Trustees

Meet Our Trustees

Brogdale Collections is the charity responsible for providing public access to and education about the National Fruit Collection, one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive collections of fruit varieties. We provide guided orchard tours, special education days aimed at key stage 1 & 2 school groups and special events.

We want to share the knowledge, value and work of the National Fruit Collection with the public both young and old so that we will have a sustainable fruit-filled future for everyone.

Michael Trigg
Chairman

Previously Michael worked as a Partner and Solicitor with Gill Turner Tucker and has specialised in all forms of civil litigation and all aspects of employment law, claims and disputes. Michael grew up in Middlesbrough. He graduated from Leeds Polytechnic with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law and also completed his Legal Practice Course there. Michael qualified as a Solicitor in 1985 after training with a London firm. He worked in London for a while before joining Gill Turner Tucker in 1987 and becoming a Partner in the Firm in 1989. In his spare time, Michael enjoys country walks and real ale (usually combined), reading, films and football (which is not easy being a "Boro" fan).

Neil Franklin
Trustee

Neil is a Kent-based qualified fruit agronomist who has worked in the fruit industry since his school days. After graduating from Newcastle University with a BSc in Agricultural Economics, he gained an ANCH in Commercial Fruit Production at Hadlow College. His career has included roles with a fruit marketing organisation, managing a fruit farm, and advising commercial growers on all aspects of fruit production since the late 1980s. Neil was awarded the David Hilton Memorial Award by the East Kent Fruit Society for his services to the fruit industry. Having first visited Brogdale as a student during its National Fruit Trials days, he is passionate about preserving this unique part of Kent's fruit-growing heritage for future generations to enjoy. Outside work, Neil enjoys sport (especially Gillingham FC), training gundogs, and spending time on countryside and weather-related pursuits.

Anisa Gress
Trustee

Anisa is a horticultural and gardening writer living in Plaxtol, near Sevenoaks and has lived in Kent for four decades. Her training at Hadlow College studying nursery stock production has given her the foundation for writing confidently about plants, gardening, horticulture and anything related. She has worked on two business titles for Nexus Media - The Grower magazine and Nurseryman and Garden Centre and for the Royal Horticultural Society as News Editor on its membership title The Garden. Anisa is currently Features Editor on Garden Trade News, a paper and online magazine, and on a freelance basis contributes to the membership magazine for the Horticultural Trades Association, consumer title The English Garden and for FloraCulture International. Anisa also sits on the committee of the Garden Media Guild, which brings together writers, photographers and those in broadcasting with the aim of raising standards and quality.

Chris Lane
Trustee

Chris Lane lives near Sittingbourne in Kent where he runs Witch Hazel Nursery, growing small numbers of woody plants, mostly produced by grafting. There are five National Plant Collections, maintained on the nursery: Hamamelis, Wisteria, Flowering Cherries, Amelanchiers and Parrotia. Chris has worked in professional horticulture all his life, in nurseries as a propagator and at management level. He taught nursery sock production at Hadlow College in Kent, firstly as an instructor and then as a lecturer. Chris served at committee level for the Great Britain and Ireland region of the International Plant Propagators Society, becoming President in 1992.

David Josephs
Trustee

David Josephs has a wealth of experience supporting a number of important charities and also a passion for food and drink. He is a big fan of Brogdale Collection’s heritage fruit which he has sourced for his London food retail business. He is also involved in a fledgling food trade apprenticeship scheme. As a highly successful business person, a supporter of educational initiatives, and with his passion for and extensive knowledge of the food and drink industry, he is an enormous asset to Brogdale Collections.

Philip Doubleday
Trustee

Philip brings a unique blend of fruit growing experience and academic background to the board of trustees. With a deep-rooted passion for fruit growing, he has honed his skills on the multi-generational family farm in Kent, where he cultivates sweet cherries and makes wine from Morello cherries. His studies in Social Anthropology (LSE) and Food Security (Lancaster University) inform his understanding of the social context as well as technical challenges of food production. A fascination with tree husbandry and fruit quality drives his enthusiasm for sharing and promoting our wonderful cultural heritage of fruit growing.

Matt Adrain
Trustee

Matt brings a great deal of practical knowledge of fruit growing, as well as business and strategic management of a fruit farm attraction, which has now led him to pursue a career as a horticultural agronomist, covering the South of England. His experience in managing all aspects of a large pick your own farm, has provided him with an understanding of the deep connection between the Kentish community and agriculture. This has driven his enthusiasm for the fruit industry and has led to him sharing his expertise with all ages through “Farmer Matt Time” school tours and talks with horticultural groups. Matt’s keen interest in the natural landscapes and wildlife of the UK inspired him to study a BSc Hons in Ecology at Brighton University, graduating in 2014, which has shaped his perspective of farming with nature in mind. Away from farming, Matt is also a very keen gardener, football player and bitter drinker!

Richard Brewer
Trustee

Richard has been involved in the growing and marketing of apples and pears since leaving school. Richard hails from Rainham in Kent and worked for a local fruit grower after leaving school. After graduating from Loughborough University with a degree in human geography and economics and a post graduate diploma from University of Swnasea in Topographic Science Richard returned to fruit growing, moving into quality and technical roles with many of the UK apple and pear marketing desks and has been fortunate enough to travel to most of the apple growing regions of the world. Richard now runs his own consultancy business offering technical services to the apple and pear trade. Richard has a huge interest in both heritage varieties as well as developing new varieties. Outside of fruit Richard is a keen gardener and sportsman having played hockey and cricket since schooldays, although cricket is now limited to watching. Richard is also a keen runner and has competed in many challenges both in the UK and overseas.