Arbroath farm keeps Asda supplied with top quality berries through season

Operated by Frank Geddes and his family, D. Geddes Farms, near Arbroath, is one of the largest growers of strawberries and cereal crops in Scotland and has supplied the supermarket chain’s stores across Scotland and the North of England with strawberries for over 14 years, including Just Essentials and Grower Selection strawberries.

The farm’s location means the strawberry crops benefit from a coastal temperate climate, with cool nights and lots of natural sunlight during the day.

Sergei Kaminski, soft fruit manager, said: “We are delighted to grow Extra Special Scottish Strawberries for Asda! It is a real testament to the quality of our produce that we now supply five different strawberry products to all Asda stores in Scotland and the North of England – and we’re predicting a bumper year, supplying over 70 million strawberries from mid-May to mid-October.

"The strawberries on our farm are planted directly into the soil and we don’t rely on growing substances or compost bags. I've been involved in growing strawberries for over 20 years, and I believe that strawberries growing in soil have a lot more flavour than strawberries growing in a compost bag. We are also committed to improving our sustainability and move towards producing fully recyclable punnets this year.”

In 2021, the farm won Asda’s Sustain and Save Exchange Award in the ‘Working with Nature’ category for exemplary achievements in wildlife-friendly farming such as growing hedges, planting trees, not disturbing established woodlands, and using biological control, where possible, instead of using chemicals.

Ashley Connolly, Asda’s local buying manager for Scotland, added: “It’s fantastic to continue our partnership, which has been so successful over the last 14 years. It’s clear our customers love strawberries and we delighted to bring a range of quality locally sourced options to our shelves – all 70 million of them.”