The Source

Some of Britain's earliest, sweetest soft fruit is grown in the New Forest by the New Forest Fruit Company.  They are Food Hero members of Love British Food. This is their story. 

The growing season at New Forest Fruit starts in February and goes right through to December.  The first crops to be harvested are Asparagus followed closely by Strawberries in March, and a small number of Raspberries and Blueberries later in the warmer summer months.

The main varieties of Strawberry grown are Ania, Malling Centenary, Murano, Sweetlife, Cantus and Favouri and are all picked due to their good productivity, beautiful flavour, and resistance to disease.  Around forty different varieties are trialled each year; however, it takes roughly seven years for a new variety to be fully tested and approved before it can be available for the open market.



All the Strawberry crops are grown on a tabletop system, which allows the crops to be harvested efficiently and eliminates the back breaking work often associated with Strawberry harvesting.  Coir is the growing media used, which is a renewable resource produced from the husk of coconuts, more sustainable than peat.  The Coir biodegradable Grow Bags are used for two years then the Coir is tipped out and recycled to grow crops of Asparagus, also on a tabletop system.

Over the past three years, techniques developed at New Forest Fruit mean that the use of fertilisers and chemicals has been greatly reduced.  Plus, the usage of biological controls has been implemented, which simply put, is the use of natural enemies to control pests and with very successful results.

New Forest Fruit is not only a proud member of LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) but also a member of New Forest Marque, Red Tractor and is BRC accredited.  They are Food Hero members of Love British Food.

Major investments have recently been made in the form of three new reservoirs and to utilise these reservoirs,  Strawberry tunnels with their own drainage systems have been installed. The system collects rainwater via specially designed gutters and then feeds the water directly into the reservoirs - a perfect way to contribute to sustainable farming practices.

This also means that the water supply for all the crops is sourced directly and can be maintained in house.  Strawberries are 88% water, so the best quality water is imperative.  The better the water quality, the stronger and healthier the plants and fruit can become.

To complement the diverse range of flora and fauna in and around the farm, bat and bird boxes and bee hotels have been installed.  Also, wildlife corridors have been created to ensure the wildlife continues to flourish.