Soft Fruit

Makins specialise in growing, packing and distributing soft fruit to selected major retailers and Michelin star restaurants in Yorkshire & Lancashire. This includes 1200tonnes of strawberries and 100 tonnes of blackberries annually.

Due to the continuous success in this area of the business, Makins intended to expand significantly year on year introducing new and better British Produce which in turn will help decrease food miles and increase consumer awareness of quality, locally sourced produce and hopefully raise support for British Agriculture and the Farming Industry.

Strawberries

The strawberry season at Makins runs from May to November annually. The crop is grown under multi-bay and telescopic poly tunnels. This ensures premium quality and the continuity of supply for the British Summer; it also provides good picking conditions for the workers and enables the perfect fruit to be provided with a better yield achieved.

The crop is covered with multibay polytunnels to protect the berries from weather damage. The varieties grown on the farm include Albion, Darselect, Elsanta and Sonata.

2010 will be the first year that Makins produce strawberries utilising the “table top tray substrate system”. The tray system comprises steel tables held above ground by steel supports. Rows of trays are sat on the steel tables in to which the strawberry plants are transplanted. This enables the trays and steel tables to be utilised year after year which will minimise costs, once established. This growing method will increase yields, reduce picking costs and produce high quality fruit, consistently. Non-harvest costs will also be reduced as the movement of tunnels and irrigation equipment will no longer be required and bed making, as well as weeding, will no longer be a necessity. The ability to use semi-permanent tunnels will ensure a more systemic approach to tunnel management, with both planners and neighbours alike. Utilising this system will also allow farmers to double crop; this growing system is less dependant on the weather and soil conditions, ensuring a more effective and sustainable method of growing strawberries.

Blackberries

The blackberries grown at Makins were planted at the beginning of 2007 with the first crop picked in 2008 running from July to November.

The crop is covered with multibay polytunnels to protect the berries from weather damage. With in the 15 acres grown there are two very popular varieties called Chester and Lochness.