How has the business evolved?

Originally, we ran a dairy farm as well as growing fruit, but we got out of dairying in 2002. From starting off with one acre of strawberries, we have built up to 75 acres of fruit. In total, we are currently producing over 1000t of fruit every year. Strawberries are not the only fruit we grow. We also produce raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, as well as a range of jams and smoothies. During the off-season we do some winter packing, in addition to preparing for the following year and getting everything in order for the busy season.

Are strawberries still your most important fruit?

This year, three quarters of the total acreage is dedicated to strawberries. However, I would find that raspberries and blackberries are growing in popularity at the minute. In general, we grow a range of different varieties of each fruit. We try new varieties every year, some of which prove more successful than others.

Do you sell most of your fruit to supermarkets?

Of the fruit we grow, we sell over 80% fruit to supermarket customers. A lot of this fruit is sold under our own brand. Our products are being sold in shops all over the country. Currently, we don’t export any produce. As a result, Brexit shouldn’t directly affect us too much.

How many employees do you have?

In total, we employ around 160 staff in months of June and July. During the rest of the year, we have roughly 30 to 35 employees. We tend to get plenty of students doing seasonal work during the busy periods of the year. We try to really look after our employees. We would have about a 90% return rate of employees year after year. Our business is still very much a family one, with my brother and nephew both employed in Clarkes.

How do you maintain the quality of your produce?

In order to keep the quality of our produce high, we stem pick all our strawberries. By avoiding touching the strawberries themselves when picking them, we avoid bruising them. The harvesting season is much longer now than it was when I first began growing strawberries. Today it lasts up to six months as opposed to only six weeks in the past. That change is mostly down to the different growing methods being used now.