The recipient of the Fruit Grower of the Year award will be expected to showcase a deep understanding of the target market, extensive expertise in agronomy, and a track record of consistently achieving high yields. The panel of judges will seek out a grower who is dedicated to enhancing soil health and is open to embracing new methods and advancements in the industry.
Hall Hunter Partnership
Operating across three farms in Berkshire and Surrey, Hall Hunter grows 330ha of berries, producing 6,000t of strawberries, 1,000t of raspberries, 2,000t of blueberries, as well as blackberries. The company is constantly looking ahead, with a 0.5ha trial plot to stay at the forefront of new varieties, and a new 55ha site that will be converted to blueberry production with automated harvesting.
Integrated pest management is used to minimise the reliance on chemical controls. Pest populations are regularly monitored and handled with biological solutions where possible, including introducing predatory insects. For both biodiversity and to maintain a population of beneficials, field edges have been sown with wildflower mixes.
In 2024, Hall Hunter invested in UV treatment on 10ha of strawberries, reducing pesticide use by 59%, with plans to increase this to 60ha by 2027.
Attention has also been paid to variety, with the company looking to introduce resistant plants that require less pesticides. More than 30 varieties are currently being trialled, with a plan to phase out less-hardy varieties.
Soft berries, except for red currants, are grown in renewable substrate to provide greater control over growing conditions. After harvest, fields are subsoiled to improve root and water infiltration; this is done in combination with a series of water management and erosion reduction
measures, including French drains, grass margins, buffer strips and beetle banks.
The Rutland Vineyard
The Rutland Vineyard is a relatively new venture within a wider arable business. It was established in 2021, with 16,200 vines planted on Jurassic limestone. This is important to the subsequent wine, as limestone soils result in a bright, linear acidity in the drinking.
A change of mindset has been required compared with the arable operation, with higher-yielding vines potentially lowering the quality. The company’s first wine, produced from the 2023 harvest, went on to win a WineGB silver award, meaning the vineyard started as it meant to go on. Since then, the business has seen year-on-year growth in repeat custom and overall sales, with a converted farm barn giving customers a place to enjoy the wares.
The business has focused on sustainably managing pests and diseases, as well as keeping inputs to a minimum. A seven-way clover and grass mix has been sown between the rows to boost mycorrhizal fungi, and
Rutland is working with Omex to trial seaweed-derived nutrition to cut synthetic fertiliser use.
Vines are surrounded by pollinating plants to encourage natural predators, as well as a nature trial that hosts hedgehogs, barn owls, hares and honeybees. Trees have been planted to act as a windbreak, which also plays a role in boosting biodiversity. Away from the field, Rutland strives to be carbon-neutral; the lightest possible bottles are used to cut down on emissions, coffee cups are made from biodegradable materials, and all coffee grounds are recycled.
Windmill Hill Fruits
Anthony and Christine Snell, 2023 Fruit Grower of the Year, grow more than 2,000t of soft fruits in a combination of organic and conventional systems across 50ha of Herefordshire farmland. With an onsite packhouse and freezer, the company delivers fresh and frozen produce to supermarkets, as well as blackcurrants to Suntory Ribena and organic produce to Yeo Valley.
Efforts have been made to reduce waste on farm, with produce carefully monitored before entering the packhouse. If it is decided that fruit will not meet the required shelf life, it is frozen and sold through the company’s own website.
Under the watchful eye of farm manager Tom Deards, who is Basis and Facts qualified, crops are inspected weekly alongside the various pheromone and bait traps. These help to assess any pest or disease pressure, with threshold levels adhered to before any action is taken.
Where possible, biological controls are used, but where chemical applications are required, the business follows an anti-resistance management strategy. Further agronomy support is provided by advisers from Agrovista, Hutchinsons and Brinkman.
The environmental impact of the business is also monitored, with multiple audits completed. Areas of the farm have been set aside for woodland and wildlife habitats and the company has taken steps to control water use, with irrigation lakes that are fed from rainwater off the polytunnels and trickle irrigation used across the cropping area.
