Hugh Lowe Farms

What Hugh Lowe Farms does

Hugh Lowe Farms is a 5th generation, family-owned fresh produce business headquartered in Mereworth, Kent, UK, founded in 1893 and currently led by Managing Director Marion Regan and Chairman Jon Regan. The group farms in excess of 1,300 hectares across Mereworth and Hadlow, growing strawberries, raspberries and blackberries on farms and glasshouses, alongside adjacent operations in leafy salads (L J Betts Ltd), soft fruit plant propagation (Blaise Plants), arable crops, and a vineyard whose grapes are supplied to Chapel Down for English sparkling wine. Core cultivation uses table-top systems with coir substrate, polytunnels and glasshouses, precision irrigation fed by captured rainfall, environmental sensors, smart per-berry traceability from field to packhouse, packhouse quality control cameras paired with human inspectors, and integrated pest management based on beneficial insects and 'good' fungi under LEAF Marque certification, with a public Net Zero emissions pledge.

The business sells fresh berries and ancillary products through four channels: Berry Gardens cooperative marketing to UK multiple retailers (supermarkets), specialist fruit salespeople supplying top-end restaurants, a nationwide network of greengrocers and farm shops, and direct farm gate and door sales. Its most prominent reference customer is the Wimbledon Championships, for which it has been the exclusive strawberry supplier for over 25 years. Operational technology investments include a structured graduate trainee programme, six seasonal worker accommodation sites, and piece-rate pay above UK living wage benchmarks, with seasonal employment running April to November.

Hugh Lowe Farms generates revenue primarily through fresh produce sales (berries, salads, arable crops, wine grapes, honey) on a transaction basis, with no public pricing, no external funding rounds, and no public listing indicated. The company is privately held within the founder family, has no disclosed parent or external investors, and operates exclusively within the United Kingdom, with no stated global footprint. Certifications held include LEAF Marque (original member), Red Tractor farm assurance, GDPR compliance for HR data, and Produced in Kent membership.

Name

Hugh Lowe Farms

Legal name

Hugh Lowe Farms

Website

https://hughlowefarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hugh Lowe Farms is a 5th generation family-owned berry farm in Kent, UK, growing premium strawberries, raspberries and blackberries for UK supermarkets, restaurants, farm shops, and an exclusive 25+ year Wimbledon Championships contract using table-top systems, Driscoll's exclusive varieties, and LEAF-certified sustainable practices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Soft Fruit Farming

NAICS

Strawberry Farming (111333), Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Greenhouse Fruit & Berry Production (Strawberries, Specialty Fruits) (AFAGAHAB), Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities (AFAOAGAD)

Keywords

• Soft fruit farming
• Berry production
• Fresh produce supply
• Sustainable horticulture
• Strawberry cultivation

Headquarters

HQ city

Mereworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Berry and fruit production sold through multiple channels including supermarkets, specialist retailers, restaurants, farm shops, and direct farm gate sales. strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries grown on farm, harvested, packed and delivered fresh to customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hugh Lowe Farms is a 5th generation family-owned soft fruit farm in Kent, England that grows strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries alongside arable crops, wine grapes, and honey. The farm produces, harvests, packs and delivers fresh berries to UK supermarkets, specialist fruit distributors supplying top-end restaurants, farm shops, and direct to local consumers at the farm gate. The business also supplies all strawberries to the Wimbledon Championships.

