Berry Gardens Alastair Brooks and Jacqui Green

Chairman Alastair Brooks and CEO Jacqui Green

Berry Gardens has credited its UK growers with helping drive turnover up eight per cent to £346 million.

The Kent-based fruit supplier outlined its latest accounts at its 46th AGM this week, stating that success was driven by the performance of its UK grower owners. Home-grown produce sales rose 14 per cent, with strawberries up 10 per cent and cherry sales doubling.

The business said that despite a period of market volatility in June and July, the majority of its 54 members reported a good 2017 season and were upbeat despite onging labour worries.

Berry Gardens' new turnover would be enough to move it up two places to sixth in the FPJ Big 50 Companies ranking, depending on the performance of other businesses.

In 2017, the business underwent a number of changes, including appointing Jacqui Green as chief executive and approving a new five-year strategic plan, dubbed 'Pick' and focused on People, Innovation, Collaboration and Knowledge.

The company works closely with breeders Driscoll's and introduced a new Iberian premium strawberry variety called Driscoll's Lara, and also increased availability of sweet blackberries during the winter.

Planning permission has also been granted for a new 190,000 sq ft office and packhouse development near Linton, Kent, which is set to be completed by the end of 2019 and house all of Berry Gardens' operations in one site for the first time.

'These developments over the last 12 months will ensure that the Berry Gardens co-operative is fit for the future of the UK soft-fruit business,' chairman Alastair Brooks said. 'Complemented by our unique structure, we maintain a close connection to both consumers and our customers, enabling us to meet the challenges of our dynamic, growing market.'

Brooks added that 2018 has got off to a positive start, with good volumes of glasshouse and greenhouse strawberry production well underway, and tunnelled crops starting. Raspberry and blackberry glasshouse production volumes are expected to be readily available in the coming weeks.