Allanhill Farm is situated just outside the historic University town of St Andrews in Fife. Owned and run by John Mitchell, the farm has been in the family since 1952. Originally a dairy farm, there is now no livestock, the main focus being on soft fruit and cereals. We planted our first crop of strawberries here in 1995.
We now grow approximately 190 acres (77 hectares) of strawberries, the varieties being Malling Centenary and Sonata. The flavour of our fruit is particularly important to us, and our growing methods are specifically aimed at achieving the best flavour possible. All of our production is protected by polythene tunnels, which helps to extend the harvest period and improve fruit quality.
Our fruit harvest season is May to September, peaking in June, July and August. As strawberry production is very labour-intensive, we employ a large team of seasonal workers, who live on site during the summer months.
Our fruit is packed on the farm and marketed to major UK supermarket chains and is sold and enjoyed all over the UK.