Sibley grafted an estimated three million fruit trees during his distinguished 50-year career, including at Highgrove, Hampton Court and the White House
Renowned ‘grafter’ and nurseryman William Sibley has been praised for his skill, kindness and generosity following his death on 16 September.
‘Grafter Will’, as he was known, was a familiar face in the fruit industry. He was a leading nurseryman and grafter of fruit trees who was instrumental in the development of Braeburn apples and apricots, as well as other major success stories in the UK fruit sector.
Sibley served as Master of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers in 2006, having first joined in 1997, and was a former chair of the East Malling Trust. He also sat on the board of the Horticulture Innovation Partnership and was a trustee of both Borough Market and the National Fruit Collections Trust, the latter for more than 15 years.
In 2022, Sibley estimated that he had made over three million grafts in the UK during his distinguished 50-year career, including trees at Hampton Court, a garden at Tower Hill that belonged to King Henry VIII, and various other noble houses and castles. He also contributed to notable gardens and national parks around the world.
“Eternally captivated by grafting, Will travelled the historic gardens of the world, meeting with nurserymen, learning centuries-old techniques, in order to perpetuate great varieties and significant trees, restore great gardens, and create new orchards to educate and delight many thousands,” said the current Master Fruiterer Chris Newenham when, in July, he presented Sibley with the Fruiterers’ Ridley Medal for ‘distinguished services to fruit growing’ in the UK.
“From working with the Prince of Wales – now King Charles III – where he planted an orchard at Highgrove, to sharing tea with Bill Clinton when planting trees at the White House, to finding trees from the time of George Washington when repairing damage on Mount Vernon following devastating storms, Will has always worked to ensure that the right trees are planted in the right places.
“He is fondly remembered for taking livery apprentices under his wing and guiding them through both livery and commercial life. Will has been instrumental in the establishment of orchards of apricots, plucots, and olives in East Anglia, more recently resulting in the production of some of the first English extra virgin olive oil.”
Newenham also praised Sibley as for having “a calm voice of reason and great instructional knowledge on the [Fruiterers’] Master’s Committee and Court for many years”.
George Smith, an experienced fresh produce marketer who was the Master Fruiterer in 2025 and a close friend of Sibley’s, emphasised his kindness, speaking fondly of their Friday evening phone calls to catch up on livery matters, their personal lives, and what was happening in the fruit trade.
“Will was always someone you could call to ask for an opinion,” Smith said. “And if he didn’t have the answer straight away, you’d get it the next morning.”
He added: “Will never had a bad word for anybody, was only supportive, and was a great teacher and mentor. He gave his time unreservedly to really good causes and was an absolute star of a human being. The world is a lot worse for not having him in it. I’ve never met anybody so kind to those around him.”
Sarah Calcutt, another household name in the UK fruit sector and the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, added that Sibley was “a generous person” – both with his time and donations of trees for many of the Fruiterers’ tree plantings over the years.
Sibley leaves behind his wife Liz and son Marshall. Donations can be made in Sibley’s memory to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), an organisation he was passionate about.
