Farmers Weekly Awards 2024: Diversification Farmer of the Year

Annabel Makin-Jones of Sturton Grange, West Yorkshire, is Farmers Weekly‘s 2024 Awards Diversification Farmer of the Year.

A keen eye and determination has enabled Annabel Makin-Jones to build a successful and sustainable enterprise which extracts the best value out of its home-grown fruit products.

By developing her existing fruit-growing business, she has created a range of branded goods, including Annabel’s Deliciously British strawberries, jams, chutneys, honey, and Tame & Wild drinks.

See also: FW Awards: Diversification Farmer of the Year 2024 finalists

The 160ha farm, based near Micklefield, Yorkshire, has 32ha of strawberry plants  in polytunnels, which produce 2,000t of fruit each year. During the summer, roughly 350 staff are employed.

Seasonal workers receive the living wage and performance-related bonuses, alongside accommodation – achieving a 85% seasonal worker return rate.

Renewable energy is generated through solar panels, which covers 30% of the annual energy requirements.

Annabel plans to increase the number of solar panels to generate more than 100% of electricity on-site  and create more revenue by selling surplus electricity back to the grid.

Income is also produced from letting out 11,150sq m of large commercial sheds to other businesses.

Fruit-growing enterprise

Strawberries are grown using a hydroponic system, with water extracted from a borehole on-farm and stored in lakes for irrigation, as part of a sustainable water management strategy.

Pesticide usage has been reduced through biological pest control using certain insects.

The premium strawberries are picked early each morning, then packed on-farm and dispatched to retailers the same day.

Raspberries have been grown for the first time this year, and blackberries are due to be introduced next year.

The farm has gained accreditation from Leaf, the British Retail Consortium and Red Tractor. Fruit that falls outside of retailers’ specifications is used for jam production.

Any remaining crop waste is sent to a local anaerobic digester, operated by the packaging supplier.

This energy contributes towards the production of strawberry punnets, helping to reduce costs and reliance on fossil fuels.

Retail offering

Annabel’s Deliciously British strawberries has enabled her to sell produce at a higher price point and a greater margin than the fresh strawberries sold direct to retailers.

Products are sold by several high-end retailers, major farm shops and hotels.

Honey is also produced, and sold by the jar and as whole sheets of honeycomb. There are 22 colonies of bees, which were initially introduced as pollinators for the strawberries.

Yorkshire forced rhubarb, daffodils and truffles are sold under the brand, as well as chutneys and conserves, helping to minimise waste.

The Tame & Wild drinks range is created using fruit grown on the farm, and was developed as a premium refreshing alternative in the non-alcoholic drinks sector.

The business has also collaborated with a number of other brands that produce flavoured gins, vodkas and yoghurts.