These are not just strawberries…
Marks & Spencer has awarded its highest top-tier status for out-of-season strawberries produced by Arbroath business Abbey Fruit.
The award means Abbey Fruit is the only UK supplier to achieve the status.
Abbey Fruit has invested £1.5 million for 160,000sq ft of heated greenhouses and three new woodchip biomass boilers.
These developments add to Abbey Fruit’s state-of-the-art fresh produce packing facility, which produces a range of soft fruit and vegetable products for the UK’s premier retailers.
The new investment by the business secures 80 jobs and has created an additional 45 full-time equivalent jobs, generating over £750,000 additional turnover and an estimated £2million to the economy.
Peter Stirling, owner of Abbey Fruit and PJ Stirling farming, said: “We are implementing innovative and environmentally sustainable solutions to grow our business at Abbey Fruits.
“This investment allows us to produce out-of-season, high quality strawberries, beginning harvest in March and finishing early December.
“This provides our supermarket customers with locally-grown fruit instead of importing fruit from overseas, saving road and air miles.
“Our main customers are Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Tesco and they all recognise Angus’ reputation as a centre for excellence for quality fresh produce.
“Our new greenhouse, Lusa strawberries, were the only strawberries in the UK and abroad to achieve M&S’s prestigious top-tier quality category.
“We work hard to provide our customers with the highest quality and our base in Arbroath, with its good climate and excellent work force helps us achieve this.
“The Angus Council business team have been very encouraging and a pleasure to work with.
“They have demonstrated their desire to support local business and job creation in Angus.”
Business Angus spokesperson Councillor Lynne Devine said the local authority was delighted to be able to support the growth of this local business.
She said: “We want to assist businesses who are considering using innovative products, systems or design to benefit their business and our team are keen to help Angus companies continue to invest and grow.”
