Leeks – Trevor Edgley - Cambridgeshire
Leek grower Trevor Edgley is fanatical about growing excellent quality British leeks for Pauleys’ customers. With more than 20 years experience, Trevor has a wealth of knowledge and impresses with his lexicon of leek.
Trevor (affectionately known as the ‘Fenland Imp’) is the head of family business Nightlayer’s leeks. The family began growing leeks in 1978, starting with 2.5 acres of land. Nightlayer’s leeks now farm in excess of 600 acres of land in the Cambridgeshire fens; an area celebrated by growers for its fertile black soil. Trevor’s children, James and Charlotte, have joined their father helping to manage and develop the Red Tractor accredited business.
Various methods are used to ensure a continual supply of leeks from July until April. February sees the first of the seeds planted in the field, which are then covered in fleece to help them grow in time for harvesting in September. In March, young leek seedlings are planted in the soil, these become ready to harvest from July until September. Trevor also drills seeds in to the soil from March until May to produce a steady supply of leeks from September through to April. The main varieties grown for Pauleys are Belton, Volta, Striker, Lexton & Triton.
During the harvesting period, the leeks are hand-picked daily and placed on to rigs. Harvesting rigs have become a major part of the business and enable the selecting, grading, washing and packing to take place in the field whilst shortening the time from field to fork.
To achieve the best quality and availability of produce, we may sometimes need to source produce from growers other than those mentioned. In the event of British produce not being available or not meeting the required specification, we will source from an alternative origin to match our high quality standards.
