The Early Years

During the 1950s and 60s, Devora and Bill produced a huge range of around 100 products on the farm. These included apples and soft fruit, organic vegetables, grain crops, lamb, beef, poultry, and dairy products which were delivered all over the country. Top London hotels, luxury department store food halls, and health food shops were among their regular early customers. The Peake’s even produced their own stone-ground organic flour on-site in Daltons Barn, near the lodges, using their own stone mill.

The 300 acres of arable land at Honey Tye and Daltons that had been purchased by Bill and Devora just after the war, together with the Women’s Land Army Hostel where the Lodges are today, was very undulating and therefore difficult to farm.

There was also a shortage of golf courses in East Anglia during the 1960s and so, in true entrepreneurial spirit, they both decided to diversify further and build first the Gainsborough course in 1972, and then the Constable course in 1979, both named after famous local artists. The Clubhouse was designed by local architects and built using direct labour from the farm. It won a Times Architectural award and Stoke by Nayland Golf Club was launched.

Bill and Devora had to borrow all the money from the bank for the project but were confident in their ambition, and it paid off. To our knowledge, they were the first farmers in the country to create championship golf courses on their farmland.

This land was situated in stunning Constable Country on the edge of the picturesque Dedham Vale, and later in the 1980s was officially incorporated into the “Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”. With conservation always a priority, the Peake’s planted 60,000 trees which now line the fairways and form many areas of indigenous woodland. There are also natural and man-made ponds and streams, together with four large lakes which all serve to enhance the overall beauty of the courses.

The two challenging, picturesque courses are now well-established and have earned an excellent reputation for successfully hosting international worldwide-televised PGA and European Seniors and Challenge Tour events – as well as Sir Nick Faldo’s World Series Championship. The Stoke by Nayland courses are still considered to be among the finest in the East of England.

Due to overwork in the late 50s, Bill became very ill with TB and was given only 6 months to live. However, his determination to recover and Devora’s devotion pulled him through and he managed to live another 20 years, treating each year as a bonus. During this time, and despite some continued ill health until his death in 1979, aged just 60, Bill achieved some extraordinary goals and helped Devora to create the legacies of both Copella fruit juices and the Stoke by Nayland Golf Club.

Devora lived on for another 20 years and in 1996 her lifetime achievements were recognised with an MBE at Buckingham Palace for her Services to the Fruit and Fruit Juice industries.

Devora became Chairman of the family business for the last few years of her life, and continued to passionately promote her businesses right up until her death in 1999 at the age of 83. She was invited to entertain audiences across the country with her humorous talks in her exotic foreign accent, about her extraordinary life as a woman in business in those early years, the tough challenges she and Bill faced when building up their enterprises, and their successes in achieving their ambitious goals. Many who came into contact with her over the years commented on how Devora had a strong ability to inspire them with her energy, zest for life, passion, and huge determination to follow dreams and make them happen.