Our Events Team
Sophie ASHBURTON
Sophie has spent her career thinking about how teams in business and other organisations, at whatever level, get the most out of spending time together. It’s always a balance between being able to get to know one another, having an interesting time and getting the work done. Her career has spanned advertising (Yellowhammer and Leo Burnett), innovation (?What If!) and business transformation (Businessthreezero). Latterly she has been MD of both ?What If! and Businessthreezero. She has helped a wide spectrum of large and small organisations as diverse as Pernod Ricard, Tesco, Abbvie, Murphy and The Grange Festival.
Julia Mitchell
Julia has managed events at The Grange Hampshire since 2013. She was instrumental in the set up and development of the events business and has overseen a broad spectrum of events including corporate, weddings, parties, film and photographic shoots. Prior to joining the team at The Grange, Julia had a career in broadcasting production, working across a diverse range of programmes and genres within the BBC, ITV and the independent sector.
TARA HOWARTH
Tara has a passion for providing seamless events for her clients, whatever the requirement and dream. Tara supports Julia in the day-to-day organisation and execution of events and the two make a great team!
Tara’s career started with planning high-end automotive events across the globe including auctions, concourses, and rallies.
Away from work, Tara is wife to Charlie and Mum to Louis (6months old). She is a country girl born and bred, having grown up haymaking and lambing on her family’s farms. She is also a keen equestrian, having ridden horses from the moment she could walk.
Becka Cooper
Becka is passionate about The Grange, having sung on its stage, catered extensively for The Grange Festival and Estate, and has lived locally all her life. With 25 years’ catering experience she has built a reputation for providing delicious, vibrant, generous, seasonal food that champions local ingredients and producers.
Becka’s team offers outstanding service to complement perfectly the romance, elegance and joyous theatricality of an event at The Grange.
FRED BARING
Fred leads the newest of The Grange ventures Home Farm. He has taken the tumbled down model farm completely abandoned in 2009 under his wing. He is masterminding its conversion into 12 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and extraordinary events spaces. And at the same time re igniting its agricultural roots by using its environment to experiment with regenerative farming methods that will be both beautiful and inspiring for visitors. Watch this space…………
Fred’s previous career in marketing and film production alongside an MBA in Advanced Farm Management from The Royal Agricultural University combined with an adventurous spirit means he is well placed to develop this exciting project.
Fred has multiple marathons under his belt, loves making bread and pickling things and is increasingly seduced by his vegetable garden and his bees.
max armitstead
Max manages the woods, meadows and parkland on the estate with the aim of creating and maintaining good, healthy habitat beneficial for the sporting activities and wildlife. But he is also instrumental in helping to make events happen – being there for set up and take down days and offering any practical advice and help required. He loves the variety and range of skills needed to do his job well; from forestry to organising the beaters, chatting up the guns on a days shooting to helping couples perfectly set up their chairs for their marriage ceremony.
Max has been working at The Grange Hampshire since 2011, starting out as a part time estate worker, moving to the assistant gamekeeper and taking over as head keeper in time for the 2018 season.
In his spare time Max can be found deer stalking, shooting clay pigeons, working on Land Rovers, or doing something to help with local Young Farmers’ Club.
