Pitch Up! is coming to Surrey as farming business Hampton Estate opens its gates to rural enterprises and start-ups. Sustainable businesses in Surrey can submit their ideas – and then find willing partners with the know-how and resources to help them grow.
Why grow a business alone when there’s land, resources and know-how to tap into? That’s the message from Hampton Estate which is welcoming sustainable businesses and start-ups looking for a leg-up to help them grow as part of Pitch Up! 2025.
Hampton Estate is a diversified rural business spanning 800 hectares in between Farnham and Guildford.
The team is looking for others who would like to build businesses in partnership with them. The aim is to grow their regenerative community and circular economy.
This year, Hampton is specifically looking for those wanting to expand or run:
- Pastured poultry, woodland pigs and/ or sheep flock
- Market and community gardens
- Cut flower enterprise
- Composting business
- Nature groups
Other opportunities include eco-tourism, running clubs, pond dipping, catering and pop-up events and art-based businesses.
Entrepreneurs and businesses can submit their ideas via an expression of interest to Hampton. Then its ready for the Pitch Up! Applications Season (think Dragon’s Den) which returns this November.
Hampton’s Molly Biddell says: “For us, it’s all about creating holistic, regenerative and resilient systems that support amazing landscapes and wonderful communities. We think Pitch Up! is the key to helping us do this.”
What is Pitch Up?
Pitch Up! is about farmers working together, independently of government initiatives and funding bodies, to create a different model for local businesses.
The initiative connects regenerative farms such as Hampton Estate with sustainable businesses needing access to land and space. They then share resources, knowledge and land to feed one another and grow together.
Pitch Up! welcomes businesses at all stages. This includes supporting established enterprises with relocation, renovating space customised to their specific needs, or readying land for use.
For start-ups, it could be more about experimental space, trialling packaging and dispatch. Or support developing their pricing models, product offer or production processes.
In return, Pitch Up! farms gain partners, not tenants. Each agreement is different, shaped to be fair to both sides – whether that’s profit share, turnover rent, produce use, or longer-term regeneration goals. It’s about helping farms diversify in a future-focused way
Interested businesses can take the first step and fill out an expression of interest form on the Pitch Up website.
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