Latest news with #HughLoweFarms
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Anyone growing certain vegetables must do one thing to protect crop
With your summer vegetables growing steadily, don't let a common foe be the thing to destroy them before you have a chance to harvest them At this point in the summer, some vegetables are ready to be picked and enjoyed. Harvest courgettes before they turn to marrows and second earlies and maincrop potatoes if the foliage is going yellow. French and runner beans can be cropped regularly and onions, shallots and garlic are ready to dig up when foliage becomes yellow and flops over. Cut herbs such as bay, sage and rosemary and hang upside down in bouquets to dry. And keep an eye on garden pests - check for cabbage white butterfly eggs and remove. Do the same with blackfly on broad beans and aphids all over the garden. Limit disease by removing rose leaves with black spot from ground and any fallen diseased apples or pears. There are other jobs in the rest of the garden too: If lavender is going over, trim now to prevent it becoming leggy, Cut back perennials that are finished or those that will give a second flush such as hardy geraniums. Dead head bedding plants and perennials to encourage more flowers. If you're going on holidays, move your pots to shady positions and ask a friendly neighbour to water them for you. And cast your mind forward to next year's growing season and order your spring bulbs now for delivery in September. Meanwhile, don't neglect your strawberries - it's time to show them some attention. Every year the tennis supporters at Wimbledon munch their way through more than 38 tons of strawberries. The tournament, which ended in thrilling style last weekend, is synonymous with the berry and has been served there since the competition began in the late 19th century. In those days, it was a delicacy and only seasonally available for a brief period in July. In 1893, Bernard Champion arrived in Mereworth in Kent with a view to growing fruit to supply the family stall in Covent Garden. He noticed wild strawberries were flourishing in the local woods, so decided to try his hand at them. Today his business, Hugh Lowe Farms, is still in family hands and has been supplying Wimbledon with its delicious crop for the last 25 years. 'Malling Centenary' is their favourite June variety – it crops within 60 days and has excellent flavour. Environmental sustainability is at the heart of the farm's business. Only a third of the land grows berries, the rest is given over to nature with a mix of meadows, woodland, hedgerows and arable crops. This encourages wild bees and other pollinators to visit the farm to pollinate the flowers and nurture native beneficial insects to protect the plants from pests. Today we take for granted that we can have strawberries every day of the year if we want as they can be grown in heated glasshouses, and if necessary, flown in from abroad. However, nothing beats plucking a delicious homegrown strawberry from your garden. If yours have finished flowering, they will be sending out runners now. This is leafy growth on a long stem and is an easy way to propagate next year's crop. Choose a strong healthy parent plant that has cropped the best. Take a runner with a tuft of leaves on it, and while keeping it attached to the parent plant, place on the surface of a small pot of compost and pin it in place using a bit of U-shaped wire. Do not sever the runner – this acts as an umbilical cord for the new plant. In four to six weeks, you will have a small new plant ready to be disconnected from its mother plant and transplanted to its permanent position, either in the ground or into a bigger pot. Keep well watered in its new home, and in autumn, conserve its energy by clipping off runners emerging from it. Alternatively you can order runners from nurseries for delivery in early autumn for planting out. They are well suited to container-growing or even hanging baskets, both of which offer additional protection from slug damage. They need plenty of sun and adequate spacing – 18in between each plant – to grow well. Water well during dry spells and before ripening to swell the fruit. In addition to 'Malling Centenary', other tried and trusted varieties include 'Cambridge Favourite', 'Royal Sovereign' , and 'Florence'. Plant of the week: Salvia 'Peach Melba' Salvia breeders are aways coming up with new varieties of this hard-working perennial. And 'Peach Melba' is a mouthwatering combination of peach-pink and raspberry-purple bi-coloured petals. Salvias are ever-popular due to their nonstop flowering from May to October and are drought tolerant, an attribute that is becoming more vital in these hotter summers. Pollinators love this plant so you can attract bees and butterflies to enliven your plot. Plant in full sunshine and moist, well-drained soil for best results and deadhead the flowers to keep them coming. Nicely compact in shape, this semi-evergreen perennial is perfect for pots and patios and its aromatic foliage makes it an all-rounder.
