News

We are holding a Cherry Blossom Walk on the week end of 20th April. Watch out for details in local press. 

Clive Richards receives top fruit grower of the year title at the UK production horticulture Grower of the Year awards

As a boy, Clive Richards would come to Herefordshire with his family to pick blackberries.

Years later he came back to stay as one of Britain’s top venture capitalists, ploughing some of his money into a working fruit farm. The return on that investment earned him the top fruit grower of the year title at the UK production horticulture Grower of the Year awards.

Mr Richards owns Lower Hope Farms at Ullingswick and is used to success. Lower Hope won all the major honours in the National Cherry and Soft Fruit Show last July.

At 70 acres – first planted in 1998 and added to since – the operation itself is already well established as the leading UK cherry grower and is the largest supplier of cherries to Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury’s.

Mr Richards has always been to talk of such success as a team effort, specifically singling out farm manager Simon Wells, head of fruit enterprise Andy Hunt out for praise.

Another award winner from the county was Anthony Snell, crowned organic grower of the year as well as being highly commended in the soft fruit grower of the year category.

NFU horticulture adviser Dr Chris Hartfield said the entrants who made the shortlist in this year’s awards were of an “extremely high” standard. “The winners richly deserve their success. The Grower of the Year awards celebrate the very best in British horticulture,” he said.

Extract from Hereford Times, 10th March 2011.