A green-fingered couple has ‘saved’ one of Kent’s last remaining market gardens and realised their dream of owning a fruit and vegetable business.

Paul and Michelle Vesey-Wells were dismayed when the owners of Walmestone Nursery at Preston, near Dover, put the eight-acre site on the market, together with the farmhouse where they lived.

The pair, who have two teenagers, had worked there for nine years and were the last remaining staff as the business was wound down when it closed last October.

But they kept it going under the name East Kent Growers while agents marketed the site for £650,000 on behalf of owners, the Aspers Group.

It led to fears that the site could even be redeveloped with housing in the future.

But it has been a nursery since the 1950s and once belonged to Howletts founder John Aspinall, who used it to grow vegetables for his animals.

“We were desperate to buy it and make it our own because there are hardly any of these traditional market gardens left now and we are passionate about producing locally grown food,” said Paul.

“But we faced a massive uphill battle to finance it, which is why we launched a crowdfunder and a share option scheme.

“We managed to raise £5,000 from the crowdfunder and have 19 shareholders who together have around a 10% stake in the business, so we are hugely grateful to them for their support.

“It isn’t a massive amount of money but together with a very good mortgage broker, we have managed to secure a loan and I’m delighted to say we exchanged contracts last week.

“It means we can now concentrate on gradually growing the business.”

Announcing they successfully bought the site prompted an outpouring of support from surrounding villagers on the couple’s Facebook page.

“Great news and well done for persevering - your tenacity and belief paid off,” said Shaun Collings, adding: “What a fine example of community spirit.”

The landlord of the Anchor in Wingham, Kevin Abbott added: “Fantastic news, these guys supply our veg.”

The nursery produces a wide range of crops, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, beans, courgettes, squash, lettuce, salad leaves, kale, leeks and carrots.

Both outdoors and under glass and polytunnels are used, alongside organic methods to avoid herbicides and insecticides.

The business supplies more than 30 restaurants - some Michelin-starred - as well as caterers, farm shops and private households through its boxed vegetables scheme.

It has until recently also supplied Howletts with produce.

“So much farmland isn’t actually being farmed now and we are relying on more and more imports,” said Paul.

“But we also work with other local growers to provide fresh produce to their local communities, food markets and restaurants, which is surely what we should be doing.

“It means we are working huge hours which we’d dread to add up but that’s what farming is like. You have to be passionate about it to make it work and we certainly are.

“The aim now is to slowly grow the business and hopefully increase the number of customers and keep Walmestone Nursery as a food production site for future generations.”