About Us
The history of Bright Maize.
Meeting Agriculture’s Future Challenge
Towards the end of the 1980s there were significant changes in the agriculture supply industry, with many companies closing and merging. It was at this time that David Bright decided that there was a need for a small professional seed merchant business that would cover niche markets, and so with the support of his wife Sue, Bright Seeds was born and soon grew into one of the biggest UK suppliers of Forage Maize Seed, Grass seed, Game cover crops & Stewardship mixtures.
In 2001, David and Sue’s son Christopher joined the family business and soon afterwards became a managing director. He brought his knowledge and enthusiasm for Wildflowers, Game cover crops and Stewardships, and started to develop these areas of the business.
Over the years, through dedication, hard work and commitment to customers, the Brights have gone from strength to strength and are proud to have developed a highly respected family business.
In 2018 Bright Maize was created, enabling David to focus primarily on Maize but also to include Grass, Lucerne, OSR and Silage Inoculants whilst Chris could continue to develop Bright Seeds focussing on Wildflowers, Stewardships and Game cover crops.
David and Sue Bright receiving the Prince Phillip award in 2002 for services to the Dairy Industry
One of the many show competitions won over the years!
David, Sue and Chris, 2017
1980s
Changes in the Market
- Towards the end of the 1980s there were significant changes in the agriculture supply industry, with many companies closing and merging. It was at this time that David Bright decided that there was a need for a small professional seed merchant business that would cover niche markets, and so with the support of his wife Sue, Bright Seeds was born and soon grew into one of the biggest UK suppliers of Forage Maize Seed, Grass seed, Game cover crops & Stewardship mixtures.
2001
Family Business
- In 2001, David and Sue’s son Christopher joined the family business and soon afterwards became a managing director. He brought his knowledge and enthusiasm for Wildflowers, Game cover crops and Stewardships, and started to develop these areas of the business.
2002
Award winning
- David & Sue Bright receiving the Prince Philip award in 2002 for services to the dairy industry.
2017
Chris, Sue and David
2018
Bright Maize Created
- In 2018 Bright Maize was created, enabling David to focus primarily on Maize but also to include Grass, Lucerne, OSR and Silage Inoculants whilst Chris could continue to develop Bright Seeds focussing on Wildflowers, Stewardships and Game cover crops.
2019
Mas Seeds
- Mas Seeds bought Bright Maize in 2019.
Today
Continued Success
- Over the years, through dedication, hard work and commitment to customers, the Brights have gone from strength to strength and are proud to have developed a highly respected family business.
Partners of bright maize
Bright Seeds is an affiliated company of Bright Maize.
Bright Seeds is the foremost supplier of cover crops in the UK. Family owned, it is one of the few independent companies in the game and conservation sector. Its nationwide network of trial sites coupled with its specialist support team, means customers can be assured of the best cover crop options and advice available.
From early spring sowing to late autumn: whether for game or stewardship – or a combination of both – Bright Seeds can tailor solutions to individual requirements. In addition to its growing national market, Bright Seeds enjoys expanding sales in Europe and beyond – and has personnel located in France, Austria and Scandinavia. It is also a leading exponent of wildflowers, supplying domestic households as well as the municipal and private sectors. Native brush-harvested seed is a particular speciality.
For further information visit www.brightseeds.co.uk or brightwildflowers.co.uk
Tel: 01722 744494
High Quality Forage Seeds
UK Bred
UK Produced
UK Proven
Barenbrug backing UK Agriculture
Bright Maize understand that it’s not only the variety choice and growing of forage for livestock and Anaerobic digestion that is important, but the way you store it that makes a difference to the bottom line –DM losses in poorly managed and covered clamps can be as high as 20%!
This is why we supply our own, unique forage inoculants and we work with silage storage expert ARK Agriculture (www.arkagriculture.com) who are pioneering the use of single layer OXY SEAL oxygen barrier silage sheets and sloping walled silage clamps.
ARK Agriculture can help with silage clamp design and construction, best practice advice when filling silage clamps, silage clamp covering, silage clamp regulations and repair and maintenance as well as a range of silage clamp safety accessories.
ARK Agriculture would be delighted to hear from any Bright Maize customers please phone the office to find out more.
Our Representatives
Charlie Dolphin
After graduating from Harper Adams University, Charlie began employment with an agricultural merchant in 2013. Working as an agronomist and arable specialist across the Midlands, he built up a solid customer base before his departure from the business in 2021.
