A Meon Valley farm team is busy preparing 50,000 raspberry plants for the 2025 summer season - more than five times the number planted last year.

Westlands Farm in Wickham had a bumper crop in the 2024 season with fruit from around 8,000 raspberry plants and 185,000 strawberry plants. Overall, the farm produced just under 200 tonnes of soft fruit.

This expansion is a significant investment in British-grown fruit at a time when many farms are reducing output due to rising costs and unpredictable weather, and makes Westlands one of the south’s biggest soft fruit growers.

While the farm’s production is growing, the expansion isn’t just about numbers. It’s about meeting demand for fresh, local produce and ensuring that Hampshire residents have access to high-quality soft fruit grown just a few miles from their doorstep.

"Every year, we see more and more people seeking out locally grown fruit," said Graham Collett, who runs the fruit farm alongside his wife, Kayleigh.

"We want to be able to meet that demand, and this expansion means that more of our raspberries will be enjoyed in homes across the region."

Despite the massive growth of production, sustainability remains at the forefront of everything Westlands Farm does. The raspberries will continue to be grown using eco-conscious farming practices, such as being irrigated using recycled rainwater that has been collected from a purpose-built on-site reservoir.

Westlands' fruit-growing history goes back to the 1980s, with strawberries already a major focus. Customers travel from across the county every summer for their renowned soft fruit - including strawberries and raspberries. With this expansion, raspberries will significantly increase in availability.

With planting already underway, the first raspberries from this new expansion will hit shelves in Westlands Farm Shop in summer 2025. Until then, the team at Westlands is hard at work, ensuring that Hampshire will have delicious homegrown raspberries for years to come.