Fruitful Jobs — reviews, conditions, salary 2026
Updated: 28 July 2026
Fruitful Jobs Ltd is one of the six operators of the Seasonal Worker scheme. It has worked since 2009 and is based in Herefordshire. The key point for our readers: Fruitful Jobs does NOT recruit from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — the company itself sends candidates from Central Asia to the operator AGRI-HR. Pay is £12.71/hour (National Living Wage 2026). Scammers use the brand heavily: there is a clone domain, fruitfulljobs.com (two "l"), and at least 8 fake Telegram accounts — officially, the operator does not recruit on Telegram at all.
About the operatorRegistration, licence, managementHerefordshire
Fruitful Jobs Ltd (Companies House 06955481) was registered on 7 July 2009. The company started as an operator of the old SAWS scheme (Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme, closed in 2013), then worked as a supplier of farm staff, and on 5 May 2021 became a licensed sponsor of the new Seasonal Worker scheme. As of July 2026 the company confirms on its website: "we remain an operator of the scheme for 2026, recruitment for the season is ongoing." Size: public data shows about 7,600 Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) issued in 2024.
Directors: Justin David Emery and Rachel Helen Hubbard (founders, since 2009), James Lee Mallick and Jurgita Norkute-Peciak (appointed 11 April 2024).
The company states that it holds gangmaster licence FRUI0003 "since 2009". From 7 April 2026 these licences are overseen by a new regulator, the Fair Work Agency (formerly GLAA). It brings together the GLAA, the employment agency inspectorate and minimum wage enforcement.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Fruitful Jobs Ltd |
| Companies House | 06955481 |
| Date of registration | 7 July 2009 |
| Registered office | The Smithy Workshop, Harewood End Farm, Harewood End, Herefordshire, HR2 8JT |
| Directors | J. Emery, R. Hubbard (since 2009); J. Mallick, J. Norkute-Peciak (since 2024) |
| Gangmaster licence | FRUI0003 (stated by the company; regulator since April 2026 — Fair Work Agency) |
| CoS issued in 2024 | ~7,600 (from public data) |
| Operator status 2026 | Confirmed (statement on fruitfuljobs.com) |
| Company status | Active |
Scheme context for 2026: the Seasonal Worker visa quota is 41,000 visas (horticulture) + 1,900 (poultry). The quota has fallen three years in a row (in 2023 it was 45,000). The scheme runs until 2029. A new rule applies from 11 November 2025: you can work a maximum of 6 months in any 10-month window (before that, the window was 12 months). The Home Office does not publish how the quota is split between operators.
Who it suits — and who it does NOTRecruitment countries: Central Asia — noNot for Central Asia
Fruitful Jobs is the only operator that names, on its official application page, the countries it does not recruit from: Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and all of Africa. It gives a separate warning about Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: its recruitment partner Osrodek HR "does not work and has no authorised representatives in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan."
In practice: if you are from Central Asia, you cannot apply through Fruitful Jobs. The company itself sends these candidates to the operator AGRI-HR. Note: AGRI-HR is an independent licensed operator, not an "agent of Fruitful Jobs".
| Category | Suitable? | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Citizens of Uzbekistan | No | On the official exclusion list. Instead: HOPS, Pro-Force, AGRI-HR |
| Citizens of Tajikistan | No | On the official exclusion list |
| Citizens of Kyrgyzstan | No | No representatives in Kyrgyzstan. Any "offer from Fruitful Jobs" there is a scam |
| Citizens of Kazakhstan | No | No representatives in Kazakhstan. Instead: AGRI-HR, HOPS |
| Citizens of Ukraine | Unclear | No official confirmation of recruitment for 2026 — ask the operator directly |
| Citizens of EU countries | Check | The company does not publish a list of countries it is open to |
We keep this page detailed even though the operator does not recruit from Central Asia. Scammers copy the Fruitful Jobs name more than almost any other in the region. If someone "offers you a place through Fruitful Jobs" in Tashkent, Bishkek or Almaty, it is a scam — see the "Scammers" section.
Farms and cropsBerries, apples, hops, processing
Fruitful Jobs started with soft fruit (berries). Apples, hops, vegetables, vineyards, food processing and poultry were added later. Roles listed on the official scheme page: pickers, crop care workers, packhouse workers and seasonal supervisors.
| Crop / sector | Season | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) | May — October | Picking, sorting, packing |
| Apples and stone fruit | August — October | Picking, sorting |
| Hops, vineyards | September — October | Picking, pruning |
| Vegetables | June — November | Picking, packing |
| Processing, poultry | October — December | Packing and processing lines |
The only partner farm known publicly is Haygrove (a large berry grower in Herefordshire). It appears both in jobs backed by Fruitful Jobs and in investigations by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in 2023–2024 (see "What workers say").
A contract lasts a maximum of 6 months per visa, then you must take a break. From 11 November 2025 the limit is 6 months in any 10-month window.
