Brothers Simon and Peter Brice, two of the best known names in UK fruit-growing, retired from farming this week. They did so with song when they entertained over 100 family, staff, and many of the business associates and friends which they stressed had allowed them to make Mockbeggar Farm and its brand a byword for quality.
While Simon will retain some agricultural interests and Peter will continue to operate the packhouse at Higham in Kent, they thanked their guests in music and specially composed songs reflecting their acknowledgement.
The Brice family began growing through their grandfather William in 1927. Father Joe continued the tradition so that today, 76 years later, there are three farms in the county.
The brothers own progress is a microcosm of how the fruit industry has continued to change. Before Simon's arrival in 1960 there were 60 acres of cherries, picked laboriously from enormous ladders propped often precariously against large trees, as part of a fruit farm which also grew apples, pears and plums which were still producing when he was joined by Peter in 1974.
Today these have been replaced with berry fruit - strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, and while plums remain they have been joined by rhubarb.
Similarly marketing has switched from servicing the wholesale markets themselves ñ where some fruit is still sent ñ to linking with Redbridge AFI to be a major supermarket supplier.
Apart from growing, the Brices are involved in a major breeding programme in Medway Fruits with international expert Dr Derek Jennings.
Perhaps there could have been no more fitting tribute to their dedication than the announcement of a new raspberry variety appropriately called Brice With a mid to late fruiting season he already proclaimed it is better than Joan Squire.
The farms will continue to operate under a tenancy arrangement with John Parkes taking on soft fruit and some rhubarb; John Mayott doing the same for plums and the rest of the rhubarb production, and Andrew Brice concentrating on arable crops.
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