Our Story - Upper Dysart Larder

JAMES

STIRLING

PRODUCTION MANAGER

James, the youngest of the Stirling family, is the man behind the mash. He cooks, mashes and creates all the flavours, tweaking and tasting until he hits the perfect combination of ingredients – and gets the resounding thumbs up from the taste testers (well, someone’s got to do it!)

When he’s not cooking and mashing, James is on the potato and veg packing lines with the team and oversees the potato planting and harvesting.

ALEXANDER

STIRLING

MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Alexander is the engineer of the family, the mechanic and the mastermind that keeps the farm running as a well-oiled machine. Largely self-taught, there’s not much he can’t fix whether it’s a tractor or technology for the latest on-farm innovation. He thrives on the challenge of using his imagination to make something work.

His fiancée, who also works on the farm, and young son are often seen helping out.

JESSICA

SQUIRES

PROJECT & MARKETING MANAGER

Jessica is the director of operations and creative behind all things farm vending for Upper Dysart Larder, managing its inception as well as the stories and brand development. Like all the Stirling children, she spent her holidays growing up helping out on the farm.

A primary teacher by trade and a young mum, she is passionate about bringing good, easy, nutritious food to our kitchen tables and sharing farm experiences with young children that she was lucky enough to have growing up.

HANNAH

STIRLING

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Hannah makes it all happen in the office, managing orders, speaking to customers and, alongside her older sister Jessica, she brings Upper Dysart Larder to life on social media as the official farm reporter/mash snapper and sharer.

Mixing family and business was going to be a tricky one in Hannah’s eyes, but, the joker of the family, where there’s hilarity, there’s Hannah and she keeps team spirits high whilst getting the job done.

CO-FOUNDER

ANDREW

STIRLING

Andrew is the patriarch of Upper Dysart, building up the potato and fresh vegetable business over the last 30 years with Anita. From growing fresh produce for retailers, they took it to the next level creating ‘convenient’ vegetable side dishes for them, such as quick baked potatoes and turnip mash.

They also set up Stirfresh in the late 90s, growing and preparing fresh vegetables to supply schools and hospitals. Andrew is the family tornado, ever buzzing with new ideas and there’s always a project on.

CO-FOUNDER

ANITA

STIRLING

Behind every great business, there’s a great woman. In between bringing up four children, Anita and Andrew have farmed potatoes and veg at Upper Dysart since 1997, constantly developing and innovating the business.

Ever enterprising, it is Anita who has inspired most of the fantastic ideas for mash flavours. With her finger on the pulse of every corner of the business, her job title should probably be strategy and logistics manager of all operations, including grandchildren and dogs.