A NURSERY famed for its sweet-tasting strawberries has featured on the latest Countryfile episode, sharing how it went from “zero to hero”.
Vicarage Nurseries, a third-generation strawberry-picking farm based in Bretforton, featured on the popular BBC One programme this week.
Owner Bal Padda spoke to presenter Adam Henson, who visited the site and explained how it had gone from “zero to hero” in recent years thanks to the warm climate.
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Mr Padda said: “It has gone from zero to hero – it has been really crazy.
“It is because of the heat – it has been really good weather – colder nights and warmer days.
“For us it has just gone up and were making a fortune.
“This year will be our biggest year ever, with around two thousand tons of strawberries.”
The nursery supplies farm shops and cafes across Worcestershire and covers more than 50 hectares.
The business was established 30 years ago by Mr Padda’s parents, Makhan Singh and Palbinder (Image: BBC)
The business was established 30 years ago by Mr Padda’s parents, Makhan Singh and Palbinder, who moved to the UK from India in the 1960s.
Today, their sons Bal and Harjit Padda, along with their nephew Jaswinder Singh, run the nursery.
Mr Padda said: “I love this job. It is brilliant.
“I am doing what I was born and bred to do – it’s in my bones, in my blood.
“Our culture is very rich in farming.
“We come from Punjab, my dad comes from there, and everything is connected to farming there.
“It was always the farmer who was respected and looked up to.”
During the episode, Mr Henson toured the nursery, sampled one of its strawberries, and described it as having an initial crunch and sweet aftertaste.
He praised the business as a finely tuned operation that involves the whole family and employs 150 seasonal workers.
Vicarage Nurseries packs about 4.5 million punnets of strawberries each year and has received awards for the quality of its produce.