From humble beginnings and the generational flows that come with it, Macknade has flourished and grown into what it is today. We no longer farm the land, but our Flagship Faversham Food Hall is right at the heart of where we started some 175 years ago and our heart is, just as it has always been, in our food and the people we share it with.
1847
Frederick Neame Snr, was the first to bring the family to Faversham, Kent, where we farmed the land for many years. Macknade Farm was one of the region's leading fruit and vegetable growers, nationally renowned for its hard fruit, hops and livestock. This continued for five generations.
1947
Pears from our orchards were served at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to the late Phillip Mountbatten.
1979
Patricia Neame (Frederick's great great granddaughter) & her husband Renato Cuomo open Fir Tree P.Y.O on the corner of the family farm. Renato - an Italian native, originally from the island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples - brings his mediterranean flavour to drive the business forward.
2001
We stop farming altogether and focus solely on retail.
2011
The first Macknade café opens, encouraging shoppers to sit and enjoy quality food with friends & family in-store... a community is building.
2013
Stefano, Patricia & Renato’s son, becomes Managing Director, the sixth generation to own and run Macknade.
2016
The butchery opens in Faversham - the first PFLA counter supporting regenerative farming and focussing on traditional full carcass butchery.
2018
We open the Deck, an outdoor dining area in Faversham, which later evolves into our Food Village - a marketplace showcasing the very best food & drink from hand-picked vendors.
2021
Shane Godwin takes over as Managing Director and Stefano Cuomo becomes CEO.
2022
We celebrate our 175th birthday, moving forward to take our vision and experience to an even wider audience