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Gardeners with strawberry plants must do one unexpected thing in next few days
All it takes is one healthy strawberry plant and a bit of compost, and in four to six weeks you'll have a new small plant ready to be transplanted into the ground Every year the tennis supporters at Wimbledon munch their way through more than 38 tons of strawberries. The tournament, which ended in thrilling style last weekend, is synonymous with the berry and has been served there since the competition began in the late 19th century. In those days, it was a delicacy and only seasonally available for a brief period in July. In 1893, Bernard Champion arrived in Mereworth in Kent with a view to growing fruit to supply the family stall in Covent Garden. He noticed wild strawberries were flourishing in the local woods, so decided to try his hand at them. Today his business, Hugh Lowe Farms, is still in family hands and has been supplying Wimbledon with its delicious crop for the last 25 years. 'Malling Centenary' is their favourite June variety – it crops within 60 days and has excellent flavour. Environmental sustainability is at the heart of the farm's business. Only a third of the land grows berries, the rest is given over to nature with a mix of meadows, woodland, hedgerows and arable crops. This encourages wild bees and other pollinators to visit the farm to pollinate the flowers and nurture native beneficial insects to protect the plants from pests. Today we take for granted that we can have strawberries every day of the year if we want as they can be grown in heated glasshouses, and if necessary, flown in from abroad. However, nothing beats plucking a delicious homegrown strawberry from your garden. If yours have finished flowering, they will be sending out runners now. This is leafy growth on a long stem and is an easy way to propagate next year's crop. Choose a strong healthy parent plant that has cropped the best. Take a runner with a tuft of leaves on it, and while keeping it attached to the parent plant, place on the surface of a small pot of compost and pin it in place using a bit of U-shaped wire. Do not sever the runner – this acts as an umbilical cord for the new plant. In four to six weeks, you will have a small new plant ready to be disconnected from its mother plant and transplanted to its permanent position, either in the ground or into a bigger pot. Keep well watered in its new home, and in autumn, conserve its energy by clipping off runners emerging from it. Alternatively you can order runners from nurseries for delivery in early autumn for planting out. They are well suited to container-growing or even hanging baskets, both of which offer additional protection from slug damage. They need plenty of sun and adequate spacing – 18in between each plant – to grow well. Water well during dry spells and before ripening to swell the fruit. In addition to 'Malling Centenary', other tried and trusted varieties include 'Cambridge Favourite', 'Royal Sovereign' , and 'Florence'. Here are my other jobs for the week Harvest courgettes before they turn to marrows and second earlies and maincrop potatoes if the foliage is going yellow. French and runner beans can be cropped regularly and onions, shallots and garlic are ready to dig up when foliage becomes yellow and flops over. Check for cabbage white butterfly eggs and remove. Do the same with blackfly on broad beans and aphids all over the garden. Order your spring bulbs now for delivery in September. Going on holidays? Move your pots to shady positions and ask a friendly neighbour to water them for you. Cut back perennials that are finished or those that will give a second flush such as hardy geraniums. Dead head bedding plants and perennials to encourage more flowers. If lavender is going over, trim now to prevent it becoming leggy. Limit disease by removing rose leaves with black spot from ground and any fallen diseased apples or pears. Cut herbs such as bay, sage and rosemary and hang upside down in bouquets to dry. Plant of the week: Salvia 'Peach Melba' Salvia breeders are aways coming up with new varieties of this hard-working perennial. And 'Peach Melba' is a mouthwatering combination of peach-pink and raspberry-purple bi-coloured petals. Salvias are ever-popular due to their nonstop flowering from May to October and are drought tolerant, an attribute that is becoming more vital in these hotter summers. Pollinators love this plant so you can attract bees and butterflies to enliven your plot. Plant in full sunshine and moist, well-drained soil for best results and deadhead the flowers to keep them coming. Nicely compact in shape, this semi-evergreen perennial is perfect for pots and patios and its aromatic foliage makes it an all-rounder.
