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“I love the taste!” As Business Sector Manager, Giz is responsible for the sales and marketing of blueberry varieties. He is also involved in research and development.

Did you know... that blueberries grow better when they are surrounded by friends? It’s true! Two varieties of blueberry, planted next to each other, will produce larger and more prolific berries.

Sir Blueberry tells us that he “is as polite as he is honest”.

Meet Sir Strawberry – (also known as Jamie Petchell).

“I’m a big fan of all berries!” Jamie, our Commercial Director, has worked with soft fruits and berries for 15 years.

Did you know... that a strawberry is the only fruit with its seeds on the outside?

Jamie tells us that eating berries gave him the strength to cycle from London to Paris and helped him scale the Tour de France’s most famous mountain, L’Alpe d’Huez.

Meet Lady Blackberry – (also known as Jane Fairlie).

“I’ve worked with fruit since the late 1970s, mainly with strawberry and raspberry breeding!” Jane specialises in researching the physiology and micropropagation of blackcurrants, gooseberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Did you know... that blackberries are botanically considered not to be true fruits? They are aggregate fruits composed of drupelets.

Jane has done her bit for ’char-i-dee’, having abseiled off the roof of Dundee University to raise money for Meningitis Trust and the Dundee Kidney Patients’ Association!

Meet Sir Raspberry – (also known as Jonathan Brown).

“I am the Steve Davis of the raspberry world!” Jonathan specialises in soft fruit, mainly raspberries and rhubarb, and has a keen interest in grow-your-own production and techniques.

Did you know... that raspberries contain no fat, sat fat, sodium or cholesterol? They’re just fabulously healthy!

Jonathan loves making sure that our customers get the best possible produce, all year round.

Fresh berries are deliciously versatile, oh so healthy – and perfect for eating just as they are. But they also make wonderful cakes and pies and most berries can be served with ice cream and yoghurt or blended with bananas and milk to make a nutritious smoothie.

Try this strawberry and spinach salad – mix some toasted sesame seeds with a bag of spinach and add a good few handfuls of rinsed strawberries. Pour over a vinaigrette dressing made with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and a dab of mustard and toss well. Scrumptious – and very, very healthy!

Do you have some great recipe ideas and healthy meal ideas that you’d like to share with us? Please send them in and Berry Buddies will make sure they’re featured here, along with hints and tips about growing and cultivating these fantastic crops.

Remember, berries can be frozen without affecting either the taste or their nutritional quality so if your crop is doing well, clear some freezer space and you can have the nutritious benefits of berries all year round.

Keep coming back for loads of ideas and inspiration about growing your own berries.

And please tell us what you’d like us to feature here. Do you want to know more about the nutritional benefits of berries or growing cycles? Would videos showing how to spot diseases in your fruit be useful? Feel free to tell us what you’d like and to share your ideas with us because our aim is to provide a valuable resource for  all berry inspired fresh produce.

Keep visiting this page to find out everything you need to know about growing, cultivating, picking, preparing and cooking strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.