Aggregates business Cullimore Group goes back to its farming roots on family farm

A Gloucestershire haulage company has spoken about how it has revived its future by making a substantial investment into its family farm in Stroud.

The Cullimore Group is well-known for its aggregates business, but has decided to relaunch Cullimore Farms and go back to its farming roots.

The farm specialises in farming barley, wheat and maize, Gloucester Old Spot Pigs for pork, Charolais Cows for beef, and Cotswold Legbar and Burford Brown Chickens for eggs.

And the group has has already been awarded ‘Red Tractor Assurance’ accreditation which reassures consumers that their food is safe to eat, is traceable, and has been produced responsibly.

This surprising transition from the man-made to the pastoral is met with anticipation by one partner in the firm, Moreton Cullimore.

He said: “The Cullimore bloodline were farmers long before the first truck hit the road. And, while my father kept the farm operational, with arable farming and about 300 dairy cattle, milk prices meant that a dairy farm of that size could not remain a viable commercial entity.”

"However, the decision was made last year to bring me in as a managing partner while my father eases into retirement.

"We have been working around the clock to bring in the right machinery and my first goal is for the farm to become self-sufficient, and then to expand our footprint to offer services to others in the agricultural community,” Mr Cullimore said.

According to the company’s website, the Cullimore Group has been serving local communities and businesses within Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Avon, and Somerset for a substantial 90 years.

'Reward for all our hard work'

The Cullimore Group spread itself out across five sites within Gloucestershire and its surrounding area, with the head office in Whitminster and quarries in Cirencester and Wiltshire.

The firm also states the care it takes when it comes to the environment, stating it wants to “forge forward into the modern world… but not at the sacrifice of respecting and remembering the past”.

Moreton explained: “There’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears this past year, but now we have reached Red Tractor standards it’s all been worthwhile.

“To see the logo on our produce is not only a reward for that hard work, it demonstrates we are doing things the right way and farming ethically – which benefits the end user.”

Moreton has also been busy expanding his family’s farm by planting cider apple, pear, and plum trees.

“This time next year, I hope to be able to enjoy a nice cold glass of cider too, which is most welcome when you’ve spent a day in the fields,” Moreton added.