JIMMY RUSSO (CO-OWNER)

Jimmy Russo is a prominent figure in the UK’s horticulture industry, serving as a director of both Valley Grown Salads and Valley Grown Nurseries. With over 40 years of experience in salad cultivation, he was appointed as the president of the Lea Valley Growers’ Association in 2023.

Additionally, in 2014, Jimmy was honored with the Italian title Cavaliere L’Onorificenza for his contributions to the Italian community in England.

As a co-owner of both Valley Grown Salads and Valley Grown Nurseries, Jimmy Russo brings over four decades of expertise to the salad growing industry.

VINCE RUSSO (CO-OWNER)

Vince Russo serves as a director of both Valley Grown Salads and Valley Grown Nurseries, a prominent salad growing company in Essex. Born in March 1959, Vince has been instrumental in both of the company’s operations since its incorporation.

Along side his older brother Jimmy, in 2014, Vince was honored with the Italian title Cavaliere L’Onorificenza for his contributions to the Italian community in England.

As co-owners of Valley Grown Salads and Valley Grown Nurseries, Vince and his brother Jimmy Russo bring over four decades of combined experience to the salad growing industry.

CLIVE LEWIS (SALES DIRECTOR)

At Valley Grown Salads (VGS), Clive Lewis serves as the right-hand man to Jimmy and Vince Russo. A dedicated member of the team for over 3 decades. Clive began his journey with the company at just 16 years old in 1989. His deep understanding of VGS operations is unparalleled, and his unwavering commitment has played a pivotal role in driving sales to their current success.

Clive’s expertise comes from hands-on experience across all departments. Starting as a Saturday boy on the cucumber line, he quickly rose through the ranks—becoming a line leader, moving into quality control, and eventually overseeing the packhouse. His extensive travels on behalf of the company have taken him to Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Belgium, the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, all in pursuit of sourcing the finest produce for VGS clients.

A key player in New Product Development, Clive collaborates closely with leading seed houses worldwide to innovate and enhance the company’s offerings. Alongside Nof, he is fully responsible for both sales and purchasing. Highly respected and deeply valued by the Russo family, Clive’s dedication and leadership continue to be instrumental in VGS’s growth and success.

NOF NICASTRO (NURSERY OPERATIONS MANAGER)

With over 15 years of experience, Nof plays a pivotal role at Valley Grown Salads (VGS), collaborating closely with his colleague Clive Lewis to manage sales and procurement operations. In 2019, Nof expanded his responsibilities by assuming the role of Nursery Operations Manager at Valley Grown Nurseries (VGN), where he oversees daily operations. His extensive experience and dedication have been instrumental in driving the company’s success

GUY NICASTRO (SALES AND PACKAGING MANAGER)

Guy joined the team in 2013 and plays a key role in sales and purchasing alongside Clive. Guy also has the added responsibility of coordinating product packaging and ensuring that all packaging meets customer requirements and complies with legal regulations.

GLEN WORSDELL (FINANCE DIRECTOR)

For over 17 years, Glen has been a vital force in the financial management of the company, overseeing all aspects of finance and accounts for both VGS and VGN. With the challenges of tight margins and a volatile Euro market, his role is crucial in ensuring that all financial activities are meticulously monitored, reviewed, and controlled. Alongside his assistant, Francesca, Glen provides the financial oversight necessary to maintain stability and drive the company’s success.

FRANCESCA RUSSO (ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT & HEAD OF HR)

Francesca, daughter of Jimmy, joined VGS in August 2017 as an apprentice within the accounts team. Over the years, she has grown within the company, taking on key responsibilities in marketing and social media for both VGS and VGN. In addition to her marketing role, she works closely with Glen and Amanda in the accounts department.

In November 2020, Francesca further expanded her role by becoming Head of HR for both VGS and VGN, where she now oversees the well-being and management of 180 staff members. Her dedication and versatility make her an integral part of the company’s success.

ANTHONY SILVER (IT MANAGER) 

Anthony joined the VGS/VGN team in July 2020 bringing with him years of experience within the IT industry. Day to day, Anthony is responsible for all things IT across both VGS and VGN sites, ensuring all things IT related are run and managed flawlessly. Anthony is a hands-on & focused IT Professional & Systems Administrator bringing more than twenty years of diversified network experience to the business. He excels at identifying and problem-solving technical issues within the business. He has extensive knowledge in the areas of Building, Designing, and Maintaining Personal Computer Systems and Network infrastructure, including supporting all IT hardware, Client & Server applications, configuration, support, and maintenance. Anthony is adept at building strong relationships with staff, customers, vendors, and third-party contractors.

JOE DILETO (PURCHASING AND PALLET COORDINATOR)

Joe has the full responsibility of controlling the packing and of all produce at VGS. His role is to make sure that only the best product is packed for the end user to enjoy. Joe joined the organisation in 2006 and has steadily built a good strong team and despite at time a shortage of space he has always completed the order that have been given by the custom. The day to day is that he has the responsibility of overseeing 70 staff members from the UK, Italy, Romania, Lithuania and Poland. He has been involved in the fresh produce industry since leaving school at the age of 16.

JOE GENUARDI (PACKHOUSE MANAGER)

Joe has a long history of working with Jimmy and Vince. Initially working at Jim and Vince’s father’s (Angelo) nursery in Upper Roydon. He was then invited to follow the Russo brothers to the new project at VGS in 1985. Joe has great skill and fully understands the mechanics of running such an organisation along with great people skills has an extensive knowledge of the workings of every single machine from the cucumber wrappers to the pepper grader, a much-appreciated member of the team. Joe now works alongside Valentin and Giuseppe as Packhouse Manager at our VGN packing site.

VALENTIN TOMA (ASSISTANT PACKHOUSE MANAGER)

After joining VGS in 2017 as a warehouse operative, Valentin was promoted to the role of Assistant Packhouse Manager in 2020, Valentin oversees all aspects of packing operations at our VGN packing site alongside Packhouse manager Joe Genuardi. 

GIUSEPPE FAILLA (ASSISTANT PACKHOUSE MANAGER)

Giuseppe began his career within VGS in early 2015 after relocating from Sicily to London. Giuseppe started at Valley Grown Salads as a Packer within our warehouse and then went onto progress as Forklift Driver. As of Summer 2022, Giuseppe has now taken on the role as Assistant Packhouse Manager at Valley Grown Nurseries. Giuseppe’s day to day roles include assisting Joe Genuardi and Valentin Toma to successfully run and manage the Packhouse at our VGN site ensuring orders are completed and managing staff. 

MARIO INSALACO (QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER)

Mario joined VGS in 2001 working as a Quality Auditor and is now responsible for all matters relating to technical legality, food safety and quality assurance. His role includes the integrity of the grower base, ensuring that all customer requirements are met as well as continued achievement of BRC certification for the pack house. Mario leads a team of 5 individuals who check quality against raw material and customer specifications and reports any issues to the growers, suppliers and retailers. Mario gained experience in the growing and cultivating of cucumber crops from an early age, working on his father’s and late grandfather’s nurseries at weekends and summer holidays.

JOE MASUCCI (TRANSPORT MANAGER)

Joe Masucci joined VGS in 1997 as a lorry driver. As of  May 2017, transport manager Joe,  is responsible for looking after our fleet of lorries and ensures that all of our customers receive their deliveries on time. 

KEITH HOWARD (MAINTENENCE MANAGER)

Keith joined the VGS team in October 2016 as Maintenance Manager. Keith’s day to day roles include maintaining machinery and other site maintenance as well as ensuring all machinery is health and safety compliant and being apart of the HACCP Team.