Kent family business celebrates 70 years of providing memorable holidays

2023 marks 70 years in business for Keat Farm, and during that time the family-run company has expanded to a total of 10 holiday, touring and residential parks, as well as a distributorship for the holiday home industry. Now with the third generation of the family at the helm, it’s exciting times for the business, based in Kent.

The Keat Farm story began in 1953 when Ronald and Muriel Kent moved to Keat Farm, a smallholding of about two acres. One day a man knocked on the farmhouse door asking if he could store a small caravan there for a short while, and the rest is history as they say.

In the late 50s they began allowing a few tents and the odd storage caravan on the land. Everything moved forward and gradually changed to holiday caravans, with the early 60s seeing Keat Farm granted official permission for them.

Over the next 25 years Keat Farm expanded with the purchase of a residential caravan park and two holiday parks. In 1986 Ronald passed away and his son, Malcolm, took over the business. Within a year he had purchased his first park, making a total of four parks under the Keat Farm banner.

Between 1992 and 2002 redevelopment was made upon the residential park sites, and other parks were purchased, including further expansion into Folkestone and Maidstone. Also during this time, Ben Kent joined the business, making the third generation of the Kent family part of Keat Farm.

In the years that followed Wayne Beba, Justine Beba and Paul Taylor joined the Keat Farm team, while Ben Kent took the role of Managing Director and Malcolm Kent became Chairman.

The most recent development for Keat Farm is the addition of Homing Park to its portfolio. Set in 12 acres of countryside near Whitstable, Homing Park provides around 195 privately owned holiday homes, three glamping units, and over 40 pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents.

The other Keat Farm touring and camping parks are Hawthorn Farm, near Dover, Quex Caravan Park, a few miles from Minnis Bay, and Little Satmar Holiday Park, near Folkestone.

Images (L-R): 1: Managing Director, Ben Kent, and chairman Malcolm Kent, 2 & 3: Keat Farm in the early years, 4: Keat Farm forecourt today.