Featured Growers

Based in the Cotswolds, the family behind Deer Park Wines are passionate about producing award-winning English wines, with a commitment to quality and sustainability. Rachel Hicks reports.

The Summer Berry Company, which produces 7,000 tonnes of fruit in the UK a year, has adopted robotics and green energy solutions to help it meet its sustainability goals – and it’s got big expansion plans in the next few years. Sarah Kidby reports.

Fruit & Vine editor, Rachel Hicks spoke with Ellie Wilson, the latest generation of the Wilson family to work at Little Wold Vineyard in Yorkshire, to find out more about the history of the farming family and their latest diversifications.

Having grown 100 vines in their Norfolk garden, where they began their winemaking journey, Michael and Irene Rhodes moved to Suffolk in order to found Hawkswood – possibly the UK’s smallest commercial vineyard and winery – in 2019.

Tim Stockwell, who farms 80ha of soft fruit in Fife, has invested in labour-saving tools to help the farm cope, not only with the cost of labour, but also lack of availability since Brexit – which he says has particularly limited the number of seasonal workers with managerial skills. Deputy editor Sarah Kidby spoke to Tim to find out more about the farm’s fruit growing enterprise.

In a bid to build a sustainable business for their children, arable farmers Peter and Zoe Mee diversified into growing blueberries in 2014 – and have since installed their own packhouse and introduced a range of blueberry products made from waste fruit. Deputy editor Sarah Kidby spoke to the family to find out more.

As a pioneer for English sparkling wines, Balfour Winery has a long and celebrated history. Editor Rachel Hicks caught up with Balfour’s head winemaker, Fergus Elias, to find out what it takes to win gold on the world wine stage.

Creating ciders with 100% fruit juice rather than imported concentrates is a point of principle for Dowding’s Apple Juice & Cider, based in Somerset. Deputy editor Sarah Kidby spoke to farm owner Oliver Dowding, on the challenges facing smaller producers, the importance of working with other local businesses, and how the organic farm uses innovative approaches to tackle pest and disease problems.

Tenant farmer Sandy Booth is an innovator at heart, having launched a unique fruit snack to help tackle waste – as well as taking a novel approach to vine growing in the hopes of producing the UK’s first Merlot. Sarah Kidby caught up with Sandy to hear more about the farm’s history, key challenges and unique approaches.

After selling his IT business and taking early retirement, a chance meeting with Stephen Skelton at a conference convinced Nick Wenman that you could make great wine in the UK. In 2009 Nick planted Albury Organic Vineyard, finally fulfilling his dream of owning a vineyard and making quality biodynamic wine. Editor Rachel Hicks chatted with him.

With the UK’s climate shifting towards more extreme weather, growing blackcurrants is becoming increasingly challenging for sixth-generation farmer Nick Overy, whose family has been producing the crop under contract with Ribena for 30 years.

Brother-and-sister team, Catherine and James Scarff are fourth-generation farmers, who have successfully diversified part of their arable acreage into a successful vineyard with a stunning tasting room; and they have even bigger ideas for the future.