Ahead of the start of 2024’s British berry season, British farmers’ Hall Hunter, has launched an extensive recruitment programme to entice seasonal workers to join their team.
With an impressive yield of over 8,000 tonnes of British soft fruit grown by them last year, the company supplies to all major UK supermarkets with British strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Fruit pickers are required with valuable industry experience, the company has a 70% employee return rate, along with above-average pay, full training, and high-standard on-site accommodation.
Hall Hunter has three picturesque farms in the southern British countryside – Sheeplands Farm and Heathlands Farm in Berkshire, and Tuesley Farm in Surrey. Each offers a safe, comfortable, and profitable environment with easy links to London and other iconic UK landmarks.
The farm group has an innovative crop system, which sees strawberry crops on a tabletop system, meaning berry pickers can pick quality berries in greater volumes at a faster pace.
Each of its farms has convenient on-site accommodation which pickers can use for a small weekly rental fee. The farm group has also introduced ‘picker villages’ that are made up of fully-furnished mobile homes that are well-maintained and have everything you need for a comfortable stay, including superfast Wi-Fi, a variety of recreational activities, a canteen serving low-cost meals and a shop with Eastern European products.
Free transport to local towns and supermarkets is provided, allowing seasonal workers to enjoy shopping, and sightseeing on their days off.
Harry Hall, Managing Partner of the Hall Hunter group says: “Fruit picking and harvest work is rewarding but it’s also quite physically demanding. This is why we strive to make sure our teams have time to relax and have fun during downtime.
“We work to develop a family atmosphere within all our farms to encourage new friendships to form. Within our on-site accommodation, we have a variety of recreational activities for everyone to enjoy, and frequently arrange trips and events.
“In addition, we regularly organise day trips to car boot sales, sporting tournaments, parties, and BBQs within each picker village. This is a fantastic way to make friends, and by getting involved, our pickers can really make the most out of their experience.”
