Knepp Castle Gardens Team – Kitchen Gardener

We are very pleased to offer the part-time role of Kitchen Gardener within the gardens team at Knepp Castle, West Sussex, starting in March 2026. The right person will primarily be based in the Kitchen Garden, within the Walled Garden at Knepp Castle. They will focus on growing excellent fruit and vegetables, working with nature to assist the development of more experimental productive growing areas.

About Us

The 3500-acre Knepp estate is home to the oldest lowland rewilding project in the UK. Knepp’s small gardens team manages a diverse range of horticultural projects within the estate – from experimental and productive gardens to formal gardens and public spaces. This includes the 1.3-acre Rewilded Walled Garden, providing habitat for over 1000 different types of plant. This project is a unique experiment in maximising garden biodiversity and will be going into its fifth season in 2026. 0.5-acres of the Walled Garden is given over to the Kitchen Garden, which includes greenhouse, cold frames and fruit cage. There are areas of more intensive annual vegetable production as well as areas given to experimentation with degrees of agroforestry and perennial cropping. There is also nearly an acre of mixed fruit orchard next to the Walled Garden. The gardens team hosts garden tours and workshops weekly throughout the season to both engage and inspire visitors but also help fund our garden experiment.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly organised person who can plan, grow and harvest quality produce for the house following regenerative principles: growing fruit and vegetables whilst building healthy soil and supporting biodiversity. The successful applicant will balance clear planning with hands-on vegetable and fruit production. They will also be able to effectively communicate the process – to both the owners and visitors – and quickly adapt to problems that might arise.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Growing/Kitchen Gardening experience: crop planning and hands-on experience through all elements of productive growing
• A keen interest in different composting methods, and nature-focused approaches to organic growing
• Strong knowledge of growing and preparing different edible crops
• Excellent organisation and communication skills: familiarity with spreadsheets, record-keeping and work planning
• A positive attitude to manual working outdoors in all weathers
• Self-motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a team
• Quick learner who is meticulous at carrying out tasks to a high level
• Horticultural qualifications: RHS Level 2 or very similar in Horticulture as a minimum, or proven practical experience

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience and comfort in public speaking
• Comfortable using a range of tools and machinery
• Can adapt to different situations and bring a positive attitude to problem solving
• Driving license and own vehicle

Salary and Conditions

24-hour week, with days to be agreed. There may be some requirement to work weekends, where time off in lieu is provided.

Apply

Please apply by email sending a copy of your CV and a cover letter outlining why you are the right person for this job to our recruitment consultant, Michael Walker by email at nationalgardensspecialist@gmail.com. Please note that we expect a very large number of applications for both roles and will therefore need to be selective in the applications we will engage with. All applications must have the full time right to work in the UK at time of application. Deadline: 23 February 2026.

Knepp is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity in our team as much as we do in our landscape. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles at Knepp.