Annabel's Strawberries

Le Marché was Annabel Makin-Jones’ first customer. Now production is around 500 tonnes per year under the brand name Annabel's Deliciously British.

The strawberries are typically delivered to Le Marché within 18 hours of picking. The key varieties grown are Malling Centenary, Malling Allure and Malling Ace.

Once picked, the fruit is immediately put in a chiller to take the temperature down from 28 Celsius to 2 Celsius in 30 minutes. “It sets the skin so you don’t get the bruising and gives you a longer shelf like,” explains Annabel.

The fruit is grown hydroponically on ‘table tops’ in polytunnels and irrigated with rainwater from a 20-million gallon lake on the farm. There is an apiary on site to provide bees to assist with pollination. Solar panels generate sustainable energy for the office and packhouse.

Packaging is biodegradable - with cardboard punnets - and surplus or misshapen fruit is used to make her range of conserves and sparkling drinks under the brand name Tame and Wild. Other fruit waste is used to power her packaging supplier’s anaerobic digester.