BerryWorld Growers

Grower Development

Growers supplying fruit to UK supermarkets are under constant pressure to improve their offer to the customer, be that quality, price or range.

BerryWorld assists its growers in a number of ways to place them in the best position to supply the UK supermarkets successfully :-

• Providing accurate information on the UK market so that growers have confidence and assurance that the market exists and where it is heading in order to formulate strategic goals.
• Providing market and technical advice as to how best to achieve these goals to the benefit of their business.
• Spend time to familiarise ourselves with their business in order to understand the challenges involved in achieving these goals.
• Organise visits to other growers and from agronomic advisors in the UK and overseas in order to exchange information between and learn new ways to solve challenges.
• Provide financial assistance in the form of loans, where appropriate, to help suppliers achieve their strategic goals. This has involved lending suppliers money for plants, to build reservoirs and to purchase farms.
• BerryWorld has a Management Training Scheme in the UK. This is a two year scheme which includes training in all aspects of berry farm management. We now have four farm managers inside the BerryWorld grower base after completing the training scheme.
• Providing placements for personnel between growers and packhouses within the worldwide supplier base in order to gain a broader understanding of the business and BerryWorld's business ethos.
• Providing advice and support in order to achieve the high standards in production and packing that our UK customers demand in order to maintain product quality, safety and integrity. The schemes and protocols that growers and packers are accredited to include :-
  • Packhouse standards - BRC.
  • Growing standards - EUREP GAP, Tesco Natures Choice.
  • Environmental standards - Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF).
  • Ethical trading and worker welfare standards.
  • Organic standards compliant with Soil Association regulations