How to applyNo online portal — only official channelsFree
Fruitful Jobs has no online application portal. This matters: any "Fruitful Jobs portal" or Telegram bot is fake. The official channels are the website fruitfuljobs.com, the email info@fruitfuljobs.com, the phone 01989 500 130 and the recruitment partners listed on the How to apply page (for Ukraine and the EU — Osrodek HR).
Applying is free. The operator is not allowed to charge you for a job. Your only costs are the visa (£340) and your ticket.
- Check whether they recruit from your country — the exclusion list is on fruitfuljobs.com/how-to-apply. From Central Asia, go straight to AGRI-HR, HOPS or Pro-Force.
- Get in touch through an official channel — email info@fruitfuljobs.com or the official recruiter (Osrodek HR for Ukraine and the EU). Not on Telegram, not on WhatsApp.
- Go through selection and an interview — motivation, readiness for physical work, dates.
- Get a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) — an electronic document with a number for your visa application.
- Apply for the visa online — on gov.uk, section "Apply for a Seasonal Worker visa". Pay £340. IHS is not charged for visas up to 6 months.
- Give your biometrics — at a visa centre (TLS Contact or VFS Global). A decision usually comes within 3 weeks.
- Buy your ticket only after the visa is approved.
If anyone asks for money for a place — it is a scam. The operator does not charge for a job. Report it to the Fair Work Agency (formerly GLAA) helpline: 0800 432 0804.
Licence suspension 2023 — what happenedReason, reinstatement, current statusReinstated
On 24 February 2023 the Home Office suspended Fruitful Jobs' sponsor licence and removed the company from the list of scheme operators. The reason the Home Office gave: the company did not make sure that some workers went home on time after their visas expired — "a significant threat to immigration control." Fruitful Jobs challenged the decision, pointing to the war in Ukraine: after the war started, some of its Ukrainian workers got a different immigration status and physically could not "return on time."
In May 2023 the licence was reinstated. The Home Office called this an "exceptional decision" given the "unique and sensitive circumstances of the conflict," gave the company a B-rating (instead of revoking the licence) and set a plan of corrective actions with a follow-up audit after 3 months.
Do not mix these up: the 2023 suspension was about immigration control (workers not returning), NOT about worker complaints over conditions. The stories about conditions on the Haygrove farm (the TBIJ investigations) are a separate matter from the same year — see the next section.
There was no second suspension in 2024–2026 (a different operator, Ethero, was suspended in May 2024; that has nothing to do with Fruitful Jobs). As of July 2026 Fruitful Jobs is an active operator of the scheme.
What workers sayReviews and TBIJ investigationsInvestigations exist
Reviews
There are very few public reviews of Fruitful Jobs: 5.0/5 on Indeed, from just 2 reviews (July 2026). Two reviews are far too few to mean anything — do not draw conclusions from them.
Bureau of Investigative Journalism investigations (2023–2024)
In October 2023 TBIJ published an investigation into conditions on the Haygrove farm, a partner of Fruitful Jobs. According to the investigation: workers (mostly from Latin America) were promised about £500 a week, but in the first week there were no shifts at all, and in the second week it came to less than £150; repayments on the flight debt (~£1,500) left some of them with £16 a week; about 90 workers held a spontaneous strike, one of the first recorded on the scheme. According to FOI data from the same investigation, in Home Office inspections in 2021–2022, 44% of the 845 workers surveyed (across the whole scheme, not only Fruitful Jobs) raised welfare concerns.
In May 2024 TBIJ published a follow-up with new allegations from Haygrove workers: unpaid hours, bullying, and one episode involving a claim of physical assault. According to TBIJ, the managing director of Fruitful Jobs threatened to revoke visas if the protests continued, and the Home Office treated four Haygrove workers as possible victims of modern slavery. The company responded that the director "is addressing the issues that have arisen." These are allegations from a journalistic investigation; the company's position is given there.
Overall picture
For readers from Central Asia the practical conclusion is simple: you cannot apply through Fruitful Jobs anyway, and the Haygrove stories are important context for why you need to know your rights on any farm. If you hit problems with any operator: Fair Work Agency (formerly GLAA) helpline 0800 432 0804, Modern Slavery Helpline 08000 121 700 (free, 24/7). More detail: farm worker rights.
How much you get paidPay, accommodation £77.70/week, net earnings£12.71/hour
The rate for 2026 is £12.71/hour (National Living Wage, 21+). The operator confirms it on its official scheme page. You live in mobile homes (caravans) on the farm, and the rent the operator quotes is £77.70 per week. That is noticeably higher than the usual £50–70 with other operators — count it into your budget.
| Parameter | Value | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate (21+) | £12.71/hour | National Living Wage 2026, confirmed by the operator |
| Working hours | 30–48 hours/week | Depends on the season and the crop |
| Gross salary (6 months) | £8,300–13,200 | At 30–48 h/week × 26 weeks |
| Tax + NI | ~£1,200–2,800 | Part can be refunded through P85 |
| Accommodation | ~£77.70/week | Operator's figure; ~£2,000 per season |
| Visa | £340 | IHS is not charged for visas up to 6 months |
| Net earnings (6 months) | £4,400–9,200 | After all costs, estimate |
Wages are paid into a UK bank account. After the season you can claim back overpaid tax through gov.uk — it is free, and the typical refund is £1,000–2,500. Do not pay middlemen who take 28–36% of your refund.
