A heritage of farming expertise
1983
Our farming journey began in 1981, when Peter Waring - who’d always dreamed of being a farmer - bought Fir Tree Farm in mid-Suffolk.
His plan was to use it to test and refine the Polycrop, a machine he invented to advance crop maturity by 3-4 weeks. The Polycrop revolutionised the face of farming in northern Europe. Within three years the farm was producing 4,500 acres of crops.
1988
A significant year for Sovereign Turf - 1988 was when the first field of turf was sown.
Recognising the need for diversification, Peter, with his keen eye for trends, saw the potential in producing a non-food crop that didn’t depend on supermarkets as a buyer.
He planted 50 acres of turf, and launched it as Speed Lawn, selling it directly to landscapers and wholesalers
1992
Peter Waring had three children, but it was his eldest son, David, who shared his love of farming. David spent his teenage years working on the farm and officially joined the company in 1992 after graduating with an agricultural degree from Newcastle University. Although he had planned to travel around Australia and New Zealand after university, the lure of the farm proved too strong.
David's first official role involved selling 290 acres of additional turf during a challenging recession, significantly expanding Sovereign Turf's operations from its initial 33 acres.
1995
The year Speed Lawn became Sovereign Turf. It was selling well, but the name didn’t reflect the premium quality of the turf properly. A rebrand was in order, and Sovereign Turf was born.
The word Sovereign has a double meaning. Not only does it mean ‘ruler’ and ‘the number one’, it is also the name of a British gold coin which was known for being solid, reliable, valuable and trustworthy - all values that allgn with our business and the quality of turf we produce.
1995
A disastrous time for vegetable growers in the UK, saw ten of the thirteen carrot farmers go into consolidation. Sovereign Turf was one of the three survivors. We still grow and trade carrots and other vegetables today through our land-swap initiatives.
2008
We bought our own fleet of delivery vehicles!
This was a major step forward for our vision of providing the very best customer service. Having our own vehicles meant we could now control the whole process from point of order to drop off. For the first time we were able to ensure delivery to a place and time that worked better for our customers, something we still do to this day.
2009
Another milestone year for Sovereign Turf: we acquired Town and Country Turf in Horsham and Sidcup, significantly expanding our production capacity and reach. Now, we can easily meet all landscaping needs across the South and East of England
2018
We became the first farm in the country to grow sweetcorn specifically for the processing market. Utilising innovative mechanised harvesting and years of farming experience, we had the experience to optimise the packing process.
2019
We bought our own fleet of delivery vehicles!
This was a major step forward for our vision of providing the very best customer service. Having our own vehicles meant we could now control the whole process from point of order to drop off. For the first time we were able to ensure delivery to a place and time that worked better for our customers, something we still do to this day.
2022
The end of an era, vegetable production on the farm officially stopped. Sovereign Turf became the main product produced on the farm. Now with all of our attention on turf, we were preparing to level up and dominate as the best in the business.
2024
For the past two years we have perfecting the formula for a new grass mix. The formula is spot on, the benefits are endless, and our field is maturing, ready for harvest this autumn. Watch this space for the launch of our new turf.
