Farming and Land
Around 3,500 acres of wheat, barley, beans, oilseed rape, sugar beet, maize and rye, farmed by Brett Vale Farming Company with two neighbouring family farms.
Many Fields. One Family.
Heathpatch is a family-owned group run from a farm office in Semer, Suffolk: 4,000 acres of farmland and woodland, and companies in hospitality, manufacturing and machinery.
- Farming at Semer Since 1973
- 4,000 Acres in Suffolk
- Six Companies, Family-Owned
Dairy Farm, Semer, from the air
The Heathpatch Family of Companies
Four Fields of Work, Each With Its Own Name.
Every company keeps its own name, team and customers. Heathpatch gives each one patient ownership and the backing of the wider group.
Hospitality
Nedging Hall Estate runs The Crown at Bildeston, The Angel in Lavenham, The Red Rose at Lindsey, The Brewery Tap and Nedging Hall, with ales from Mauldons, Suffolk’s oldest brewery.
Manufacturing
CamdenBoss designs and makes enclosures and electro-mechanical components in Mildenhall. Cogent Technology builds electronics for medical, EV and scientific clients in Felixstowe.
Machinery
Global Machinery Solutions supplies and services recycling, forestry and construction machinery across the UK and Ireland. Shredding Machinery Solutions rebuilds mobile shredders.
Planting for the Next Generation.
Heathpatch began as a farm, and the land still comes first. We plant woods and hedgerows, restore old ponds and make room for wildlife.
Explore Our Environmental Projects- 50,000Trees planted on the farm in recent years
- 35 kmOf new hedgerow, including along old parish boundaries
- 200Acres of ancient woodland at Raydon Great Wood, cared for since 1998
- 30+Owl boxes, with the chicks ringed every year
- 100 haConverted to organic grassland in 2026, sown for birds and insects
Family-Owned. Nationally Recognised.
Our companies compete on quality, and their industries keep noticing.
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47th
The Crown, Bildeston
In the Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Pubs, November 2026, and Pub of the Year 2026 for Norfolk and Suffolk Magazines.
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Three in a Row
CamdenBoss
Enclosure Product of the Year at the Electronics Industry Awards in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
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Dealer of the Year
Global Machinery Solutions
SANY UK Dealer of the Year 2026, plus Top Dealer awards for Heavy Line Sales and Parts Excellence.
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Since 1795
Mauldons
Suffolk’s oldest brewery, with us since 2019. Its Suffolk Pride won bronze at the SIBA Independent Beer Awards.
A Long-Term Home for Good Businesses.
For nearly 30 years Heathpatch has bought, built and backed companies, from a machinery dealer to Suffolk’s oldest brewery.
Patient Ownership
Global Machinery Solutions joined us in 2006 and CamdenBoss in 2007. We plan in decades, not quarters.
Your Name, Your Team
Companies keep their identity and their people. At Mauldons, head brewer Steve Birch has brewed for more than 40 years.
Backing to Grow
We invest for the long run, from CamdenBoss’s move to the Galaxy Building in Mildenhall to restoring The Angel in Lavenham.
Good for Everyone Around It
Our aim is sustainable, profitable companies that benefit employees, customers, suppliers, the community and the environment.
Own a business with a future worth protecting? Start with a confidential conversation.
Talk to the Farm Office
“It was important for us to sell our business to someone with the necessary enthusiasm and commitment to drive the business forward.”
Good Neighbours Since 1973.
Every summer James Buckle takes neighbours round the farm by tractor and trailer, for free. All eight 2026 tours were fully booked.
Tractors in Schools
Our farmers take their tractors into local primary schools each year.
Local Charities
A family fund at Suffolk Community Foundation, support for Inspire Suffolk and a home for The Befriending Scheme’s care farm.
“Thank you again for sharing your careful, innovative approach to managing your land and allowing us all to enjoy it.”
The Family and the Board.
Three generations of the Buckle family have shaped Heathpatch since the first fields at Semer in 1973. Today they lead it with an experienced board.
James Buckle
Founder and Director
Set up Heathpatch in 1997. Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk and a former High Sheriff.
George Westwood
Group Chief Executive
Chartered accountant, formerly at BDO. Joined in 2020 and became Chief Executive in 2024.
Charles Buckle
Director
Runs Nedging Hall Estate. Bought Mauldons in 2019 and joined the board in 2020.
Charles Course
Group Chairman
Founded Material Change in 2002 after leaving Bidwells as an equity partner.
James Hutchinson
Non-Executive Director
Founder of an accountancy practice advising over 180 farms, and a founder of Kingshay.
John Baker Cresswell
Non-Executive Director
Has run his own farming business in Northumberland for almost 30 years.
Questions, Answered.
Something else on your mind? Call the farm office on 01449 741481.
What is Heathpatch?
A family-owned group based at Dairy Farm, Semer, near Hadleigh in Suffolk. It farms and cares for more than 4,000 acres of land and owns companies in hospitality, manufacturing and machinery, each run by its own team.
Does Heathpatch buy businesses?
Heathpatch has bought and built companies since 1997, from Mauldons Brewery in 2019 to Shredding Machinery Solutions in 2025. If you own a business and are thinking about its future, talk to the farm office in confidence.
Can I visit the farm or Raydon Great Wood?
Yes, on our free summer farm tours by tractor and trailer and our guided walks in Raydon Great Wood. Places are limited and must be booked. The wood is not open to the public at other times.
Do you offer contract farming?
Yes, through Brett Vale Farming Company, our joint venture with A J Pratt & Son and W D Chaplin Farms. The team offers whole-farm contracting and one-off operations from Dairy Farm.
Are any of your companies hiring?
Each company recruits for itself, so please look at their own websites for current vacancies. You will find them linked under Our Companies.
Who do I contact about one of your companies?
Please contact the company directly through its own website, linked under Our Companies. The farm office looks after group matters, the land and our community work.
Talk to the Farm Office.
Own a business, farm nearby or want a place on a tour? Write to Dairy Farm. Your message goes straight to the people who run the group.
- 01449 741481
- info@
dairyfarmoffice.co.uk - Dairy Farm Office, Semer, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 6RA
“There are many synergies between our businesses, and the underpinning of the wider group will support our aspirations to continue the growth ambitions we set…”
