Today, the company is the UK’s biggest blueberry producer, accounting for almost 50 per cent of national production
Leading UK berry grower Hall Hunter celebrates its 60th birthday this week. The family business was founded by Mark and Mary Hall in 1966, selling salad and vegetables at London wholesale markets and offering Pick Your Own.
Today, the B Corp certified company one of the UK’s biggest berry producers, with a projected output of 10,000 tonnes for 2026 and a workforce of 1,500 people. Currently under the direction of the founders’ son and managing partner, Harry Hall, it now owns seven farms in the South of England, spanning 400ha of farmland.
While the company produces the entire portfolio of berries, blueberries account for the bulk of its business, responsible for almost 50 per cent of UK production. With blueberry demand in the UK now at an all-time high (demand grew 20 per cent in 2025 alone), Hall Hunter said it feels passionately about the importance of buying British. “Currently the UK consumes 600 tonnes of blueberries annually and only 10 per cent of these are British – a figure Hall Hunter is determined to increase,” the company said.
Since its founding in 1966, Hall Hunter has invested more than £1mn in the latest technology to support its growth and provide more efficient harvesting and packing. The company’s AI-powered blueberry grading machine can pack 40kg of blueberries per minute – then times the amount of any human, while its Harvey 500 Harvester can harvest the fruit at a rate of 600kg/h.
Managing energy consumption has also been a key focus for Hall Hunter in recent years. A large investment in both rooftop and ground mounted solar panels has enabled the company to convert over 55 per cent of energy output to renewable sources, also including water source heat pumps and a biomass heating network. In time, the company expects these investments to contribute to a saving of 50 per cent on its overall energy costs.
“Alongside technological innovation, at the heart of Hall Hunter are its people. Award winning employers, we were listed as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work in 2025,” the company said.
In peak soft fruit season, between May and August, the company employs over 1,500 people, the majority of whom are pickers and packers. “We take our responsibility seriously – during the past three years we have upgraded our employee accommodation, investing over £1mn in larger mobile homes, as part of an ongoing investment programme,” the company said.
In 2025, the company secured the prestigious B Corp certification with a score of 96.1, through biodiversity and conservation measures such as pollinator monitoring and Wrap food waste reporting, community events like the annual Leaf Open Farm Sunday and numerous school visits, and a competitive employee benefits and development programme. The certification recognises the company’s ongoing efforts in ethical and sustainable practices.