Product overview

Hugh Lowe Farms operates as a diversified fresh produce business growing soft fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), arable crops, and wine grapes across farms and glasshouses in Kent. The company uses 125 years of experience combined with sustainable technologies including table-top growing systems, substrate cultivation, polytunnels, irrigation systems, and integrated pest management. Products are grown for flavour and distributed through multiple retailers, specialist fruit sellers, and farm shops. The company also supplies strawberries to Wimbledon Championships for over 25 years. Alongside product sales, the business operates seasonal employment programs and a graduate trainee program, all certified under the LEAF Marque environmental standard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strawberries Fresh strawberries bred and grown for flavour, juiciness, and wholesome freshness. Available from April to November. All grown on table tops in coir substrate for easier harvesting and controlled growing conditions. Supplied to UK supermarkets, top-end restaurants, farm shops, local consumers at the farm gate, and exclusively to Wimbledon Championships for over 25 years.
• Raspberries Raspberries grown in both tunnel and glasshouse environments. Available May to November, including exclusive Driscoll's everbearer varieties such as Driscoll's Maravilla and Driscoll's Katrina that fruit repeatedly throughout the summer. Sold to UK supermarkets, restaurants, and farm shops.
• Blackberries Blackberries including Driscoll's Victoria variety producing large fruit with deep purple centre. Available May to November. Sold to UK supermarkets and other wholesale and retail channels.
• Arable Crops Crops including grains, beans, and oilseeds grown on the arable portions of the farm. Sown in autumn and spring and harvested in summer when berries are also being harvested. Only one-third of the farm is used for berries; the remainder supports arable and wildlife.
• Wine Grapes Wine grapes grown on south-facing chalky slopes that mature in autumn. Supplied to Chapel Down to produce English sparkling wine vintages.
• Honey Honey produced from bees kept on the farm, including raspberry and strawberry honey varieties. Available for purchase online.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25+ years supplying Wimbledon Championships with all strawberries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Berry GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHugh Lowe Farms is a founder member of the Berry Gardens grower cooperative, through which they market their fruit and have exclusive access to Driscoll's premium berry varieties.
• LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming)coreOthersOriginal members of LEAF; use the LEAF Marque to certify environmental practices including water, waste, energy, soils, crop protection, biodiversity and landscape management plans.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner supporting biodiversity and wildlife protection on farmland.
• Kent Wildlife TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting wildlife conservation and biodiversity initiatives.
• Bumblebee Conservation TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting bumblebee conservation and pollinator protection initiatives.
• Red TractorsupportingOthersMember of Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for food safety and quality standards.
• Produced in KentsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal food and drink identification scheme promoting Kent's agricultural producers.
• SpadeworksupportingOthersPartner organization supporting inclusive employment and training opportunities.
• Stronger TogethersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder initiative to reduce modern slavery, forced labour, and hidden third-party exploitation of workers. Provides guidance, training, resources and network for employers and workers.
• Chapel DownsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWine producer that receives grapes from Hugh Lowe Farms' vineyards to produce English sparkling wine.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm: Australia's largest berry producer (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries). Comparable product mix and counter-seasonal timing to UK growers — relevant peer for seasonal extension and global production benchmarking.

Direct peers

• Angus Soft Fruits: Scottish-based soft-fruit producer growing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries for UK retailers. Directly comparable crop mix, retailer-led sales motion, and protected-cultivation model.
• Hall Hunter Partnership: Large UK soft-fruit grower supplying strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries to leading UK supermarkets. Comparable scale, protected-cultivation approach, and retailer-led business model in the same South East operating region.
• Total Berry (BerryWorld): Major UK berry marketing and growing group supplying UK supermarkets with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Closest direct competitor to Hugh Lowe Farms' supermarket channel with similar variety portfolio and retailer relationships.
• S&A Produce (S&A Group): UK fresh-produce group with significant soft-fruit and top-fruit operations supplying major UK supermarkets. Comparable through large-scale UK berry production and supermarket distribution model.
• Haygrove: UK berry grower (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) and polytunnel manufacturer. Comparable through co-located UK soft-fruit production, table-top substrate systems, and supply to major UK retailers.
• Berry Gardens (Berry Gardens Growers): UK berry grower cooperative of which Hugh Lowe Farms is a founder member. Directly comparable: markets UK strawberries, raspberries and blackberries through major retailers using the same Driscoll's exclusive varieties channel and similar grower base.

Emerging players

• Place UK: UK grower of strawberries, raspberries and other berries for retail and wholesale channels. Smaller-scale but directly comparable crop profile and protected-cultivation approach.

Broad incumbents

• Naturipe Farms: Large US grower-marketer of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Comparable berry product mix and retailer-supply model; useful benchmark for scale, branding, and category management in premium berries.
• Driscoll's: Global leader in premium berry breeding and production. Comparable through the exclusive Driscoll's varieties (Maravilla, Victoria, Zara, Jubilee) that Hugh Lowe Farms grows via Berry Gardens, and as the genetic upstream of the UK premium berry category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HughLoweFarms

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hugh Lowe Farms