Q&A with Blackcurrant Grower John Hinchliff
John Hinchliff is one of just 35 blackcurrant growers in the UK and this month we’ve been catching up with him about his life as a grower.
Who in your family is involved in growing, past, present and future? I am a fourth-generation farmer but when it comes to blackcurrants, I am the first of my family to grow them.
How long have you been growing blackcurrants? 40 years.
What varieties do you grow and in what region/area? My farm is based in Kent and that’s where we grow all of our blackcurrants. Our varieties include Gairn, Starav, Hope, Klibreck, Avon, Alder, Tirran and Lawers.
What tonnage do you harvest annually and where do they go? 360 tonnes per year. They mostly go to Lucozade Ribena Suntory but a small amount is sold to Sainsbury’s – handpicked in punnets.
What else do you grow? We grow apples, pears and cherries on the farm.
Can you give one tip that people could benefit from when growing blackcurrants? My best advice is to prune hard because ultimately you will get more and better fruit.
Can you tell us about some of the ways in which you manage the land sustainably? Sustainable growing is really important to the farm and we plant lots of wildflower areas with wide margins to create habitats for wildlife, and we ensure there are plenty of bird boxes across the land to protect the birds.
What’s your favourite way to enjoy blackcurrants? Ribena Frusion, as it has got me drinking more water.
YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ
Rosie’s Diary 2021: Part 3
Here at my blackcurrant farm in Norfolk, we’ve been having a lot of wet and windy conditions over the last few weeks, which has definitely brought in additional challenges for us. We have had so much rain on the farm that we have only had the irrigators out once – but...
Rosie’s Diary 2021: Part 2
This April, we were greeted with warmer temperatures, blue skies and unfortunately, some rather cold evenings. Despite this, I have been thrilled to see some of the tiny purple flowers opening up on my blackcurrant bushes, meaning that we are one step closer to the...
Rosie’s Diary 2021: Part 1
Hi there! Most of you will already know me, but for those of you who don’t, let me reintroduce myself... I’m Rosie, a second-generation blackcurrant grower from Norfolk, and I’m excited to see what this new season will bring. I love working on my farm, where...
