Jobs

The Tobacco Factory family includes Tobacco Factory Cafe Bar, Sunday Market, Five Acre Farm CIC, Mark’s Bakery and Grain Barge.

 

Benefits:

• Food on shift

• Regular appraisal and development

• Access to Hospitality Action’s Employee Assistance Programme for free, confidential help and advice when you are facing problems, difficulties or challenges relating to your home or working life.

• Cycle to work scheme

• Company wide staff discount

• Supplier visits and team days

• Supportive, friendly team

• Ethically and environmentally aware employer – a community of businesses working towards an environmentally restorative and socially progressive UK hospitality sector.

 

We’re committed to creating a diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nationality, disability or age.

 

5 Acre Farm CIC: Lead Flower Grower / Assistant Veg Grower MATERNITY COVER

We are looking for a skilled cut-flower and veg grower with a minimum of one season’s commercial experience in both areas to join the small team at our regenerative farm just outside Bristol. This is for a maternity cover role from April – December 2026, 4 days/week for most of the season, with time split roughly evenly between flowers and veg.

This could be an ideal opportunity for someone who has grown and sold flowers as part of a team to step up and take the lead on managing our flower operation – from propagating, bed prep and planting to harvesting, bunching, drying and leading wreath workshops. You will be working alongside our florist and there will be handover support and an existing cropping plan provided by our usual flower grower. 

The veg element involves most aspects of raising and harvesting crops, including some tractor work. It could be well suited to someone who has completed a traineeship and wants to diversify their growing experience. The role also involves leading regular volunteer groups (in both veg and flower areas), and provides useful opportunities to develop people-management and organisational skills.

Please note that while our preference is for one person to fulfil a combined flower and veg role, we are open to receiving applications from people wishing to work just on flowers or just on veg for 2 days/week. Please state clearly if this is you.

Job: Lead Flower Grower/Assistant Veg Grower at Five Acre Farm, Backwell, North Somerset BS48 3BQ

Dates: Fixed-term position from  13th April 2026 to 18th December 2026.

Wage: £12.71/hour PAYE plus statutory holiday day and employer pension contributions

Hours: – Apr-Oct: 4 days/week – Mon-Tue + Thu-Fri (typically 36 hours 7am-4pm). 

– Nov-Dec: 2 days/week 

– Occasional Sunday cover (1 Sunday out of 4, with weekday off in lieu).

Application deadline: 22nd January 2026.

To apply, please send a cover letter and CV (or any queries) to Jon – jon@fiveacre.farm – by Thursday 22/01/2026. Interviews to take place on the farm at the end of Jan/start of Feb.

 

Job description:

Flowers

  • Managing the flower patch and additional flower beds including polytunnel crops
  • Maintaining a continual supply of flowers throughout the season for pick your own flowers and bunches for shops and market
  • Propagation, no-dig bed prep and planting
  • Weed and pest management, supporting, pinching and deadheading
  • Harvesting, conditioning and bunching fresh flowers
  • Harvesting and drying flowers for winter
  • Liaising with pick your own wedding flowers customers and giving guidance on cutting and conditioning flowers
  • Organising, preparing and facilitating winter wreath workshops
  • Coordinating tasks with other team members including our Florist and overseeing volunteers
  • Keeping clear records of sowing, planting and harvesting timings

Veg

  • Assisting with the management of all aspects of vegetable production and sales
  • Propagation, no-dig bed prep, planting, harvesting, packing, weed and pest management
  • Some tractor driving including cultivation (training provided if required)
  • Input on practical decision-making such as prioritising farm jobs and assessing produce availability
  • Occasional Sunday staffing of our market stall in south Bristol, including transporting produce from farm to market (if possessing driving licence)
  • Coordinating tasks with other team members and overseeing volunteers
  • Open channels of communication, support with professional development and opportunity to take lead in particular areas of interest

Essential attributes/skills:

  • Minimum one full season’s experience in commercial flower AND vegetable production
  • Solid understanding of growing techniques and particular requirements of a wide range of flower crops
  • A reasonable standard of physical fitness and weather-hardiness
  • Self-motivated and able to work independently and at a good pace

Desirable attributes/skills:

  • Full driving licence
  • Tractor-driving experience
  • Some experience of floristry and flower-drying 
  • Familiarity with no-dig production methods
  • Hunger to keep learning and developing horticultural and related skills
  • Commitment to organic principles and an enthusiasm for ecology
  • Open communicator who enjoys working and making decisions in a collaborative environment
  • An eye for detail and quality
  • Enthusiasm for ways of making processes more efficient
  • Experience of managing volunteers

Apply for this job:

jon@fiveacre.farm