Scammers using the Fruitful Jobs brandClone domain, fake Telegram accounts, how to spot themMain risk
Fruitful Jobs is one of the most copied brands in the scheme. The company itself publishes lists of the fakes on its homepage:
- Clone domain: fruitfulljobs.com (two "l") — phishing. The real site is fruitfuljobs.com.
- Fake emails: info@fruitfuljobs.work, osrodek-ru.com@mail.ru. The real one is info@fruitfuljobs.com.
- Fake Telegram accounts: @Fruitful_manager, @join_uk_job, @fruitfuljobs_manager, @fruitfulljobs, t.me/fruitfuljobsuk, @fruit_ful_jobs, t.me/FRUITFULJOBSHR, @fruitful_jobs. The company states that it does not use Telegram at all for recruitment.
According to RFE/RL and the Migration Policy Centre, hundreds of people have lost money to "work in England" scams that use fake operator brands: 200+ victims in Kazakhstan (25+ complaints filed in Almaty), 150+ in Kyrgyzstan (about $1,600 each on average), and a large case in Tajikistan. The usual pattern: an "operator representative" on WhatsApp or Telegram asks you to pay for a "guaranteed place."
One rule: any offer "from Fruitful Jobs" on Telegram or WhatsApp is a scam. The company does not recruit through messengers, and it does not recruit from Central Asia at all. A legal application costs you nothing beyond the £340 visa and your ticket.
Operator contactsWebsite, email, phone
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Website | fruitfuljobs.com (one "l"!) |
| info@fruitfuljobs.com | |
| Phone | 01989 500 130 |
| Registered office | The Smithy Workshop, Harewood End Farm, Herefordshire, HR2 8JT |
| Companies House | 06955481 |
| Online portal | None — only email and the recruiters on the official page |
Any "portal", "Telegram manager" or "representative in the CIS" is fake. Check every channel against the page fruitfuljobs.com/how-to-apply and nothing else.
Fruitful Jobs vs other operatorsWhere to apply from Central Asia
| Operator | Recruits from Central Asia | Sector | Special feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruitful Jobs | No | Horticulture + processing | Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on the exclusion list; sends Central Asia to AGRI-HR |
| HOPS | Yes | Horticulture | Largest, portal in Russian |
| Pro-Force | Yes | Horticulture + poultry | Portal in Uzbek and Kyrgyz |
| AGRI-HR | Yes | Horticulture | Operator since 2023; Fruitful Jobs sends Central Asian candidates here |
| Concordia | Partly | Horticulture | Charity organisation since 1943 |
| RE Recruitment | No | Poultry only | Poultry only (Oct–Dec) |
If you are from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan or Tajikistan, your real options are HOPS, Pro-Force and AGRI-HR. Applying is free with all of them — apply to several at once.
Frequently asked questions
Does Fruitful Jobs recruit from Uzbekistan and Central Asia?
No. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are named directly in the list of countries the company does not recruit from, and neither the company nor its recruiters have representatives in Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan. The company sends candidates from Central Asia to the operator AGRI-HR.
A "Fruitful Jobs manager" is messaging me on Telegram/WhatsApp — is it real?
No. The company states that it does not use Telegram for recruitment at all, and it publishes a list of 8+ fake accounts. Any such offer is a scam.
Why was Fruitful Jobs' licence suspended in 2023?
The Home Office suspended the licence in February 2023 because some workers did not return home after their visas expired (immigration control). This happened against the background of the war in Ukraine, when some Ukrainian workers changed their status. In May 2023 the licence was reinstated with a B-rating. This story is not about working conditions.
What happened on the Haygrove farm?
Investigations by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (2023, 2024) described problems on the Haygrove farm, a partner of Fruitful Jobs: too few shifts, flight debts, a strike by about 90 workers and, later, allegations of unpaid hours and pressure on workers. This is separate from the licence suspension.
How much does it cost to apply through Fruitful Jobs?
Nothing. Your legal costs are the £340 visa and your ticket. If anyone asks for money for a "place", it is a scam.
What is the pay in 2026?
£12.71 per hour (National Living Wage 2026, 21+). The operator confirms the rate on its website.
How much does accommodation cost?
The operator quotes £77.70 per week for a place in a mobile home. That is higher than the usual £50–70 with other operators.
What crops, and where?
Berries (the main crop), apples, hops, vegetables, vineyards, processing and poultry. The base is Herefordshire; the only partner farm known publicly is Haygrove.
Has the "6 months" rule changed?
Yes: for a CoS issued from 11 November 2025, the limit is 6 months of work in any 10-month window (before that, the window was 12 months).
When will recruitment for the 2027 season open?
There are no dates for 2027 yet — the government has not announced the 2027 quota. The scheme runs until 2029. Watch fruitfuljobs.com and this page; we will update it when official information appears.