender essences and teas are available at a trade price but the preserves, chocolate, fudge and biscuits are just made for our shop in short production runs by local producers. However, it’s always worth asking if we can do a discounted price for pre-ordered bulk purchases. We’ll help whenever we can!
We are the only registered growers in the world of the rare and delicious Norfolk Royal Apple. The combination of this sweet juice with the sharpness of local Kent Bramleys give a refreshing drink popular with all ages and perfect, when chilled, at mealtimes.
Please telephone us and we will be happy to discuss how you can source our beef.