He was appointed Technical Sales Adviser by Brightmaize Ltd, now owned by Mas Seeds. He was tasked with looking after many accounts throughout the Midlands and South West, primarily supplying maize and grass seed.
After 6 months he became Business Manager and is now responsible for stock management, pricing structure, finance, portfolio management and strategy, as well as account management across the UK.
In his spare time, Charlie enjoys country pursuits such as shooting and fishing, and more recently, fish farming.
Richard Leach
Over four decades in the agricultural and game sectors means Richard has witnessed significant changes in all matters of the countryside.
As a young graduate determined to make his mark, he joined the animal feed industry: later developing a specialisation in game feed.
Stemming from this, an interest in feed as a means of improving animal health as well as performance evolved and over the years resulting in him becoming a strong advocate of forage utilisation.
Richard started an association with Brights in 2014 covering the West Country, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Berkshire. Richard strongly believes in conserving the traditional values of agricultural trade while embracing the innovation that will help UK farmers gain the best results.
Unsurprisingly, stewardship and environmental cropping is another specialism.
Mike Sims
After attending Hartpury College of Agriculture to do a 3-year NDA between 1984-1986 Mike moved to Yorkshire to spend a year corn carting for a large estate near York
Mike’s true passion was working with pigs. He took a job running a 100-sow breeding herd taking the weaners to 5 weeks. This job came to natural end at Christmas 1990.
After moving back home to Bristol and applying for a job with British Seed Houses Ltd starting in Feb 1990. Mike became an official seed sampler, cereal crop inspector, herbage crop inspector and forklift driver. Over the first 12 months of employment, Mike worked in every department and in three different warehouses. Mike saw many changes during the 28 years he worked at BSH. Due to changes in agriculture and company policy Mike was made redundant. At that time, he had worked his way up to Unit Manager, with all the day to day responsibilities of running an office, warehouse, and being responsible for staff.
Mike started working for Bright Maize Ltd in May 2022 as a Maize and Grass Advisor. The job involves looking after the grass stocks and pricing plus selling forage maize to farmers. Mike has said that he has found working “at the coal face” a new and very rewarding challenge, visiting a farm and coming away with an order gives me a buzz. Maintaining that farm relationship also has its rewards as I am making friends not just customers.
In Mike’s spare time it is taken up with helping out on local farms, field sports, chain sawing, motorbike riding and travelling.
Mike and his wife have also just become Guide Dog Foster Parents.
Max
Max is technical advisor covering East Angelia and the East Midlands. A graduate in game, habitat and wildlife management from De Monford University, he previously studied at the Cambridge College of Agriculture and Horticulture.
Brought up in west Norfolk, an interest in the countryside existed from an early age, demonstrated when – as an eagle-eyed eight-year-old – he notified a gamekeeper of a poaching- incident he had witnessed (the culprit was apprehended). At 11 he was already making his mark as a beater at a local shoot.
Having held senior positions with the eminent shoots StradsettHall and Fring Hall Estate, Max is a previous finalist for gamekeeper of the year, and recipient of the prestigious GWCT East Anglian Grey partridge award sponsored by Mills & Reeve.
With Environmental Land Schemes (ELMS) legislation dominating the countryside agenda, Max has stated that the role of the farmer is changing to one of environmentalist as well as food producer. He feels the highly developed game and stewardship sector we see in Britain today possesses many of the skills and disciplines required for the wider green agenda and the need for co-operation between gamekeeper and farmer has never been greater.
Robert Hiscock
After Leaving Hartpury in 2003, Robert began his sales career in the agricultural seeds industry, working for a wholesale grass seed company. He then progressed into the seed and fertiliser business, as an on-farm advisor.
Robert went back to his family farm in 2014, where he stayed until 2024.
He now finds himself back in the seeds industry as a sales advisor for bright maize, covering the Midlands and Wales
In his spare time, Robert enjoys spending time with his young family, fishing and shooting.
Sophie Williams
Sophie joined Bright Maize in December 2024 as Sales & Marketing. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the agricultural and fieldsports industry. After spending 6 years working for a national agricultural company. Sophie then pursued a career within fieldsports.
Sophie is the face behind our social media and marketing. She has had horses from a young age and enjoys working her cocker spaniel Millie when she gets the chance.
Make the most out of your produce
Our Maize Growers Guide explains the important factors affecting maize yield, including temperatures, the stages of growth and common pests/diseases.