Our History

Symonds Farm at Great Saxham was tenanted by the family from the early 1900s. Geo. E. Gittus and Sons Ltd was established when the farm was purchased in 1957 by George Gittus Snr, Grandfather to George, and was subsequently farmed by Fred Gittus Snr, George's father until he died in 2017.

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The business from the 1900s to the early 90s was predominantly a mixed farming operation, comprising of arable, pigs, horses, and sheep. The Gittus family were one of the founding members of the Suffolk Sheep Society and George Gittus Snr played a big part in the establishment of the Suffolk sheep breed. Along with that he also had great success with Suffolk Punch horses and ran a stud, owning renowned horses, such as Sandringham Sailor and Saxham Warlord.

 

Pig farming was a part of the Symonds Farm mix for over 100 years, until recently, when the hard decision was made to cease production, driven by a change in marketing policy by the customer. In the 1940’s George Gittus Snr was the owner of the largest herd of pedigree Essex pigs in the country. Both Fred Gittus Snr and George Gittus followed in the family tradition, running a very accomplished pig operation, which in later years involved a free-range Berkshire herd, supplying Waitrose. 

 

The business has grown over the years and now operates a farming enterprise consisting of owned and contracted land, commercial storage enterprises, and an anaerobic digestion plant producing renewable electricity. The farming operation is principally based at Symonds Farm. Grain storage belonging to Geo. E. Gittus and Sons Ltd are found at Symonds Farm and also at Little Horringer Hall Farm, with additional capacity utilised on contract Farms. The commercial business park is based at Symonds Farm.