Daily Mirror
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I went to Wimbledon and was floored by price of strawberries and cream'
Wimbledon's strawberries and cream have been served at the tournament since it first started in 1877 and the dish proves to be popular year after year. The price took one customer by surprise Wimbledon, the oldest tennis championship in the world and one of the four Grand Slam events, is currently taking place. It's held annually at the All England Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, and is known for its traditional grass courts and strict all-white dress code for players. While watching tennis stars like Emma Raducanu and Novak Djokovic in action is the highlight of the event, the refreshments are also a big draw and the one food item most associated with Wimbledon is strawberries and cream. This classic summer combination has been served at the tournament since it began in 1877 and every year, hundreds of people in the crowd are spotted tucking into this fruity delight. The strawberries and cream alone are popular enough to make some spectators want to attend Wimbledon, like the TikTok user Sofia Petrillo. In a video on the social media platform she confessed: 'I don't know anything about tennis. I'm just here for the strawberries and cream if I'm being honest. 'Apparently these are insane so let's try Wimbledon's strawberries and cream.' Sofia was met with a huge queue of customers waiting in line to try the iconic dish, leading her to remark: 'I hope these are worth it.' She was pleased to see that the queue was 'moving pretty quickly' so she didn't have to wait too long for her strawberries and cream. Sofia couldn't believe how much it cost. One portion is £2.70 which she thought was very reasonable, considering how high food and drink prices usually are at major sporting events. She shared her first thoughts on the treat: 'I'm not gonna lie, it's not giving like any sort of aesthetic at all.' Even though she wasn't impressed with how the strawberries and cream looked, that didn't stop her from tasting it to see if it is 'worth the hype.' Sofia tried her first strawberry covered in cream and couldn't help but smile. She said: 'Mmm, wait, that's actually really refreshing. I feel like I would prefer it if it was just strawberries though. 'They're really good and they were only like £2.70.' After eating some more of the strawberries and cream, she decided 'they could definitely charge more, a hundred per cent.' Although Sofia was amazed by the price, it has actually increased by 20p from 2024 and it's also the first time the cost of the strawberries and cream has risen in 15 years. The Wimbledon website states: 'On average there are 200,000 portions of strawberries and cream enjoyed during The Championships!' For many years, Wimbledon has sourced its strawberries from Hugh Lowe Farms, a family-run business spanning about 500 hectares near Mereworth, just 31 miles away. Throughout the two weeks of the tournament, the farm delivers freshly picked strawberries to the grounds each morning.
Express Tribune
01-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Wimbledon's top strawberry faces juicy competition
Malling Centenary is known for its sweetness and size. Photo: Reuters It may be the top seed at Wimbledon but even the reigning king of strawberries knows the crown sits lightly. The Malling Centenary berry has reigned supreme since being introduced at The Championships in 2016, sweetening summer rituals and picnics alike at the All England Club. Yet in the fields and labs, a new crop of challengers is ripening. In the high-stakes world of soft fruit supremacy, flavour, firmness and fame are all up for grabs. The Malling Centenary variety is known for its sweetness, "heart-shaped" size, and quality of taste, according to Joe Furber, Food and Drinks Operations Manager at Wimbledon. Weeks of sunshine and a "bumper crop" in the UK have helped produce an excess of strawberries, meaning Furber expects around 2.5 million of them, or 5,000 tonnes, alongside 13,000 litres of cream to be consumed during the Wimbledon fortnight. This year, a portion of 10 Malling Centenary strawberries with cream costs two pounds and seventy pence after the first price increase (20 pence) since 2010. The strawberries are grown in polytunnels by Hugh Lowe Farms, a family-owned business in Kent, just 31 miles from the All England Club, picked and delivered each morning at 8.30am. "Their best time aligns perfectly with the championships, which is quite fortuitous, which is a big part of why they were chosen," Furber said. But like every champion, it cannot afford to rest on its laurels as contenders lurk to seize the strawberry crown. The Summer Berry Company, based at Groves Farm near Chichester, told Reuters the variety landscape is becoming increasingly competitive and that it has reduced its production of Malling Centenary over the years. "I love Malling Centenary, I'm in no way saying it's a bad variety. I'm just saying that there's a new generation of varieties we're bringing to the market," commercial director Jack Darnes said. Summer Berry, which uses robotics and artificial intelligence technology to help with the harvesting process, grows varieties including Fandango, Karima and Florice, which Darnes said are larger and sweeter. "With Malling Centenary three or four days later they're still okay, with the new varieties you can survive even longer — six to seven days. So it's reducing waste, it's a better product for the end consumer," he said. "We hope one day there's going to be a new summer berry variety that people at Wimbledon are going to be consuming even better than Malling Centenary." The UK produces 120,000 tonnes of strawberries each year, generating retail sales of up to 700 million pounds, said Darnes.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
