Jonathan Bamber
Burton & Bamber
Jonathan Bamber is a Kenyan-based entrepreneur and co-founder of Burton & Bamber Co. Ltd, an agro-processing company established in 2015 that focuses on adding value to locally grown fruits and vegetables and creating sustainable market access for smallholder farmers.
Bamber started the business with his co-founder Ofelia Burton after recognising a significant challenge in Kenya’s agricultural value chain: a large proportion of fresh produce, especially mangoes, was going to waste due to poor post-harvest handling and limited market linkages.
Under his leadership, the company developed the Sweetunda brand — a range of healthy snacks and ingredients, including dried fruits, fruit rolls, granola, orange-fleshed sweet potato snacks, and aseptic purees — sold locally and exported to regional and international markets.
Bamber has positioned Burton & Bamber as a socially conscious business, working directly with hundreds of smallholder farmers across counties such as Machakos, Embu, Murang’a, Makueni, and Kitui. The company pays premium prices for high-quality produce, provides agronomy training, and helps farmers meet GlobalGAP food-safety standards — strengthening both farmer incomes and product quality.
His leadership reflects a blend of commercial and social impact goals, aiming to reduce food loss, build sustainable value chains, and promote nutritious, Kenyan-made products while supporting rural livelihoods.