The Details And History Of Wimbledon's Strawberries And Cream
Wimbledon serves over 2.5 million individual strawberries during The Championships. While white and green offer the most pronounced color combination throughout Wimbledon, the red and white of the The Championships' offering of strawberries and cream gives fans a signature food item steeped in tradition and distinction. During the 2024 The Championships, Wimbledon, the tournament served over 55 tons of strawberries from Hugh Lowe Farms just 31.5 miles from famed tournament—that's over 2.5 million individual Grade 1 English strawberries of the Mailing Centenary variety. And those berries came doused in 13,241 liters of cream (nearly 3,500 gallons), a total of 251,405 portions of the famed strawberries and cream pairing. Each berry served was picked that morning in Mereworth, Kent. A crew of at least 20 begin at sunrise at the family-run farm that started in 1893 and is now led by Marion Regan, great-granddaughter of founder Bernard Champion. The handpicked berries get delivered to the All England Club for inspection and hulling by 9 a.m. and served that day. Any berry not used is then frozen and made into jam after the tournament, served year-round at the site and featured in the afternoon tea and Victoria sponge cakes. Marion Regan showcasing the Hugh Lowe Farms strawberries, served as part of Wimbeldon's strawberries ... More and cream. In 2024, the farm hand picked and delivered over 55 tons of strawberries to the tournament. Hugh Lowe's plants 100,000 new strawberry plants in late March to ensure it can deliver enough fresh Mailing Centenary berries to the All England Club during The Championships. Mailing Centenary developed in West Kent, is known for its 'excellent flavor and ease of picking,' according to the farm. The uniform, juicy and naturally sweet berries also bring a pop of bright red to contrast the cream. While Hugh Lowe Farms has provided strawberries to the All England Club for over 30 years, the history of the treat during a tournament that started in 1877 dips back much further. 'Nobody is really sure when they were first served,' Robert McNicol, club historian at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, tells me. 'It's likely that people initially just brought their own and it grew from there and become a tradition.' Strawberries have been a tradition at Wimbledon for as long as anyone knows. Since the early days of the event, prime strawberry season has coincided with the timing of the tournament. In the days before refrigeration, strawberries (and cream) were commonly consumed the day they were picked. Pair together the timing of the strawberry season with the propensity to eat strawberries immediately upon ripening and add in the fact that strawberries were once considered a treat for the upper-class, and it all adds up to a tradition for lawn tennis nearly 150 years old. 'They were always associated with Wimbledon,' McNicol says about strawberries, 'because they happened to be in season at the time of The Championships.' Wimbledon Food Wimbledon, the largest single annual sporting catering operation in Europe, is more than just strawberries and cream. With 55 kitchens on site, Wimbledon offers a mix of grab-and-go options alongside multiple sit-down restaurants scattered across the site. MORE: On Site At Wimbledon 2025 Ahead Of Famed The Hill's Makeover Traditional English scones and clotted cream is still popular, with 72,000 scones served alongside Rodda's Cornish clotted cream from Cornwall, a family business that started in 1890 and is now in its fifth generation. Drinks are also popular at Wimbledon, with 314,082 glasses of Pimm's served in 2024 and 242,892 cups of tea and coffee. Wimbledon prides itself on serving food from the British Isles (in 2024, no food was brought in via air freight) and has a mix of popular English staples, whether smoked trout, heritage tomatoes, chicken, potatoes, brownies, lamb, cured meats and, of course, cheese and ice cream. The Winterdale Shaw Cheddar comes from North Kent Downs to provide English cheddar for the tournament, while Jude's has been making ice cream in Hampshire for over 20 years and is now a popular stop for Wimbledon fans across the grounds. Whether fish and chips, a sausage grill or a cup of tea with a scone and clotted cream, nothing comes with more Wimbledon lore than the historic strawberries and cream. MORE: The Last 8 Club At Wimbledon Has History And Keeps Growing
